The Shakers, a corruption of the expression “shaking Quakers” are a Protestant religious denomination, begun in Manchester, England in 1772. The small group quickly found a leader in Ann Lee, who continues to be revered today as “Mother Ann.” She brought her band of nine followers to the United States in 1774. Over the next century the number of converts would number more than 200,000, of whom only about 6,000 became full members. These members lived in 19 settlements spread through Ohio, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Strict believers in the three C’s: celibacy, confession of sin and Christian communalism, the group depended on converts and adoption of orphans to increase their numbers. As of September 2009, there were three Shakers left – living in Sabbathday Lake, Maine. The Shakers were great innovators and were responsible for numerous inventions and practices in farming. Creators of the rotary harrow, the circular saw, the clothespin, the flat broom and the wheel-driven washing machine, they were also once the largest producers of medicinal herbs in the United States, the first group to commercially sell seeds in paper packages. Believers in the premise that “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” their barns and homes were models of efficiency and sanitation; they created simple clean-lined furniture and architecture which is still popular today.
Shaker Sister Frances A. Carr wrote a cookbook, published in 1985, called “Shaker Your Plate: Of Shaker Cooks and Cooking.”
The expression "shaker your plate" refers to their habit of encouraging diners to take only what they could eat and eating all they took. Long time believers in eating plain foods, well prepared, the Shakers believed that food should reflect their belief in simplicity and balance. The Shaker "sisters" who worked in the kitchens of the Shaker settlements believed that their work of preparing meals for their community was as much nourishment for the spirit as nourishment for the body.
A musical legacy from the Shakers is a simple one-verse hymn written in 1848 by Elder Joseph Brackett at the Sabbathday Lake Shaker community in Maine. It sums up the Shaker philosophy of simplicity.
’Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
’Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
’Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.
I have been fortunate to visit the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill several times. Located about 25 miles southwest of Lexington, Kentucky, the beautifully preserved Shaker settlement is the largest preserved Shaker community in America. The settlement is a living museum, remembering the time when the buildings were home to several hundred members. Private rooms are available in their Inn and in several of the 34 original, 19th century buildings. Although the Inn houses a contemporary restaurant, the Shaker beliefs of good food, simply prepared, still dominate their menu. During the day, employees dressed in period costume, recreate the daily lives and work of the Shaker settlement. In the evening, when these modern people return to their homes and the gas lanterns are the only light on the sidewalks, it is easy to be caught up in the past. A stillness falls that is balm to those of us who live in the fast-paced world of the 21st century.
Ms. Elizabeth C. Kremer was in charge of establishing the public dining room at the Historic Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill Country Inn. She standardized many of the old Shaker recipes and subsequently published a cookbook, "We Make You Kindly Welcome." This Shaker Lemon Pie is a specialty there. An old Shaker cookbook talks about the pie oven at the Canterbury community which could bake 60 pies at one time in a rotating rack. Imagine that!
Shaker Lemon Pie
Ingredients:
• 2 large lemons
• 4 eggs, well beaten
• 2 cups sugar
• Prepared double pie crust
Slice lemons as thin as paper, rind and all. Combine with sugar; mix well. Let stand 2 hours, or preferably overnight, blending occasionally. Add beaten eggs to lemon mixture; mix well. Turn into 9-inch pie shell, arranging lemon slices evenly. Cover with top crust. Cut several slits near center. Sprinkle the top crust with sugar. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for about 20 minutes or until silver knife inserted near edge of pie comes out clean. Cool before serving. n
Fran Ginn is former chef/owner of The Back Door Café, who retired after 31 years in the food industry to be a grandmother. She can be contacted at fran@franginn.com.
