RECIPE: DEWBERRY PIE

From Leander resident Gabby Johnson , who recalls her great grandmother talking about gathering dewberries and making pies each year, sends along this recipe for pies that have become a family tradition for several  generations. As a young girl, Gabby remembers gathering dewberries for pies along fence lines near her family’s home in eastern Travis County.

 

Makes: 6 servings

 

Ingredients

·       1 9-inch pre-made pastry crust from grocery store

·       4 cups fresh dewberries

·       1 cup sugar

·       4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

·       1 tablespoon lemon juice

·       1tablespoon butter

·       1 egg white (optional)

 

Directions

  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a 9-inch pie pan with half the pastry crust. Combine berries, sugar, flour and lemon juice.

  Spoon berry mixture into pie shell, and dot with butter. Cover with top crust and slash in several places to allow steam to escape. Brush the top crust with a slightly beaten egg white, if desired.

  Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes, or until browned.

  Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes. Serve with garnishments of whipped cream or ice cream, as desired. The pie is so yummy it will go fast.

IN THIS MONTH: 1882

  On August 2, the commissioners of Pecos County officially appointed Roy Bean as justice of the peace. He retained the post, with short interruptions, until he retired voluntarily in 1902. As he gained fame for being an eccentric interpreter of the law, the Kentucky native became known as the "Law West of the Pecos." Example: When a man carrying forty dollars and a pistol fell off a bridge, Bean fined the corpse forty dollars for carrying a concealed weapon. The forty dollars covered the man's funeral expenses. Bean died in his saloon on March 16, 1903, and was buried in the Del Rio cemetery. His shrewdness, audacity, unscrupulousness and humor, aided by his knack for self-dramatization, made him a colorful part of American folklore.

RECIPE: SUMMER VEGETABLE SALAD

  From Austin resident Darla Johnson , who says the summer harvest salads like this one have been a staple in her family for generations, especially during the hot months of August. “We’d pick whatever we had from the garden, and put them in a salad. It’s a little different each time. These are lighter meals for the hottest part of the summer.”

 

Makes: 8 servings

 

Ingredients

·       5 ears corn, husked

·       4 large leaves of lettuce

·       1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

·       2 avocados, diced

·       1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

·       1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

·       ¼ large red onion, thinly sliced 

·       1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

·       ¼ cup olive oil

·       2 limes, zested and juiced

 

Directions

  Place corn into a large pot and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and cool corn. Cut kernels from cob.

  Mix corn kernels, black beans, avocados, cilantro, tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno pepper together in a bowl.

  Whisk olive oil, lime zest, and lime juice together in a bowl; pour over corn mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Serve with lettuce, as a salad with dressing or grated cheese, or solo.

IN THIS MONTH: 1843

  On July 19, President Sam Houston relieved Commodore Edwin Moore of command of the Texas Navy, setting the stage for its dissolution. Moore had clashed with Houston over the navy's activities in support of Mexican rebels in the Yucatán. Houston proclaimed the navy to be pirates asked that the ships be captured and returned to to Galveston. Moore was dishonorably discharged by Houston and, in November 1843, the entire fleet was put up for auction. Moore’s July cruise marked the end of the operative career of the Texas Navy.

WORDS TO LIVE BY: 1843

  “You don't get them. You shan't have them." — Edwin Ward Moore, responding to Texas officials who tried to take control of the Texas Navy in early 1843 to sell the ships on orders from President Sam Houston. Moore promptly sailed to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, and engaged the Mexican Navy in battle.

RECIPE: TEXICAN PULLED PORK

From Pflugerville resident Joanna Sanchez: “This recipe in various versions has been a summer favorite in my family for generations.”

 

Makes: 10 servings

 

Ingredients

·       1 8-pound pork butt, trimmed

·       18 cloves garlic

·       1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or as needed 

·       4 teaspoons Creole seasoning

·       2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

·       1 ½ teaspoons white sugar

·       1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika

·       ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

·       ¼ teaspoon Watkins ground black pepper

·       ⅛ teaspoon dry mustard

·       ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin

·       1⁄16 teaspoon ground ginger

 

Directions

  Cut rows of deep slits into both sides of pork butt using a sharp knife; insert a garlic clove into each slit. Rub vegetable oil over pork butt.

  Mix Creole seasoning, brown sugar, white sugar, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper,  mustard, cumin, and ginger together in a bowl. Coat pork butt with spice mixture. Wrap coated pork butt with aluminum foil and refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight.

  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and sear all sides of pork butt until an internal temperature of 145 degrees F is reached, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Wrap the seared pork butt tightly in aluminum foil again, and bake at 265 degrees F for 3-4 hours, until meat can be easily shredded.

  Serve with your choice of barbeque sauce.

IN THIS MONTH: 1865

  On June 19, Union Army general Gordon Granger read the Emancipation Proclamation (originally issued by Abraham Lincoln in 1863) in Galveston, belatedly bringing about the freeing of 250,000 slaves in Texas. The event, now celebrated as "Juneteenth," eventually gave rise to an annual day of thanksgiving ceremonies, public entertainment, picnics and family reunions. Some communities including Austin set aside land, known as Emancipation Parks, for celebrations on Juneteenth.

WORDS TO LIVE BY: 1866

“Education means emancipation. It means light and liberty. It means the uplifting of the soul of man into the glorious light of truth, the light by which men can only be made free . . . The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous” — Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, orator writer

HOME REMEDY: SNAKEBITE

  From General Medicinals & Remedies, 1891: “Tie a rope or handkerchief on the limb just above the wound. Cleanse the wound immediately and suck the wound. Cut the wound, allowing blood to flow freely. Fill with salt or potash diluted with three parts water. Follow with full doses of brandy or whiskey.”

RECIPE: JUNETEENTH CAKE

  From Round Rock resident Dede Evans: “My family always makes this cake at Juneteenth. It’s a family tradition.”

Makes: 15 slices

Ingredients

·       2 ⅔ cups all-purpose cake flour

·       2 tablespoons cocoa powder

·       1 teaspoon baking soda

·       ¼ teaspoon salt

·       ½ cup unsalted butter softened

·       1 cup vegetable oil

·       1 ¾ cups white sugar

·       2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·       3 large eggs room temperature

·       2 ½ tablespoons red food coloring

·       1 cup buttermilk room temperature

·       2 teaspoons white vinegar

 

Directions

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a 9x13-inch baking pan. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. In another bowl beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the oil, followed by the eggs, vanilla extract and red food coloring. Beat in the flour mixture into the butter mixture with about ⅓ of the buttermilk. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vinegar. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Frost the cake with cream cheese icing.

IN THIS MONTH: 1862

  On May 5, Mexican general and Texas native Ignacio Zaragoza defeated French expeditionary forces at Puebla, Mexico. This event is celebrated annually as El Cinco de Mayo. Once widely observed throughout Mexico, today it is an official public holiday only in the Mexican state of Puebla, where it is known as El Día de la Batalla de Puebla, or Battle of Puebla Day. However, Cinco de Mayo remains popular in Texas and the United States as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage.

WORDS TO LIVE BY: 1862

  "The national arms have been covered with glory.” — Ignacio Zaragoza, reporting the victory in a single-line letter to his superior, President Benito Juárez. It is now a phrase used to remember the battle. Zaragoza was born near Goliad in 1829, and moved with his family to Matamoras.  A state historical site is now located at his birthplace.

RECIPE: STRAWBERRY MUFFINS

  From Pflugerville resident Dana Bowers, who writes: “My mother made strawberry muffins on Mother’s Day, and I think she got the recipe from her mother. They are wonderful served with cream cheese.”

 

Makes: 12 muffins

 

Ingredients

·       3/4 cup granulated sugar

·       1 tbsp. lemon zest

·       2 c. all-purpose flour

·       2 tsp. baking powder

·       1/4 tsp. kosher salt

·       1 stick butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

·       2 large eggs, beaten

·       2/3 cup whole milk

·       1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

·       1 1/2 cup chopped strawberries

·       2 tbsp. sparkling sugar, optional

Directions

  Preheat oven to 350. Grease a muffin tin with butter or line with baking liners.

  In a large bowl, combine sugar and zest until evenly combined. Whisk in flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter until the mixture is evenly combined and no large pieces remain. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the eggs, milk and vanilla.

  Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of batter into each muffin well, then fold the strawberries into the remaining batter and divide evenly among the muffin wells. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with sparkling sugar.

  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the muffins are firm to the touch and a wooden pick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in the tin for five minutes before removing.

IN THIS MONTH: 1856

  On April 29, 1856, a shipload of 33 camels arrived at the Texas port of Indianola, part of a U.S. Army plan to deploy the dromedaries in arid West Texas to use in chasing Indians and transporting supplies. A camel caravan soon set for frontier posts and stopped for a time in Victoria, where the animals were clipped so a pair of camel-hair socks could be made for President Franklin Pierce. More camels were imported, but the ultimately the experiment failed because handlers found the animals smelly, obnoxious and hard to control. Escaped camels roamed the desert for years and got into the folklore of the region. Who advocated for the camel project? Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, who later became president of the Confederacy. Critics insisted the project was a subterfuge by Davis to encourage Southerners to move West and expand slavery to the West.