‘Country Cooking: 2,151 Recipes from the Readers of Harrowsmith Magazine’
(Firefly, $35)
Harrowsmith Magazine is issued six times a year and is one of Canada’s most popular publications.
A typical issue generally contains such items as how a shepherd processes wool from his sheep, tips on buying wood-fueled stoves, a peek or two inside vintage and unique homes, and numerous other features that are geared toward a mostly rural readership. Even though the articles are interesting, it’s the recipes that are the main draw.
“Country Cooking: 2,151 Recipes from the Readers of Harrowsmith Magazine” was originally published in three volumes during the 1980s. A decade later, the collection was combined and issued between one cover but available only in Canada. With this 2009 edition, American cooks can now sample authentic Canadian country cooking.
This marvelous cookbook, about the size of a metro phone book, is divided into several chapters: Breakfasts & Snacks; Eggs & Cheese; Soups & Chowders; Salads & Vegetables; Beans & Grains; Fish & Seafood; Poultry & Game; Meat; Baking; Preserves; Desserts; Beverages; and Holiday. In addition to the recipes, there are sample menus. For example, if you are planning an after- theater party, Tiropetes (a delicate Greek cheese puff), Mulligatawny Soup, Flaky Biscuits, Ruth’s Full Vegetable Vinaigrette and Chocolate Dipped Strawberries are recommended.
The charm of this collection is its authenticity. One doesn’t have to stretch the imagination much to envision a Canadian farm house supper of Baked Lamb and Summer Squash Casserole or ending a summer day with a bracing Burgundy Berry Pie.
Three recipes were tested from this collection: A tasty Hot Spinach Salad made with bacon, mushrooms, spinach and onions, a fluffy Zucchini Custard, and since rum is a food group in my home, a Rum Squash that was surprisingly good. The custard, my favorite, was as light as a soufflé.
This excellent collection is certain to become a culinary classic, one that will be used over and over again by cooks throughout North America. Country cooking is big on both taste and freshness, two things that make this cookbook especially rewarding.
Zucchini Custard
2 pounds zucchini, coarsely grated
1 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup minced parsley (I used fresh)
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
5 eggs
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Stir fry zucchini,onion and garlic in a large heavy skillet over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Mix in parsley, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Beat eggs until frothy, then mix in flour and Parmesan cheese. Stir zucchini mixture into eggs, spoon into greased 1 1/2-quart casserole dish and bake, uncovered, at 300 degrees for 1 hour or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Tucsonan Larry Cox’s “Shelf Life” reviews of fiction and nonfiction books and his “Treasures and Trends” antiques column run Thursdays in Calendar Plus. For more, go to tucsoncitizen.com/ calendar. E-mail: contactlarrycox@aol.com