Colache (1921)

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

   "Colache" is not in OED, not in M-W, and (surprisingly) not in DARE.  It's a regional dish of the American Southwest, especially New Mexico.  There are 255 Google hits.


(GOOGLE)
http://specialflavors.com/collection/vegetables/colache.htm
 Colache
  A RANCHO  RATATOUILLE

Ratatouille can be superb, but is somewhat of an ungrateful performance. If not perfectly managed in the cooking, some vegetables will be cooked too much and become mushy. If and when you do succeed with a perfect ratatouille, you have a satisfying dish, but not an exciting one.

Therefore in our household, we have substituted the following colache, a rancho alternative to ratatouille. This supplies interesting flavors of red and green peppers, a bit of highly seasoned tomato, and corn.

This is an old family recipe from Jacqueline Higuera, who was raised on a Northern California rancho. Women in her family have been using this procedure, with their own individual variations, for 150 years.

The procedure is, if anything, more respectful of vegetable independence than in ratatouille. Peppers and tomatoes are not only cooked separately, but seasoned separately.


(GOOGLE)
http://br.theadvocate.com/food/recipe.asp?StoryID=4267
Appetizers
New mexican colache

Colache, found all around the Southwest in homes and modest restaurants, is often prepared as a thick stew, but the casserole version served at The Shed restaurant in Santa Fe has to be the best I've ever eaten. Just watch the baking carefully after about 25 minutes to make sure the casserole doesn't get too dry. It can be served either as a side dish to barbecued ribs or any roasted meat or as a main course with something like cured-ham biscuits or small grilled sausages.


(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
      CARE OF THE BODY.
       CONDUCTED BY HARRY ELLINGTON BROOK, N.D..       Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File).       Los Angeles, Calif.: May 22, 1921.                   p. VIII18 (4 pages)
First Page:
   Colache.--Peel six good-sized squashes, add two tomatoes and a pimiento (chopped,) boil in a little water until they are soft.  Drain and mash.  Add one good-sized onion, cut small.  Cook until it is soft, and add two tablespoonfuls of oil.  Just before taking from the stove, add a quarter of a pound of eastern cheese.  This appetizing and nourishing dish is a favorite among the Spanish-American people.


(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
1.
      Mexican Dishes Add Variation In Daily Fare
              The Washington Post  (1877-1954).       Washington, D.C.: Jan 7, 1936.                   p. 14 (1 page)


2.
      CAPITAL KITCHEN
       By Susan Mills..       The Washington Post  (1877-1954).       Washington, D.C.: May 25, 1934.                   p. 15 (1 page)