When Village cooks create a meal, they often use ingredients that are available from the garden outside their kitchen door.  Most of the cooking is done over an open fire and in cast iron pans. The baking is flavored with the woody traces that remain in the beehive oven. These conditions add flavors that are difficult to duplicate in a modern kitchen or on gas grill. Cooking in the 1800s did not require the use of standard measurements or specific times for baking and cooking. You cooked the food till it was "done perfectly. Traditional methods developed by 19th c. women are followed, using the senses of sight, touch, sound and taste to determine if additional ingredients are needed. Every attempt has been made to standardize the recipes; however, please feel free to adjust accordingly. 

Cold Cream of Lima Bean Soup	Vegetable Beef Soup
1 lb. dried large white lima beans	10 carrots sliced
2 leeks diced	2 onions diced
1 potato diced	2 ribs of celery diced
1 medium onion diced	1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 qt chicken stock	3 potatoes peeled and diced
2 sprigs fresh mint	1 qt of beef stock
1 pint light cream	1 bouquet garnish (thyme, marjoram. chives)
Soak lima beans overnight. Cook lima beans for 1 hour in enough water to cover. Add leek, potato and onion. Cook until beans are soft. Add chicken stock as needed. Put soup into food mill and mash. Discard lima bean skins. Add remaining chicken stock and one sprig of fresh mint and chill overnight. Mix with light cream and serve. Garnish with remaining mint leaves.	Place first flour ingredients in stock pot and cook till vegetables are wilted. Add remaining ingredients. Cook for one hour until flavors are well blended.
Beef Stew	Pepper Pot Soup
4 lb. stew meat in 1 inch cubes	1 veal joint
1/2 c. flour with salt and pepper to taste	3 qt. water
1/4 c. vegetable oil or bacon grease	3 lb. of tripe cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic minced 3 onions diced	Bouquet garnish ( parsley, leek tops. thyme and bay leaf)
2 ribs of celery diced	2 onions diced
6 carrots sliced	2 green peppers diced
bay leaf. thyme, parsley	4 potatoes peeled and diced
1 qt. beef stock	3 tsp. black pepper
1 can sliced mushrooms	1 dried hot pepper or 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
	1 qt. beef stock as needed
Dredge stew melt in seasoned flour. Heat oil in Dutch oven.  Sauté onion, garlic, celery and meat. Cook till meat is lightly browned on all sides. Add stock and remaining vegetables and herbs. Simmer on low heat until done stirring occasionally. If stew does not thicken, add 2 tbsp. flour mixed with 1/2 c. water. Cook until thickened.	Place first four ingredients in water and cook. Skim off any froth that forms. Simmer for 3 hours. Strain broth. Remove meat from bones. Discard bouquet garnish. Return cooked tripe, veal, peppers, onions, potatoes, and pepper to strained broth. If not enough liquid, add beef stock. Simmer for 2 hours or until tripe is very tender. Mix ½ lb. of melted butter with 1 c. flour to form a roux. Stir roux into soup to thicken. Stir occasionally for the next half hour.
Molasses Cookies	Raisin Bread
1/2 c. shortening	1 package active dry yeast
1 c. sugar	2 c. warm milk
1/2 c. molasses	1 tbsp. sugar
1 egg well-beaten	1 tbsp salt
1 tsp vanilla	3 tbsp. melted butter
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda	5- 6 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. coffee (hot)	1 /2 c. white raisins
3 c. flour	2 tbsp. sugar with 1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
Add baking soda to coffee while still hot, let cool. Beat shortening and sugar. Add the following and beat after each addition: molasses, egg, vanilla and cooled coffee mixture. Mix flour, cinnamon and ginger. Add dry mixture a little at a time, stirring with a spoon. Drop large spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Spread out slightly with back of spoon. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Finished cookies will be large and soft.  Caroline Gross Breslin 1883-1956, descendant of Martha Fogg	Dissolve yeast in 1/4 c. warm milk add first tbsp. sugar. Let proof. In a large bowl combine remaining milk . salt and butter. Add yeast and 3 c. of flour, one c. at a time. Beat until smooth. Gradually stir in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Turn onto a wooden board and knead until smooth. Let rise till double in bulk. Punch down. Shape in a rectangular and sprinkle with raisins and cinnamon sugar. Shape into loaves. You can bake in loaf pans or free- formed on a cookie sheet. Use corn meal under free-form loaves. Let rise. Before placing in oven, brush with water for a crispy crust or brush with a beaten egg for a shiny crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce heat and bake at 350 degrees for 20 -30 minutes. Bread sounds hollow when done.