SOUP/ VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP

        BY JOAN RICKETTS LOCKE
 

Everyone has a fond memory of Halloween, Trick-or-Treat.
Money was tight for our family of seven back in the 1950's and 1960's and store-bought Halloween costumes were unheard of. 
The fun was going downstairs in the basement cedar closet and the five Ricketts kids trying on different clothes, having fun making the most awesome Halloween costumes!  Mom and Dad's old clothes made the best costumes and the best memories!

 

Vegetable Beef Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound of stew beef

If using canned veggies,

add one 16 oz. can of each.

Fresh veggies, use two cups.

Carrots

Peas

White Corn

Potatoes

Green Beans

Lima Beans

Onion (use only 1 cup)

Pinto Beans (or kidney beans)

Tomatoes (diced)

Cabbage (chopped)

Celery (diced)

Brown stew beef in fry pan.  Remove beef and place in large soup pot.
To the drippings in fry pan,  over low heat, add two cups of water, and the following seasonings:

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. coarse cracked pepper

1 tbsp. parsley

1 tsp. rosemary

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. thyme

(if you don't have fresh celery, add 1 tbsp. celery salt)

Stir and simmer for two minutes.  Taste for flavor, then add to soup pot.

Place all veggie ingredients in soup pot, stir and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer soup for two hours.  (This can be placed in a crock pot too.)

Twenty minutes before serving, you can add macaroni noodles, rice, or whichever pasta you choose.  Just increase the heat to a low boil until noodles are tender.

Serve a heaping bowl of soup with biscuits, corn bread, or your favorite
crusty bread.

Note:  If you are making this soup for Dad, omit the beef and use
country ham.  Also, leave out the corn, cabbage and pinto beans!

 

The Ricketts Family 1963
at home in Forestville, MD.

Momma usually made this soup every Halloween.  She

made sure we were warm on
the inside before venturing
out on Halloween's chilly
evenings.
 

SOUP/ TORTELLINI SOUP

       BY ANGELA LOCKE HARPER

Ingredients:

Angela made this soup for all the helpers when she and
Jeff moved in their new home.  It has become her Mom's
favorite soup since then!!  Delicious!!

Four    14 1/2 oz. cans of chicken broth

 (or 2 boxes of chicken broth - 64 oz.)

Two cans diced tomatoes

2 tsp. basil

4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced (more or 

 less, depending on your taste)

2 tbsp. butter

1 large box cheese tortellini (or bag

 of frozen tortellini)

1/2 bag of fresh spinach

Fresh Parmesan Cheese                                                                         

                                                                                        

In pot or dutch oven, saute garlic in

butter.  Add tomatoes.

Add broth and basil, bring to a boil.

Add spinach and tortellini, simmer

for approximately five minutes.

Top with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Serve with a crusty bread!

Angela, Baby Maddy and Great-Grandad Ricketts
at The Ricketts Family Farm, Lothian,  MD.

SOUP/ GUMBO

                                        BY JOAN RICKETTS LOCKE

This recipe was shared with me by my friend, Linda Scarborough,

in 1991.  A delicious dish, this recipe is from her husband's family, 

straight out of the backwaters of Louisiana!  

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

2 tbsp. flour

2 quarts water

2 cups cut okra

 (if you can't find fresh,

 use frozen)

2 cups tomatoes, cubed

1 large onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

1 tsp. pepper sauce

1/8 tsp. thyme

1 bay leaf

2 cups shrimp, crab meat, oysters or,

 1 cup ea. chicken/chukar/duck browned

1 tbsp. File powder (found in seasoning section of store)

Cajun seasoning, to taste  

3 cups cooked rice

Melt butter, blend in flour

Cook over low heat, stirring until

dark brown

Add all ingredients, except seafood 

and cook on low until veggies are done

(probably 45 minutes)

  (Add seafood 10 to 15 minutes 

  before serving.)

Serve over hot rice.

Special Note:  When I make this recipe, I've made several changes.  I don't use oysters, chukar or the duck.  Instead...I use smoked sausage, chicken, shrimp and crabmeat.  This is such a warm, rich and tasty dish...serving it over the holidays makes enjoying this dish even more special!

Christmas in the Rec Room in Forestville, Maryland.

All of Momma's children admired and appreciated the

Christmas Village Momma would place under the tree each year.

Funny how we remember back and the things that stick out most to 

us are not about Santa, but the family traditions we came to love  

and enjoy each year!