It's cookin' thyme...with George Washington!

President's Day is upon us again, why not celebrate this year in an authentic way.
This delicious seafood stew was a favorite dish of George Washington’s.  He loved fish and ate it almost daily in one form or another. This recipe is a keeper that has lasted the test of time, and really is delicious!


Fish Muddle is a “make due,” dish, the ingredients varied depending on what was on hand so you can substitute the seafood for your favorites or for what's on sale! (6-8 servings)

For the Muddle you'll need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, thinly sliced and well washed, including about 4 inches of the green part
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tomatoes, diced
1 cup bottled clam juice
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
About 20 fresh mussels, scrubbed
About 20 littleneck clams, scrubbed
About 20 large shrimp peeled and deveined

About a pound of firm fleshed white fish, cut into cubes
1 pound of scallops

 To Make: Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over a medium high heat.  Add the leek, celery, onion and pepper and gently sauté until the vegetables are soft and just beginning to brown.  Add the wine and stir well. Add the tomatoes, clam juice and herbs, bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for  thirty minutes. Meanwhile, prepare all the seafood and fish. (Discard any mussels and clams that do not close when tapped).  Place them in a heavy skillet or sauce pan over a high heat and shaking the pan, cook until the shells open.  Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Strain the liquid remaining in the pan through a coffee filter, (in colonial times - they had to do it through cloth)  add it to the muddle. 

To Assemble:

1 cup mayonaise
2 cloves of  finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh tarragon

Toasted French Bread Slices

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Blend the minced garlic and tarragon with the mayonnaise and set aside.  Add the shrimp, scallops and fish to the muddle, bring to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat and stir in the parsley.  Cover with lid and leave for about five minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Ladle into bowls, arrange the mussels and clams on top of each serving.  Spread the seasoned mayonnaise on the toasted french bread slices and serve with the muddle.

Now onto Dessert!

"Eat ice cream whenever you can". George loved ice cream so much that he had installed two "ice-boxes" at his Mount Vernon home so that the Washington's and their guests could eat ice cream often. Ice cream was a real luxury at the time, and this was considered extravagant behavior.

 Cherry-Vanilla Ice Cream Pie (a Kraft Recipe)

(prep time 20 min total time 4 hr 20 min/ makes 10 servings)

What You'll Need:

18 OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)

3 Tbsp.  butter or margarine, melted

3 cups vanilla ice cream, softened

1 can  (21 oz.) cherry pie filling, divided

1 Tbsp. chocolate syrup  

Make It: Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate sprayed with cooking spray. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Mix ice cream and 1-1/2 cups pie filling; spoon into crust. Freeze 4 hours or until firm.

Drizzle chocolate syrup over pie. Serve topped with remaining cherry pie filling. 

Although, George Washington loved cherries he did not really cut down a cherry tree,  but

you might in order to make this: 

EASY CHERRY CRISP! (can be made with any fruit filling, serves 4)

You'll Need:

1 box yellow cake mix      1 can cherry pie filling       1 stick of butter
 Instructions
Preheat oven to 350
Pour 1/4 box of yellow cake mix into bottom of greased 8X8 pie pan. (Do NOT make the cake batter - pour the cake mix in DRY.) Pour the entire can of cherry pie filling on top of the dry mix. Pour the remaining 3/4 box of cake mix on top of the cherry pie filling. Cut one stick of butter into pats. Place the pats over the top of the dry cake mix in a checkerboard pattern. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy! 


 Check Back for more Recipes next week...........