You must also remember that food storage technology wasn’t what it has become today. We’re never without most fresh fruits and veggies these days. Things are just about never out of season. You want fresh apricots in January, you can certainly find them-for a price. Back then crops were smaller, and sometimes very localized and storage facilities more primitive, compared to today. Many rural folks tended to rely on what could be produced, then preserved through various means. If they couldn’t or didn’t put enough by for the leaner months, they sometimes had to make do with less, and be very imaginative with what they actually had access to. There are a lot of unusual pie recipes that I’m sure come from those “leaner” times: shoo-fly pie, vinegar pie, chess pie, etc. A little sweet, a bit of crust, maybe a pinch of spice and you were good to go. Guess it also made those first rhubarb and cherry pies in the Spring something to look forward to.
I sure never dreamed I’d get so many postings. I also enjoyed the mock apple pie conversations. Thanks to all.
Nobody seemed to have any ideas on the Watergate Salad. After my initial post I did a Google search and was quite surprised to come up with page after page of recipes–I had no idea it was so popular. But no one seemed to know or be curious as to the name.
I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that it came from the name of a famous hotel. I did give it some ihought when I first read the OP, but I’d never heard of Watergate Salad till now.
Watergate essentially comes on the scene in 1972-3. While the apartment/restaurant was there earlier, it’s most likely the recipe(s) got popular from the notariety connected to the Nixon scandal.
I found a 1975 newpaper article from the Coshocton OH newspaper which gave a recipe for both Watergate cake and Watergate salad.
Yup Sam, it did. I know that 'cause I was around back then and the Watergate scandal was going on. But I have no idea as to why the salad was named Watergate. I did have to chuckle as I looked through the Googal recipes that turned up. One woman did make a comment on the origin of the name–she said she thought that it was a salad that was served at the hotel restaurant. Now I don’t know but I would quess that the Watergate is a pretty fancy-pancy place, and the recipe goes like this: Mix one box pistachio pudding, 1 carton Koolwhip, canned pineapple, marshmellos…