Iowa Farm Photo of the Week

Round Fodder Bales:

Iowa Farm in Your Pocket: A Beginner's Guide, Kirk Murray

New Year's Holiday Menu

You made it through another year! Reward yourself by making a great meal from the University of Iowa Press's cookbooks.

Harvard Beets 

Wash 6 small beets, cook in boiling water until soft. Remove skins and cut beets in thin slices, small cubes, or fancy shapes, using French vegetable cutter. Mix 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch. Add 1/2 cup vinegar and let boil 5 minutes. Pour over beets and let stand on back of range 1/2 hour. Just before serving add 2 tablespoons butter and reheat.

Dorothy's Scalloped Turnips

Peel and dice enough turnips to fill a 2-quart casserole. Place turnips in a kettle to which you have added enough cold water to cover and 1/4 teaspoon soda. Bring to boiling and cook for a few minutes to parboil. Drain and rinse. Combine about 1/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1 cup cream and beat until smooth. Place turnips in casserole and pour cream mixture over them until just covered. (More cream or milk can be stirred in if amount is not sufficient to cover.) Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes or so while baking.

Mother Shoemaker's Baked Beans

3 cups navy beans, soaked overnight in water to cover
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 slices bacon

Cook beans and soda together a few minutes. Pour off water, wash well, and let cook in clear water for 1/2 hour. Drain off water as desired, leaving enough to moisten beans. Add more during baking if needed. Add the other ingredients (putting bacon on top). Bake for three hours in a moderate (350-degree) oven.


Neighboring on the Air: Cooking with the KMA Radio Homemakers, by Evelyn Birkby

New Year's Eve Holiday Menu

Ring in the New Year with family, friends and GOOD FOOD with these recipes from the University of Iowa Press's cookbooks.

Oyster Salad (Mrs. J, V. Brann) from P.E.O. Cook Book

One can cove oysters, one cup powdered crackers, one-half cup butter, three eggs, scant half cup vinegar, one teaspoon mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Drain off liquid and heat; stir in eggs, crackers, and butter; let come to a boil and stir in vinegar and mustard. When it thickens pour over oysters. Garnish with parsley.

German Potato Salad (Aimee Cornell) from P.E.O. Cook Book

One dozen medium-sized potatoes boiled. While still warm skin potatoes and slice thin. Chop in a stalk of celery and a small onion. Season with handful of sugar, teaspoon of salt and dash of cayenne. Take a couple of slices of bacon and cut in small cubes. Put in skillet and brown, then pour in a pint of vinegar. Mix all these together. Garnish with parsley.

Roast Goose (Mrs. C. W. Cornell) from P.E.O. Cook Book

Rub pepper, salt, and celery salt over and inside goose. Prepare a dressing of one loaf of stale bread, soaked then squeezed dry, a small onion, stalk of celery cut fine, browned in butter. To this add the bread, four eggs, stir until heated, remove from fire. Stuff goose and sew up. Put a small onion in roaster, cover and bake slowly one hour. Remove grease, sift a little flour on top. Add a little water and a few crusts, then bake three hours. Cover giblets with water and cook until tender and cut in small pieces. Make a little thickening of flour and water, and with giblets add to gravy. Serve with apple sauce. Garnish with parsley.


P.E.O. Cook Book (Souvenir Edition), edited by David E. Schoonover