Step back in time with these historic Iowa recipes, from rhubarb punch to plum soup
When I met Robert Lucas, we didn’t have much in common.
I was 13; he was 199. He was Iowa’s first territorial governor, while I was a seventh-grader taking Iowa history at Melvin Junior High School.
He had black eyes and big bushy hair. While my eyes were blue, and I was still three years away from getting my own “big hair” thanks to an unfortunate perm during my sophomore year. The less said about that, the better.
Still, the history geek in me was drawn to Lucas. The same part of me that was once motivated to write a 20-page report on the American Revolution just for the fun of it, was also intrigued by the governor who in 1839 fought and won the bloodless “Honey War” with Missouri over Iowa’s disputed southern border.
It also awakened within me a deep respect for Lucas. I looked at the drawings of his home, Plum Grove, in my textbook and vowed to visit someday. It was a vow I made good several years ago after I moved to Iowa City.
If you’ve ever made a similar promise, your chance to fulfill it is now. On Wednesday, the Johnson County Master Gardeners will be hosting the 25th annual “Taste of the Heritage Garden” on the grounds of Plum Grove, 1030 Carroll St. in Iowa City. Wednesday’s event marks the return of this event, which was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns in 2020 and 2021.
“Taste of the Heritage Garden” is about more than Robert Lucas, however. It also is a chance to celebrate Iowa’s edible history.
The Heritage Garden at Plum Grove traditionally focuses on growing heirloom variety fruits, vegetable, herbs and flowers. Heirloom plants are pieces of living history that were once common in the gardens of our ancestors, but have been edged out of the market by hybrids that promise greater drought- or pest-resistance or higher yields.
Every year’s “Taste” event is a celebration of those heirloom flavors with old-time recipes similar to those Robert and his wife Friendly Lucas might have enjoyed. This year’s menu includes a number of soups, salads, vegetables, breads and desserts, including purple plum soup, German potato salad and pickled Egyptian walking onions, to name a few.
If attendees like what they taste, they’ll have the chance to make their own favorites at home. The master gardeners compile each year’s recipes in a booklet that will be on sale at the event.
But this year’s event has a little added meaning. Betty Kelly, the master gardener who started the Plum Grove gardens, died earlier this year. Thus, the 25th Annual Taste of the Heritage Garden is also an opportunity to honor her and her service.
Taste of the Heritage Garden is free and open to the public (even to Missourians who might still be angry over the Honey War), but a $5 donation is suggested. Any money raised will go to fund the Plum Grove gardens, as well as 4-H Fair awards, horticulture scholarships and landscape grants to nonprofit organizations.
And should it rain (as it seems to do every few days this summer), the event will be moved to the 4-H Fairgrounds.
Rhubarb Punch
If there’s one thing I know it’s that Iowans — both past and present — love rhubarb. That love is celebrated in this recipe for rhubarb punch, a sweet and refreshing drink that should get your evening off to a great start.
Ingredients
2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed of their leaves and cut into chunks
1 quart water
1½ cups sugar
⅔ cup orange juice concentrate
⅔ cup lemon juice
⅔ cup pineapple juice
2⅔ cup ice water
1 quart Ginger Ale
Cook the rhubarb in a small amount of water until tender. Add the sugar and 1 quart of water. Chill. Add the orange juice concentrate, lemon juice, pineapple juice and ice water. Stir well and chill. Just before serving, add the Ginger Ale.
Makes 1 gallon
Baked German Potato Salad
If you’ve never had German potato salad, you are in for a treat. Unlike the American variety that is dominated by mayonnaise, this side dish has more of a sweet and sour taste. That’s due to a mix of sugar and cider vinegar in the dressing.
Another advantage to this dish is that, because it is baked (and contains no mayo), it can be served at room temperature. That makes it perfect for a picnic.
Ingredients
1 cup diced bacon (about 5 ounces)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
⅔ cup sugar
⅔ cup apple cider vinegar
1½ cups water
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 quarts potatoes, peeled and sliced
Boil the potatoes in water until just tender. Do not overcook. You want the potatoes to stay together once you mix them into the salad. Drain the potatoes and set aside.
Fry the bacon until crisp in a medium-skillet. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. There should be about ¼ cup of bacon fat left in the skillet (if there is not, add a little vegetable oil to the skillet to make up that amount). Add the celery and onion and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add flour, salt and pepper and cook 2 minutes longer. Add the sugar, cider vinegar and water all at once and, stirring with a whisk, bring to a boil and cook 1 minute. Add the parsley, celery seed and reserved bacon and combine. Remove from heat.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13x2-inch pan with cooking spray. Add the potatoes and pour the dressing over all. Mix gently to thoroughly coat the potatoes, but be careful. You want the potatoes to stay together. Bake for 45 minutes.
Serve at room temperature. Serves 10-12 people.
Purple Plum Soup
What more do you need to know? It’s purple and it’s soup. Sounds like a great combination to me.
Seriously, I will be first in line at “Taste of the Heritage Garden” if for no other reason than to try this soup. There’s just something about cold, fruity soups that sounds wonderfully refreshing on a hot summer day.
Ingredients
1 cup sour cream
One 1-pound 14-ounce can purple plums with juices, pits removed
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
In a blender or food processor, blend the sour cream and gradually add the plums, and then the sugar, almond extract and cinnamon. Process for 1 minute, or until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Transfer to a glass container and chill. If the mixture separates, simply whisk it back together right in the container.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Step back in time with these historic Iowa recipes, from soup to punch
