More Meals in a Jar Variations. Oh...and Regional Foods of America Cooking Class Notes and Recipes!

Today I'm guest posting on Honeyville Farm's Blog with two new meal in a jar variations on the Vegetarian Meals in a Jar Base Recipe that we posted on Tuesday. It is sweeeet! 

I'm sharing these:

Classic Pasta Primavera

and a Chinese Noodle Wok 

Brace yourselves for this though...

 Yesterday I took a trip back to 4th grade and visited my son's class for some very cool lessons on regional foods of America. In handing my son the camera, I got to see some pretty cool perspectives. One that caught my attention in particular was how great he did at capturing the unique look of okra! Well done my darling boy! You're a natural!  He also caught a few of my apron with my head cut off...but I adored that too! I don't get to see life through the eyes of a 4th grader on a short plastic chair very often and it made me giggle like a geek. Yes. I was a geek in school back-in-the-day. No. I don't want to show you pictures of that awkward stage. 

I borrowed a Regional Foods of America Lesson Plan that was pretty good! 

We made some Gumbo with the fresh okra that I adapted into a just add water meal using my favorite Paula Deen Gumbo Recipe. Yes. That will be our next meal in a jar (minus the okra...I can't find it freeze dried and that's probably good because I'd eat it like popcorn!). 

We talked about grain and how the early settlers used a lot of sourdough to make their breads with simple Homemade Sourdough Starter. 

We ate some Maple Sourdough Ginger Cake with Maple Glaze

We also got the kids learning about "staple foods" like corn!

Have you ever seen a 4th grader try to make some Jimmy-Cracked-Corn? 

Oh...and we had fun with some Johnny Cakes. 

Just to make sure you have it all in one place, I'm giving you my class recipes. Plus, I just have to say that my son's teacher is adorable! I love being able to teach the kids! Thank you Chandra!  Chandra's mom was there too...and I can't tell you how nerveous I was teaching food history with a real history teacher in the classroom! Yikes.

Regional Foods of America Recipes for Face's 4th Grade Class

New England Boiled Dinner Recipe Courtesy of James Beard 1965 5 pounds corned brisket of beef 6 peppercorns Cold water to cover 1/2 pound salt pork 3 parsnips, cubed 6 carrots, scraped and cubed 2 cups cubed rutabaga, or 6 small white turnips, peeled 8 small white onions, peeled 6 medium potatoes, quartered 4-6 wedges green cabbage Chopped parsley Melted butter Place the corned beef in a kettle, add the peppercorns and cold water, cover, bring to a boil and simmer 4-5 hours or until the meat is tender, skimming occasionally. Remove meat and keep in warm place. Add the salt pork (in one piece), parsnips, carrots, rutabaga or turnips, onions and potatoes. Cook 30 minutes. Add cabbage wedges during the last 10 or 15 minutes and cook just until tender. Place the meat on platter and surround with the vegetables. Blend parsley with melted butter and spoon over vegetables. Discard salt pork, but save stock for a pot-au-feu or other stew.

Tess' Johnny Cakes Mix 4 cups cornmeal 4 cups whole wheat flour (I use fresh milled soft wheat) 1/2 cup sugar or granulated fructose 1/3 cup baking powder 1T salt 1 cup nonfat milk powder Directions: Combine all dry ingredients. To cook:Combine 2 cups mix with 1 cup water for waffles. Pancakes: 2 cups mix and 1 1/4 cup water (more or less for thicker or thinner pancakes.

Gumbo recipe courtesy Paula Deen 3 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves Salt and pepper 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 5 tablespoons margarine 1 large onion, chopped 8 cloves garlic minced 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 3 stalks celery chopped 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish 4 cups hot water 5 beef bouillon cubes 1 (14-ounce can) stewed tomatoes with juice 2 cups frozen sliced okra 4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts 1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked Directions: Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove. Add the sausage and cook until browned, then remove. Sprinkle the flour over the oil, add 2 tablespoons of margarine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes. Let the roux cool. Return the Dutch oven to low heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons margarine. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, to taste and the 1/4 bunch parsley. Cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add 4 cups hot water and bouillon cubes, whisking constantly. Add the chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add tomatoes and okra. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Just before serving add the green onions, shrimp and chopped parsley.

Alaskan Sourdough Maple Ginger Cake Dry ingredient mix: 1/2 cup dehydrated honey or brown sugar 2T dehydrated egg powder 1 1/2 cups whole wheat cake flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1T Chef Tess Wise Woman of the East Spice Blend (OR 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground clove, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg) To bake combine: 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup pure maple syrup 1 cup Chef Tess Homemade Sourdough Starter Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a nine inch by nine inch cake pan. Combine the dry ingredient mix. Combine the wet ingredient mixture. Mix the wet and the dry ingredients together, beating about 100 strokes by hand. Pour into prepared pan and bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. While cake is warm, top with the maple glaze. Maple Glaze: 2 cups organic powdered sugar 1/3 cup maple syrup 1T melted butter 1tsp Wise Woman of the East Spice Blend Heat maple syrup and butter together until just boiling. Stir in powdered sugar and spice blend. Remove from heat and use immediately on the cake. ©2009 http://cheftessbakeresse.blogspot.com Chef Stephanie Petersen. stephanie@cheftessbakeresse.com ChefTess on Facebook and Twitter.

There you go. 

Have some fun with regional foods! I know I did!

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess