Helen Sarky's Green Bean Salad

HELEN SARKY’S GREEN BEAN SALAD (Loubieh) 

*Go to taste on this - I used about 1 pound beans

1 1/2 POUNDS FRESH OR FROZEN GREEN BEANS

1 CLOVE GARLIC

SALT TO TASTE

1/2 CUP LEMON JUICE

SMALL ONION CHOPPED

2-3 TWIGS PARSLEY CHOPPED

1/3 CUP OLIVE OIL

Snip ends of green beans if fresh in to 2" lengths (I left mine whole but snipped the ends)

Cook in salted water until tender

Drain and cool (I left mine a bit warm)

Mash garlic and salt

Add lemon juice and all remaining ingredients and toss gently to coat.

This recipe can be served hot or cold and serves between 4-6.

MOM’S BEEF VEGETABLE SOUP

Phyllis Taylor

1 1/2 lb. beef chuck or left over roast, cooked
1 onion diced
4 stalks of celery
1 can of green beans, drained
1 large can of whole tomatoes, cut up remove cores
4 c. water
2 T. ketchup
1 small potato diced 
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bag frozen vegetables

Brown the beef small amounts at a time in vegetable oil and set aside. In the same pan sautee the onions celery and potatoe. Add everything to the pot. Bring soup to a boil, simmer for 1-2 hours. (I crock pot overnight)

BLACKBERRY JAM CAKE & CARAMEL ECONOMY FROSTING

BLACKBERRY JAM CAKE
(Serve with Caramel Economy Frosting)

Cream:
2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature 
2 c. light brown packed sugar
4 eggs, beaten

1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. heaping baking soda
1 c. chopped black walnuts (or English)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 c. raisins
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. buttermilk
2 c. blackberry jam

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a large tube pan that holds 10 cups. (A standard bundt is too small!) Cream together butter, sugar, then add eggs. Set aside. Sift together all dry ingredients (including spices). Mix together the dry ingredients, alternating with 1 cup of buttermilk, into the creamed ingredients and mix well. Fold in blackberry jam. (I take a cup of the mixture and hand mix the blackberry jam into it) You want to avoid "clumps" of jam as they will fall to the bottom of the pan and make uneven baking. Fold in nuts and raisins. Bake in a tube pan (I put it on a cookie sheet) for 65-70 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool and frost with caramel economy frosting.
Note: This was a cake my grandmother, Ada, made for each of her children at Christmas.
Freeze in slices, freezes very well.


CARAMEL ECONOMY
FROSTING
(For the Blackberry Jam Cake)

1 1/2 c. sugar
1 T. butter, unsalted
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. evaporated milk
1 T. white Karo syrup
Boil sugar, milk and Karo to a soft ball stage (like fudge). Cool slightly. Then add butter and vanilla. Beat until thick enough to spread. Add warm water droplets to thin out if it gets too thick to spread. Top with candied cherries or nuts if you wish.

Cheesecake Supreme (Page 72)

CHEESECAKE SUPREME
1 3/4 c. graham crackers finely crushed (Can substitute chocolate crackers)
1/4 c. walnuts finely chopped
1/2 c. butter, melted
*1/2 tsp. cinnamon (can omit if you make a candy bar flavor)

3 (8-oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
*1/2 tsp. lemon zest (can omit if you make a candy bar flavor)
1 tsp. vanilla
 2 T. flour
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup milk

In a medium bowl, mix crackers, walnuts, cinnamon and melted butter. Remove 1/4 cup of the mixture, saving it for the topping. Press remaining crumbs into a 8 or 9 inch spring form pan. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, flour, vanilla, and lemon and beat until fluffy. On low speed add 2 eggs and 1 yolk all at once. Beat on low until just combined. Stir in milk. Bake 375 degrees 35-40 minutes for 9 inch pan, and 45- 50 for an 8 inch pan. Bake until center appears "set" when shaken. Remove and place on wire rack, doing nothing to the pan. After 15 min. loosen the spring on the pan. Cool 30 minutes longer, then chill for 4 hours. You can slice and freeze. Wrap very well.

*Flavoring considerations- favorite candy bar, berries, pumpkin, cookie dough. You can take a 1/2 cup of the finished cheesecake mixture and mix it with a flavoring and swirl it in. Just get rid of the cinnamon and lemon flavoring. The cake in the picture had a chocolate crust and was chock full of Butterfinger candy bar.
Want to really play? Ice it with the cream cheese icing for the Nutty Butter Cream Cheesecake on  page 79

.....

Appalachian Spaghetti (Or Taylor Spaghetti)

DAD'S MEATBALLS
(To be Served with Dad's Spaghetti)
James M Taylor III
Elsie Taylor
18 lbs. of hamburger
2 lbs. Bob Evan's Italian sausage
1 1/2 bunches of celery, chopped
1/4 c. Worcester's sauce
1/4 -1/2 c. A-1 sauce
2 1/2 green peppers, chopped
2 large onions (6 cups) chopped
6 eggs
1 can of evaporated milk
1 T. garlic powder
4 T. dried basil, oregano, and parsley
2 "handfuls" of oats (old or quick, doesn't matter)
 salt and pepper to taste * Mom does not like any pepper.
vegetable oil for frying (Mel & I don't think this is needed but Dad says yes)

In a very large container, mix the meats together. Add celery, onion and pepper. Add eggs and mix well. Throw in 2 handfuls of dry oats and mix. Add seasonings (spices and sauces). Use enough evaporated milk to make the mixture pliable or "wet" but still be able to form small balls. If you overdo it add more oats. Get 2 large iron skillets with hot vegetable oil, and brown the golf ball sized meatballs until very done. The veggies on the outside caramelize and the juices seal inside. Once the meatballs are cooked you can freeze them for later use, or put them into a huge pot of spaghetti sauce (see Dad's recipe for spaghetti sauce, too). You should cook the fried meatballs in the sauce overnight.

Note: To "taste" the mixture, fry up a small patty and adjust seasonings. I went light on the garlic, and usually add a lot more. I like garlic. Plan 6 lbs. of hamburger for 12 people. This recipe makes about 200 meatballs. you can cut it down. I'm not. When we make this it's a huge family party and everyone brings a container. This freezes great!

DAD'S SPAGHETTI SAUCE
(Requires an overnight prep)
James M Taylor III
Elsie Taylor - My Grandma
12 30 oz. cans of tomato sauce
1 30 oz. can of water cups
3 12 oz. cans of tomato paste
6 T. each parsley, basil, oregano and garlic powder
1 1/2 bunches of celery
2 large sweet onions, chopped
2 1/2 green peppers, diced
1/8-1/4 c. A-1 steak sauce

Place all the tomato sauce and paste in a huge stock pot. Take 1 30 oz. empty tomato can and fill it with water. Pour it into all the other empty cans, rinsing as you go, then pour it into the mixture. Add the vegetables to the pot and stir. Coat the top with the dried herbs and don't be afraid to really season it. It does cook down overnight! Add the A-1 steak sauce to taste. Mix and simmer overnight, stirring frequently. We add 200 meatballs to this and it makes quite a huge pot of spaghetti. If you are going to make it, then just make all of it! Freezes well.

2021 we doubled the herbs in sauce and meat and this update is reflected here.

Lima Bean Stew (Page 17)

LIMA BEAN STEW
(I do not like Lima beans but love this stew!)    Recipe courtesy of Phyllis Taylor
1 lb. white lima beans
2 bay leaves
1 lb. sausage
1 onion, diced
1 can of Campbell’s Golden Mushroom
soup
3 T. ketchup
2 tsp. garlic powder (or more to taste)
1 c. boiled ham, chopped

Soak a 1 lb. bag of large white lima beans overnight in water, then rinse and drain. Cook lima beans in a pot of water with 2 bay leaves, until tender. Do not drain liquid. Set aside. In a large skillet fry 1 lb. (Bob Evan’s)  pork sausage with onion. Cool slightly and add to bean soup. Add mushroom soup and ketchup. Sprinkle in garlic powder. Simmer 1 hour. Remove bay leaves before eating!  Add ham. Yum.

Serve warm. Freezes well.

Aunt Olive's Christmas Fudge (Page 85)

2 1/2 c. sugar                               
1/2 c. sour cream                           
1/4 c. whole milk                           
1 T. corn syrup                                
1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla
2 T. unsalted butter
1 c. walnuts (or pecans)       
1/3 c. green candied cherries, chopped
1/3 c. red candied cherries, chopped

 Note: You use the cherries that you see out around the holidays, usually near the
produce area. I thought they would have a fancy name, but the container simply says
"red cherries", NOT maraschino cherry! Some people call these "candied cherries".

Line a 8 x 8 pan with quick release foil, leaving some overhang on the sides, for removal. Mix the first 5 ingredients and stir over medium heat until it boils. Stir no more. Cook until soft ball stage. Remove from heat and add vanilla, butter, nuts, and both cherries. Beat until no longer "glossy". Pour into pans. The fudge will whiten slightly as it cools.

This makes an adorable "Christmas" fudge.

Here it is after it has cooled. It is less translucent:

BUTTERED PECAN FROSTING (Page 70)

This recipe appeared in the local paper back in the 1970s and my Grandma Ada made it and loved it. We have been making it at Christmas since then. A delicious 3 layer cake. You can slice and freeze this by the slice,too!



BUTTERED PECAN FROSTING
(Use with Nutty Butter Cream Cheese Cake or Carrot
Muffins Recipe)

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature DIVIDED
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 1/2 c. pecans, chopped
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1-2 T. evaporated milk

In a medium saucepan, melt 3 T. butter and add pecans. Brown the pecans. Allow the
pecans to cool. (I spread out on a cookie sheet. Cream together 5 T. butter, cream
cheese, and powdered sugar. Add milk to bring frosting to desired creaminess. Ice the
cakes as you normally would. Be generous between the layers, as you usually have
leftover icing. Layer the cakes (it's a 3 layer cake).
Take the cooled pecans and lay
them on the outside, pushing into the frosting, but not the top of the icing, so that it's coated all around with buttered pecans. Keep in a cool area.
Note: I make this at Christmas or any "special occasion".

Grandma Ada's Fudge (Page 86)

BLACK WALNUT FUDGE OR
"GRANDMA ADA'S FUDGE"
Ada Gumbert
2 1/2 c. sugar
2 T. butter
1/4 c. cocoa

1 T. corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. evaporated milk 1/2 c. black walnuts

Grease an 8 x 8 pan with butter. Set aside. Take a small amount of butter on wax
paper and line about 1-2 inches of the top of the pan. (This keeps the mixture from
boiling over. I used to think it was magic! It was science, but just for today, as the
mixture rises, tell yourself it's magical!) Mix sugar and cocoa until well blended in a
pan. Add syrup and milk. Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. "Stir no
more", as Grandma wrote. Cook until soft ball stage. Remove from heat. Add butter
and vanilla (but don't stir it in). Cool. Then beat until "thick", with a WOODEN
spoon. (Now Mom and I tried this after Grandma died and couldn't figure out what
that meant. Mom looks at me and asks " Are you thick? I'm not thick yet." And then
we giggled.) So by all means beat until thick. The better description is to beat until the
fudge begins to dull and and becomes harder to mix. Add in the walnuts and pour into
prepared pan. Chill.
Note: If you don't like black walnuts, you can substitute English walnuts. This is
known in our family as THE fudge. You can buy black walnuts, at Christmas, and
freeze them in a freezer bag, for up to 2 years! Do it!

Nutty Butter Cream Cheese Cake with Buttered Pecan Frosting

BUTTERED PECAN FROSTING
(Nutty Butter Cream Cheese Cake or Carrot
Muffins) Pg. 57

1 stick unsalted butter,DIVIDED, room temperature,
1 lb. powdered sugar
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1-2 T. evaporated milk
1 1/2 c. pecans, chopped
In a medium saucepan, melt 3 T. butter and add pecans. Brown the pecans. Allow the
pecans to cool. (I spread out on a cookie sheet. Cream together 5 T. butter, cream
cheese, and powdered sugar. Add milk to bring frosting to desired creaminess. Ice the
cakes as you normally would. Be generous between the layers, as you usually have
leftover icing. Layer the cakes (it's a 3 layer cake). Take the cooled pecans and lay
them on the outside, pushing into the frosting, but not the top of the icing, so that it's
coated all around with buttered pecans. Keep in a cool area.
Note: I make this at Christmas or any "special occasion". I think this icing would be
awesome on the carrot cake muffins, (just don't use the pecans).

NUTTY BUTTER CREAM
CHEESE CAKE Pg 65

1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 c. sugar
1 c. buttermilk, room temperature
4 egg yolks (reserve the egg whites!)
1/2 c. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. rum flavoring (located near
vanilla in spice aisle)
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 egg whites

Heat oven to 350 degrees. *Grease and flour 3 cake pans. Cream together butter,
cream cheese, and sugar. Add egg yolks, vanilla, rum, water, and buttermilk. Sift all
dry ingredients together, and add to the mixture, mixing well. In a separate bowl, beat
egg whites until fluffy and soft peaks form. Fold beaten egg whites into the cake
mixture. Place into the 3 pans evenly and bake for 40 minutes. Cool on racks.* Serve
with butter pecan frosting.
Note: Awesome cake recipe with a great "WOW" factor when this is served. I not
only grease and flour the pan, I also add a circle (pan-sized) piece of wax paper to the
base of a greased and floured pan. Remove the wax when the cakes cool.