The Putney Special
By: Barnaby Dorfman
Published: Friday, December 10, 2010 - 1:02am

Ingredients




4 Slices Bread
1 Can Stewed Tomatoes
4 tablespoons Peanut Butter

Preparation

1 Open a can of stewed tomatoes, heat contents in a saucepan 2 Put bread slices in toaster 3 Spread peanut-butter on the toast 4 Pour hot stewed tomatoes over all

About


This dish was created in 1935 during the Great Depression at a summer labor camp that became the Putney School, a progressive boarding school in Putney, Vermont. It has been on the menu since then. The dish became more regular fare during WWII and now is served very infrequently, but is known to generations of graduates of the school as a part of "the Putney Experience."

Comments:
Anonymous

Interesting. I never had this dish when I was at Putney (or I've blocked it out). But the combination of peanut butter and stewed tomatoes sounds African. I bet it would be better over rice than bread.
Celinabean
wing

Celinabean, it actually tastes wonderful over rice or couscous. I work at The Putney School and have been experimenting with the basic recipe whenever I'm on vacation and miss the dish. My current, favorite version: tomato stew, peanut butter, sliced pork belly, couscous.
Anonymous

Huh? When did we ever eat this, Barnaby? I do remember a borst that had some historical (WWII, I think) significance, but I think I would recall such an odd concoction. Am baffled.
Anonymous

This is exactly the way I remember it.  It wasn't until about 11th grade that I got brave enough to try it and loved it, sorry I didn't start eating it in 9th grade.  I have made it a few times in the years since.  Larry Schwartz '63
Barnaby Dorfman

Would love to have someone upload a photo..especially a vintage photo!
Barnaby Dorfman

Thanks to Don Cuerdon at the Putney School for providing an image!
rin mcadams

A Putney grad was my roommate in California in 1957.  She used to get homesick for something they ate for Sunday supper, but she didn't know just what it was.  Years later, a friend and I were leafing through her mother-in-law's cookbook, and I saw it: Putney Special!  I love it.
Now I'm trying the Poverty Diet ($4.23 on food a day for 3 days) to make a statement to my legislators, and it's perfect - I'm making the P.S. for lunch!  I figure .20 for the peanut butter, .80 for the tomatoes and another .20 for the bread; steep for lunch, but worth it.  It's the veggies that get you!
Kate Thompson

I was at Putney '60-'63 and we had it pretty often. As served then, with the cheapest possible ingredients, it was a bit grim, and most people hated it - but try it with your favorite bread toasted, crunchy organic almond butter, and garden tomatoes stewed with a little basil or oregano! (The pork and cous-cous version sounds great too!)
Janetk

This is my ultimate comfort food. I have never been to Vermont, but my father went to Putney when he was young (in the 40's) and we had this often when I was growing up. I have never been able to get my husband or children to try it, but to me it is wonderful!
Janetk

This is my ultimate comfort food. I have never been to Vermont, but my father went to Putney when he was young (in the 40's) and we had this often when I was growing up. I have never been able to get my husband or children to try it, but to me it is wonderful!