A Merc, by Any Other Name, would still be Redd’s.

After the settling of pioneers in Bluff, in 1880, by 1882 one cabin had been set up as a co-op where goods and supplies were sold to the people in the Fort and/or traded with the Navajo. The pioneers bought Navajo wool, pelts, and blankets which were taken to Durango, Colorado for sale. Returning from Durango, they brought other necessary goods to be sold from the co-op. 

By 1889, the co-op became housed in a brick building and became known as the San Juan Co-Op, being named after the San Juan Mission, not the river.  It was destroyed during a robbery attempt by the Fred Starr gang, and blown up.  Being diligent, the residents rebuilt the store and it is now the Bluff Fort Welcome Center and Museum.

North of White Mesa, Walter C. Lyman founded a small community, in 1905, which was named Grayson, after the maiden name of the wife of Bluff leader, Joseph Lyman.  The renaming of the community occurred in 1914 when a hefty library donation, from wealthy Easterner, Thomas W. Bicknell, was given.  His wife’s maiden name was Blanding, so followed the pattern of the first naming of the area.

Three years prior, the Grayson Co-Op had been established, but it was not until 1918 that it became housed within the ZCMI building.  The ZCMI (Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution) building featured a cast-iron and stamped sheet metal façade; the materials shipped in from Philadelphia.  The main structure was constructed with brick masonry and heavy timber frame, with elements of pine pillars and stamped metal ceilings, and remains a prominent iconic feature along Blanding’s Main Street.

 

 

When the co-op was first established in 1911, Parley Redd was hired as manager, and continued to do so until 1939, when he purchased the business.  Being a hard worker, and having business “smarts”, he was able to buy out other stockholders and changed the co-op to a private business, the Parley Redd Mercantile.  “The store carried clothing, food, shoes and just about everything a pioneer needed right down to baby diapers (cloth of course) and coffin

…ice cut from the ponds in winter and buried it in a big sawdust-filled pit in back of the store to be dug out in the summer and sold. (sounds like Parley took a lesson from Hans Jensen).

…goods were purchased from traveling salesmen called “drummers” and shipped in by horse-drawn wagons.

The Co-op store was a gathering place for many of the town’s people. They would sit around the old stove in the middle of the store and catch up on all the latest gossip and news. Parley was, by nature, a friendly, gregarious individual who loved to play practical jokes on people. They say he rigged an auto coil under the counter and when an old-timer or anyone else sat on the counter Parley would wind up the coil and shock the person perched thereon. His good humor made it work and it curtailed men sitting on his counter.”  (from San Juan Record, July 6, 2011, Parley Redd and his Ruth: A San Juan romance)

 

In 1952, Parley sold the business to his three sons, Vint, Gordon and Kent, but retirement was very short for Parley, as he died, from illness, April 1955.  The mercantile eventually joined forces with the Ace Hardware corporation, and became known as Redd’s Ace Harware; and yes, the Redd’s still own the business to this day.

So, where does food come into all this?  Well, while Parley Redd ran the merc, and the modernization of refrigeration began, he was able to offer more then just cut up blocks of ice, or dried and canned goods.  He installed frozen food lockers that could be rented, and residents were able to come in, store fresh food in the lockers, and pick up their goods whenever needed.

Weekly, Parley would have cattle slaughtered, prepped for sale, and that would be a way for local cooks to have more than pork, mutton/lamb, or wringing the necks of their own chickens.

However, the hardware store doesn’t offer up much in the way of edible goods any longer, unless you count the candy, snacks and soft drinks available near the main checkout counter.  Or, you can always pop into the Subway housed in the same building complex, or walk one street over to Smoke Pizza Company, if you’re hungry after all that hardware shopping.

Now for a recipe that would honor Parley fresh cut beef, but I’m not one for the Dutch oven, over an open fire, way of cooking.  No, low and slow in the crock pot does me just right.

 

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Ingredients:

2 and ½ lbs. sirloin or eye round roast

½ cup flour

4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided in half

6 medium potatoes

1 lb. package baby carrots

1 large onion

1 and ½ cups beef broth

½ tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

 

Preparation:

Spray a 6-quart crock pot with nonstick spray.

 

Cut roast into 1-inch-thick slices, the slices into 1-inch-thick strips, the strips into 1-inch cubes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coat the cubes in flour; heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet, medium-high heat, add half the cubes and brown on all sides; drain on paper towels. Repeat with second half of cubes; place browned and drained cubes in bottom of crock pot.

 

 

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, cut into 1-inch strips, the strips into 1-inch cubes. Place into 5- quart pot with the baby carrots, cover with water; parboil for 15 minutes.  While these are parboiling, cut the onion into ¼ inch strips; place over the beef in crock pot.  Drain potatoes and carrots; spread out over the onions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a medium bowl, mix together beef broth, black pepper and garlic powder; pour over ingredients in crock pot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Set pot on low; cook for 8-10 hours until meat, potatoes and carrots are fork tender.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour 

 

 

 

Chokecherrying the Berries Blue.

“White and yellow, kill a fellow.

Purple and blue, good for you.

Red… could be good, could be dead.”

Survival expert, Mykel Hawke, mnemonic for remembering which berries are safe to eat in the wild.

Now when it comes to berries in the wild, I am one to admit that I am clueless as to the species, and safety, of varieties found in Utah.  Except juniper berries which I have often seen while adventuring to explore ruin sites; and have used juniper ash when baking indigenous based recipes.

 

Here is a list of berries native to Utah:

Serviceberry (Amelanchier): Aka Saskatoon or Juneberry, these sweet, dark blue berries are common in high mountain valleys and ripen in mid-summer.

Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana): Aka Bitter Cherry is very popular for preserves and jellies

Elderberry (Sambucus cerulea): Large shrubs producing clusters of blue berries, often used for jams.

Golden Currant (Ribes aureum): A very hardy native bush that produces yellow-to-black berries.

Oregon Grape (Mahonia repens): A low-growing, groundcover shrub with tart blue berries, often found in mountain areas.

Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus): Similar to a raspberry, but flatter and softer.

Buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea): Often found along rivers, producing bright red or yellow berries.

Bearberry/Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi): A trailing, low-growing woody plant with red berries.

Truth be told, the only berries I have seen, for sale, were chokecherry in a jam form, and elderberry, in capsule or gummy form.  If there is a place, within San Juan County, where the berries can be purchased, in whole form, or any other way, I’d really love to know.  In local markets, the typical berries, known to the majority of Americans, are: strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and blueberry.  Oh, I just heard someone ask, “What about cherries, since chokecherry is listed as a berry?”

Cherries have pits in the middle that cannot be eaten, so classified as stone fruits. Berries have seeds in the middle, or coating the outside, and the whole fruit can be eaten, seeds and all.  Chokecherries grow on a shrub, and indigenous peoples used the dried berries in pemmican; a mixture of dried meat, fruit, and fat. The berries were also cooked to create juice and pastes, which were used to help with respiratory and digestive issues.

All the berries we find in stores must be grown, and shipped into, Utah from other states as they are not drought resistant.  So, fresh or frozen, we make due with what we can purchase.

However, and I mentioned this in my mushroom article from November 8, 2023, it would be wonderful if there were classes, and actual outings into our wonderous outdoors, on foraging wild edibles.  I am not the only person saying we need more outdoor activities besides hiking, camping, ATVing, etc., so outdoor experts, what say you about starting food foraging classes?

Ah, so the recipe I will be sharing will contain a very popular berry indeed, the blueberry. They are little bombs loaded with antioxidants that explode within the body to help reduce the risk of: cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.  They have an anti-inflammatory property to reduce joint pain, act as prebiotics to reduce gastrointestinal issues, and strengthen blood vessels in the back of the eyes that helps to improve vision.  These little blue-purplish beauties pack one heck of a healthful punch.  By the way, out in the wild, the berry most similar to blueberries is the serviceberry.  Growing on native shrubs, they are sweet, purple-black, round berries that taste like a mix of blueberry and apple, with a hint of almond. They are drought-tolerant, common in canyons, and make excellent jams, jellies, and pies.

 

With extra blueberries, made two rustic pies of apples and blueberries.

The recipe for Lemon Blueberry Loaf is simple, can be made into muffins as well, and delicious with or without the glaze.  The sweetness of the berries and the tartness of the lemons balance out to give the taste buds a zesty treat.

 

Lemon Blueberry Loaf

Ingredients:

2/3 cup (12 Tbsp.) melted butter

2 cups sugar (or equal non-calorie sweetener; I use Splenda baking blend)

6 Tbsp. lemon juice

4 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour (+1/4 cup for high altitude)

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

1 cup milk (I use 2%)

4 Tbsp. of grated lemon peel (fresh, or reconstituted dry)

2 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries

Glaze

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. melted butter

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F; spray, with baking spray, three 8-inch loaf pans, or line muffin tins with paper liners (16-18 standard size, 12 large size).

 

 

 

 

In a medium bowl, blend the butter with the sugar, lemon juice and eggs until smooth. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add egg mixture and milk to dry ingredients; stir until well combined.

Fold in lemon peel and blueberries. 

 

 

 

 

Spoon mixture into loaf pans, 3/4s full; or same for muffin liners.  

Bake 55-60 minutes for loaves, 15 to 18 minutes for muffins; or until golden brown and toothpick in center comes out clean.

 

Move loaves and/or muffins to baking rack to fully cool before spooning glaze over tops.

Makes 3 loaves, or 12 or 16-18 muffins, depending on muffin tin size.

So folks, remember to chew your berries well, as you don’t want to be choking on them.

Mary Cokenour 

 

 

 

Butchering Monticello.

Imagine, if you can, living during the 1880s.  Pioneers had traveled over desolate landscapes, losing many a wagon wheel, but not one life, not even one of the oxen pulling those wagons.

Settling in Bluff, alongside the San Juan River, the pioneers still endured hardships.  There was the lack of food supplies, as gardens and farms needed to be cultivated.  They were able to trade with local Native tribes, those that were willing to; the Carlisle cattle ranchers butchered and sold what they asked top dollar for.  Of course, the army sent soldiers to patrol the county, make sure government surveyors and expeditions kept safe, and keep peace between the pioneers, Natives and ranchers.  While the army provided provisions to their men, it was not unusual for an expectation of meals to be provided from the pioneers.  Meals in exchange for safety, not a bad deal, right?

Around the end of 1886 to beginning 1887, it was decided that expansion of settlements was needed, and a prime focus was finding more water sources along Montezuma Creek, and within the Blue Mountains.  One settlement that became firmly established was Monticello, and while much of the land was cleared previously by the Colorado ranchers, there was still much to be done.  To truly get the gist of what life was like, I, once again, recommend reading the first issue of Monticello Journal, A History of Monticello Until 1937, by Harold George and Fay Lunceford Muhlestein.  There is an issue at the local library, and copies for sale at the San Juan Record.  After reading it, and knowing yourself, it truly will make you wonder, “Would I have survived being one of the pioneers?”.

The focus though, of this article, is on the establishment of a business surely needed in Monticello…Butchering.  Besides housing for the residents, businesses needed to be established (sort of what we desperately need now as well), since traveling to larger towns, or cities, would take days into weeks.  While growing vegetables and other crops was taking a firm hold, nutrition called for sources of proteins.  Fish and birds, when caught, could provide for some, but, again, getting beef from the Colorado ranchers was the primary source, and that didn’t charge cheap.

Ah, but eventually lawyers were able to prove that the ranchers had no legal foot hold all over San Juan County.  They were forced to either establish property deals, or leave the area; and many had to sell off cattle to the local residents.  Sheep and pigs were later introduced to the area, but these herds did not fare well, and cattle dominated.

In, 1909, the Enlarged Homestead Act, provided 320 acres of non-irrigable land for the purpose of farming.  The areas set aside for this were east and north of Monticello, and welcome to the birth of homesteading and dry farming.  Dry farming?  Dry farming is a technique relying on soil moisture conservation to grow crops like winter wheat without irrigation. Local farmers combat arid conditions by limiting plowing and using drought-resistant seeds.  One such homesteader was Hans Jensen, arriving in 1911, by horse and wagon; he lived on his land, in a tent, and daily worked his land.  Only 5’5” tall, 125 lbs., he determinedly worked as having his own thriving farm was his sincere goal.  There must have been more to this man than meets the eye, as the mayor’s daughter, Adella Adams, eventually agreed to marry him.  Oh, she could have had anyone, considering she came from money, but living in Hans’ tent showed how much she loved him as well.

 

Hans Jensen, photo by Dawn Joyce Boyle.

In 1921, Hans built a small building which became his butcher shop.  With no refrigeration equipment invented yet, he, and Duke Edwards, who worked for Hans, would cut out 100-pound blocks of ice, bury then in dirt, and cover with sawdust during the winter.  In warmer weather, the blocks were hefted onto the roof of the building (Hans had built an insulated box), and this helped keep the provisions cool.  Customers could come to him for cuts of beef or pork, but it was not unusual to see Hans delivering to homes further outside the town, in his Ford Model-T pickup truck.

Hans, Della, and their children (as they grew older) had strong work ethics which helped them prosper, and the City Meat Market became a much needed and wanted business in Monticello.  Now I could go on and on about Hans and his family, and eventually how Blue Mountain Foods, and Meats, became the strongest businesses for the butchering, and the purchasing of meats, fish and poultry.  Instead, I will refer you to an article, in the San Juan Record, Hans and Della Jensen – short in stature, tall in life, 04/28/2010, written by Bill Boyle, grandson of Hans Jensen, and owner of the San Juan Record.   Or, if you happen to have, or can get a copy of, Blue Mountain Shadows, Volume 31/Winter 2005; pages 41-44 have the story of Hans, his family and the development of, not just the business of butchering, but the City Meat Market/Mercantile, including photos.

 

So, how does all this historical rambling of mine lead into a recipe?  Alright, stay with me here…the original members that followed Brigham Young and John Smith came from the east coast.  On the east coast was another group, the Amish, who had come to the United States for religious freedom.  Culturally, it was not unusual for their recipes to have come from their old countries, and carried across the US with those heading to, first Illinois, and ending up in Utah.  Another business that needed to be established were granaries and flour mills, as bread goods were a serious staple for existence, and that meant goods such as noodles and pasta as well.

The recipe I am giving you is called “Pioneer Beef and Noodles”, brought to Utah by the pioneers, and influenced by the Amish.  The recipe is simplistic with the use of wide noodles, created with the flour purchased from the mill, and beef from the local butcher.  Another cultural influence came from the Scandinavians and Slavics, as adding sour cream to the mix, and safe wild mushrooms, would bring us to a simmering pot of Stroganoff.   

 

 

 

In my recipe, I use an Italian herbal mixture and tagliatelle pasta, but that’s creative license on my part, so wide noodles would be more authentic.  With the seasonings, the pioneers used either what they brought with them, or what the Native tribes taught them to be safe and flavorful.

 

 

 

Pioneer Beef and Noodle Skillet Dish

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef (93/7)

1 large onion, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups beef broth

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Italian herbal mix

8-12 oz. wide egg noodles, uncooked (or tagliatelle pasta for a more Italian twist)

1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

 

Preparation:

 

 

 

 

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef with onion and garlic over medium-high heat. Drain excess fat.

 

 

 

 

Stir in beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Bring to a boil.

 

 

 

Add uncooked egg noodles, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 12-15 minutes until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.

 

 

 

Option: Stir in sour cream for creaminess.  For a more “stroganoff” type texture, add one cup of sour cream.  To get even closer to stroganoff, add a cup of chopped mushrooms when browning the beef, onions and garlic.

 

Serves 4-6.

Mary Cokenour 

 

The Mysterious Tea Time.

A common complaint of book readers, when the movie version comes out is, “Hollywood’s butchered the book!”.  Being a huge fan of British detective/mystery novels, I can say, for certain, that their movie studios do the same blasphemy.  Take, for example, Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot, in which he directed “his vision” of the novels.  After watching each one, I reread the original novel and simply had to wonder, “What was he on when he adapted the novel into a movie, as it barely resembles each other, and the story and characters are whacked out!?”

Investing in a Fire TV Stick has enabled me to mainline channels devoted to Agatha Christie (Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence), G.K. Chesterton (Father Brown), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes), Margery Allingham (Albert Campion), and a slew of prolific writers of the British mystery novel.  This, of course, also offers me the opportunity to learn about authors I have not read before, and get the novels downloaded onto my Kindle, purchase soft/hard cover copies, or even borrow from the local library.  While the solution to one mystery might be at the end, there is a new beginning upon opening a new cover.

 

Which brings me to, “What do most of British novels have in common?”; well, tea time of course!  That daily ritual of civility in which freshly brewed pots of fragrant teas are served amidst a seriously delectable selection of sandwiches, cakes and pastries.  For the British, tea is the socially accepted norm, and any self-respecting household would serve tea, no matter the situation.  How often we have read or seen a Detective Inspector and his constable enter a home, to question or investigate, and immediately the kettle is put on to boil for a cuppa? 

Tea was not introduced to the British Isles until the 1650s, by Dutch traders who had returned, from China, with ships laden with the most mysterious of foreign goods.  While its initial use was medicinal, it was in the 18^th century that tea houses began to crop up.  By then, the Brits were obsessed with tea drinking, and tea houses became a lucrative business, especially as folks traveled, and required food to be served along with their tea. The favorite of the Brits is black tea with English Breakfast and Earl Grey being the most popular.

Ah yes, the tisane that Hercule Poirot drinks incessantly?  A tisane (pronounced tee-zahn) is a caffeine-free herbal infusion made by steeping herbs, flowers, spices, roots, or fruits in hot water. Unlike traditional teas (black, green, white, oolong), which come from the Camellia sinensis plant, tisanes use other plants, often for their aromatic, soothing, or medicinal properties.

Poor Miss Marple, visiting At Bertram’s Hotel after so many years gone by, and finding that the amazing hotel of her childhood was, well, not changed at all for the better.  Dining with Lady Selina Hazy was an experience of nonstop gossip, and complaints on the quality of cakes offered during tea.  “Is it real seed cake?”, she asks the waiter, who assures her it is, but she is highly doubtful nevertheless.

Seed cake, you ask? First appearing in cookbooks in the 17^th century, it is a type of loaf dessert, what we nowadays call a quick bread.  The main seed used is caraway, a dash of brandy to give it “class”, and while loaded with sugar and butter, it stills tends to be dry, and stick to the roof of the mouth.  It is mentioned in Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield, “Miss Lavinia and Miss Clarissa partook, in their way, of my joy. It was the pleasantest tea-table in the world. Miss Clarissa presided. I cut and handed the sweet seed-cake – the little sisters had a bird-like fondness for picking up seeds and pecking at sugar.”

Traditional British Seed Cake

(https://britishfoodhistory.com/2021/05/23/to-make-a-seed-cake/)

Ingredients:

175g butter, softened (3/4 cup)

175g caster sugar (1 cup minus 2 Tbsp.)

3 large eggs, beaten

3 tsp. caraway seeds

225g of plain flour, sifted (1 and 1/2 cups plus 1 Tbsp.)

1 tsp. baking powder

 pinch salt

1 Tbsp. ground almonds

1 Tbsp. milk

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter and line a 2-pound loaf tin with baking paper. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Sift together the flour and baking powder. Stir this in along with the salt, almonds, seeds and milk. Mix well to combine evenly. Scrape into the prepared baking tin.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until well risen, golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely in the tin. Store in an airtight container. Cut into slices to serve.

Makes one loaf.

Now, why hubby and I happen to enjoy watching the Father Brown series, surprise, surprise, Mrs. McCarthy’s “award winning strawberry scones” are no where to be found in G. K. Chesterton’s written novels.  Do not be put off by the lack of recipe information though; and try this recipe from Our Sunday Visitor.  While typically a strawberry scone, in Britain, is a plain triangular scone, topped with strawberry jam and clotted cream; the television series showed a more “American” version.  The “scone” is more the typical southern style biscuit with whipped cream and fresh, sliced strawberries.  Oh, but please try them with jam and clotted cream and you will not be disappointed in the least.

Mrs. McCarthy’s Award-Winning Strawberry Scones

(https://www.oursundayvisitor.com/tea-with-chesterton-the-mystery-of-father-browns-strawberry-scones/)

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

4 tsp. baking powder

3 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

6 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup milk (or 1/3 cup milk and 1/3 cup cream), plus 2 Tbsp. for brushing

1 large egg, fork-whisked

English clotted cream and strawberry jam (to serve)

1/2 pound of fresh strawberries, washed and sliced

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 425F, line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, sugar and salt, and whisk to combine.

Cut the butter into soft chunks and add to the dry ingredients, pinching in with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse sand.

Add the strawberries and stir slightly.

Make a well in the center of the dough, add the egg, milk and cream (or just milk) and fork-whisk to combine. 

Gently stir the wet ingredients through the dry, and then lightly crunch with your hands to bring everything together. The dough should be soft but not too sticky.

Lightly flour a workspace and roll the dough out to a 1-inch thickness.

Cut with a 3-inch round or fluted biscuit cutter.  

Brush the tops with milk, and bake 13-15 minutes until fluffy and turning golden on top.

Serve with clotted cream and strawberry jam (adding more freshly sliced strawberries doesn’t hurt).

Makes 8.

So, as Hercule Poirot would say, “Mon Ami, the screens you stare at, that stop all movement of the eyes, no..no..no.  Pick up the book, allow the eyes to move as they read the words, and feed the little grey cells.”

Mary Cokenour