to say hello, she would put them to work in the garden.
Posted on 10/29/2015 4:00:35 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
After Benjamin Franklin, my favorite 'American Eccentric' has always been Tasha Tudor (1915-2008).
At a certain point, Tasha appears to have decided that she should have lived - and should always live - in the early 19th Century. She proceeded to build a long lifetime in accord with that ideal, wearing the clothing of that era, cooking and house-holding as a woman would have done then, even learning to roast a turkey in a 'tin oven' before a fire; and devoting herself to country life, art, hand-crafts, gardening, and animals. She is famous for her artwork and illustrated books for children; but her inner life was much larger than that; and she believed in, and exemplified, Thoreau's advice in 'Walden':
"I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours..."
Among the many lovely things that Tasha left us are a number of recipes; and one of my favorites is her Cranberry Sauce recipe, a very simple one found in 'The Tasha Tudor Cookbook'. I actually bought an antique yellow-ware mold with an ear of corn carved in it, so that I could make this recipe exactly as Tasha did; the only problem is that I'm the only one in my circle who really LIKES Cranberry Sauce; so I don't get to make it very often.
This has always unmolded for me very nicely:
Cranberry Sauce Tasha Tudor
2 pounds fresh Cranberries
2 Cups cold Water, approximately
2 Pounds Sugar
Place the cranberries in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to not quite cover the berries when they are pressed down. Add the sugar. Bring to a simmer and skim off the foam occasionally. Cook the cranberries until their juice jells when it is dropped on a cold plate.
Pour into a mold and chill overnight.
To remove the sauce from the mold, gently run a paring knife around the edge, dip the mold in hot water for a moment, and then invert it onto a platter. Yields approximately 1-1/2 quarts.
If you are interested, here is a short video of Tasha which shows her in her garden and house, and showcases some of her artwork (the narration is in Japanese; she has had a very strong 'cult' following among the Japanese):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zU-15to8d4
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Some years ago, I heard people raving about a seasonal offering at Starbucks: Cranberry Bliss bars. I don't think Starbucks still offers this; but it looks very nice. Here is a copycat recipe that I found and want to try during the holidays:
http://www.food.com/recipe/cranberry-bliss-bars-starbucks-copycat-203229
CRANBERRY CREAM LIQUEUR
Batch-blender smooth combined 14 oz can sweet/cond/milk, 2 c vodka,
16 oz can jellied cranberry sauce, 12 oz can thawed frozen cranberry-orange
juice cocktail, cup HnH, tea cinnamon.
Cover/chill overnight to meld flavors. Fridge airtight.
YEAH!
WTF????
mAYBE A MISPRINT...2 CUPS ..NOT TWO LBS
That’s gorgeous. How sweet is it? I usually cut most of the sugar in half when I make recipes but the ingredients here are very nice.
My husband gave me for Christmas a video of her a few years ago. I think you can still find those; and there are lots of books.
Her heirs still maintain a website, give lectures and tours, etc.; I’m lusting after one of those pinafore aprons:
http://www.tashatudorandfamily.com/
http://store.tashatudorandfamily.com/Tasha-Tudor-Style-Attire/Tasha-Tudor-Style-Pinafore.html
-JT
Cranberry caramel????
Yes; but the recipe makes over a quart; and Cranberry Sauce is like a condiment - you don’t eat it like Ice Cream; it’s more like a jam :-)
-JT
Well, I’m gonna give it a go..just as you suggest...we shall see
2 cups of sugar is a pound. There are two pounds of cranberries in the recipe, so 4 cups of sugar for the whole thing.
-JT
I have a quick new recipe. I got the list of ingredients here on FR, and today I tried it out. It’s really, really good.
I cook just for myself, so I’m always looking for things that serve more than one, so I can have a 2nd helping the next day.
Eggs (I scrampled 4)
tomato (diced)
sliced black olives (1/4 C)
Feta Cheese (sprinkled on at the end)
I started by sautéing the tomatoes and black olives in butter; when they were sufficiently heated through, I added the eggs. I did not scramble them ahead - I just laid them on the top of the tomato/olives in the pan. Then, after the eggs began to set, I mixed them in with the tomatoes/olives and just stired until they were done. I then scraped it into a large dish and sprinkled it with a small portion of the Feta cheese.
I seasoned it with salt and pepper only. It was really tasty, and I had enough left over to have it again tomorrow for lunch.
If anybody tries it .. let me know what you think .. and if you added something different in the way of seasoning.
Lovely pic, Liz! I love how she always went around barefoot. I always did that, and my 1890-born Granny told me my feet would get big.
Size Nine, now - and only 5’-4”.
The better to plod in the garden with :-)
-JT
Sometimes adding more apples or substituting with some crushed pineapples.
Is that the recipe that was mentioned on a thread about Diners a few days ago? I wanted that!
-JT
Use pectin and you can probably cut the sugar down to 1 cup.
One seasonal thing that I’ve never done is roast Chestnuts. Any hints from anyone on this?
(Have fireplace - and oven - want ‘Chestnuts Roasting’!)
-JT
But would it taste the same? Cranberries are already very high in pectin; and they’re very sour...
-JT
Yes, I believe it was. The ingredients captured me. I love that food combination .. and it really is very, very good. I will probably have it again soon.
I think it would taste better. Cranberries are supposed to be very tart to cleanse the palate. Not sweet like candy. I think people have forgotten what cranberries are supposed to taste like.
I’m glad to have it.It’s a low carb breakfast!
-JT
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