A Taste of Maine (Ogunquit: high school, eat, rated)

[elston]

I have some Rhubarb Sauce slow cooking in the oven.....I thought about a pie or crisp but settled on the way I grew up with rhubarb....as a dessert sauce.....can go over cake or ice cream...but is good just in a little bowl...warm or cold. I also froze another 2 cups for another day.

[Zymer]

My Grandma used to stew up rhubarb with sugar somehow, we ate it just like that, didn't go over anything. I've been meaning to plant some. I wonder if the recipe is in my great aunt's cookbook? I don't dare search through it, the pages are too brittle and fragile...which reminds me, I haven't worked on it for quite a while...

On another note, drat, "A Taste of Maine" was how I was going to brand my honey (assuming I get enough to harvest and sell).

[elston]

I looked in the Boston Cooking School Cookbook that Grammy and then my Mom used.....it has just about every classic New England recipe. The recipe for "Rhubarb Sauce" (thats what both you and I remember) is pretty basic. It calls for Rhubarb cut into 1/2 inch pieces....unpeeled....about 2-4 cups....and about 1/2 to 3/4 cup white sugar....and about 1/2 cup water. Cook till soft.

If you cook it in the oven at a low temp (around 300) it takes on a really nice rose color.....thats it. Rhubarb, sugar, water. Mine looks and tastes just as good as I remembered. I added a little extra sugar to the hot mix....cause it was still a little puckery. I used about 4 cups rhubarb (5 long stalks) and a cup of sugar total.

[Zymer]

Thanks, El, that sounds simple enough. I like mine a little 'puckery'.

Hmmmmm, I wonder how it would be using dark brown sugar instead...one way to find out...

[elston]

It can be done in a sauce pan or a double boiler on top of the stove.

This is what the old cookbook said....

"select firm young rhubarb with fresh looking leaves. cut off leaves and stem end. Wash. Peel or not as desired. If the rhubarb is young and the skin is tender it is desirable to leave it on since it improves the color. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Cover with boiling water and let stand a five mins. and drain. Sprinkle with sugar, add just enough water to prevent burning and cook until soft."

It goes on to say for 2 lbs of rhubarb add 1 cup sugar and cook until tender in a double boileror covered casserole in slow oven 300 degrees. If baked for a long time it has a rich red color. Add sugar as needed. "

That is pretty much what I did but I didnt cover with boiling water and drain before I started cooking. I forgot that...and I cant tell that it made a difference...but I will do it next time; especially if the rhubarb is less tender.

[RMoore007]

On many occasions we had beans and franks on Saturday nights when growing up. But my problem was that dad would steam the hot dog buns so much, they would be almost wet when he served them to us kids. He said "That's the only way to eat hot dogs and you're not going to eat them in any dry bread". So I would be forced to gag down one dog just to make him happy. But I really preferred to cut them up in little portions and eat them in the beans.

I remember we had family reunions in Dover when I was very young and they always dug deep holes for the beans. I have a picture somewhere where I was sitting in the front row because I was the youngest of about 40-50 people. That was back in the early fifties. I'll try to find it.

Anyways, all this talk of beans is bringing back some early childhood traumas. Thanks Elston.

[Maine Writer]

I add a little nutmeg to the sugar before I mix it with rhubarb. Very tasty. Zymer, I have enough rhubarb to share. If you'd like some you can DM your address. I'll dig it up and drop it in the mail Monday.

[elston]

Originally Posted by RMoore007

On many occasions we had beans and franks on Saturday nights when growing up. But my problem was that dad would steam the hot dog buns so much, they would be almost wet when he served them to us kids. He said "That's the only way to eat hot dogs and you're not going to eat them in any dry bread". So I would be forced to gag down one dog just to make him happy. But I really preferred to cut them up in little portions and eat them in the beans.

I remember we had family reunions in Dover when I was very young and they always dug deep holes for the beans. I have a picture somewhere where I was sitting in the front row because I was the youngest of about 40-50 people. That was back in the early fifties. I'll try to find it.

Anyways, all this talk of beans is bringing back some early childhood traumas. Thanks Elston.

Sorry for the trauma! I have had steamed buns but we usually had brown bread and the frank on the plate with the beans....I later got into buttering and grilling my roll for the franks....something about those buttery toasted hot dog rolls! I think I remember dad offering sweet pickle juice to go with the beans...but I also remember sweet pickle relish.

[mainegrl2011]

Originally Posted by AustinB

We had beans on most Saturday nights too. I try not to have them now.

My mom baked beans in our wood cook stove every Saturday for years. Her favorite was Jacob's Cattle. I like them now, but not necessarily on a Saturday. I think they are better about three days after they're cooked. As a child, I used to think what a perfectly good way to ruin a Saturday. The red hot dogs, home made white yeast rolls, anadama rolls, and steamed dark brown bread got me through.

[elston]

Originally Posted by mainegrl2011

My mom baked beans in our wood cook stove every Saturday for years. Her favorite was Jacob's Cattle. I like them now, but not necessarily on a Saturday. I think they are better about three days after they're cooked. As a child, I used to think what a perfectly good way to ruin a Saturday. The red hot dogs, home made white yeast rolls, anadama rolls, and steamed dark brown bread got me through.

Those Jacob Cattle Beans are my fav. too. Before I moved to Maine it was yellow eye beans...and they are good too....but I love the rich dark color of Jacob's beans. I also agree that they get better in a couple of days after baking! Now I just finished my beans but I do have two containers in the freezer...of those delicous beans. I am sure I could "can" in ball jars...but I am not sure how to go about that without a pressure canner.