Easter is just around the corner, and with it comes a whole host of traditions. But where do these traditions come from and why do we celebrate Easter with a ham or lamb dinner, decorated eggs, and chocolate bunnies? Let’s begin with a closer look at the main course of a traditional Easter dinner.

In the Jewish tradition, lamb is served during Passover. The Last Supper was Jesus’s final meal with the twelve apostles, and it was held on Passover night. Any meat that Jesus ate at the Last Supper would have been lamb, and so it became traditional for Christians in Europe to eat it at Easter in honor of this. Furthermore, Jesus himself is often referred to as the Lamb of God.

The use of ham at Easter comes from Northern Europe and North America, where lamb has never been an important meat. In the harsh winters of the North, ham was extremely important as a food source because it could be smoked and salted and would keep throughout the winter. In the spring, this preserved pork would be ready to eat at a time when no other fresh meat was available.

Stay tuned for the second part of this series, in which we discuss the symbolism of eggs in the Easter tradition. In the meantime, please enjoy this sample recipe from Karen Hood’s fabulous cookbook Easter Delights. With more than 250 delicious recipes, Easter Delights will make planning for this holiday easy and fun!

Raspberry and Rosemary Grilled Lamb Chops

Raspberry-flavored vinegar and minced rosemary
add excellent flavor to these chops.

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. raspberry vinegar
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. fresh rosemary, minced (or ½ tsp. dried)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
8 lamb loin chops

Directions:

1. In large, shallow dish whisk together vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, rosemary, oil, and garlic; add lamb chops in single layer, turning to coat well.
2. Cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours, turning occasionally.
3. Discard marinade; place chops on greased grill over medium-high heat, and cook about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare or to desired doneness.
4. Transfer to platter; tent with foil, and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

© Karen Jean Matsko Hood 2011

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Most of us have heard about kissing the Blarney Stone, but how many of us know what it really is?  The Blarney Stone (Irish: Cloch na Blarnan) is a block of bluestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle, Blarney, about 5 miles from Cork, Ireland. According to legend, kissing the stone endows the kisser with the gift of gab (great eloquence or skill at flattery). The stone was set into a tower of the castle in 1446. The castle is a popular tourist site in Ireland, attracting visitors from all over the world to kiss the stone and tour the castle and its gardens.

The word blarney has come to mean "clever, flattering, or coaxing talk."  The following recipe for bar cookies is not blarney – they're just plain good!

Blarney Stones with Irish Butter Cream Frosting

My mother used to make these for me when I was a child. These delicious bar cookies are just the right touch for an afternoon tea or an after-school snack.  They also go well in the lunch box.

Ingredients for cookies:

4    eggs, separated

1    c. sugar

1    tsp. vanilla extract

1    c. cake flour, sifted

¾   tsp. baking powder

1½ tsp. salt

½   c. boiling water

Ingredients for frosting:

1    c. powdered sugar

½   c. butter, softened

¾   tsp. vanilla extract

4    drops green food coloring

1    Tbs. water

      coconut

      chopped nuts

      chopped fruit

Directions for cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Beat egg yolks until lemon colored.
3. Add sugar and vanilla gradually; beat until creamy.
4. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Add alternately with boiling water.
6. Beat egg whites until stiff, then fold into batter.
7. Spoon batter into greased 12 x 9-inch pan.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes or until firm to touch.
9. Remove from oven and cut into squares.

Directions for frosting:

1. Blend powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and food coloring.
2. Add just enough water to make frosting easy to spread.
3. Frost bars, then sprinkle with coconut, chopped nuts, or chopped fruit.

Find this recipe and more in St. Patrick's Day Delights Cookbook, available at Karen's Bookstore.

Fruit leather is a treat that kids love!  It is a healthy substitute for candy. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that dried fruit is like eating sticky candy. It stays on the teeth longer than fresh fruit, releasing sugar into the saliva for a greater period of time, which promotes tooth decay. Make sure you limit the amount of time in which your or your children’s teeth are exposed to sugar without being cleaned.

Drying fruit has been done for centuries. It is an easy way to preserve fruit. We generally think of dried fruit as such things as raisins, prunes, apple slices or apricot halves, but that isn’t the only way to preserve fruit. Pureeing fruit to make leather is an easy way to use up excess fruit before it goes bad. It is also easier than drying fruit pieces, because the puree is a more consistent thickness so that it all dries at the same rate.

Following are three fruit leather recipes you can use to preserve fruit for later use as tasty snacks.

Kiwi Fruit Leather

From St. Patrick’s Day Delights Cookbook

This is a great way for preserving kiwis when you are able to catch a great sale and they do not look like they will get used or eaten fast enough.

Ingredients:

10 kiwifruit, peeled

2   Tbs. white grape juice concentrate

¼  c. sugar

2   Tbs. lemon juice

green food coloring (optional)

Directions:

1. Purée ingredients completely in blender, making sure seeds are pulverized.
2. Spread purée in trays; dry until leathered.
3. Wrap in wax paper and store in airtight jar.

Blueberry Applesauce Fruit Leather  

From Easter Delights Cookbook

This is excellent fruit leather, and it makes a great Easter basket filler.  This makes a tart fruit leather, so if you like it sweeter, add more honey.

Ingredients:

1  c. blueberry purée

1  c. unsweetened applesauce

1  Tbs. honey

Directions:

1. In blender or food processor, combine blueberries and applesauce.
2. Process until smooth.
3. Pour mixture through strainer or sieve to remove skin and seeds.
4. Stir in honey.
5. Place mixture in 10-inch skillet.
6. While stirring frequently, cook over very low heat for 1 hour until thickened.
7. Preheat oven to 150 degrees F.
8. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
9. Pour thickened mixture onto parchment paper, and spread to form rectangle.
10. Bake 5½ to 6 hours, until fruit sheet is dry enough not to stick to your fingers but moist enough to roll; remove from oven and cool.
11. Placing a potholder in oven door to keep it ajar will help dry the leather by allowing moisture to escape.
12. Once cooked, leather should be rolled in plastic wrap or stored in airtight container to keep.

Raspberry Fruit Leather

From Easter Delights Cookbook

Try homemade raspberry fruit leather for a great snack or lunch treat.  You will not want store-bought leather after tasting these.

Ingredients:

2  c. raspberry purée

2  Tbs. honey (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix purée and honey together if using honey.
2. Line cookie sheet or tray with wax paper.
3. Evenly spread purée ¼ inch deep.
4. Place in sun, oven, or dehydrator to dry.  (It takes 4 to 10 hours.)
5. Leather is ready when edges are not sticky to the touch.
6. Pull from wax paper while still warm, and roll in plastic wrap.
7. Can be stored for 30 days at room temperature or for months in the refrigerator.

St. Patrick’s Day Delights Cookbook and Easter Delights Cookbook are coming soon! Find more preserving recipes in Karen Jean Matsko Hood’s Cookbook Delights series of cookbooks. These may be purchased online from Karen’s Bookstore.

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