It’s a common conundrum … And the Extension Bulletin #160 has the answer. In Canning Club Lesson No. 2, Div. 1, Circular No. 4, you will find several “Ways to Prepare Vegetables,” including a delightful recipe for parsnip fritters.

Parsnip Fritters

1. Wash, peel, and cook parsnips until tender in boiling water.
2. Drain off the liquid and mash the parsnips.
3. To each cup of parsnips add 1 T flour, 1/2 t salt and a dash of pepper. Mix thoroughly.
4. Drop by spoonfuls into a frying pan containing enough hot fat to prevent the fritters from sticking to the pan. Flatten the fritters until they are about 1/2 inch thick. Fry on one side until a golden brown, then turn to brown the other side.
5. Serve these at a meal that is lacking in fat.

In honor of the historical recipe extravaganza on the 17^th, the Archives staff will be giving you a glimpse into our recipe files! As we get ready to set forth on our month-long adventure, it seemed only appropriate to share the 1913 edition of “A bulletin on camp cookery issued by the Extension Division of the Oregon Agricultural College for special use of forest rangers, campers and sportsmen” by Ava Milam Clark.

One Month’s Supplies for One Man on a Forest Trip

• 15 lbs. flour (includes flour, pancake flour, cornmeal, in proportion to suit)
• 15 lbs. meat (bacon or boned ham)
• 8 lbs. rice
• 1/2 lb. baking powder
• 1 lb tea
• 150 saccharine tablets
• 2 lbs. sugar
• 8 lbs. cereal
• 1 lb. raisins
• Salt and pepper
• 5 lbs. beans
• 3 lbs. or 1/2 dozen erbswurst*
• 2 lbs. or 1/2 dozen dried vegetables
• 2 lbs. dried potatoes
• 1 can Baker’s eggs

If you’d like to see the entire bulletin, with all her tips for travel, you can view it in ScholarsArchive@OSU.

When you combine an ag school with an extension service program and Betty Crocker, you get some tasty treats floating around your collections!

One of the OSU Archives’ activities for Oregon Archives Month was an Archives Recipe Cook-off, or a Taste of the ‘chives. Library staff rolled up their sleeves and cooked recipes from cooking class notes and publications in the Archives’ collections. From Macaroni and Tomatoes to Prune Ginger Bread, from “It” (a chocolate enigma) to Carrot Loaf, we spent a fun afternoon sampling snacks with historical overtones.

See here for a complete list — then chop, simmer, and bake them for yourself!