From my earliest recollections until I stopped helping farmers as a farm hand in the early 80s I now think back on the meals the farmers’ wives served. In those times a routine meal consisted of meat and potatoes or soup, beans and corn bread or something that filled the stomach and allowed the farmer to continue his workday until supper time. But when the farmer was baling hay or cutting tobacco or projects that called for more than just one helper the meals changed their style and presentation greatly. It was then that the farmer’s wife ramped up her meal and delivered banquets!

As I recall all of us that worked for other farmers knew whose wives were the best cooks and the ones where you wanted to be working and have the honor to put your feet under her table to take part in her meals. Any man who worked as a hand in any area can probably to this day close their eyes and rattle off the list of who they considered their hall of fame cooks! A farmer with a wife who could cook very well had little or no trouble recruiting enough help to complete the job. All farmers paid the same wage, which was minimum wage so what sealed a deal to work were the fringes that could be offered. Cured fried ham along with mashed potatoes assorted vegetables, gravy and yeast rolls easily sealed the deal.

Now I had said a man today who hired out to help a farmer can name their favorite cooks. At this time I am going to list mine and will probably miss somebody and if I do I want to apologize now. (Never insult the cook is a major rule.) First on my list of course would be my mother. Mom was a meat and potatoes cook. She served meals with a lot of starch and beef roasts or meat loaf or ham, etc. Her desserts were cobblers and cakes and she made a very unique iced tea and also very sweet. As I have said before mom used her secret ingredient, which was sugar. Next was Louise Maus. Louise, being a good German lady, was another meat and potato cook who kept her many bowls full. Her desserts were pies and if lucky strawberry shortcake and a scope of ice cream. Next was my Aunt Margaret Hetterick. She prepared two of everything from two cuts of meats to two types potatoes, sugar corn, etc. Also she always served three different pies. Either two fruit and one cream pie or two cream and one fruit. (We always took an hour and a half lunch as Dad said the hands would get ill from working too soon after eating too much.) Next was my cousin Lydia Houser. She lived in Cincinnati and when she was at the farm she cooked dishes for us that we had never seen before, such as lasagna or baked cod stuffed with I don’t know what, but man it was awesome. Lydia could serve water and it would be very rich! Her side dishes were always made with a different twist and her deserts were red velvet or German Chocolate cake (from scratch). Sometimes if I was lucky we were served by my cousin Grace Evans who could make the most tender pork chops and her pies were super and the only person who ever served grape pie that I know of. Take my word for it, you would ask for a second slice!

Now I have saved who I feel was the best at all the above mentioned items and I had to be careful not to founder myself as her food was so good. That was Eva Jennings. She didn’t live in my area but her sons and I were the same age and we got into swapping help and I learned there was good food outside of Fruit Ridge Road. Eva became famous for her yeast rolls. They were bigger than normal ones (looked like they were on steroids) and had a melt in your mouth taste. Put the rolls with some fried cured ham and all the fixings and then add dessert. She was a lot like my Aunt Margaret in that she would have three options when it came desert time and oh how I wanted to choose all three! One day she asks me if I would try a new pie she had tried. It was peanut butter pie. I tried it and won’t deny I ask for a smaller piece just to make sure I liked it. It was like anything she made, it was the best.

Now that is my list and I know anyone can name another group of farmers’ wives they feel were the best and not be wrong. This is not a point of argument only a point that in that time period almost all were special when it came to filling a man’s stomach in a most delicious way.

Times have changed. The farmers have little need for field hands as the day of housing tobacco is gone and stacking square bales of hay is about all gone also. Today’s wives work away from the farm to help supplement and probably work to obtain health insurance. It is not wrong only a change in the times. After I named my list I stopped and realized all these great, great cooks who put their hearts into placing only there best in front of us have all passed away. I guess it is somewhat appropriate as the times they were needed in are now gone to memory. One important feature each of these ladies possessed was that they were all kind, generous and loving people to their friends and families.

I can smell some of the items I mentioned as if they are on a table in front of me. I can taste those rolls and German Chocolate cake and grape pie, etc. So even though that era has passed and so have those gracious ladies the thought of this place in time will always leave a good taste in my mouth!

Rick Houser grew up on a farm near Moscow in Clermont County and loves to share stories about his youth and other topics. He may be reached at houser734@yahoo.com.