Cooking in the West

Summer is the time when I decide to roll up my sleeves and clean out some junk. However, my parents were children of the Great Depression, so I can still hear their voices ringing in my ears when I think about pitching stuff that could potentially have some use in the future--even though it has received no usage within the last 25 years. Marilee Robinson of Billings, Montana sent me her delightful book East Meets West, and one of her essays, which I have abridged this week is called "Throwin' It Out." I love her style of only using dialogue to tell her stories.

"Throwing It Out!"

"Where'd we get all this stuff, anyway?"

"Well, let's see--25 Christmases, 93 birthdays, 2032 trips to town, and of course shopping the catalogs helped some."

"OK, never mind where we got it--let's get rid of it!"

"Right, these piles of magazines and newspapers can surely go."

"Not my Western Horseman, Western Ag Reporter, or Horse 'N Rider. We better keep those newspapers and the National Geographic too."

"How about those old boots, shirts, and Levis?"

"Those boots have lots of wear in 'um yet. I had these shirts since high school. Some of those old Levis are worth big bucks, and they're useful in lots of ways, so we better keep 'em."

"How about those old shoes and blouses?

"I was married in those shoes--don't you remember, and those blouses are for painting."

"How about these old toys of the kids'?"

"Well, I was saving them for their kids."

"How 'bout this old frying pan?"

"That was the first gift you gave me for Christmas--don't you remember?"

"How about these empty boxes?"

"No, I need them for Christmas, birthdays, secret pal things, and tons of stuff."

"How about these old cans of paint?"

"Oh, I'm going to mix it all together and paint the bunkhouse with it someday."

"What about these old cards?"

"I saw this thing on the t.v. where you can make your own cards and decorations out of them."

"What about this pile of scrap material?"

"Are you kidding? People will kill for scrap material. Think of all the quilts and doll clothes and potholders and Halloween costumes I can use them for?"

"What about this old lantern?"

"No, I can use it in hunting camp if we can find a wick for it somewhere."

"How about these old cupboard doors that don't fit anything?"

"I'm sure a person could make something out of those some day."

"How about this wad of string?"

"Well, okay, throw it out, but we'll probably be needing it next week!"

It is rhubarb season, so I would like to share some rhubarb recipes. The first recipe is from Janice Knudsen of Bainville, Montana. Janice sent a rhubarb cream pie recipe that she received from her husband's aunt, the late Leona Young of Absarokee. The muffin recipe is from Ardyth Schott of Billings, Montana, and the final recipe is my favorite easy rhubarb cake recipe.

Janice's Rhubarb Cream Pie

3 C. rhubarb

1 1/2 C. sugar

3 T. flour

3 egg yolks

6 T. cream

1 t. lemon flavoring

pinch salt

Cook in the microwave on full power for about 3 minutes. Stir and cook again. Stir and cook a couple minutes each time until cooked and thick. Pour into desired crust.

Ardyth's Rhubarb Muffins

In mixer bowl combine:

1 1/4 C. brown sugar

1/2 C. salad oil

1 egg

2 t. vanilla

Beat until well blended, and then stir in:

1 C. buttermilk

1 1/2 C. finely diced rhubarb

1/2 C. chopped walnuts

Combine:

2 1/2 C. unsifted flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. soda

1/2 t. salt

Add all at once to rhubarb mixture. Stir just until mixed. Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full. Combine 1/3 C. sugar, 1 1/2 t. cinnamon, and 1 T. melted butter. Sprinkle this over muffins, pressing gently into batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Check for doneness at 15 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

Easy Rhubarb Cake

1 yellow cake mix

4 C. rhubarb

1 C. sugar

1 pt. heavy cream

Make cake as directed on package. Put in 9 X 13 pan. Put rhubarb over cake, sprinkle with sugar, and pour cream over top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream!