Reminders From Bill Moran

I have so many things around here that remind me of Bill, Most are plants and recipes. As you know by now that Bill loved to cook, grow plants and Family. Me? I could never in my lifetime ask for a better friend. We shared so much, seeing that our interest were so alike. I would like for you to enjoy a plant that Bill sent me way back when. Each year I rejoice just seeing this beautiful Canna. The Burgundy leaves with the bright orange blooms are just awesome. My Friend lives on in the things he shared with me. Bill You are still Missed.

Bill's Canna:

Food From the past

My friend Bill Moran grew up in rural America. (boy was he lucky). So am I with friends like Bill and living the rural life.
 Bill talked about his mother quite often. I never met her, but listing to Bill she was one heck of a great cook. Now we know where Bill got his love for food and cooking. Fresh tomatoes are in season right now. So lets get cooking. Here is a recipe that is from Bill's Mom. I have made this recipe and believe me it is a good one. Hope you try it.

On the farm we had a big garden and so many tomatoes we fed them to the hogs as well as ourselves. I’m not sure Breaded Tomatoes is a good name, but that’s what we called them. They make a quick meal using day-old bread and we really love ‘em. This is a dish that begs for experimenting (Romano cheese, hot sauce, etc.). I found a recipe online which sounds the same but is called Scalloped Tomatoes. Bill Moran

Thelma’s Breaded Tomatoes


3 Tbs. stick margarine

½ tsp. salt

1-1/2 tsp. sugar

1 (28 oz.) can Roma tomatoes, cut up

½ cup chopped onion

3 slices day-old bread, cubed

Lots of coarse ground black pepper

Sauté onions in margarine until translucent. Add bread cubes and fry

until lightly browned tossing now and then. Combine tomatoes, sugar,

salt and pepper. Layer tomatoes and bread in greased 1-1/2 quart

casserole, beginning with tomatoes and ending with bread. Bake in oven

at 350° for 50 minutes. Servings: 4 hungry; 6 easy-eaters.

This is a depression recipe. Mom used fresh garden tomatoes or

tomatoes she had canned. First she used bacon drippings, and then

when margarine came along she used it. Experiment: Use olive oil for

margarine or mix. Use French bread (she used homemade light bread.

A touch of basil or oregano sounds good, too.

Its Supper Time !!

I was just going through one of Bill's cookbooks, You know, looking for something really good to eat. Whats better than beef? not much. Anyway here is one of his best dishes. He loved a good Chicken Fried Steak, Texas Style. He was always on the look out for the best. And he always said, had a CFS for lunch but wasn't as good as mine. So here is Bill's recipe.

Texas Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy

It is hard to get much more Texan than Chicken Fried Steak. Instead of

buying cube steaks, buy 4 small round steaks and have the meat man

run them through the meat tenderizer a couple times. Round steak has

more flavor than other steaks and the process of tenderizing flattens

them so they cook uniformly.

4 Tenderized Beef Round Steaks 1 Egg

1/4 C. Milk All-purpose Flour

Melted Shortening or Lard

1/4 Tsp. Paprika (optional) Salt and Pepper to Taste

My mother taught me to tenderize steaks by dusting with flour and then pounding

the daylights out of them with the edge of a heavy plate or saucer.

Beat together the egg and milk and set aside. Mix together the salt, black

pepper, and paprika and sprinkle on both sides of beef cutlets.

Dredge the steaks in the flour, shaking off the excess. Then dip each

steak in the egg/milk mixture, then back in the flour. I put the breaded

steaks on a platter and allow them to rest a while.

Heat the shortening in a large cast-iron over medium-high heat for a few

minutes. Fat should be about a half-inch deep in the pan. Be sure it is

hot. Check by dropping a bit of the breading in the fat and listen for the

sizzle.

Place the steaks in the hot fat making sure you give them plenty room.

Fry in batches if necessary. Fry steaks on both sides, turning once, until

golden brown. I put my completed steaks on a cookie sheet and into the

oven for about 10 minutes at 300°.

Serve with mashed potatoes and lots of cream gravy.

The Moran Chile

I call this the Moran Chile, Just because Bill like them so well. I grow some each year from seed he sent me years ago, another reason why I call them Moran Chiles. Anyway, where Bill lived they grew wild. But you could always find several plants growing in his yard. This Chile is also called the Texas Bird Pepper and sometimes referred to the Chile Pequin. Here is a photo of Bill's plants. I can never get mine to grow as good as his, but I do it anyway. They are hot as heck, but "Oh" so good.

Moran Chile Plant