How To Make Grand Stews

MEAT STEW WITH VEGETABLES

Allow 1 pound clear meat or 1 1/2 pounds meat and bones for 6 servings. Trim bits of fat from meat and heat them slowly in heavy deep skillet or kettle. Use kettle that can be tightly covered.

Cut meat in uniform pieces (about 1 1/2 inches), dredge well with salted flour, and brown well in fat in kettle, turning to brown all sides. Add water to cover meat, cover kettle tightly, and let simmer until meat is tender. Do not boil. Veal, pork, and lamb take 1 1/2 to 2 hours; beef, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

To add vegetables, cut onions, potatoes, celery, carrots, or other vegetables in slices, cubes, or strips. Add to stew to cook with meat during last 30 to 45 minutes. Add seasonings to taste. Cooked vegetables may be used, but should be added only during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

For a light stew (usually lamb) meat is not browned or floured. But stew must be thickened before serving.

To thicken, stir in flour and water paste, bring to a boil, and boil gently until thickened, stirring constantly. (For paste, use 2 tablespoons flour and 2 to 3 tablespoons water per cup gravy.)

GOOD FLAVOR COMBINATIONS

BEEF STEW. Choose cuts from neck, brisket, flank, shank, chuck, or heel of round.

For vegetables, choose from onions, carrots, turnips, celery, potatoes, green beans, cabbage. Or use tomatoes as part of liquid.

For seasonings, choose from pepper, green pepper, minced celery tops, carrot tops, or parsley, garlic, paprika, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, vinegar, clove, basil.

VEAL STEW. Use cuts from neck, shoulder, shank, breast, flank.

For vegetables, choose from onions, green beans, parsnips, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, celery, tomatoes, celery root.

For seasonings, choose from green pepper, bay leaf, celery tops, paprika, nutmeg, marjoram, savory.

LAMB STEW. Choose cuts from neck, shank, breast, or shoulder.

For vegetables, choose from onions, carrots, peas, potatoes or rice, celery, Lima beans, tomatoes, cauliflower, parsnips, leeks.

For seasonings, choose from pepper, dried mint, curry powder, thyme, savory, ketchup, minced carrot tops.

PORK STEW. Use cuts from shoulder or neck, or any lean pork.

For vegetables, choose from green beans, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, cabbage, Lima beans, celery.

For seasonings, choose from pepper, paprika, chili powder, sage, parsley, celery tops, bay leaf, clove.

WAYS TO SERVE STEWS

WITH VEGETABLES. Stews may be cooked without vegetables, then serve with carrots, turnips, or other vegetables.

WITH POTATOES. If potatoes are not cooked in stew, serve mashed, boiled, or baked potatoes to accompany stew, or serve sweet potatoes with pork or lamb stew.

WITH NOODLES, MACARONI. Serve stew with well-seasoned noodles, macaroni, or spaghetti instead of potatoes.

MEAT PIES, may be made by turning stew into baking dish and topping with a Meat Pie Crust. Bake in hot oven (450° F.) 20 minutes, or until crust is browned.

SHEPHERD’S PIE. Turn stew into baking dish. Pile fluffy mashed potatoes on stew, sealing to edge of dish and leaving an opening for steam. Brush with melted fat. Brown in hot oven or broiler.

STEW WITH DUMPLINGS. Mix Cereal Dumplings (below), Plain Dumplings, or Potato Dumplings.. Drop mixture by tablespoons or balls on simmering stew 15 minutes before serving. Cover kettle very tightly and cook 12 to 15 minutes.

CEREAL DUMPLINGS

1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon fat
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
1 egg, well beaten
2 1/2 cups Grape-Nuts Flakes or Post’s 40% Bran Flakes
1 tablespoon minced onion

Scald milk and add fat. Remove from fire. Add salt, pepper, and egg, mixing well. Crush and add flakes, then onion; mix thoroughly. Shape into 1-inch balls. Drop into simmering stew, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Makes 15 dumplings. (Three cups Post’s Corn Toasties may be used instead of flakes in this recipe.)

CHICKEN STEW

4- to 5-pound fowl, cut in pieces
1/4 cup celery leaves
1 bay leaf
2 whole cloves
12 small onions
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons chicken fat or other fat
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups stock
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt and pepper

Cover fowl with boiling water; add celery leaves and spices. Simmer, covered, 2 hours, or until tender, adding onions and salt when nearly done. Remove chicken and onions from stock. Cut chicken from bones in large pieces. Boil down stock until rich in flavor.

Melt fat in saucepan; add flour and stir to a smooth paste. Add stock gradually and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add lemon juice, parsley, chicken, and onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Serve with mashed potatoes or hot biscuits (page 24). Or place stew in 10x6x2-inch baking pan and cover with Meat Pie Crust (page 24). Sprinkle with celery seed if desired and bake in hot oven (450° F.) 20 minutes. For a golden glaze on crust, brush it before baking with mixture of egg yolk and milk.

KIDNEY STEW WITH CEREAL DUMPLINGS

1 pound beef, veal, lamb, or pork kidneys
2 tablespoons fat
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups water
1/3 cup minced onions
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Cereal Dumplings (page 6)

Wash kidneys thoroughly. Split in halves lengthwise and remove fat and tubes. Soak in cold salted water 1/2 to 2 hours; rinse, drain, and dry thoroughly. If kidneys are old or large, cover with cold water, bring slowly to a boil, drain, and dry thoroughly. Cut kidneys in 1/4-inch slices.

Sauté kidney slices in fat 3 minutes. Add flour and cook 3 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Add water, onions, and seasonings, and bring to simmering point. Add Cereal Dumplings. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 5 to 6.

Thursday Night Dinner: Vegetable juice with crackers and Savory Spread* using horse-radish and parsley. Veal Stew* served with seasoned Noodles. Creamy Cabbage Slaw,* rolls or bread, and for dessert, Grape-Nuts Puff Pudding.* (To make the best use of fuel, let stew simmer in the oven while pudding bakes.)

Saturday Noon Dinner: Shepherd’s Veal Pie* with crisp relishes (celery, carrot, and white turnip sticks), Corn Muffins,* and Jell-O Grapefruit Refresher.* (This easy meal takes just a short baking for muffins and potato pie top.)

GOOD MEAT AND VEGETABLE SOUP

Allow 1 shank or knuckle bone or several smaller bones and about 1 1/2 pounds soup meat (shank, neck, brisket, or flank) for making 3 quarts soup. Have bones cracked to loosen marrow; wipe well with damp cloth. Cut meat in uniform pieces (about 3/4 inch). Use heavy kettle that can be tightly covered.

Trim bits of fat from meat or use some of the marrow, and heat slowly in kettle. Brown half of meat in this fat, add remaining meat, bone, and seasonings of 1 onion, 1 bay leaf, 3 peppercorns, 2 cloves, and a few carrot tops and celery tops. Add 3 1/2 quarts cold water. Heat very slowly to boiling point, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 3 to 4 hours. Remove bone and seasonings, or strain soup. Skim excess fat from top of stock with spoon. Return meat to stock.

Add vegetables: 2 or 3 onions, potatoes, celery stalks, and carrots, cut in slices, cubes, or strips, and canned or fresh tomatoes. Cook 30 to 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and any special seasonings.

For special soup seasonings, choose from paprika, allspice, thyme, sage, mace, marjoram, savory, basil, celery salt, nutmeg, green pepper, curry powder, and caraway seed, minced parsley, vinegar, or lemon juice. Do not use too many different flavors at once. Experiment with a few favorites and consult the herb suggestions on page 39 for good flavor combinations.

For other soup vegetables, choose from corn, peas, turnips, green pepper, string beans, okra, and cabbage.

For very hearty soup, add macaroni, spaghetti, rice, or barley to soup during the last 1/4- or 1/2-hour of cooking.

A MODERN SOUP POT

For thrifty soups or stock, save all meat trimmings and left-over pieces of cooked meat and fowl, bones, vegetables, broth, gravy, liquid from cooked vegetables or rice or macaroni, and trimmings from lettuce, celery, or other vegetables. Keep fresh in refrigerator. Every few days, collect these in soup kettle. For flavor add sliced onions, chopped carrots, minced carrot tops and celery tops, a fresh meat bone if you have one, or a little chopped beef or some bouillon cubes. Add extra water or tomatoes for liquid as needed. Simmer until all ingredients are tender, adding rice, barley, or cubes of potatoes, and salt, pepper, and other desired seasonings, during last 1/2-hour of cooking. Remove bones and serve. Or strain and use as stock.

BEAN, PEA, OR LENTIL SOUP

1 cup dried beans, peas, or lentils
4 cups cold water
2 ounces salt pork
1 medium onion
1 stalk celery
1 whole clove
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper

Pick over beans, peas, or lentils. Wash, cover well with water, and let soak overnight. In the morning, pour off and measure water, adding enough to make 4 cups, if necessary.

Combine all ingredients in kettle. Cover and simmer 2 hours, or until beans, peas, or lentils are soft. Drain, reserving liquid. Remove salt pork and chop or puree vegetables. Combine with liquid and add any additional seasonings desired. Reheat and serve with croutons, crackers, or Soup Toasties (page 13).

These soups will vary slightly in thickness. If too thick, thin with milk, bouillon cube dissolved in water, or vegetable stock. If too thin, thicken slightly with flour and water paste.

Ham bone, bacon, or bacon rind, or left-over gravy may be used instead of salt pork. Ham or chicken stock or some tomato may be used for part of liquid. Adjust amount of salt as necessary; little will be needed with ham stock or bone. Left-over cooked vegetables may be used for added flavor.

GOOD FLAVOR COMBINATIONS

BEAN SOUP. For added seasonings, use chili powder and parsley; or sage and celery tops; or paprika and nutmeg. Serve with bits of broiled bacon, lemon slices, diced hard-cooked egg, or parsley.

PEA SOUP. For added seasonings, use carrot and a little sauerkraut; or mustard and paprika. Serve with grated carrots, thinly sliced frankfurts, minced ham, chives, or parsley.

LENTIL SOUP. For added seasonings, use lemon juice and celery salt; chili powder; or sage. Serve with slices of hard-cooked egg, lemon, or grated cheese.

CREAM OF VEGETABLE SOUPS

2 cups cooked vegetable, pureed or chopped
1 cup meat or vegetable stock (or water and chicken bouillon cube)
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons butter, margarine, or bacon fat
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk
Salt and pepper

For vegetables use spinach, green beans, peas, asparagus, corn, potatoes, carrots, celery, or Lima beans, or a combination. Cook enough vegetable in boiling salted water to make 2 cups, cooked. Drain, reserving stock. Chop or puree vegetable. Canned or left-over cooked vegetables may be used.

Sauté onions in fat in top of double boiler 2 minutes. Sprinkle in flour; mix well. Add milk and stock slowly and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Place over boiling water. Add vegetable and reheat. Season. Sprinkle with minced parsley, chives, or celery leaves. Serve with Soup Toasties. Makes 6 servings.

Soup Toasties. Heat 3 cups Post’s Corn Toasties, Grape-Nuts Flakes, or Post’s 40% Bran Flakes in saucepan, shaking over heat. Pour 1 tablespoon melted butter or bacon fat over flakes, tossing lightly. Sprinkle on soup just before serving, or pass like croutons.

POTATO AND LEEK SOUP

Cook 1 1/2 quarts sliced potatoes and 1 pint sliced leeks in 1 1/2 quarts stock, or water and bouillon cubes, 45 minutes or until very soft. Press through sieve. Reheat, adding 1 cup top milk, 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, 4 teaspoons salt, and dash of pepper. If too thick, thin with milk, or water and bouillon cube. Serve with small slices of crisp toast. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

FISH CHOWDER

1/4 cup diced fat salt pork
3/4 cup sliced onions
2 cups hot water
2 cups sliced potatoes
2 to 3 pounds cod or haddock
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
Dash of pepper
1 cup evaporated milk
3 cups fresh milk

Try out salt pork in kettle until crisp and delicately browned. Add onions and sauté slowly. Add water and potatoes and cook 5 minutes, or until potatoes are partially done. Then add fish, and cook until it can be separated into large flakes with fork. Remove skin and bones of fish. Add seasonings and milk to chowder; reheat and serve. Makes 6 servings.

In  1942, the Emergency Price Control Act came into effect. Food rationing began, and American housewives were counted upon to create balanced meals using limited foodstuffs. The Victory garden and home canning was practically essential, due to the shortage of canned goods. The government allotted up to 20 lbs. of extra sugar, which was valuable, if you came up with your written canning plan. Sugar was still rationed for 2 years after all other rationing ended.

Coffee was rationed in 1942. "Roosevelt Coffee" was re-used coffee grounds with chickory added to cut the bitterness. Postum was a coffee substitute, and was kind of gross.and not popular. It was made with wheat bran, wheat, and molasses. Coffee was one of the first things removed from the ration list, much to every java junkie's delight. Butter was rationed  in 1943. 

Beef, pork, veal, lamb, fish, and some cheeses were rationed.. Soups, stews, porridges and casseroles took their place. Bacon wasn't rationed, and its grease was saved for frying, to replace butter, and to add flavor to some pretty boring and bland meals.

Creative housewives relied heavily on vegetables to fill out their meals, and many vegetables from their Victory Garden were used.. Caasseroles consisted of mostly vegetables and leftovers.. The “economy loaf”  was made quite often. The potato was used most in meatless lmeatloaves and casseroles. “When in doubt, eat potatoes”. Potatoes weren't rationed, so you could have potatoes every day if you wanted to. Many "mock" recipes were created, that in no way resembled what you were mocking, in my opinion.

Thousands of recipes were created by, or provided to housewives, that stretched out that ration. Many baking product companies and government offices produced recipe pamphlets to keep the ladies encouraged and cooking. Sugar barely appears in wartime recipes except in teeny amounts. If you ask me, the housewives were absolutely essential to winning the war while at home...by adhering to rationing and keeping their families full and healthy. They did the growing and preserving of the food she also tended in the family's Victory Garden. She was responsible for keeping the country safe from the possibility of winter famine, and taking care of our troops' food needs overseas.

Here are some recipes used in wartime, stretching those rations as far as possible. 

The Economy Loaf was a loaf...made mostly of potatoes.

ECONOMY LOAF
-Modern Hostess Cookbook:

Download - 1939 pamphlet: "Cookery In Wartime". 
The pamphlet also gives valuable hints on how to deal with rationing. 
The recipe guide was Created by the Association of Teachers of Domestic Subjects

Wartime Recipes: The Windsor Star