Dust Bowl Era Foods

lkapigian

I was contacted by a Historical Museum where I live to cook for an event and gladly accepted and said I would donate...No problem ther, they contact me with the desired menu of Okie Beans with Cornbread and Biscuits and Gravy

I met with them today to go over the venue and asked how they came up with what I thought was an "Odd Menu" It is a Literary Celebration for a Poet Laureate that migrated during the Dust Bowl from Oklahoma to Tulare, and they want foods from that Era

Of course I said, no problem I got this........now I have to research Dust Bowl Foods , and I thought I would do that right here on the forum 

Looking for any input on what Authentic Okie Beans and Okie Gravy would be greatly appreciated, I would imagine at it's very best they are of the most basic ingredients and I would not want to offend anyone by "fixing it up"

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance 

PS: it's only for 200 people 

DoubleEgger

Incorporating some Beano into the recipe will probably be well received. 

nolaegghead

creamed chipped beef or creamed chicken gravy on toast, biscuits or waffles

nolaegghead

Get a flour sack apron.  "The poors" used to make clothes out of feed, seed and flour sacks.

Gulfcoastguy

nolaegghead said:

Get a flour sack apron.  "The poors" used to make clothes out of feed, seed and flour sacks.

Yep, my mom said that the women used to trade the sacks . They would try to get enough of the same pattern sacks so they could make a dress, quilt etc

Eggcelsior

Whatever you do, call it a Tom Joad cookout 

lkapigian

nolaegghead said:

creamed chipped beef or creamed chicken gravy on toast, biscuits or waffles

Sounds interesting , will look that up 

nolaegghead

Hot dogs were cheap too.  Maybe a hot dog soup.  Or hot dogs and gravy.

nolaegghead

Big depression era food in New Orleans was the french fry po'boy.  French bread with fries, beef gravy, dressed with mayo, lettuce, tomato and pickles.

It's always the cheapest po'boy you can buy around here.  The second cheapest is the hot sausage.  Hot sausage is sold uncased in bins or in patties.  It's about 40% fat and hot AF.

SciAggie

When I was a kid the only dish towels we had were from flour sacks. They actually were amazing for drying dishes. I still have a couple that I saved. 

Gulfcoastguy

Along the Mississippi coast almost anyone could go and cast net mullet or spear flounder. 

My folks lived on small farms inland. Both sides essentially lived off of the corn, vegetables, fruit, chickens, pigs, and milk from one or two cows. One grand mother would pressure cook in brown gravy just about anything that the boys shot. Both could stretch one chicken out to feed  7 or 8 people. 

nolaegghead

Gulfcoastguy said:

Along the Mississippi coast almost anyone could go and cast net mullet or spear flounder. 

My folks lived on small farms inland. Both sides essentially lived off of the corn, vegetables, fruit, chickens, pigs, and milk from one or two cows. One grand mother would pressure cook in brown gravy just about anything that the boys shot. Both could stretch one chicken out to feed  7 or 8 people. 

People didn't waste food back then when times were tight.  And fat is energy.  We mostly throw it away now when cooking.

Botch

nolaegghead said:

Big depression era food in New Orleans was the french fry po'boy.  French bread with fries, beef gravy, dressed with mayo, lettuce, tomato and pickles.

It's always the cheapest po'boy you can buy around here.  

Didn't one of the fast food giants just release a french fry burger?  Thought I saw that somewhere.  

thetrim

Try to finish any dish with this.  I heard whiskey barrel aged soy sauce had it's renaissance right as the great depression hit.

SmokeyLopey

Here is a site I found on the subject, https://www.tulsaworld.com/archive/oklahoma-depression--era-food/article_873d6c94-6362-5e94-aaa2-c90ea40e40d9.html

lkapigian

Thanks @SmokeyLopey

littlerascal56

My parents always talked about “rabbit roundups” during the dust bowl days.  People would circle herds of jackrabbits, then close in and club them to death.  We ate a lot of rabbit when I grew up, as they were plentiful.

thetrim

Here is an interesting article, but, I have to admit that all of these sound pretty nasty..

https://soyummy.com/great-depression-food/

lkapigian

thetrim said:

Here is an interesting article, but, I have to admit that all of these sound pretty nasty..

https://soyummy.com/great-depression-food/

@nolaegghead mentioned the chipped beef, I may add that to the list 

dbCooper

nolaegghead said:

creamed chipped beef or creamed chicken gravy on toast, biscuits or waffles

+1 on this.  I ate it regularly at my grandparents when a youngster, on toast.  In this area it was (still is) called SOS..... "Sh** On a Shingle".  Very tasty dish.