It was a big deal. We lived all year for our June week of fishing in Minnesota. Good Friday Papa planted potatoes. Shortly thereafter he'd plant #9 peas, green onions, radishes and lettuce.
A backpack is about all I'd need to go around the world, but it took a boat load, literally, for a week of fishing. It's a sport that requires a lot of gear: tackle, life vests, and rain gear that got us wet. It was just a question of whether it was an inside or an outside job: sweat or rain. Papa's five-gallon bucket of earth and collected night crawlers wouldn't always make it. We'd forget and have to remind him they have bait in Minnesota.
I loved to cook at camp which necessitated cooking equipment and food stuffs like tuna, just in case. The perfect Father's Day dinner was new potatoes and peas in a creamed sauce with fresh dill weed, new lettuce with sweet dressing, green onions, fresh caught and fried walleye or crappie, local bakery rye bread and from scratch peach dumplings with ice cream for dessert.
Peach Dumpling Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For a 9x13 dish, roll out pie dough and cut into roughly five inch squares. Lay slices of fresh or frozen peaches on each square and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bring the corners up. Place side by side in a deep baking dish.
Make a syrup of :
1 cup sugar
2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon almond flavoring
Pour it over the dumplings leaving the tops exposed to brown like a pie crust.
Sprinkle the top with a little cinnamon and sugar.
Bake 350 degrees until crust is golden and peaches tender, about 45 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream. When we could get country cream, that was the ultimate topping.
We joyfully gave Papa cards and presents. Satisified he was properly praised and appreciated, he'd smile, give thanks, hugs and kisses, and retire for a nap. Later we'd do whatever he wanted: cruise the lake, fish, play lawn darts, cards, or go for a ride, and of course, start planning next year's trip. The memory of it all is every bit as sweet as the trip was.
copyright 2005 Red Convertible Travel Series
