THE FARMER’S KITCHEN HANDBOOK Copyright © 2014 by Marie W. Lawrence All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or [email protected]. Skyhorse® and Skyhorse Publishing® are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.®, a Delaware corporation. www.skyhorsepublishing.com 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file. ISBN: 978-1-62873-615-1 Printed in China To my family, past, present, and future, with love . . . and for the farmer in each of us. Contents Growing Up in Farm Country General Cooking, Baking, and Preserving Guidelines January February March April May June July August September October November December Old-Fashioned Household Hints Substitutions Weights and Measures Harvest Guide Recipe Index (by month) General Index The Farmer’s Kitchen Handbook Growing Up in Farm Country When my parents decided to buy a piece of land out in the country, they did my brothers and me the biggest favor we could have imagined. We grew up in Vermont during the 1950s and 1960s, living a rural lifestyle that in many aspects has since disappeared. Folks in our neighborhood were, for the most part, either full-time farming families or those such as my parents who kept gardens; raised a few animals for meat, milk, or pets; and generally felt the benefits of living in the country far outweighed the drawbacks. A country upbringing gives you an appreciation of fresh air, fresh water, and good, fresh food. You also learn to appreciate the long hours farm folk put in every day of the week to care for their animals, crops, and the land that sustains them (and us) all. Self-reliance and pride of a job well done go hand in hand in this profession. Farming has been around this good green planet for a number of centuries now, and it is probably one of the most universal occupations in the world. It may take many forms, from tiny subsistence holdings in remote areas to immense factory farms that bear little resemblance to the family farmsteads of not so long ago. And a whole lot of it takes place outside of Vermont! My parents, Evelyn and William Wheelock, circa 1935. Although I have incorporated a few recipes with an international flavor, much of my perspective is from rural New England, land of my paternal grandfather. You’ll also notice the influence of my immigrant grandparents, from Scotland,