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First, we have Nita Holleman’s Meatloaf, contributed by Amanda Thomas-Henke, a reader who has moved away from the area, but she still calls Apopka her hometown and still subscribes to The Apopka Chief. Amanda says she adds some garlic to hers and sautés the sweet onion and garlic before mixing it into the meatloaf. And for you meticulous readers, not only are we providing you with this delicious recipe, but after much searching, we have solved the age-old mystery: is it meat loaf? Or is it meatloaf? According to the internet (harumph! and drumroll): “Meatloaf is a closed compound word used to describe a baked ground meat dish.” So, now you know!
Baked Mashed Potatoes is a terrific recipe from Frances McHale that we found in the Apopka Historical Society’s Preserving the Big Potato. It will be a wonderful accompaniment to the preceding recipe for meatloaf! From farm-house.org, we learn that the mighty potato, considered our most versatile vegetable, is allergen and gluten-free, unlike other foods, including soy, nuts, and dairy. Beyond our regular uses as a food, the potato is used in industrial applications,such as paper and textiles, biodegradable plastics, and even as a binding agent in pharmaceuticals. So, let’s hear a round of applause for the delicious and versatile POTATO!
From Mark F. Sohn’s book Hearty Country Cooking, we have Fried Okra. According to Sohn, “This vegetable (okra) is a late summer vegetable, a large, tall plant that is related to cotton and hibiscus. The pointed, finger-shaped fruit is hairy and a bit slimy. Three- to four-inch yellow flowers with red centers make a showy ornament, and the pods, which develop to ten inches in length, make beautiful additions to dried flower arrangements.”
Mrs. Marilyn Guest contributed this recipe for Lemon Meringue Pie to a favorite source of ours, Plains Pot-Pourri that was published in 1977 by the Plains Jr. Woman’s Club of Plains, Georgia.
If you like a salad extravaganza, try this Wilted Spinach Delight! It’s from Panama City’s Canary Cottage, publicized in Joyce LaFray Young’s book, Country Cookin’, and it looks terrific!
NITA HOLLEMAN’S MEATLOAF
Contributed by Amanda Thomas-Henke
Reader of The Apopka Chief newspaper
INGREDIENTS:
Meatloaf –
1-1/2 pounds ground beef… (OR ground shoulder roast… OR venison… or other game meat… see below for game meatloaf instructions)
1 slice bread, broken or chopped finely
1 egg
1 small Vidalia onion or sweet onion, chopped finely
1 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 to 2/3 cup whole milk OR Half & Half
Sauce –
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 to 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed firm (or amount to taste)
1/2 cup ketchup
DIRECTIONS:
1) Combine meatloaf ingredients and place into a loaf baking dish. 2) Smooth out top. 3) Combine sauce ingredients and pour on top and sides of meatloaf. 4) Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour to an hour and 15 minutes or until done. 5) Nita Holleman, the originator from Food.com, says the addition of 1 or 2 teaspoons of Kitchen Bouquet makes this recipe very good. Recipe should be ‘plump’ from the addition of the milk or Half & Half. It should not be runny. 6) If you are using game meat such as deer, which is a very dry meat, it is wise to add some fat to the deer meat. For instance: for one pound of ground venison, add about 1/2 pound of deer sausage for the fat content. Otherwise, your results will be poor for lack of fat. 7) Preparation time for the meatloaf is around 20 minutes, baking takes one hour or a little more.
FRANCES McHALE’S BAKED MASHED POTATOES
Recipe from Apopka Historical Society, Apopka, Florida
Preserving the Big Potato – A Collection of Potato Recipes
INGREDIENTS:
6 to 8 potatoes, cooked until tender
Salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces sour cream
1/4 pound butter
2 medium size onions (chopped)
DIRECTIONS:
1) Mash potatoes, adding salt and pepper to taste, cream cheese and sour cream. Mix together well and set aside. 2) Using a skillet, sauté onions in butter until clear but not browned. Mix this into the potatoes and put in baking dish. 3) Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown.
MARK SOHN’S FRIED OKRA
Recipe from Hearty Country Cooking
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pound fresh or a pint of okra
4 ounces bacon
2 tablespoons self-rising cornmeal mix
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
DIRECTIONS:
1) Slice the okra into 1/4-inch slices. 2) In a large, heavy skillet, fry the bacon until it is crisp. Remove the bacon and drain it on paper towels. Lower the heat. 3) Combine 1 tablespoon of the cornmeal with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle this over the okra. Stir. Add as much of the remaining cornmeal as will stick to the okra. 4) Add the okra to the bacon grease, and fry it over medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until the okra starts to brown on both sides. 5) While you might cook this from beginning to end at low-medium, I use medium or high-medium heat first, and then when the okra starts to brown, I reduce the heat – okra burns easily. Add more oil, if necessary. 6) The goal is to cook the okra until it is brown, crunchy to the center, and about half its original size. 7) If the grease has not been absorbed, drain the okra on paper towels, and serve with the bacon, either crumbled or in strips. Note 1: Healthy choice alternative: Replace the bacon with canola oil. Serve as a snack or vegetable. Note 2: Okra can also be grown to use in decorative arrangements.
MRS. MARILYN GUEST’S LEMON MERINGUE PIE
Recipe from Plains Pot-Pourri
Plains, Georgia
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup condensed milk
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup lemon juice
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Vanilla wafers
DIRECTIONS:
1) Mix together condensed milk, four egg yolks and lemon juice. 2) Beat one egg white until stiff. 3) Fold the egg white into the condensed milk mixture. 4) Pour mixture into a 9-inch pie pan that has been lined with vanilla wafers. 5) Make meringue by beating remaining egg whites until stiff, gradually adding combined sugar and cream of tartar. 6) Bake at 350 degrees until brown.
WILTED SPINACH DELIGHT FROM CANARY COTTAGE IN PANAMA CITY
Recipe from Country Cookin’
By Joyce LaFray Young
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pound bacon
1/2-3/4 cups sugar (or sugar substitute)
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 pound fresh spinach (washed, cleaned, torn into bite-size pieces)
3 tomatoes (cut into wedges)
1/2 cup scallions (sliced)
2 hard boiled eggs (chopped fine)
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
12 fresh mushrooms (sliced)
DIRECTIONS:
1) Place bacon in frying pan and fry until crisp. Remove bacon and allow to cool. Crumble. Set aside. 2) Add sugar, dry mustard, and vinegar to bacon drippings. Stir to blend. Add water. Stir. Bring to boil. Simmer 5 minutes while arranging salads. 3) Place spinach on salad plates. Arrange the other ingredients on top, including the crumbled bacon. 4) Spoon the hot sauce over and serve immediately. Variation: Use yellow squash that has been sliced thin. Serves 4-6. Cooking: 10 minutes.