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Three Great Depression-Era Recipes

  • Spence Cooper
  • May 21, 2009
Hoovervilles: 1932 Do-Nothing Economics
Some yummy recipes to cheer up the depressed

The economic crisis beginning with the stock market crash in 1929 and continuing through the 1930s is known as The Great Depression. The national unemployment rate was 25 percent and even higher in some states. During the Great Depression there were no government programs like unemployment insurance and food stamps.

Those that endured that lean time in history stretched every food dollar as far as it would go, just as we do today during our own economic turbulence. Meals during The Depression consisted primarily of beans, rice, potatoes and pasta.

In the spirit of those cost-saving days of yesteryear, here’s three great inexpensive lean and mean recipes from our own FriendsEat contributors:

RANCH BEANS

Ingredients

5 cups (or more) water
1 pound dried pinto beans, picked over, rinsed
1 12-ounce bottle of dark beer
1 cup chopped onion
4 bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 jalapeno chili, seeded, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chilies

1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
1/2 cup chopped seeded tomato
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

RANCH BEANS:

Combine 5 cups water and next 7 ingredients in heavy large pot. Gently simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until beans are tender and liquid is reduced enough to cover beans by 1 inch, adding more water if necessary and stirring occasionally, about 2 1/2 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before serving.)

Garnish beans with cotija cheese, chopped tomato and cilantro.
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LENTIL AND BROWN RICE SOUP

Ingredients

5 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 cup brown rice
a 32- to 35-ounce can tomatoes, drained, reserving the juice, and chopped
3 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried basil
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons cider vinegar, or to taste

Directions

LENTIL AND BROWN RICE SOUP:

In a heavy kettle combine the broth, 3 cups water, the lentils, the rice, the tomatoes with the reserved juice, the carrots, the onion, the celery, the garlic, the basil, the oregano, the thyme, and the bay leaf, bring the liquid to a boil, and simmer the mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the lentils and rice are tender. Stir in the parsley, the vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste and discard the bay leaf. The soup will be thick and will thicken as it stands. Thin the soup, if desired, with additional hot chicken broth or water.

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FIRECRACKER PASTA SALAD

Ingredients

1 bag mini-shell pasta
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 habanerro pepper
1 cup mayonnaise

Directions

Firecracker Pasta Salad:

Cook the pasta in salted water to al-dente and drain.

Clean and chop the bell peppers into tiny bits smaller than the pasta shells.

De-seed the habanerro pepper and chop to ultra-fine consistency.

*IMPORTANT*

Avoid touching the habanerro with bare skin, because the oils will cling to you for a long time and you won’t even notice until you go to wipe your eyes or nose, and trust me, you don’t want that to happen. I do all processing through a layer of plastic wrap. A food processor works wonders for this as well.

Combine all the ingredients and mix completely with spatula.

For best results, refrigerate for an hour to allow flavors to mingle, and until time to serve.

For hundreds more great FriendsEat recipes, visit the recipe section of our website. We’d love for you to add one of your own great cost-cutting recipe ideas. Hey, we’ve all got to stick together.

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