Cooking for Christ Redux

In 1949, Mrs. Florence Berger gave a lasting gift to Catholic Rural Life members — her cookbook, Cooking for Christ.

In it, readers and cooks got more than delicious recipes, they also got a peek into a specific season in Berger’s life. Just as sweet as some of the book’s desserts are stories of the Berger family, shared with a generous hand. This cookbook has always been one of the best sellers in the Catholic Rural Life shop.

Continuing that legacy of good food with a rural flair, CRL is proud to announce an upcoming, updated version of this classic. We’ve cleaned up and streamlined the recipes, made organizational improvements, and checked each entry for out-of-date or obsolete ingredients.

In honor of St. Isidore’s feast day, try this recipe. If you’re not brave enough to go foraging for your own wild greens (don’t underestimate the nutritional powerhouse of dandelions!), you can get mixed greens from your garden or store:

St. Isidore’s Wild Green Salad

• ¹⁄₄ cup pomegranate juice (or 3/4 cup pomegranate juice boiled until reduced to 1/4 cup)
• ¹⁄₄ cup olive oil
• ¹⁄₄cup orange juice
• 3tablespoons balsamic vinegar or 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ¹⁄₂teaspoon lemon zest
• ³⁄₄cup toasted walnut halves
• 8ounces mixed greens
• ¹⁄₂cup crumbled blue cheese or feta
• ¹⁄₂cup pomegranate seeds (dried cranberries work well in a pinch)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Whisk together pomegranate juice concentrate, oil, orange juice, vinegar, lemon peel and salt and pepper.
2. Gently mix salad greens with vinaigrette.
3. Divide greens on 6 to 8 salad plates or large platter.
4. Sprinkle with toasted nuts, cheese, and pomegranate seeds.

Watch the website for the release date of the new cookbook, and check out our store to purchase your copy of the classic version.