Meals for Harvest Time - Montana State University

? No. 86

JULY, 1927.

Meals for Harvest Time

A reprint of Kansas State? Agricultural College Extension Bulletin No. 35. Reprinted by the Montana State College Extension Service for circulation in Montana, with the permission of the Kansas Extension Division.

Montana Extension Service in Agriculture and Home Economics

J. C. TAYLOR, Director

Montana State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, and the Unit.ed Stotcs Department of Agriculture, Cooperating. Acts of

Congress May 8 and June 30, 1914.

lbis page: blank ill the: origillal.

MEALS FOR HARVEST TIME

Repeated calls have come for help in planning meals during harvest, and while the few suggestions in this bulletin are freely and gladly given, they are intended only as suggestions and not as a final solution of the apparently dreaded problem of what to serve to harvesters.

It is the duty of every housewife to study conscientiously the feeding of her family. If this duty were observed more ~ generally, and the habit of systematic planning formed, harvest time would not be such a bugbear. It would simply mean planning, buying and preparing on a larger scale but not neces, sarily a radical departure from the daily system at other times. The farmer has progressed by studying and adopting labor saving devices and methods. The progressive housewife will recognize the importance of following the same plan in the management of the home. Woman's domestic work undoubtedly has a direct bearing on the efficiency of the field workers and therefore the solution of the housewife's problem is just as? important, and just as necessary as is the solution of any problem on the farm,. and a special study of the problem is the duty of every housekeeper. At all times meals should be planned on the basis of:

1. Cost of food, fuel and labor. 2. Quality and quantity of food for proper nourishment of. the body. 3. MinimUm waste of food and energy.

What. Not To Serve

It is not so much "what to serve" as "what not to serve" that will answer these numerous calls for help. It is an absolute necessity to have a variety in the meals but rank folly to have all the vl:l,riety come in one meal. Variety should bE' handled with discrimination. Work it into all meals rather than one meal. The too common custom of serving two and often three desserts at one meal is not far short of a crime, as often their preparation uses up the time and energy of the housewife, which might be spent to much greater advantage along other lines; makes a needless item in the expense account, and endangers the digestion of the consupler. One dessert and only one is sufficient for any meal. Another common mistake is the duplication of the same type of food. For example,. the serving of potatoes and rice, or potatoes and spaghetti, means a duplication of two starchy foods. A mistake quite as com-

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MONTANA EXTENSION SERVICE

mon is to serve beans, often cooked with pork, and a generous helping of meat at the same meal. Since they supply much the same kind of food materials -it is undesirable for both to appear at one time. Such foods may be and should be substituted one for the other but not duplicated.

Duplication, continual repetition of one food such as fried potatoes, and unnecessary "extra" dishes, have no place in meal planning. It is true that there is a physiological reason why fried foods are so generally thought desirable. They remain in the stomach a considerable time before digestion begins, giving a feeling of fullness and satisfaction for a longer time than do the quicldy digested foods. If the fat has not been burned in the process of cooking, frying does not necessarily make foods unwholesome, but that is no reason why the fried food should always be fried potatoes. As far as careful investigation extends there seems to be no reason, physiological or psychological, for the serving of pie for breakfast-it should never be included in the breakfast menu.

Rivalry

Ordinarily the serving of a? great variety of food to harvesters necessarily involves duplication of foods more or less alike. This is often the result of neighhorhood rivalry. It has become a tradition in many localities. The men may expect and even demand this great array of food but that is no reason why the serving of it should be continued indefinitely. If the housewives of the community would drop this spirit of rivalry tTtle traditional custom would weaken. They could go farther and do a great good to the individual home and the community by meeting -together and deciding upon type menus that are sane, well-balanced, and sufficiently flexible to admit of adapt:lon to circumstances and season. Their aim should be to secure good, wholesome food-well prepared and in sufficient quantities to satisfy all. At these times there should be a concentration of effOl't for the greatest conservation of time, energy, and money.

What To Serve

The following menus are intended only as type menus to illustrate food combinations and can readily be changed to suit season or local~ty. Complex salads have been omitted purposely because they require a great amount of time for preparation,

but in their place the fresh salad vegetables, easily prepared and served, appear and their presence in the daily menu should be assured. In most of the menus chicken may be substituted for the fI'esh meats, if they are not easily available. In all

MEALS FOR HARVEST TIME

5

cases the menus are planned to concentrate the work of the

housewife and to this end the daily menus should be carefully

studied and the day's work systematically mapped out, and

related to the preceding and following days' menus. The use

of the fireless cooker is strongly recommended for the cooking

of cereals and such foods as require long, slow cooking. A

simple but very satisfactory fireless cooker can be made at

slight cost and is therefore within reach of everyone.

Hot breads have been suggested" for each breakfast menu.

This is a concession to tradition, because they are usually pre-

ferred. Loaf bread or rolls may be served instead in any of

these menus, should the houRewife wish to do so.

During the busiest season the evening meal is likely to come rather late. Time may be saved by serving an earlier

supper 'to the women members of the household, thus giving

an opportunity of washing part of the dishes and leaving a

maximum force available for serving the men quickly. By

this plan the evening work is more quickly finished. The evening meal should be anticipated and everything

'Ii" that can be, should be prepared in the morning, thus con~ I serving time, energy, and fuel. Amounts necessary for the

number served should be carefully estimated to avoid leftovers, especially in respect to vegetables and desserts. Cookies, cake, salad dressing, beet pickles, etc., may be prepared the

day before the first meals are served. Fruit cake, spice cake,

or gingerbread may be kept on hand to help out in emer-

gencies.

"

The fruits suggested for service" in the supper menus may ... be fresh fruits, prepared and sweetened, or canned fruits. I Care should be taken to serve hot dishes hot, and cold dishes

cold. Notes on Recipes: All measurements are level: Abbre-

viations: c-cup; tb-tablespoon; t-teaspoon.

Breakfast

FruIt, Break. fast Food, etc.

Meat

Vegetables

I'll ~' ; ~l! Bread, etc.

DrInks

ij. Fruit

i! Cereal

,!

Bacon and Eggs

Creamed Pota- Hot Biscuits

toes

Jelly

Coffee Milk

Suggestions: Cook bacon in oven while biscuits are bak-

ing. Spread sliced bacon on a wire rack and place rack in a

dripping pan. This method requires less watching and in-

sures a better product.

After breakfast dress the chickens for the following day.

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