When my friend and neighbor Krystal came over with her family for dinner and a swim in June, she decided to make some of the recipes and send along her notes by text message. She’s an amazing cook!
Strawberry Nut Bread
The first recipe Krystal made was Martha Seibel’s “Strawberry Nut Bread” from the “Breads & Rolls” section. As in the other recipes by Martha, the directions are clear and reflective of her enthusiastic style, as the baker is encouraged to “Serve with cheese and butter for Christmas guests!” (love the cheese garnish again). Krystal said “the batter was to die for,” and as you can see in the photo, it looks gorgeous.
She noted that she forgot to add the nuts, though that’s just fine for kids and people who prefer sweets, breads, and rolls without them, like Luke. Instead of Martha’s recommended two loaves, Krystal divided the batter into four miniature loaves, which were adorable and took 40 minutes to bake at the specified 350 degrees, rather than the 50 to 60 minutes recommended for the two loaves.
Krystal said the bread was ok and would adjust it by adding just a half teaspoon of strawberry extract next time. She also disliked using only one cup of strawberry preserve because then she had half a can left over, which would probably be wasted. As you can see, the presentation was beautiful.
She brought my family a mini loaf, and we heated it slightly to eat with cheese (as Martha suggested!) and watermelon. Even after reheating for about ten seconds in the microwave, it stayed moist. We enjoyed it, but we agree—not the most amazing bread. The strawberry flavor could be bolstered, as Krystal recommended. I will try making this soon so that we can compare the taste.
Prize Rhubarb Dessert
The next day Krystal asked me to send along some rhubarb dessert recipes in anticipation of a potluck. She chose Eleanor Overvold’s “Prize Rhubarb Dessert” from “Pies, Pastry & Desserts.” I sent her a photo of the page but had to send a second one, as there was something covering up part of the list of meringue ingredients. When I examined it more closely, it looked like a crumb of meringue! I wonder if Grandma Martha made this dessert too, leaving a splatter in the process. It’s unlike her to have any mess, but cooking leads to spills and splatters, even for the most immaculate person in the world. When I was interviewing other contributors, it was so fun to see how well-used their cookbooks were and how the splatters told the story of what recipes their families enjoyed.
Krystal noted that the overall taste of the rhubarb dessert was good, though she thought she might have used too much rhubarb in it and felt it overpowered the custard layer. She wondered if three frozen cups might end up being the size of five fresh chopped cups. Krystal noted that the directions did not cover how to make the meringue, which is peculiar, as the first two layers have clear step-by-step instructions. Since the baker reading this in 1985 would not have had the ability to search for online instructions for how to make a meringue, Krystal didn’t search online and instead used her previous baking knowledge to prepare the meringue layer, much as I have had to do at various moments in this project.
She also noted that the presentation was not the prettiest, and I agree—the edges aren’t clean because of the rhubarb and the meringue layer, and it’s pale in color. But I thought it was delicious when I had some the next morning with my coffee. Moreover, I still don’t think there could ever be too much rhubarb. 😊
Eleanor Overvold was a bit tricky to track down. I couldn’t find an entry for any Overvolds in the McHenry County history book, nor an online obituary, though I was able to ascertain from ND state records and family obituaries that Eleanor Emily Overvold passed in 2011, as a resident of McHenry County. My research piecing her life together indicates that she was born in 1917, as Eleanor Opedahl, and lived on the family farmstead near Tioga, ND, one of the seven children of Lars and Laura Opedahl. Though the marriage record lists her first name as “Elnora,” the years and ages line up, and thus, it appears that she married Sylvester Schmeets, of Anamoose, ND, in 1941, had one child, Mark, and later divorced. She attended UND, receiving a bachelor’s degree in education and a Master of Science in education in 1971. In 1983, she married Olav Overvold and the couple lived in Velva; he was born in 1913 in Hallingdal, Norway, but immigrated with his parents and four siblings when an infant. The Overvold family farmed northeast of Velva in the North Prairie Township, and in 1943, Olav began farming, as well. He passed in 2017. Eleanor’s other contributions to The Joy of Sharing include “Grandma’s Pancakes,” “Orange-Rhubarb Marmalade,” “Corned Beef Casserole,” “Pumpkin Pie,” “Rhubarb Pie,” “Pirette Pie,” and “Cranberry Salad Fluff” (what a name!).
Grouse or Pheasant at Its Best
Another fantastic name! Pat Buen’s title for this dish is enticing, promising the best way to showcase the fruits of the chef’s or their family’s bird-hunting expedition (from “Meat, Poultry & Seafood). The grandiose title is common in compiled cookbooks, as Betsy Cribb Watson points out in “3 Things You’ll Only Find in a Church Cookbook” in Southern Living: “The topic of humility may get a lot of play in the pulpit, but when it comes to potlucks and cookbooks, that’s the last virtue on any cook’s mind. If Betty Sue has determined the meringue on her lemon pie to be the tallest and fluffiest, you best believe she’ll spell that truth out in the recipe title as if it’s gospel: The Tallest, Fluffiest Lemon Meringue Pie” (https://www.southernliving.com/food/things-in-church-cookbooks).
I love it.
So much.
And as someone who usually has pheasant in her freezer, I had looked at this recipe several times and considered making it. However, the two hours in the oven kept making me nervous, given our previous experience with dried out meat. But Krystal said it was really good, so I will give it a try soon!
Other than substituting celery salt for celery since she didn’t have it on hand, Krystal followed the clear directions. This involved browning the floured pheasant pieces on the stovetop and adding the first set of ingredients—the onion and seasonings—to the pan and cooking for one hour. The next steps involved adding sauce ingredients—the cream, cream of mushroom soup, white wine, olives, pimentos, and parsley—to the pan and placing it in the oven for another hour at 350 degrees.
She served it with new potatoes and asparagus, and the photo she sent was beautiful. I’m eager to give it a try soon; I’m sure my Thermapen will keep it from drying out!
Pat (Patricia) Buen was born in Louisiana, in 1943, to Captain Herbert and Laura Wilson, but it seems they ventured north, as she grew up and went to high school in Berthold, ND (northwest of Minot). In 1961, she married Gene Buen, also from Berthold, and they briefly lived in Minot, where Pat worked at First National Bank, before moving to Velva in 1964. Mr. Buen (funny how the honorific still can be present for us even decades after being in their classroom 😊) taught math and coached baseball in Velva for more than thirty-five years. Pat and Gene had three children, Dianna, Daniel, and David, and after staying home with them during their childhoods, Pat returned to working in banking in Velva for twenty-five years, retiring in 2013. Both Buens were active at Oak Valley: Gene served on the council, and Pat served as church secretary for thirteen years, as well as in circles and the Sunday school program. I understand that Pat traveled to most of Gene’s baseball games during his long tenure as a coach, traveling with the team all over ND and in particular, to their 16 appearances at the state baseball tournament; Velva won three championships—in 1984, 1986, and 2010. Gene passed away in 2015; Pat in 2018. I know Pat for a variety of reasons: church activities, my mother’s homemaker’s group, and her family: she is my friend David’s mother and Mr. Buen’s wife (and he was my math teacher for most of high school).
Pat’s other contributions to the cookbook are “Sharon’s French Bread,” “Sticky Muffins,” “Snicker Cake,” “Freezer Strawberry-Rhubarb Preserves,” “Brunch Egg Scramble,” “Upside-Down Pizza,” “No-Cook Peach Cream Pie,” “Strawberry Pie,” “Peach Pie,” and “Hot Sandwiches.” So many of these have amazing names, which reminds me of Pat. She was fun to be around and an excellent cook. During my interviews in Velva, I heard many people speak of how often they made Pat’s recipes from this cookbook; her French bread was singled out as a favorite. It’s next on the docket of what to make at my house.
