Today’s two recipes are the result of trying to bring order to my “office.” I have always liked playing office. Once as a child, I somehow acquired a large refrigerator-sized wooden box, turned it on its side to make a desk, and played office all summer.
My telephone was a stick and the “desk” appointments were a collection of crayons, coloring books, almanacs, old calendars, etc. I conducted all manner of important business at that back porch “office.”
As an only child in that pre-TV era, I don’t ever remember being lonely or bored. There were trees to climb, paper dolls to make, play houses to design, “cooking” to be done, pictures to be drawn, and of course, the “office work.”
In the years since, I have had six or seven “offices” in nooks and crannies around the house, and then many years ago my Ed constructed an office building which held a room for him, one for me, a darkroom for my camera habit, a restroom, and a storage room. That served for many years.
My Ed has been retired for some time and doesn’t do much office stuff, so to be inside with him, I established another “office” in a corner in our laundry area. Most of the children have said unkind things about the site which is visible immediately upon entering the back door. I may leave them out of the will. Anyway, I have now moved out to our sun porch to what will probably be my last “office/clutter” location.
In the moving and arranging, including boxes of recipes, I found and cooked these two. The first can be the main dish for your meal – and the second, a new use for pears. We liked them both. Both the Hay and Straw and the Pear Pie are easily made and should be served warm when you prepare and enjoy them for … Sunday Dinner.
Hay and Straw
1 16-ounce package linguine
2 cups finely cut, fully cooked ham
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups frozen peas
1½ cups grated or shredded parmesan cheese
⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
Cook the linguine according to package directions. Cut ham in narrow strips. Melt butter in large skillet, add the ham and cook about 3 minutes. Add the frozen peas. Cook over medium heat several minutes, until peas are heated through.
Drain the linguine and combine with the ham and peas, tossing to mix thoroughly. Stir in the parmesan cheese, then stir in the whipping cream. Add a bit more cream if mixture seems dry. Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.
Pear Pie
Double crust for 9-inch pie
5 medium pears
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup flour
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Orange Butter Sauce (optional)*
Arrange one crust in the pie plate. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Peel pears, cut into fourths, remove cores and slice pears. Combine pears with the two sugars, flour, nutmeg and orange rind in a large bowl. Toss to mix evenly. Place pears in crust, top with remaining crust and press edges together. Make a few slits in top crust. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm with orange butter sauce.
*Orange Butter Sauce: In small saucepan, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, ⅓ cup brown sugar and 1¾ cups orange juice. Cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly, then cook an additional 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 4 tablespoons butter until melted and 2 tablespoons vanilla. Makes 2 cups. Serve warm over pie.