Every great recipe has a story behind it. Right? And generally the more colorful the story, the better the dish. Here's mine:

In the mid '70's, my family went camping at a campgrounds near Chincoteague in Virginia. As we drove in, at supper time, there was a wonderful, spicey smell. At the center of the area, amongst the tents, was a large, low campfire with two large metal trash cans on the coals. Frequently, one of the campers would come over, lift a lid and stir what was inside. That's where the great food smell was coming from. This was Nooney and he is forever remembered in the name of the dish.

Of course, the metal cans had been new and clean and the quantities of cabbage were for the entire campground. I scaled down the recipe for about enough for a family of six. It can easily be doubled or tripled for covered dish suppers where it is always in demand.

Nooney's Cabbage

Ingredients:
Bacon
Cabbage
Vinegar
Tomato paste
Hot peppers

In a large pot or Dutch oven, fry 3 strips of bacon until crisp. Remove and crumble for later. Add a coarsely chopped large head of cabbage and stir. Add a can of tomato paste and sprinkle with 2 tsp of white vinegar. Add about a tbsp. of dried hot peppers or fresh if you have them. The dried red pepper flakes are colorful.

Cover and cook gently for about an hour stirring often. When the cabbage is tender, add the crumbled bacon. This can also be made in a crock pot or baked if you're using your oven for something else although it tastes different.

Enjoy. Mary Robbins

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Marion Erichsen got this recipe from an Amish Cook column in her local paper in Kansas. She says it is really good but rich. She says, if you don't like it so rich then cut back on the amount of chocolate chips.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Brownies

1 cup butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup flour
2 cups oatmeal
2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups chocolate chips

Beat butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs till fluffy. Blend in remaining ingredients, saving about 1/2 cup of the chips. Spread in a 9x13 inch pan and sprinkle the remaining chips on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cut into squares when cool.

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Another one from Marion is from her days of running a Girl Scout camp. They fixed something called The Thing and something called Pocket Stew that was popular with the girls.

The "Thing"

"We would split the hotdog, slice longhorn or cheddar cheese about an inch wide and 1/8' thick, put a couple of these in the slit, close, wrap a slice of bacon spiral down the dog and roast over the fire. Some of the cheese would melt and run out but you just keep turning it on the stick over the hot fire. When done, wrap a bun around the dog and pull it off the stick and eat. (The bacon usually gets a little black but at least it isn't raw)."

Pocket Stew

Put hambuger, sliced or diced potatoes and onion in foil and cook in a fire. Start checking to see if it is done after 15 or 20 minutes. Season to taste.

Fresh Pea Salad

Shredded lettuce
Sliced cucumbers
Chopped green onions
Chopped red and green sweet peppers
Cherry tomatoes
Fresh peas

Toss all together with your favorite Slaw Dressing. "Simply" delicious.

Take a half cup of each: water, vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil till the sugar is dissolved, add dried or fresh mint to taste and add your fresh spring peas. Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best!

From a woman at the Hart County market comes a good idea for the Mouse Melons, a miniature cucumber that is really cute. It is a Gazpacho Salad recipe using the little melons, more appropriately called Mexican Sour Gherkins:

Mouse Melon Gazpacho Salad

6 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed, diced
6 tablespoons red onion, diced
1 cup corn
3/4 cup mouse melons, sliced lengthwise
3/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
Parsley, chopped
Minced garlic
pinch salt and pepper
Juice of one lime
4 Tbsp honey

Combine ingredients in a bowl and allow to sit for 1 hour before serving. Great with grilled chicken or fish.

A man at the market says his favorite way of fixing any summer squash is to cut it up and cook on the grill. When it is about done he drizzles or brushes it with honey and it carmelizes as it finishes cooking.

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