In anticipation of my upcoming vacation in Vermont
I was perusing my "Yankee's Main Dish Church Supper
Cookbook" in the hopes of finding some good traditional
New England fare to make to get me in the mood. ;-)
(Like I need to be in the mood for Vermont!) Anyway,
came across the following recipe, quoted verbatim.
I have posed my questions below.

OLD-FASHIONED BOILED DINNER

A classic dish known outside of New England as "corned beef and
cabbage". Quantities as you like it; schedule given for dinner to be
ready at noon.

7:00 A.M. Rinse 4-lb. piece of corned beef in water and place in bottom
of large kettle. Cover well with cold water. Add 2 T. sugar, 1 t.
pickling spice, and 2 bay leaves. Bring to boiling point and boil 5
minutes. Skim scum off top, turn down heat, and simmer, covered, until
tender.

9:30 A.M. Scrub fresh beets within an inch of their lives and add to
kettle, leaving skin and a good 4 inches of stem on each beet to prevent
bleeding.

10:00 A.M. Add peeled turnips, cut coarsely.

11:00 A.M. Add peeled carrots and onions and a fair-sized cabbage cut
in quarters. Add water as necessary to keep liquid level up.

11:30 A.M. Add peeled, cut-up potatoes.

NOON. All should be cooked by now. Peel beets and arrange dinner on
one large platter. Serve with hot corn bread or johnnycake, egg gravy
(a regular white sauce with 1-2 chopped hard-boiled eggs added),
horseradish, and a cruet of vinegar. Apple pie is the perfect dessert.

(P. Grimes, First Congregational Church of Pembroke, Pembroke, New
Hampshire)

Okay, here's what I don't get. Egg gravy???? I thought
that was Southern or Midwestern or something. So, okay,
egg gravy, but what do you do with it??? Put it over
everything? Just the meat? Just the vegetables? Just
the cornbread? Meat and vegetables but not cornbread?
Now I'm not worried about the horseradish because I just
wouldn't eat it. Blecch! But what's up with the vinegar?
What do you do with that??? I just can't see pouring
vinegar on any of this stuff. Especially if you already
have egg gravy all over everything. What up wi' dat?
And I guess I also wonder about the cornbread. I've never
heard of eating corn bread with corned beef and cabbage.
Is that really a New England staple?

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?