Eastern Shore of Virginia Recipes


Parish House Cookbook Recipes

Provided by Jane Robinson Ball


The following recipes are from The Parish House Cook Book by the women of Hungars Church, Bridgetown, Va. 1959. The Cook Book provided a brief history of the church.

The Parish House Cook Book by the Women of Hungars Church Bridgetown, Virginia 1959

A Brief History of Hungars Church.

It is recorded that in 1645, Richard Vaughan bequeathed "One Thousand weight of tobacco toward the building of a house for God's service" in Hungars Parish, the upper of the two Parishes established in 1643, in what is now Northampton County. We know the first Hungars Church existed in 1647. A second church replaced it around 1679, and the third and present Hungars Church was built before 1742.

In this 200 year old building can be seen the ancient handmade iron hinges, the old doors and windows, the original fluted columns of solid heart pine. In regular use is a silver communion service, presented to the Upper Church of Hungars Parish, by the Honorable John Custis, Esquire, in 1742.

If evidence is needed, that love for this old church lives on, you hold that evidence in your hands. To produce this Parish House Cook Book, a hundred covers were painted and ten thousand pages written by hand, by the women of Hungars Church in 1959.

See additional historical information on Hungars Church


A sample of some of the recipes from the cook book


Hush Puppies

The Guild


1 cup corn meal

½ cup flour

½ teas. Salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

Milk

½ small onion

1 teaspoon sugar

 

Sift together meal, flour, salt, baking powder and sugar.  Beat in the egg

and add enough sweet milk to make a stiff batter.  Stir in chopped onion.

Drop by teaspoons full into hot fat (not boiling) and cook until brown.

Drain.  Makes 10 to 15 hush puppies.  Nice to serve with seafoods.



Buckwheat Cakes

The Guild

Dissolve 1 yeast cake in ½ cup water, add 2 cups milk

Mix with 3 cups Buckwheat flour and Beat vigorously.

Let rise overnight. - In the morning add:							

	

1 Tablespoon molasses or sugar

1 Teaspoon salt

2 beaten eggs

¼ teaspoon soda

Extra Milk if needed

Have greased griddle hot.


Crab Cakes

Julia Nottingham


1 quart crab meat

3 eggs

1 pint bread crumbs

¼ tsp. dry mustard




1 Tbsps. Kraft Mayonnaise

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 tsp. chopped parsley




Blend the ingredients and shape into croquettes.  Fry in deep fat till 

golden brown.  Serves 8 


Scalloped Oyster

Sara Moore Mapp


6 Tablespoons butter

1 cup fine cracker crumbs

1 pint oysters	

Salt & Pepper

½ cup milk

 

Melt butter, add crumbs and mix well.  Spread 1/3 of the mixture in a

greased baking dish.  Arrange half the oysters in one layer on top and 

cover with half the remaining crumbs.  Season with salt and pepper and add 

a second layer of oysters and crumbs.  Pour milk over top.  Bake at 350 

degrees for 30 minutes.




Lemon Pie

Mrs. B. N. Mears, Sr.

6 eggs

1 ½ cups sugar	

1 cup butter

Juice of 2 lemons

	

Cream butter.  Fold sugar and egg yolks in and beat well adding lemon juice

and stiffly beaten egg whites.  Pour into partially baked, rich pastry pie

shell.  Bake in medium over (325 degrees) until golden brown.  If desired

add meringue topping using 2 more egg whites.


Brandied Peaches

Virginia W. Floyd

Make a thick syrup of 6 cups sugar and 3 cups water.

Put peeled peaches, a few at a time, in syrup and boil until tender - about 5 minutes.

Put hot peaches into sterilized jars.  Over jars full of peaches pour mixture

of syrup and brandy in equal quantities.  The best Brandy is the best Brandy.

Seal and let ripen at least a few weeks.


Mustard Pickle

Mrs. B. N. Mears, Sr.


1 quart green tomatoes

1 quart onions 

2 quarts cucumbers

1 bunch celery

2 red peppers 



Cut all vegetables small - mix vegetables, sprinkle with salt and let stand

overnight.  In the morning heat mixture to boiling point.  Strain off salty

juices through a cloth, then return to pan and bring to boiling point.

In another pan make the following sauce.



6 cups sugar'

1 cup flour

1 Tablespoon Turmeric

6 Tablespoons Dry Mustard

2 quarts vinegar

 

Cook until thickened then add vegetables and simmer 20 minutes.  Cool, then

pack in jars and  seal.

Do you have Eastern Shore of Virginia family recipes you would like to share with readers of this web site? If so, please e-mail them to Jack Burn jburn@gva.net . Thanks

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Copyright © 1999 Most recent revision February 10, 2004 (wls)