June 29, 2016
Remembering Grandma’s Shepherd Pie
By David W. Deuth, CFSP
President, Weerts Funeral Home
It was a vaguely familiar aroma when I walked through the door at mom and dad’s to join them for supper a few weeks ago. And although it was familiar somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I had to connect too many dots to immediately identify exactly what it was that smelled so good.
Before “the rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey would have said, you should know that my mom has a true culinary gift for recreating dishes for which she never received the recipe. And my Grandma Deuth didn’t share her recipes too freely, I’m told.
Rewind about 40 or so years.
Grandma Deuth was part of the Ladies Circle at her little church in Holland, Minnesota (population then was perhaps 300 people). The fifteen minute drive from our house to grandma’s was always worth the trip – and we went often. Grandma loved to cook, and she loved to feed her family. We were grateful beneficiaries.
Once a month, though, there was Circle Supper in the basement of her church, prepared and served by the Ladies Circles of the church. And it was not to be missed.
We had many fine meals at Circle Supper; my memories are only good. But I can recall one and only one particular meal by name or by experience: Shepherd’s Pie.
Whatever door was used to enter the church, the unmistakable aroma of this home-cooked delight was readily apparent and quickly captivating. If you were hungry when you pulled into the small gravel parking lot behind the church, you were salivating once you made it inside. Standing in line in the small church basement, we’d pick up our plates and head toward the serving window where Grandma always stood in line to serve up the gravy.
The potatoes were mashed with love, I’m sure, and they were terrific – but the gravy was…well, it was gravy in every sense of the word. Grandma held the ladle over the massive stock pot filled full of the gravy goodness that turned otherwise ordinary potatoes into superstars. Ground beef, peas and who-knows-what-all-scrumptious-else.
And – at least for me, anyway – grandma was always generous with the superstar gravy.
Back to the present.
Mom was apologizing as I rounded the corner into the kitchen after letting myself in from the back door. Although I was hearing what she was saying, my mind was distracted trying to assimilate the familiar but all-too-distant-past aroma. “I didn’t make anything special,” she said “….just a little Shepherd’s Pie…I hope that’s OK?”
All the dots quickly connected in my mind.
Are you kidding me?!? Shepherd’s Pie??
I suddenly wished I hadn’t eaten lunch.
It was just the way I remembered it. Same color, same texture, same flavor….it was perfect. And I ate way too much of it because it was just so crazy good.
As we enjoyed the gravy goodness of yesteryear, mom, dad and I reminisced about the Circle Suppers. We recalled grandma’s very humble home and her tiny kitchen. And we recalled her contentment in everything she did – and didn’t – have.
Grandma has been gone nearly 30 years now. And although we didn’t get have too many of her recipe cards – thanks to my mom’s amazing cooking – we still have some of her best dishes. I’m still a grateful beneficiary.
And that makes me doubly blessed.
Remember Well.
David W. Deuth, CFSP, is the owner of Weerts Funeral Home in Davenport and RiverBend Cremation and Quad Cities Pet Cremation in Bettendorf. He can be reached at 563.424.7055 or by email at Dave@WeertsFH.com.
