Long before the Internet and high-speed travel connected us all, The Farmer’s Wife magazine gave hard-working rural women a place to find—and share—advice about everything from raising chickens to running a farm kitchen. One of the magazine’s most popular offerings was advice on cooking and baking, providing farm family recipes for making everything from basic bread to nourishing stews and delicious desserts. The Best of The Farmer’s Wife Cookbook brings together 400 easy-to-follow recipes and variations along with dozens of menus that originated in farm kitchens nationwide and appeared on the pages of the magazine between 1893 and 1939. Readers will be able to prepare these foods easily and quickly, because the recipes have been updated to match the conveniences and ingredients of the modern kitchen. The Best of The Farmer’s Wife Cookbook is sure to satisfy readers in search of the flavors of farm country or those simply on the lookout for a piece of homegrown nostalgia.
Here’s a sampling of the recipes you’ll find inside:Macaroni and CheesePieSouthern Fried ChickenFried Green TomatoesRhubarb Brown BettyScotch ShortbreadGingerbread Banana ShortcakeSpiced Oatmeal CookiesMichigan Cherry PieApple Plum JamEnglish Orange MarmaladePear HoneyCorn ChowderSwedish MeatballsSour Milk Griddle CakesStuffed Sweet PotatoesCherry Batter Pudding

Melinda Keefe