Pennsylvania means
“Penn’s Woods.” It was named in honor of Admiral William Penn, whose son,
William Penn, founded the colony as a haven for Quakers and other religious
minorities in 1682. The state was given its name by England’s Charles ll
in 1680, when the king granted Penn a charter.
Nickname: Keystone State
and was apparently first used because of Pennsylvania’s political importance.
It is also appropriate because of Pennsylvania’s location in the middle
of the 13 original states.
State Song: Pennsylvania
Motto: Virtue, liberty
and independence
Flower: Mountain Laurel
Tree: Eastern Hemlock
Bird: Ruffed Grouse
Fish: Brook Trout
Insect: Ladybug & Firefly
Recipes
Quick
Trout with Pecans
2 trout, cleaned with heads
on
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Salt
1 tbsp finely chopped herbs:
parsley, thyme, chives, basil, lemon balm, oregano
Fresh ground pepper
5 tbsp butter
3 tbsp chopped pecans
Measure the thickness of
each trout. Season the flour with salt and pepper, then roll each trout
in it. Heat a heavy iron skillet with 3 tablespoons of the butter. When
butter is sizzling hot, add the fish and brown. Turn. Allow 10 minutes
for each inch of thickness, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove the fish
to a warm platter. To make the sauce, wipe the skillet clean with paper
towels and place it over high heat with 2 remaining tablespoons of butter.
When hot, add the pecans and cook until browned. Add lemon juice, herbs,
and salt and pepper to taste, and heat quickly. The sauce will foam and
sizzle rapidly for a few seconds. Remove from heat and immediately pour
the foaming sauce over the fish.
Rolled
Stuffed Roast Venison
3 to 4 pound boneless venison
roast, 1 inch thick
6 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/3 cup seasoned bread
crumbs
2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp salt & pepper
3 slices bacon, cut in
half
Fry 6 slices of bacon in
large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove from heat. Transfer
bacon to paper towels to drain. Reserve 3 tablespoons bacon fat. Crumble
drained bacon; set aside. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Cook and stir onion, celery,
and carrot in reserved bacon fat over medium heat until tender. Remove
from heat. Stir in crumbled bacon, bread crumbs, parsley flakes, salt and
pepper. Spread vegetable mixture evenly on roast. Pat vegetable mixture
firmly into place. Roll up jelly-roll style, rolling with the grain of
the meat. Tie roast with kitchen string. Place in roasting pan. Top roast
with 3 halved slices of bacon. Roast to desired doneness, 22 to 35 minutes.