Gerald & Betty Ford's Recipes

GERALD R. FORD U.S. CAPITOL BEAN SOUP

1 pound dry white beans, soaked overnight
1 meaty ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks
3 quarts water
3 onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 stalks celery, with leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
[Senate version: add 1 cup cooked mashed potatoes]
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: minced parsley or chives

Strain the water from the soaked beans and put in a big pot with 3 quarts of water and the ham bone or ham hocks. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours.

Stir the chopped vegetables and herbs into the pot--and also the mashed potatoes if you're cooking the Senate version--and cook over low heat for another hour--until the beans are nicely tender.

Remove the bones from the pot--cut off the meat into small bits and return the meat to the pot, discarding the bones.

When ready to serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with pinches of herbs. For "U.S. House of Representative Bean Soup" authenticity, crush a few of the beans in each bowl to thicken the broth and make it slightly opaque.

BETTY FORD'S RUBY-RED GRAPEFRUIT CHICKEN

2 ruby-red grapefruit
1/2 c. whole cranberry sauce
1 T. honey
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
1 fryer, disjointed
3 T. butter or margarine

Peel and section grapefruit, squeezing all juice from membranes into saucepan. Add cranberry sauce, honey, cloves and salt, mixing well; then bring to a boil. Stir in grapefruit sections. Brown chicken in butter in frypan; then place in shallow baking dish. Baste with grapefruit sauce. Bake at 350-degrees for about 45 minutes, basting frequently. Serve chicken with remaining grapefruit sauce. Serves 4.

BETTY FORD'S BLUEBERRY BANANA BREAD

2 c Sugar
2 Sticks butter
5 med Bananas, mashed
4 Eggs
4 c. Flour
3 T. Baking soda
1 tsp. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Vanilla
2 c. Blueberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs; add bananas, then 2 cups flour.

Measure 2 cups flour, reserving 2 tbsp. to coat blueberry. Place flour in sifter with remaining dry ingredients. Sift and fold into the banana mixture. Sprinkle 2 tbsp. flour over the blueberries and coat well; then fold into batter. Divide the batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake for approximately 50 minutes.

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