March beach party! Or maybe it's just Lengthentide...

It's a new month! I am soooo ready for February to be over. Not sure how 28 days can feel like 735, but February manages it somehow. Let's consult Betty Crocker's Cooking Calendar (1962) to find out about our "Red-Letter Foods" for the month now that cabbage and bananas are passe:

Ah, March. The month of onions, lemons, and grapefruit.

I keep wanting to skip ahead to June, but it will still be a while before sweet, tender strawberries will be in season and I just have to accept it and move on.

Let's see if we can find something more interesting than onions, lemons, and grapefruit, though.


















This looks more exciting:

I have to admit, I kind of thought I was in the wrong section of the book when I saw this picture. Doesn't this belong in the summer section, all dressed up with a fishing net background and a bed of lettuce leaves? It seems to say "Beach party!" more than "Maybe if you're lucky, some of the snow will melt."

Does the recipe fit the month's themes? With a tablespoon of finely chopped onion and lemons as a garnish in the picture (though lime is suggested in the recipe), I guess it barely fits the bill.

Then I spotted this:

That explains it! Lent is usually in March, so this must be a nod to the Catholics who eschew meat on Fridays. I thought the theme was supposed to be more suffering and deprivation and less island party, but theology is not really one of my strong points.

Besides, Betty had recommendations for those who wanted to suffer, too. They have their choice of these beauties:

 

Hard cooked eggs with canned mushrooms, condensed cream of celery soup, and curry powder OR canned salmon with pineapple, celery, pickle relish, and bananas! Now that's what I call Lent.