Mrs. Arabella Huntington’s Summertime Southern Feast

by Nancy Armitage

There are so many Southern foods listed in the Huntington Mansions(s) grocery lists & invoices. I would like to investigate what Mrs. Arabella Huntington might serve at her many Southern Style parties and teas. What the Huntington’s grew in their large vegetable & herb gardens & hot houses at the ranch, gives us clues. They all pointed to a delicious Southern Summer feast. The Huntingtons could have hosted a 4th of July celebration, a Huntington Automobile Picnic. Or a Southern Fish Fry, or a Huntington seaside Clam Bake or Lobster Feast at (Throgg’s Neck) or “Sundays at the Ranch” BBQ dinner (San Marino Ranch, CA).

In the summertime of 1880’s, Arabella or “Belle” was in New York City or Throggs Neck mansion and/or Texas visiting with her family. In the 1884 -1890’s in the summertime, the Collis P. Huntingtons (with Arabella & young Archer) they were in NY. With the summer heat of NYC, the Huntingtons were located by the shore in their Throgg’s Neck mansion in Westchester Co. NY.

Southern Sweet Tea

3 family-sized Lipton tea bags or Luizanne Tea (a Southern tradition, made in New Orleans, which is made of Orange Pekoe tea & cut black teas)

1 qt. boiling water

1/2 c.to 1 c. sugar (or Splenda, if you are watching your figure)

Tea:

Add 1 qt. cold water

Take a empty 1-gallon pickle jar, add sugar to the jar. Add tea bags to jar. Pour boiling water over tea bags. If you want a pinch of baking soda, removes bitterness of tea. Let brew 10-15 minutes. Cool, add additional cold water & place in refrigerator.

To make the tea: Use tall ice tea glasses with long iced tea spoons. Add lots of ice to glass, & pour in cold sweet iced tea. Add a slice of orange (in honor of Mr. Huntington’s oranges at the SMR) or (lemon on the east coast). Garnish with a sprig of spearmint leaves.

August was a time for the C. P. Huntington (Arabella) Family to be traveling north for cooler weather. They would take a couple of boat rides & train rides to get to their “Great Huntington Camp”. It was called at “Camp Pine Knot”, it was 341 acres of lake & mountain land. It was on Raquette Lake in the Adirondack Mts. in upper state New York. Mrs. Arabella Huntington could have hosted a Lake fish fry (trout & lake bass) or a Southern lake picnic on a boat or on a small island on the Raquette Lake.

Huntington Southern Summertime foods:

Appetizers: Roquefort Butter on warm Sourdough Bread (Savannah), Roquefort Cheese Puff or Blue Cheese Gougeres, Oysters New Orleans style – broiled with Parmesan Cheese, Baked Clams Casino (with baked clams, bread crumbs, bell pepper, onions, bacon, & squeeze of lemon juice), Artichoke Fritters or Zucchini Coins with Dipping Sauce, Virginia Peanuts (Large & crunchy peanuts) in small bowls, Summer Tomato Pie, Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce

Libations: Champagne Punch, Kentucky Mint Julep, Bourbon Lemonade Slush (Bourbon, Sweet Tea, frozen lemonade, oj, with orange or lemon slices), “Huntington Special Cocktail” (gin, maraschino cherry juice or grenadine syrup, & lemon juice)

Beverages: Southern Sarsaparilla, Homemade Rootbeer (SMR), Fizzy Lemonade with a slice of lemon or lime, Strawberry or Raspberry or Violet Lemonade, Ranch Hibiscus Lemonade, Orangeade

Summer Soups: New Orleans style Gumbo, Cold Cucumber Soup (Vichyssoise), Spanish Seafood Paella, Cold Spanish Gazpacho (Red), Throgg’s Neck Red Chowder, New England Clam Chowder, Parisian Mushroom Soup

Summer Salads: Potato Salad with Dill or French Tarragon , Cole slaw with Dill, Ambrosia Salad, Victorian Chicken Salad with Capers, Egg Salad or Deviled Eggs, French Nicoise Salad*, Fresh Exotic Fruit salad (Mango, Papaya & Shrimp)

Condiments : “Dixie Relish” by Belle Huntington in our Friendship Cookbook, Dill Pickles, Pickled Okra, French Dijon mustard, Southern Chow-Chow

Entrees: Southern Fried Chicken, Baked Chicken with Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing, Turkey with gravy & all the fixings like Buttermilk Biscuits, BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Rancho style BBQ Pork/ Beef/Chicken, Fish Fry, Fried Catfish, Lobster Feast, Clambake, Boiled Clams & Mussels, California Rancho buried BBQ – a feast of Pork, Beef Ribs and Chicken Marinated

Sides: Southern Cheese Grits, Fried Green Tomatoes with Spicy Fried okra with spicy Remoulade sauce, or French Garlic Aioli, Mashed Potatoes & Giblet Gravy, French Green Beans with onions, toasted slivered almonds, & crispy bacon, Mrs. Huntington’s Scalloped Potatoes with Lemony Hollandaise Sauce, Spinach & Virginia Ham, Southern Collard Greens with Bacon or Virginia Ham,

Bread: Buttermilk Biscuits, Parkerhouse Rolls, Victorian Cheese-Cayenne Sticks

Vegetables: Southern Okra & Tomatoes, Fried Green Tomatoes & Gravy, Sweet Corn on the Cob with Spicy Herb Butter, Summer Succotash, Fried Okra with spicy Remoulade Sauce,

Desserts: New York Cheesecake bites, Huntington Mansion Honey Spice Bars (between a chocolate brownie & a chocolate truffle) on SMR,

Tarts: Southern Pecan Tassies or Petit Pecan tarts, Lemon Curd Tarts, Key Lime Tart, French Fruit Tarts, Apricot Tarts, Orange Marmalade Tarts

Cakes & Teacakes: Gingerbread Cake with Homemade Vanilla ice cream (SMR), Key Lime Bundt cake with Lime drizzle, Hummingbird Cake (Savannah), Orange Zest Pound Cake with Orange Royal Icing, Irish Trifle with Summertime fruits, Lemon Tea Cake with Royal Icing,

Cookies: Ginger Cookies, Oatmeal Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies, Chocolate chip cookies, Chocolate Cookies

Pudding: Royal Pudding, Charlotte Russe Pudding, Irish Trifle with peaches & cream

Ice Cream Desserts: Peach Ice Cream, Homemade Rootbeer (SMR), Rootbeer Floats (made with Rootbeer & Vanilla Ice Cream)Scones: Cream Scones, Buttermilk Biscuits

Tartettes: Pecan Petit Tarts, Lemon curd Tartlettes, or Orange Curd Tartlettes (SMR)

Candies: Southern Bourbon Balls or Whiskey Balls, Bonbons (minted chocolate), Chocolate-covered peanut ball),

Southern Potato Salad with French Tarragon & Dill

4-5 Yukon potatos or red potatoes or Russet potatoes remove skin, – cook in water 20-25 mins, boiled until tender(a fork goes through easily) then add Italian dressing & marinate in refrigerate overnight.

Next day add:

1/2 C. mayonnaise

1/2 C. buttermilk

2 T. French Dijon mustard

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

2 t. fresh dill week

3 ribs of celery, minced

1 yellow onion, minced (my husband used red onion)

mixed peppercorns or white pepper

French tarragon, minced

Cut potatoes & cube them up. Boil potatoes until tender. Drizzle Italian dressing & place in refrigerator overnight. Next day, add all ingredients, stirring well to mix together. Refrigerate until ice cold & serve with Fried Chicken & Biscuits & Gravy. Recipe: Nancy Armitage

Summer Fruit Pies: Myrtle Berry Pie or Tart (with Blackberry, Raspberry, & Blueberries with Cinnamon & Pie Crust), Apple Pie, Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Crust (Savannah), Southern Peach Pie, Lemon Curd Tarts, Apple Pie or Cobbler, Peach Pie, Kentucky Derby Pie, Sweet Potato Pie, Mincemeat Pies, Cherry Pie, Myrtle berry Pie (with Boysenberry, Raspberry, Loganberry, & Blue Berries & Cinnamon)

Cookies or English Biscuits: Orange Shortbread Cookies (SMR) and Orange Icing, Chocolate Chip Toll House Cookies (1920’s), French Butter Thins, Irish Shortbread decorated with Royal Icing, Gingerbread Cookies, Chocolate Cookies, Huntington Mansion Spiced Honey Bars (between a brownie & a chocolate truffle)

Southern Summertime Tea Party – Arabella- Style Menu : It depends on the location of the Huntington’s what they might have had for a tea party.

Tea & Cool Beverages: Southern Sweet Tea *, Orange Pekoe Tea, Cold Hibiscus-Mint Tea (SMR), Lavender Lemonade or Strawberry Lemonade, Violet Lemonade (TN), Mrs. Leslie Huntington Minted Lemonade (SMR)

Libations: Kentucky Mint Julep, Huntington Special cocktail with cherry juice & gin

Tea Sandwiches: Pimento Cheese Tea Sandwiches, Virginia Ham Sandwich with Dijon Mustard on Buttermilk Biscuits, Tomato & Mayonnaise Tea Sandwiches (Alabama), Spicy Nasturtium Tea Sandwiches (CPK), Round Tuna Salad Sandwiches rolled with Baby Chives, Egg salad sandwiches,

Southern Spicy Pimento Cheese Recipe

A very Southern tea tradition is Pimento cheese tea sandwiches. This is a great blended cheese to make petit tea sandwiches or spread it on a Victorian water cracker for a canape. Mrs. Arabella Huntington in her many mansions always bought large crocks of McClaren’s Cheese (one was sharp creamy cheddar cheese & the other was Roquefort cheese). To make pimento cheese she could have started with the McClaren’s cheddar cheese, & added to it. Always place tea sandwiches (frilly toothpick inserted) or canapes on a doily-lined silver tray. cover with saran wrap to keep them from drying out. Mrs. Arabella Huntington would have used her Gorham silver trays. Garnish with minced chives & serve with cocktail napkins.

4 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

8 oz. cream cheese, whipped

1/2 c. mayonnaise

onion or garlic powder or minced garlic

4 oz. pimentos, chopped (from a jar, drained)

celery seed

salt & pepper

1/2 t. cayenne pepper

1 t. Ortego green chilis (from can)

In a bowl, mix all ingredients except for the bread. Spread cheese mix on bread slices to make tea sandwiches, cut off crusts of bread. Also, you can spread spicy pimento cheese on crackers to make a quick canape, top with slice green onion or red pickled pimento. Recipe by Nancy Armitage

Pulled Pork in a Crockpot (For Sandwiches)

The great thing about pulled pork is you can do so many things with it. You could make tacos, or a pulled pork sandwiches on a toasted French Roll with BBQ sauce & sautéed onions. You could serve them with coleslaw, macaroni & cheese, or baked beans.

1 large crockpot or Dutch oven

5 lb. Pork Butt or Pork roast

2 qt. water with chicken bouillon cubes and/or a can of beer or Irish Guinness

10 cloves garlic, minced

1 can Ortego Green Chiles (or salsa)

Salt & Mixed Peppercorns

6 Small French rolls, toasted

1 clove garlic cut in half (rub on toasted French roll)

Place pork butt in crockpot with water chicken bouillon cubes & garlic. Cook for 5-6 hours until the pork is fall-apart stage. Add green chiles or salsa & salt & pepper. For a great sandwich: place pulled pork on toasted French rolls scratched with a garlic clove, add cheese.

I have also used this pulled pork recipe for a great appetizer of 7- layer dip: refried beans, cheese, chopped tomatoes, pulled pork, spoonfuls salsa or pico de gallo, shredded cheddar cheese & black olives sliced. Bake until the cheese melts & serve with fritos corn chips.

Southern Pecan Tassies (or Macadamia nuts tarts)

Cream cheese tart pastry:

1 3 oz. cream cheese

1 stick butter

1 c. flour

Pecan or Macadamia nut filling:

1 large Ranch egg

1 c. brown sugar

1 T. butter

1 t. vanilla extract

pinch salt

1 c. pecans or macadamia nuts, chop

In a small bowl, add pastry ingredients & whisk together. Chill for several hours. For tarts, buy a small tart pan 1 1/2 or 2 ” wide with 12 holes. made 36 1″ balls and using a wooden “proofer” press (gourmet stores) the dough into each section of tart pan. Fill dough with pecan or macadamia nut mixture. Add a whole nut to top. Bake 325 F degrees for 25 mins. Cool & remove from tart pan. Place on a doily-lined cake plate for a lovely tea party dessert. These tarts are really delicious!! Recipe by Nancy Armitage. Make 3 dozen tarts.