The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree (Berkley Prime Crime)

all the bits of food left from the day’s dinner. By supper time, you’ll have a thick, rich soup. Add some of those saved bread crumbs to thicken it up some more. (Verna Tidwell)

The Dahlias’ Favorite Recipe

Verna Tidwell’s Molasses Cookies
    Morasses is a by-product of the sugarcane refining process. The cane is crushed to remove the juice, which is then boiled and the sugar. crystals extracted, The syrup become molasses. Its flavor and color depends on whether it is extracted early or late in the process. Until the 1880s, it was the most popular sweetener in the United States, because it was cheaper than refined sugar. Now it its more expensive.

    ¾ cup butter or lard, melted
1⅓ cup white sugar, divided
1 egg
¼ cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
    In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, 1 cup sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg; blend into the molasses mixture. Cover, and chill dough for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, and roll them in the remaining white sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until tops are cracked. Cool on wire racks.

Euphoria’s peanut Butter Meringue Pie
    The peanut (not a nut, but a legume) came to America from Africa, via the Caribbean, It became an important crop in the South after the boll weevils devastated the cotton fields. Peanut butter was a locally produced food until the 1920s, when it began to appear on grocery stole shelves.
    CRUST
    ½ cup peanut butter (modern cooks may use crunchy)
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 9-inch pie shell, baked
    FILLING
    ⅔ cup brown sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups milk, scalded
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
    MERINGUE
    3 eggwhites
3 tablespoons sugar
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
    Combine peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar, blending well. Spread all but 3 tablespoons over the bottom of the baked pie shell.
    In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Slowly stir in scalded milk. Cook over medium heat until smooth, stirring constantly. Stir about ⅓ of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Add this mixture back to the pan, along with the butter or margarine. Continue cooking and stirring until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour into prepared peanut butter crust.
    Preheat oven to 300°F. Beat egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar until stiff but not dry. Spread over filling. Place in oven until meringue is lightly browned. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Refrigerate the leftovers.

Beulah’s Tomato and Eggplant Pie
    The eggplant (a member of the nightshade family, related to the tomato and the potato) was grown in Virginia as early as 1737 . The Virginia House-wife (1824), by Mrs. Randolph, included a recipe for fried eggplant, A warm-weather plant, it became a favorite in the South, perhaps Because of its use in Creole and Cajun cookery,

    Salt
    1 small eggplant, peeled and sliced thin
1 large tomato, sliced ¼-inch thick
½ large onion, sliced thin
Melted butter (modern cooks may wish to use olive oil spray)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried summer savory
    Pepper
    Crust for a 9-inch pie, unbaked
¼ cup grated yellow cheese
3 eggs, beaten
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
    Generously sprinkle salt over both sides of the eggplant slices. Place in a colander for 15 minutes to drain the bitter juices. Rinse and pat dry. Brush both sides of the eggplant, tomato, and onion slices with melted butter (or spray with olive oil). Arrange eggplant on a cookie sheet, leaving space for the tomatoes and onions. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and add the tomatoes and onions. Sprinkle with herbs and pepper and return to the oven until lightly browned. Remove and cool slightly. Layer the eggplant slices on the crust. Cover with grated cheese, reserving a few tablespoons, and the tomato and onion slices. Mix the eggs, milk, and mustard and pour over the slices. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350°F until the egg/milk mixture is