Column from April 2, 2009

Cooking up savings in the grocery line

Everyone seems to be in agreement … the economy is making it difficult for family budgets.
This past weekend, I talked to my daughter about that very subject. She is an accountant, so money matters are something she understands.
She lives in Oregon and has a great job. Yet, even she is concerned about layoffs.
She said several people have been let go at her workplace. So far, though, her department hasn’t been affected.
As a single mother, that’s good news for her.
Here in Othello, we have been feeling some of the impact of the current recession. Fortunately, our standard of living hasn’t decreased to the point it has in other parts of the country.
Some of that has to do with the fact that we are an agricultural community and people have to eat. Food is a necessity.
However, we still have had to tighten our belts a little and one way we can do that is in our food budget. That means we need to look for recipes that lower the amount we must spend at the grocery checkout.
There are a variety of meals that can do just that. Stews, soups, pasta dishes … all are economical and can stretch the food dollar. They are also nutritious and tasty.
One of my favorite cookbooks is “The Old-Fashioned Cookbook” by Jan McBride Carlton. It is one that used to belong to my aunt Dorothea Foulkes, who lived in Othello and had lots of friends here.
She was a wonderful cook and she knew how to get the most out of her food budget. For many years, she cooked for a crew of ranch hands out on the dryland wheat farm in the Michigan Prairie area east of Othello.
This book, copyright 1975, combines recipes with a touch of history by explaining where some of the recipes came from and the terms used.
Here’s one recipe that will provide a hearty meal for six.

Farmhouse stew

1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 cups finely shredded cabbage (a 1-1/2 pound head)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 (8-1/4 ounce) can tomatoes, undrained

In 12-inch skillet, sauté beef in butter until crumbly, stirring often. Mix in flour, salt and pepper. Blend in remaining ingredients and heat thoroughly. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes or until cabbage is very tender, stirring occasionally.