Article published September 20, 2009
Aroma stirs up memory
The aroma of peaches bobbing in syrup of cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and sugar lingers throughout the house, along with sweet and spicy September memories.
Peach pickles are a tradition in the Perkins family, and I felt compelled to make them for the dinner at my house even though I know in advance they will not be as good as mother's were. It has always been said that Hazel, my mother, made the best ones. It has come to be quite a challenge. The recipe disappeared years ago.
A favorite growing-up memory was going with mother and my aunts to Mowat's orchard near Adrian and Keeney's orchard on M-50 and loading the car with several bushels of peaches. The large supply for canning, pickling, and jam meant the next few days were as full as the jars would be because peaches ripen fast. You can't think about canning until you are in the mood. As home canners know, the reward of seeing the canned fruit and vegetables in the cupboard is almost as good as eating them on a cold January day.
The peach pickles went well with a ham loaf, and that's another story. Ham loaf is not a family tradition. I hadn't made one in years until last summer when it seemed like something different from so much chicken.
When I asked Bob Ford, meat manager at the Market House in Hudson, Mich., to grind some ham and fresh pork and how much I would need, he responded with an unexpected answer.
"I just happen to have my mother's recipe right here," he said. Sure enough, he opened a notebook and pulled out the recipe. He explained that his mother, Donelda Ford of Morenci, Mich., is known for her ham loaf. He happened to have the recipe because a customer the day before, which was his first day on the job in March, had seen him grinding 40 pounds of the ham and fresh pork mix for himself and family members and asked for the recipe. That was good enough for me.When on my last visit to the store I mentioned pickled peaches, he topped it with another canned fruit story. "Have you ever had pears canned with Kool-Aid?" he asked. " When I was growing up my mother always canned pears with cherry Kool-Aid." No recipe this time.
By now many readers must know Florence Oberle in Grand Rapids, Ohio, is a special friend who bakes delectable cakes, cookies, and pies and spins wonderful tales of her love affair with life over a cup of tea.
Planning a celebration for her 95th birthday anniversary had to be appropriate for a woman who doesn't own a paper napkin or plate, entertains graciously with her best china, centers the table with roses from her garden, and fits the description of "tea party lady" to a T.
So where did her Tea Leaves friends decide to go? The Barn restaurant at Sauder's Farm Village near Archbold was a match for the occasion and included a golf cart ride around the village. To make it a personalized Florence celebration, we transported a lace tablecloth, hand-painted English bone teacups and saucers, napkin rings, a cake designed as a basket filled with multicolored roses, and a basket of roses.
When Linda Schmidt, head cook at the Barn, asked Florence what she would like on her big day the answer was chicken and mashed potatoes. She had started the day as usual with one tablespoon of flaxseed oil and one basted egg.
"I can eat anything I want to, chew everything with my own teeth, and read without glasses," the celebrant said. "Being 95 is awesome." There is never a shortage of chicken at the Barn. Broasted chicken is a hallmark. Two thousand pounds are served each week, according to Ms. Schmidt.
On a tour of the village I was especially pleased to meet Mark Nafziger and buy a mug in his design to replace the one I broke. Mr. Nafziger is never late for work at the pottery shop. He grew up 1 1/2 miles down the road in Pettisville and still lives there.
Here is how to make Donelda Ford's Ham Loaf:
Combine two pounds ground ham and a pound and a half of fresh ground pork with two beaten eggs, one cup milk, salt and pepper to taste, and three-fourths cup cracker crumbs and mix well. Pack into a loaf pan. To make the sauce, combine three-fourths cup brown sugar, two tablespoons crushed pineapple, three-fourths teaspoon dry mustard, one-fourth cup vinegar, one and one-fourth cups pineapple juice, and one-fourth cup water, and bring to a boil; cook 5 minutes. Bake the loaf in a 325-degree oven for two and a half hours, basting frequently with the sauce.
To make Peach (Spiced) Pickles, which are sort of like mother's, scald six pounds of peaches in hot water and remove skins. Combine two ounces of cinnamon sticks, one ounce of whole cloves, three pounds of sugar (or less), one pint of cider vinegar, and one cup of water in a kettle and bring to a boil. Add whole peaches and cook until just tender. Keep refrigerated in the cooking syrup.
Mary Alice Powell is a retired Blade food editor.
Contact her at: mpowell@theblade.com.
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