I spent over a decade of my adult life working in different areas of the food and beverage industry from slinging drinks to managing teams, overseeing events, being a social media whiz, and then becoming a director of marketing.
Some of my favorite memories of my time in hospitality were working closely with and learning tips and tricks from passionate and creative chefs, busting out amazing charcuterie boards and small plates for a last-minute event, and traveling to Napa for five days to hobnob with industry leaders and experience new wines paired with amazing food.
But, at the end of the day, some of my favorite food memories came from my grandmother’s recipe cards, which are still tucked away in their original Tupperware cardholder. I used to run my fingers over her pen strokes as a child. It was like having her in the kitchen with me.
Now I have the opportunity to cook recipes from the past and share them with our readers! And what better way to kick things off than by cooking something beloved by one of Pittsburgh’s most beloved figures?
Photo courtesy of John Beale
Fred Rogers with Francois Scarborough Clemmons from his show Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
This recipe, originally published in the Three Rivers Cookbook Vol. II in 1981, calls for the following:
2 lbs. sliced carrots
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 can tomato soup
½ cup cooking oil
1 cup sugar
¾ cup vinegar
1 tsp. hot mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
The recipe must be made ahead so the carrots have at least 12 hours to marinate. The rest of the instructions are as follows:
“Cook carrots until tender; drain and cool. Add onions. Mix remaining ingredients[.]”
And so I did. First, I sliced my carrots on a bias, so they were a bit larger but still bite-sized. Since the recipe calls for the carrots to be “cooked,” I assumed that meant boiled. But I prefer my carrots steamed so they lose less of their nutritional value. So that’s what I did.
While the carrots were steaming, I cut up one Vidalia onion and one green pepper from my garden that was about the size of my fist, and I placed the chopped-up bits in my bowl. Since I didn’t have a can of tomato soup on hand, I used 10.5 oz. (equivalent to one can, according to Google) of homemade tomato soup. Then I added the cooking oil, vinegar (I used sherry vinegar), hot mustard, Worcestershire sauce (no, I can’t pronounce it, can you?), salt, and pepper. I nearly forgot to add the full cup (yikes) of sugar, so I added that last.
The finished product tastes a lot like German potato salad without the bacon. There’s a sugary vinegary flavor that takes over, and I really can’t taste the carrots or peppers through the sauce, but the onions give it a little bite.
My son took a few bites and seemed okay with it. It wasn't really up my daughter’s alley, but she doesn’t go for sweet or vinegary, so that’s cool. I enjoyed it, personally, although I generally lean toward less sweet options myself. All in all, this was a fun and easy vintage recipe.
