Dinners Past Christmas Is A Time Of Traditions, From Hunting For The Perfect Tree To Sharing The Dinner Feast

Our Christmas tree was always a red cedar cut somewhere on Grandpa Buse’s farm or from a road bank at some distance from our farmhouse in southern Indiana.

Dad would not allow cedars to grow on his land because they were host to cedar-apple rust, a threat to his apple orchard. So my brothers and I always kept a sharp eye all year long for a pretty, cone-shaped cedar that had escaped my father’s ax.

On a Sunday afternoon, about the second week in December, we would troop to the secret spot to cut down our Christmas tree and bring it home. Sometimes we needed the horses and wagon if the tree was too big to carry; one year we used a horse and sled to get through the snow.

We started in right after Thanksgiving making decorations for the tree. With scissors and flour paste, we cut and stuck together colored paper loops to make yards and yards of red and green garlands. We strung popcorn and cut out lacy white paper snowflakes to hang from the branches.

The tree was placed in front of the double windows in the living room. Our homemade decorations, along with a few treasured glass ornaments and long icicles of silver tinsel dripped over the sharp-needled boughs, were its simple adornments. It was a colorful magnet, drawing us toward its fragrance and centering our imaginations upon the approaching day.

Our family tradition was to “have Christmas” when we returned from the Christmas Eve program at the Lutheran Church. The house would be dark when we came into the cedar-scented living room. For a few minutes we would stand waiting, in breathless anticipation, while mother went to the kitchen to light a kerosene lamp.

As she walked toward us, the lamp cast soft, dancing shadows across the walls. Light gradually reached the Christmas tree and illuminated the mysterious mound of ribboned packages underneath it. All too quickly, secrets were revealed and the brief magic time when wishes come true was gone for another year.

Christmas dinner was a sumptuous meal following in the tradition of our Thanksgiving feast. Most of our food came from the farm and our garden and orchard.

Our holiday dinners centered around a crispy-crusted pork roast with sage dressing. We ate the home-grown garden vegetables that mother had canned: green beans, corn, beets. From the garden, too, were the turnips for grandpa and mashed “Irish” potatoes for dad, even if we had sweet potatoes.

From the cellar, there were relishes, pickles, jelly and apples for Waldorf salad made with celery, grapes and English walnuts. There was cranberry sauce, carefully cooked to keep the berries whole, and mother’s light yeast rolls made with potato water.

And pies - minced, apple and one made from the fresh coconut dad always bought for the holiday season.

On the library table, there would be a fruity blackberry jam cake along with an indulgence of sweets for snacking: popcorn balls, divinity, cocoa fudge and sugar cookies in the shapes of Christmas trees, stars and Santas.

Befitting such riches, Christmas dinner was eaten in the dining room, not the kitchen where we usually ate. I liked to sit with my back to the stove so I could look at that wonderful Christmas tree all through the meal.

After dinner, dad would tilt back in his chair and sigh in satisfaction. “Well, well,” he would say. “Christmas is over - until next year.”

Here are some recipes from the Christmas dinners I remember. I like to prepare them now for my own family. We move the dining table into the living room so we can all sit together by a crackling fire and enjoy the tall, slender red cedar Christmas tree that still casts its spell upon us all.

Crown Roast Pork with Fresh Sage

Have your butcher make a crown of at least 10 to 12 chops from the rib end of a pork loin (fewer chops will not form the crown). If more servings are needed, rib ends of 2 loins may be tied together to make a spectacular crown roast.

Rub meat with freshly ground black pepper and salt. Tuck small piece of fresh sage leaf in between each rib. Place prepared sage dressing (recipe follows) in center of crown.

Cut circle of heavy aluminum foil to make a cape to cover ends of rib bones and dressing, closing it down tightly to keep bones from charring, but leaving bottom part of roast uncovered. Insert meat thermometer between ribs, not touching foil.

Place on rack in roasting pan and roast, uncovered, at 325 degrees, allowing 35 minutes per pound or until meat thermometer registers internal temperature of 170 degrees. Baste outside of roast during last hour with drippings from pan, but do not baste stuffing.

Transfer roast and stuffing to hot platter. Garnish bone ends with paper frills, pickled crab apples or soft, uncooked pitted prunes.

Yield: 10 servings.

Fresh Sage and Bread Dressing

4 cups firm white bread pieces

1/2 cup finely chopped celery with leaves

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon finely snipped fresh sage leaves

1 egg, beaten, plus water to make 2/3 cup liquid

1/4 cup melted butter

Place bread slices in large bowl along with celery, onion, salt, pepper and sage. Toss to mix. Scatter egg-water mixture over dressing, little at a time, tossing with fork to moisten bread evenly. Add melted butter and toss again.

Spoon stuffing into top of crown roast of pork and bake as directed above.

Yield: About 4 servings.

Note: For extra dressing, double, triple or quadruple recipe and bake remainder in a buttered loaf pan or casserole at 325 to 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, or until top is browned and dressing is firm.

Roasting Pan Gravy

1/4 cup fat from roasting pan

4 cups water and 1 bouillon cube, or 4 cups broth or stock

1/4 cup cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water

1-1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper or teaspoon herb pepper

1/2 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet

Drain all except 1/4 cup fat from roasting pan. Heat fat. Add water and bouillon cube or stock. Cook and whisk over medium heat until all browned bits from pan have loosened and mixture comes to boil.

Gradually whisk in cornstarch mixture. Continue cooking and whisking until gravy thickens, about 2 minutes. Add salt, sugar, black pepper and Kitchen Bouquet. Serve with meat and dressing.

Yield: About 4-1/2 cups.

Waldorf Salad

4 large apples, peeled or unpeeled, cored and diced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 to 1 cup purple grapes, halved

1/2 cup chopped English walnuts

1/2 cup mayonnaise thinned with about 2 tablespoons whipping cream

Place apples in bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Add celery, grapes and nuts. Toss mixture with thinned mayonnaise. Cover and chill before serving.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Sweet Potato Puff

4 cups mashed or pureed cooked sweet potatoes

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter, melted

4 cups crushed cornflakes, combined with 1/2 cup melted butter

8 or 9 large marshmallows

Combine cooked sweet potatoes (reserving 1 cup potato water for potato rolls recipe that follows), egg yolks, salt and melted butter. Mix well.

Form into 8 or 9 balls, measuring about 1/2 cup for each. Roll each ball into crushed cereal to coat all sides. Push 1 marshmallow into center of each ball, molding ball around it, but leave top open to show marshmallow. Chill or freeze.

To bake, place chilled or frozen balls on lightly greased baking sheet, casserole or in individual custard cups. Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes or until heated thoroughly and marshmallows have melted.

Yield: 8 or 9 puffs.

Note: For really sweet puffs, add 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed, 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon and 1 tablespoon rum to sweet potato mixture.

Potato Rolls

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

Dash ground ginger

1 teaspoon plus 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup reserved hot potato water

1/2 cup oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

4 to 4-1/2 cups flour

Sprinkle dry yeast over warm water in small bowl at temperature recommended on yeast package. Stir until dissolved. Add ginger and 1 teaspoon sugar. Set aside.

Place hot potato water in large bowl. Add oil, remaining 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm, then add yeast mixture. Add beaten eggs. Stir in flour until dough follows spoon around bowl.

Turn dough out onto floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 8 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl and turn to grease top of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Shape into rolls. Place in greased 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Cover and let rise again until doubled in size.

Bake at 375 degrees on middle rack 15 to 18 minutes or until done.

Regal Pecan Tart

From “The Dessert Lover’s Cookbook,” by Marlene Sorosky.

Crust:

1 cup flour

1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted

12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces (butter should be cold if using food processor, at room temperature if using mixer)

Dash salt

Filling:

3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups chopped pecans (about 8 ounces)

1-1/2 cups pecan halves (about 6 ounces)

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving, optional

To prepare crust, place flour, powdered sugar, butter and salt in food processor fitted with metal blade or in medium bowl. Mix until dough holds together and forms soft ball.

Press pastry evenly over bottom and 1 inch up sides of 9- by 3-inch or 9-1/2 - by 2-inch springform pan. Pierce crust with fork and set aside.

To prepare filling, beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, corn syrup, vanilla and salt. Mix thoroughly.

Sprinkle chopped pecans over bottom of prepared crust. Add half of filling. Arrange pecan halves in concentric circles over entire top of pie. Carefully pour remaining filling over pecans.

Place pan on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees 60 to 70 minutes or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean and pastry is golden.

Tart may be kept covered at room temperature or in refrigerator overnight, or it may be frozen in pan, covered with plastic wrap and foil. Defrost wrapped tart at room temperature.

Serve tart at room temperature, or reheat at 350 degrees 15 minutes and serve warm. Before serving, remove sides of springform pan. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Yield: 8 servings.

MEMO: Marilyn Kluger is the author of four books, including “Country Kitchens Remembered.”