We’re Growing a Victory Garden!

Here’s what our victory garden looks like today. In less than two weeks it will be teeming with volunteers, plants and seedlings!

We are less than two weeks away from planting a victory garden on site at the museum! During World War II when 40% of the nation’s vegetables came from victory gardens, magazines and periodicals were full of recipes to use that garden produce. Check some out below!

The Perfect Lunchbox Salad

Add a healthy variety to your lunch with a hearty salad. Making a salad that adds meat or fruit to the traditional greens makes it more filling, balanced – and healthier, too! Go green with your lunch by trying some of the following recipes, excerpted from Recipes for Victory Lunch Box Meals, printed in 1942. Some of them might sound a little strange, but come on – live a little!

Picnic Salad
2 ½ cups diced corned beef (freshly cooked or canned)
3 cups diced potatoes, cooked and peeled
2 ¼ cups shredded cabbage
¼ cup finely cut green pepper
2 tablespoons finely cut onion
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
¾ tablespoon mustard
¼ teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons vinegar
6 tablespoons salad oil
¾ cup evaporated milk

Put the corned beef, potatoes, cabbage, green pepper, and onion in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the salt, sugar, mustard, and pepper. Add the vinegar and stir until smooth. Stir in the salad oil. Stir this mixture slowly into a bowl with the evaporated milk. Fold this mixture into the corned beef mixture, mixing thoroughly. Cover and chill until needed.

Frankfurter potato salad
3 cups diced, cooked potatoes
1 cup diced celery
6 cooked frankfurters, skinned and sliced
2 tablespoons finely cut onion
2 tablespoons finely cut parsley (optional)
¾ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 ¼ cups mayonnaise

Put the potatoes, celery, frankfurter, onion, parsley, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Fold in the mayonnaise. Blend well before serving or packing in lunch box.

Vegetable potato salad
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons vinegar
3 tablespoons salad oil
½ cup evaporated milk
4 cups diced, cooked potatoes
6 tablespoons sliced, stuffed olives
1 ¼ cups drained peas, freshly cooked or canned
3 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
¾ teaspoon grated onion

Mix together the salt, mustard, sugar, and pepper. Add the vinegar and stir until smooth. Stir in the salad oil a tablespoon at a time. Stir this mixture slowly into the evaporated milk. Beat for 30 seconds. In a separate bowl, mix together the potatoes, olives, peas, eggs, and onion. Fold the milk mixture into the potato mixture and chill until ready to serve or pack in a lunch box.

And be sure to check out more victory garden recipes at our microsite classroomvictorygarden.org.