Recipe Swap: Modern Pony Express recipes

On our return trip from Colorado, we stopped at Gothenburg, Neb., to visit an original Pony Express station. I had been there many years ago, and I thought our children might enjoy it as I did at their age.

Of all of the interesting artifacts in the station, I found a cookbook tucked away on a shelf. It is not an old book from the times of the Pony Express but a current book put together by the Women's Club as a fundraiser to support the upkeep and maintenance of the station. It is a nice book from the community, and I thought you might enjoy a few of the recipes from it.

Broiled Shrimp Appetizer

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

1 can shrimp, drained, reserving the juice

1/2 cup Hellman's Real Mayonnaise

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

Dash Worcestershire sauce

Dash garlic salt

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Cream cheese and mayonnaise with small amount of shrimp juice. Add rest of ingredients except cheese and chill. Spread on slices of French bread and sprinkle with grated cheese. Broil on cookie sheet until cheese bubbles. Serve hot.

German Green Bean Soup (Grun Bohne Suppe)

5 cups fresh green beans, cut in small pieces

6 cups water or 3 cups water and 3 cups chicken broth

3 tablespoons minced onion

3 cups potatoes, cut small

1 teaspoon salt

Parsley, optional

3 cups rich milk

1 cup cream

1/2 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

Bay leaf

Sprinkle rosemary

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Combine beans, water, onion, salt and pepper. Boil until beans are almost tender, add potatoes and parsley. Add milk, cream and butter. Bring to boil, then simmer until potatoes are done. Add seasonings.

Bermuda Salad Bowl

1 small head cauliflower, cut in bite-sized pieces

1/2 onion, cut into rings

1/2 cup green olives, sliced

1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled

1 small head lettuce, cut up

Dressing:

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon horseradish

1/2 cup Mazola oil

Mix together the ingredients for the dressing. Let stand 30 minutes. Pour over onions, olives and cauliflower and let stand 30 minutes. Add lettuce and blue cheese and toss.

Pork and Peach Towers

4 1-inch-thick pork chops

4 teaspoons chopped onion

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

4 canned peach halves

1 tomato, quartered

4 stuffed olives

Sprinkle chops with a little salt and pepper. Place in a 12-by-7-by-2-inch baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Combine onion, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Uncover chops, spread with half the mixture. Bake uncovered 20 minutes more. Place a peach half on each chop and fasten with toothpick. Brush chops and peach halves with remaining brown sugar mixture. Bake 10 minutes more. Remove to platter. Fasten tomato wedge and olive on each peach. Makes 4 servings.

Rhubarb Bundt Cake

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

1/2 teaspoon butter flavor

1 egg

1 1/2 cups rhubarb, finely chopped

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk

2 1/2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon cloves

Cream butter, sugars and flavorings together. Add egg and beat well. Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with buttermilk. Fold in rhubarb. Spoon into well-greased Bundt cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until done. Cool 10 minutes in pan; turn out on cooling rack to finish cooling. A topping may be made by combining 1/3 cup sugar and 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon. A broiled icing is also good on this cake.

Frito Yummies

1 (10-ounce) bag Fritos

1 cup white sugar

1 cup white Karo syrup

1 cup peanut butter

Butter bottom of cookie sheet; pour Fritos on top. Heat sugar and syrup just to boiling, then add peanut butter. Mix and pour over Fritos. Enjoy.

Eggnog Pie

1 teaspoon gelatin in 1 tablespoon cold water

1 cup milk

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Dash salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup whipped cream

Baked pie shell

Nutmeg

Mix milk, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, salt and vanilla. Cook as pudding; do not scorch. Dissolve gelatin mixture in hot pudding. When cool, fold in 1 cup whipped cream. Pour into baked pie shell; sprinkle with nutmeg.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at news@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.