Cotton Style Show Luncheon, 1949

 “King Cotton-whose lint and seed in the Mississippi Delta alone this past season were valued at over $200,000,000-will receive royal tribute from at least four Delta counties planning extensive observances for National merchants throughout the 18 Delta and part-Delta counties also are expected to join in local promotion of cotton products, according Delta Council. Leflore, Coahoma, Bolivar and Sunflower are the counties planing detailed activities during Cotton Week.” ----The Delta Democrat-Times, May 6, 1953 

Cotton Style Show Luncheon

April 28, 1949

Clarksdale, Mississippi

(From the Souvenir Menu)

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Planter’s Plantation Punch

Hors d’oeuvres

Spiced Coahoma Ham                    Breast of Turkey

Carrot Curls                    Pickle Sticks

Creole Casserole                    Asparagus Mousse

Hot Rolls

Cranberry Salad Supreme

Cotton Bale Ice Cream Mold          Cotton Blossom Cakes

Coffee

Cotton Square Mints

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(The recipes from Favorite Menus and Recipes by the Coahoma Woman’s Club, Coahoma, MS

N.B. Recipes are not changed, they are rewritten as they appear in original document.)

Planter’s Plantation Punch

1 can orange juice (46 ounce can)

1 can pineapple juice (46 oz.)

1 qt. ginger ale

1 qt. lemon sherbet

Cool punch bowl and cool juices.  Put sherbet into punch bowl.  Add juices with ginger ale last.

Asparagus Mousse

2 T. butter

4 egg yolks

juice of 1 lemon

1 can asparagus with liquid

1 pt. whipping cream

¼ lb. Almonds (about 1 tea cup)

2 T. flour

2 T. gelatin

1 T. onion juice

Season to taste with salt, pepper, and paprika

Melt butter I double boiler, stir in flour, mix thoroughly, add asparagus juice, stirring constantly ‘til thick.  Pour over eggs which have been beaten lightly, stirring all the time.  Put back into double boiler and cook ‘til eggs are done.  Add dissolved gelatin, seasoning, onion and lemon juices.  Cut up asparagus, and when cool fold in asparagus, nuts and whipped cream.  Have nuts cold.  Pour into mold.  Serve with mayonnaise.

Creole Casserole

1 can English peas, drained

1 cup grated Chedder cheese

½ cup buttered bread crumbs

1 recipe Creole Sauce*

2 cups white sauce

3 T. grated cheese

Season white sauce to taste with mustard, Durkee’s horseradish mayonnaise, salt and pepper.  Add one cup grated Chedder cheese.  Place bread crumbs in the bottom of casserole, then place alternate layers of peas, white sauce, Creole sauce, finishing off with sprinkled 3 T. grated cheese on top.  Brown in oven first before serving.

[* I have no idea of what Creole Sauce is. It might have been a local sauce in the late 1940s, of which everyone knew.  I found a recipe for a Creole Sauce in the Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking School Cook Book and it appears at the end of this article -tfc]

Cranberry Salad Supreme

2 cups raw cranberries

2 ½ cup water

1 cup sugar

2 packages lemon jello

Juice of pineapple

1 can crushed pineapple

1 cup white grapes

1 cup nuts, chopped

Cook berries, sugar, and water until berries are soft.  Add lemon jello, pineapple juice and cool.  Add fruits and nuts.  Pour in large mold or individual molds.  This serves 14.

Additional Recipes

Creole Sauce Recipe a’la Fannie Farmer

Put in a saucepan: 2 Tb. chopped onion, 4 Tb. finely chopped green pepper, 2 Tb. butter.  Cook 5 minutes, then add: 2 tomatoes or ½ cup canned tomatoes, ¼ cup sliced mushrooms, 6 pitted or stuffed olives, cut into pieces.  Cook 2 minutes, then add 1 1/3 cups of Brown Sauce (below) or gravy or water with two bouillon cubes.  Bring to the boiling point.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and sherry.

Brown Sauce

Melt 2 Tb butter or bacon fat.  Add ½ slice onion (if desired).  Cook slowly until fat is well browned but not black.  Add 2 Tb flour or 2 tsp potato flour, ½ tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, few grains sugar.  Add gradually 1 cup brown stock, consomme’, or water.  Bring to the boiling point.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Strain or remove the bit of onion.  Cook 15 minutes in double boiler or over very low heat.  Makes about one cup.