The Prairie Cookbook

Some of my favorite memories of my childhood are at the farm.  When we were little my mom and dad would bundled the three of us up in the 1977 Chrysler along with the cat and the dog and head off on the four hour drive to Grandpa’s farm. 

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At the farm Grandpa would give us tracker rides, or in the winter take us snowmobiling.  In the summer my brother and I would raid Granny’s gigantic garden and then hide in the hayloft of the barn eating our stolen collection of peas, carrots and strawberries. On occasion we would chase after the cows, trying to avoid stepping in the cow patties.  Less unpleasant memories include Granny sending me to collect eggs form the kitchen coop. Those hens were frightening creatures close up, and those talons were dangerous.

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Granny’s garden was a bit of a legend.  She grew raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb, corn, peas, carrots, beets, cauliflower, cabbage, beans and several other things I have probably forgotten.   She spent a lot of time canning vegetable and fruit and making jam.  

Mealtime at the farm was often a hodgepodge of garden vegetables (canned and fresh), canned ham or a roast and Ukrainian food. Some of the staples from the dinner table are included below.