The farm where I grew up included two large vegetable gardens, two strawberry patches, blackberries, asparagus, rhubarb, and an orchard full of fruit trees. From spring to fall my mother canned anything that was in season. Harvest time was also fun. That is when the neighbors came to help with the harvesting and the cooking. The best part was lunch time. Not the big noon meal, but mid-afternoon lunch, with sandwiches, cookies, and lemonade – real lemonade fresh squeezed!
Also in early fall, we butchered our own pork and beef. If I hurried home from school, I could turn the sausage grinder and smell the delicious aroma wafting from the pork chops Mom and Aunt Mary fried. They put the pork chops in large crocks and covered them with melted lard. The chop crocks were stored in the basement for the cold winter months.
Food plays an important role in family and community life. When I came to the Dominican community, I was a music teacher, and I quickly learned that one of the duties of the music teacher was to prepare the main meal for the rest of the sisters. For many years I combined my two loves: music and cooking. I always thought I would like to run a restaurant. That dream was fulfilled when I became Food Director of the Motherhouse, a position I held for eight years. Now I’m back to the cooking and music combo, serving in the liturgy office at the motherhouse and helping out as needed with food preparation at Jubilee Farm.
Back to Sr. Karla's Cookbook
