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Happy Easter from the Kitchen! Easter dinner growing up wasn't really very different from any other Sunday dinner except on Easter there were baskets of goodies for us.
The meal usually was baked ham, mashed potatoes, filling, gravy and either sweet corn or beans. Also, deviled eggs because we had chickens, too.
I think the meals back then were appreciated so much more because we dug those potatoes, husk the corn and helped care for the hogs. Good memories. Good meals. Good work ethics. Today, I shop as local as possible.
Here's my recipe for baked ham.
Either a half or whole ham (bone in) depending on how many you are cooking for.
Place in a roaster and add a couple cups of water and cover. Bake at 325 degrees for 3-4 hours. Broth makes excellent gravy.
TIP: If the ham is from a butcher, it's doubtful you need to add any seasonings.
Making gravy is something that takes practice. I don't have a set recipe, but I can walk you through making it:
• 4 cups ham broth
• 1 to 1 ½ cups water
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
In a medium sauce pan, bring the broth to a boil. Turn heat down so it just boils gently. Mix the water and flour together till no flour lumps.
Very slowly pour the mixture in the boiling broth whisking the gravy constantly. Don't pour all the flour mixture in at one time unless you like lumpy gravy.
Gentle whisk and pour till it begins to thicken. Turn down to low. Add salt or pepper according to your taste. Serve immediately.
It took me years to master good smooth gravy. This method can be used for chicken, beef or turkey, too. Eat well my friends.
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Bev Kauffman, of Lewistown, operated a catering business in Juniata County for nearly 20 years. She has authored the cookbook, "Preserving the Past: In the Kitchen with Bev Kauffman" in 2013 and is currently working on a second cookbook.