Fun Facts about Carla Emery:
Emery had been born in Montana, lived in southern California, then spent seven years in college: “three of pre-med, a little world literature, history and political science and graduate work as a China specialist – as “a wandering path, because I was never sure what I wanted to be. I just wanted to know.” On October 11, 2005, while on a speaking tour, Emery died in Odessa, Texas, from complications of pneumonia. See more of Emery’s bio at http://www.carlaemery.com/about-carla.htm
Emery’s Encyclopedia of Country Living set records: it was once listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the "largest mimeographed volume in general circulation" (700 pages) and was listed as having sold the most copies of a self-published guide: 45,000 mimeographed copies as of 1977. To date, the book has sold over a million copies. Emery also joked that it might also set a record for the most typographical errors in a book of its size, but, she added, she did not have time to count them.
Emery claims that “We can enjoy Independence Day every day of the year” if we keep a garden and learn to fully use that resource through food planning and preserving.
Carla Emery’s book is currently available from Sasquatch Books under the title: The Encyclopedia of Country Living, 50th Anniversary Edition: The Original Manual for Living Off the Land & Doing It Yourself (Homesteading & Off-Grid Survival).
Interested in making your own butter in a food processor? See https://thetiptoefairy.com/make-butter-giveaway/
Green Tomato Pie (Inspired by Carla Emery Recipes)
Ironically, there is no pie crust recipe included in the 2000+ recipes in Emery’s book. I think she assumes that everyone knows how to make a pie crust, even though most cooks know that perfecting a crust takes practice. The crust recipe below has been reliable for me.
Pie Crust for 2-crust pie:
2 ½ cups All-purpose flour
1 cup salted butter, roughly cubed
2 teaspoons Sugar
½ teaspoon Salt
½ cup water (approximate), chilled with ice cubes
In a food processor, pulse butter and dry ingredients until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Pour in about half of the water and pulse briefly. Keep adding water, about a tablespoon at a time, and quickly pulse until the crust just begins to come together but is still slightly crumbly. Do not over pulse. Tip out the crust crumble onto a floured board, divide in two, and with your hands, gently press each half of the dough together just until it forms a ball. The crust will come together with the warmth of your skin. Slightly flatten and roll out dough balls to about ¼ inch for bottom and top crusts.
Green Tomato Pie Filling:
1 ½ cups of chopped green tomatoes
1 cup peeled and chopped apple
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoons of vinegar (optional)
3 tablespoons of melted butter
¼ teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon orange zest
¾ teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of ground cloves,
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon tapioca or tapioca flour
½ cup chopped raisins
Boil green tomatoes, apple chunks, and orange juice for five minutes. Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. Cool slightly. Pour into crust-lined pie plate and top with the second crust. Slash top to let steam escape. Put your pie on a cookie sheet to catch any spills, and then bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes, until the top crust is golden-brown and the filling has started to bubble out of the slits.
