Loaf of Plenty

When I was growing up, what I learned about cooking for a crowd came from the warm family gatherings we had at what we affectionately called “Aunt Mary’s ranch house” in Willard, Ohio.

Always glad to see us, never looking tired or overwhelmed, she would welcome sisters and cousins, nieces and nephews, numbering more than a dozen, with genuine hospitality and a home-cooked meal. Actually, “spread” is more accurate.

Many of those meals from mid-America centered around ham. My personal favorite was her ham loaf, which she often served with scalloped potatoes, a cooked vegetable and corn bread. Today, I pair mine with Waldorf and green salads and a crusty whole-wheat bread. But whatever your preferences, Mary Harter’s rule of thumb should still apply: The larger the crowd, the more side dishes.

We’ve scaled this meal down to serve an invasion of 10 to 12 relatives, and have included ham loaf, Waldorf salad and your choice of side dish and bread. And it’s all topped off with Aunt Mary’s simply delicious butterscotch pudding cake.

Menu

Ham Loaf

Waldorf Salad

Butterscotch Pudding Cake

Beverages

Iced Tea or Lemonade

Game Plan

Earlier in the day: Assemble ham loaf, leaving glaze in separate container, and refrigerate.

Up to 3 1/2 hours before meal: Make butterscotch pudding cake.

2 1/2 hours before meal: Remove ham loaf from refrigerator, pour on glaze and bake as directed, keeping warm until serving time.

One hour before: Make Waldorf salad and refrigerate until serving.

15 minutes before: Make additional green salad or cooked vegetable, if desired.

Staples

Graham crackers

5 eggs

Milk

1 medium onion

Apple cider vinegar

Brown sugar

Dijon mustard

Lemon juice

Reduced-fat mayonnaise

Sugar

Ground nutmeg

Shopping List

2 pounds ground smoked ham

2 pounds lean fresh ground pork

8 medium Granny Smith apples

1/2 pound seedless grapes, optional

1 bunch celery

Walnuts, enough to get 1 cup chopped

Golden raisins, enough for 2/3 cup

1/2 pint whipping cream

1 (1-ounce) package instant butterscotch pudding mix

1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow sheet-cake mix

1 (6-ounce) package butterscotch morsels

1 jar caramel sundae topping

HAM LOAF

2 pounds ground smoked ham

2 pounds ground lean pork

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 large onion, chopped

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Combine ham, pork, graham cracker crumbs, eggs, milk and onion in large bowl. Mix well. Shape into loaf in 13x9-inch baking pan.

Combine vinegar, water, brown sugar and mustard in small bowl, stirring to combine. Pour over loaf.

Bake loaf at 325 degrees until browned on top, about 2 hours, basting frequently.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Each of 10 servings contains about:

382 calories; 1,405 mg sodium; 159 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 35 grams protein; 0.25 gram fiber.

LIKE A WALDORF SALAD

8 medium Granny Smith apples, cored

Lemon juice

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup halved seedless grapes, optional

1 cup chopped walnuts

2/3 cup golden raisins

1 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup whipping cream

Ground nutmeg

Chop apples and place in bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 cup lemon juice over apples. Add chopped celery, grapes, walnuts and raisins. Set aside.

Combine mayonnaise, sugar and 1 teaspoon lemon juice in medium bowl until blended.

In another bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Fold into mayonnaise mixture.

Pour mayonnaise-cream mixture onto chopped ingredients, mixing to coat. Dust with nutmeg to taste.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Each of 10 servings contains about:

369 calories; 150 mg sodium; 33 mg cholesterol; 25 grams fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 1.34 grams fiber.

BUTTERSCOTCHPUDDING CAKE

1 (1-ounce) package instant butterscotch pudding mix

2 cups milk

1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix

2 eggs

1 (6-ounce) package butterscotch morsels

Caramel sundae topping, optional

Prepare pudding mix in bowl with milk as directed on package. Stir in cake mix. Beat in eggs, adding 1 at time. Continue to beat 2 minutes.

Pour into greased and floured 13x9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with butterscotch morsels.

Bake at 350 degrees until cake pulls away from side of pan, about 35 to 40 minutes. Dribble with caramel sundae topping to taste.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Each of 10 servings, without caramel sundae topping, contains about:

331 calories; 494 mg sodium; 46 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 59 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0 fiber.

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Kitchen Tip

When certain fruits and vegetables are cut--apples, bananas, pears and eggplant, for instance--they turn brown after a short time. “This discoloration,” writes Harold McGee in his book “On Food and Cooking,” “is the work of an enzyme known as polyphenoloxidase, which oxidizes phenolic compounds in the tissue and causes them to condense into brown or gray polymers.” He says its the same kind of enzyme working on the same kind of compounds that causes human skin to brown in the sun--call it the tanning enzyme. There are several ways to slow the browning: chilling the food to below 40 degrees, boiling the food, immersing the cut pieces in cold water, adding ascorbic acid, or Vitamin C. But the simplest method is the most familiar: lemon juice. It seems the browing enzyme works slowly in a highly acidic environment.