Ground Hog Day
- Farrier1987
- Stringy Old Chicken
- Posts: 1537
- Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2016 5:46 pm
- Location: Chatham-Kent
- x 3533
Ground Hog Day
Well, here it is Ground Hog Day! I remember the celebrations and anticipation from when I was a kid!
I don't think its done everywhere, but that was the day for a big family get together, and my mother would cook a huge meal, and everyone ate too much and sat around and groaned. Uncle Dewlap would have a little too much to drink. Us kids would rip and tear, oh, it was a wonderful time.
On that day, mom would make something out of ground pork. That's why its called Ground Hog Day. It is a custom brought over from the Grindova area of the Baltics. In later years, it sort of died out, and most people have forgotten that that's the true reason for the day. They added the nonsense of a rodent seeing its shadow later, and now that's all anyone knows.
I got Mom to write out one of our favorite recipes from when I was a kid. This is a modernized version, with can of mushroom soup. Its relatively quick and easy, and I am sharing it here if anyone wants to try it, for an old fashioned Ground Hog Day meal.
Bon Apetit!
GROUND HOG CASSEROLE
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms (canned or fresh)
1 cup celery (thinly sliced)
1 carrot (shredded)
1⁄2 cup green pepper (finely diced)
1 cup Minute Rice (not cooked)
2 (8 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup (no water)
1⁄4 cup milk
1 lb ground pork
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°C.
Sauté onion, mushrooms and celery in butter over med high heat.
Add green pepper and shredded carrot and cook until slightly softened.
In casserole dish mix cans of soup, milk and rice.
Add ground pork to sauté pan and brown.
Once pork is cooked through add pork/onion/celery/carrot mixture to soup/rice mixture in casserole dish.
Cook for 1 hour in oven at 375°C.
I don't think its done everywhere, but that was the day for a big family get together, and my mother would cook a huge meal, and everyone ate too much and sat around and groaned. Uncle Dewlap would have a little too much to drink. Us kids would rip and tear, oh, it was a wonderful time.
On that day, mom would make something out of ground pork. That's why its called Ground Hog Day. It is a custom brought over from the Grindova area of the Baltics. In later years, it sort of died out, and most people have forgotten that that's the true reason for the day. They added the nonsense of a rodent seeing its shadow later, and now that's all anyone knows.
I got Mom to write out one of our favorite recipes from when I was a kid. This is a modernized version, with can of mushroom soup. Its relatively quick and easy, and I am sharing it here if anyone wants to try it, for an old fashioned Ground Hog Day meal.
Bon Apetit!
GROUND HOG CASSEROLE
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms (canned or fresh)
1 cup celery (thinly sliced)
1 carrot (shredded)
1⁄2 cup green pepper (finely diced)
1 cup Minute Rice (not cooked)
2 (8 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup (no water)
1⁄4 cup milk
1 lb ground pork
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°C.
Sauté onion, mushrooms and celery in butter over med high heat.
Add green pepper and shredded carrot and cook until slightly softened.
In casserole dish mix cans of soup, milk and rice.
Add ground pork to sauté pan and brown.
Once pork is cooked through add pork/onion/celery/carrot mixture to soup/rice mixture in casserole dish.
Cook for 1 hour in oven at 375°C.
5
Farrier1987. South of Chatham on Lake Erie. Chickens, goats, horse, garden, dog, cat. Worked all over the world. Know a little bit about a lot of things. No incubator, broody hens.
- ross
- Teenaged Cockerel
- Posts: 4964
- Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 7:54 am
- Location: Parkhill /Thedford SW Ont
- x 8497
Re: Ground Hog Day
Never knew , thanks man never to old to learn new things .Other than eat & drink , get together any special reason for party .
1
ENJOY YOUR HUNTING / FISHING HERITAGE & the GREATNESS of CANADA
- Farrier1987
- Stringy Old Chicken
- Posts: 1537
- Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2016 5:46 pm
- Location: Chatham-Kent
- x 3533
Re: Ground Hog Day
Oh, I forgot. Traditionally it was a wild bore that was to be used. And the casserole had a tusk baked in the middle of it. Eating that dish was supposed to give you strong teeth. We could never seem to get a wild bore tusk, so mom would break off one of the ivory piano keys and bake it in. When he was a kid, Uncle Dewlap's family was real poor, and had to get a black key form the neighbors, or some years they didn't have one at all. He was missing a few teeth and the ones still there, lots of them were black.
Anyway, pleasant memories of my youth. Happy Ground Hog Day everyone.
Anyway, pleasant memories of my youth. Happy Ground Hog Day everyone.
2
Farrier1987. South of Chatham on Lake Erie. Chickens, goats, horse, garden, dog, cat. Worked all over the world. Know a little bit about a lot of things. No incubator, broody hens.
- ross
- Teenaged Cockerel
- Posts: 4964
- Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 7:54 am
- Location: Parkhill /Thedford SW Ont
- x 8497
Re: Ground Hog Day
Wow just a jar full of boring info lol like the tusk part . HAVE A HAPPY HAPPY
2
ENJOY YOUR HUNTING / FISHING HERITAGE & the GREATNESS of CANADA
- Killerbunny
- Poultry Guru - total zen level
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- Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 12:04 pm
- Location: Brockville
- x 10174
Re: Ground Hog Day
@Farrier1987 can I substitute ground black squirrel (tree squirrel not ground squirrel) for the Boar?
0
Beltsville Small White turkeys.
Mutt chickens for eggs
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- WLLady
- Stringy Old Soup Pot Hen of a Moderator
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- Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2015 9:55 pm
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- x 8535
Re: Ground Hog Day
i think the groundhog around here is snowed in.....and we just had hounds run through running yotes....lol.
2
Pet quality wheaten/blue wheaten ameraucanas, welsummers, barred rocks, light brown leghorns; Projects on the go: rhodebars, welbars
- ross
- Teenaged Cockerel
- Posts: 4964
- Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 7:54 am
- Location: Parkhill /Thedford SW Ont
- x 8497
Re: Ground Hog Day
Good dogs , ahh yes Kathy “tree rats” good choice .
0
ENJOY YOUR HUNTING / FISHING HERITAGE & the GREATNESS of CANADA