Veggies ala 1964 (French Peas and Artichokes)

I'm fascinated with the way ingredients are specified in the recipes of today compared with those of our mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers. In Never in the Kitchen when Company Arrives, ingredients illustrate the place of respect that prepared foods held during the 1960's. The author was considered quite the gourmet, and yet many of her recipes contained canned and frozen vegetables.

Here is an interesting example.

French Peas and Artichokes

1/8 lb. butter

2 tablespoons frozen chopped onion

2 cans artichoke hearts (drained)

2 cans petis pois (drained)

Salt and fresh-ground pepper

Melt butter in a saucepan and pare frozen chopped onions into pan. Let cook over low heat for about 3 minutes, then add artichokes and turn gently to coat with butter-onion mixture. Butter a shallow casserole (from which the vegetables will be served) and make a bed of the peas. Spoon over the artichokes and any drippings from the pan. If not enough butter, dot with a little more. Cool, then cover with aluminum foil. In the evening, place in oven, covered, with broilers and potatoes.*

*Note: this dish is part of a menu, and was to be baked along with the Baby Broilers (chickens) and Tiny New Potatoes in their jackets.

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(BTW, I'm wondering what paring would be needed for onions that are chopped...)

Never in the kitchen when Balls Tartare arrive

Here's another recipe which is unlikely to appear in a more current tome. It's from a book called Never in the Kitchen when Company Arrives by Theresa A. Morse, published by Doubleday and Company Inc. in 1964.

Mrs. Morse' writing style is a pleasure to read. Here are some of her introductory comments in the Appetizers chapter:

"For some guests, this is the best part of the dinner. Others consider anything heartier than nibbles of vegetables, olives, or tiny crackers a menace designed to spoil appetites for the dinner that follows. Still others behave as though the calories involved in these particular viands are damaging to avoirdupois above all others.

If you know the tastes and preferences of your guests in this area, be guided accordingly. If entertaining calorie counters, don't mow them down with temptation. If starving young men, go overboard. If you are uncertain (usually the case) try to have enough variety to appeal to everyone. In any case, have the appetizers conveniently at hand, urge your guests to help themselves, then leave them alone.

When the cocktail hour first gets under way, I am always among those present. Long ago I discovered that if I'm out in the kitchen, broiling delicious tidbits, while my guests are cozily bending their elbows, I get a Cinderella-type feeling. So, unless a helper is in the kitchen to mind the appetizers, I limit myself to those that are tasty without benefit of oven."

Obviously so, Mrs. Morse, for here is one of your suggestions which requires no baking, saving you from coveting that which your ugly stepsisters get to enjoy.

Balls Tartare

1/2 pound top round or sirloin, ground twice

1/4 pound fresh sauerkraut

Salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

Chopped chives or parsley

Season the meat and form into 24 flat rounds. Drain the sauerkraut, chop very fine, and add the caraway seeds. Place 1/2 teaspoon of this mixture on each meat round and fold the meat over so that it entirely encloses the sauerkraut. Shape into small balls and roll in finely chopped chives or parsley. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Have small glass filled with toothpicks on the platter.