Prosperity Picnic

We found the perfect shelter near Prosperity, Pa. for our picnic with Boston Brown Bread, Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken and Bean and Veggie Soup.  I made this bread some 40 years ago for a college meal planning class when I had to prepare a meal with very little equipment.  I made the bread in my dorm room, in a coffee can on a hot plate.  It turned out great.  This time, I had to work a lot harder to get a good bread.

The recipe I tried Friday morning was one from the local paper.  First I had to find a can.  Coffee no longer comes in 1 # cans-the can size is 11 ounce and the cans are plastic and paper.  So I settled for a 28 ounce can of baked beans.  (I rinsed the beans and added those to the soup!)  The newspaper recipe called for baking the bread in the oven, which I did............and it never finished baking!  (I failed!)  So I went to the store and got more eggs, then went to the internet to find another recipe.  I found the authentic Boston Brown Bread Recipe on the Taste of Home site.  Although theirs was made in a loaf pan (could it be they had the same "can" challenges as I did?), the method of cooking was steaming.  And guess what-this recipe has no eggs!  Here's how I made it:

Boston Brown Bread

(12 slices)

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl:
1/2 cup whole grain cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup rye flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix raisins and nuts in a food processor:
3 tablespoons toasted almonds
3 tablespoons raisins
Add to dry ingredients.

Mix liquid ingredients and sugar in a measuring cup:
1/3 cup molasses
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup buttermilk (I use 1 cup skim milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice)

Stir liquid ingredients into dry just until moistened.  Transfer to the can sprayed with Pam.  Place can on a rack in a large deep pot;  add 1 inch of hot water to the pot.  Bring to a gentle boil;  cover and steam for 90 minutes until the center is done.  Add more water to the pot as needed.

Remove can from pot;  let stand for 10 minutes before removing bread from can  to a wire rack.    

The stuffed chicken breast recipe is from Oldways.   

Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken

(Serves 2)

Pound chicken breast to flatten.  See my tutorial here.    

Filling 

Mix in food processor:
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
3 Kalamata olives, pitted
6 grape tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon oregano
2 mini red sweet peppers

Spread onto flattened chicken breast.  Roll lengthwise.

Sprinkle outside of chicken with crushed pecans.
3 tablespoons toasted pecans

Bake in a 325 F oven for 30 minutes until center reaches 165 degrees.  Slice with electric knife.

 While I'm the meal planner of the family, my husband plans the trips.  He sees places while on the road and notes those he can visit with me.  We take our cameras and thoroughly enjoy our time together.  Todays' adventure was at Morris Township Community Park, 1 mile from the town of Prosperity and about 40 miles from home.  The park has a 1 room school house and perfect complements for our somewhat primitive bread.