Things Mother Used to Make Part 15

Cut three or four slices of salt pork and fry in the bottom of a kettle. Add the potatoes cut into dice, onion shaved, a cupful of stewed tomatoes, rolled s.h.i.+p crackers, minced parsley, soft-sh.e.l.led clams, and boiling water. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook till the potatoes are tender. A little hot milk may be added just before taking up.

=Ma.s.sachusetts Clam Chowder=

3 Quarts of Clams 6 Medium-sized Potatoes 1 Small Onion 8 Boston Crackers 4 Slices of Salt Pork

Wash the clams clean, put them on the stove to cook, with one pint of cold water. Boil until the sh.e.l.ls burst open. Remove from the stove, pour the clam liquor into an earthen dish and set away to settle. When the clams have cooled a little, pick them from the sh.e.l.ls, remove the night-caps, cut off the head, to the shoulders, was.h.i.+ng each clam. Cut three or four slices of fat salt pork and fry in the bottom of a kettle with half an onion. Skim these from the fat, pour in the clam liquor, add a little hot water. When this boils, add the raw potatoes, which have been pared and sliced thin, and cook until tender. Split the crackers open and soak till soft in milk or water. Add these and the clams to the potatoes. Cook ten minutes, then add a quart of milk and salt, if needed. Do not let it boil after adding the milk. Serve hot.

This is very delicious.

=New England Fish Chowder=

4 Slices of Fat Salt Pork 6 or 8 Potatoes 1 Small Onion 2 or 3 Pounds of Fresh Haddock or Codfish 8 Boston Crackers

Fry the salt pork, with the onion, in the bottom of a kettle, skim from the fat, and pour in about a quart of water. Slice the potatoes thin, after they have been washed and pared. Make alternate layers of fish and potatoes, seasoning each layer with pepper and salt. Cook until both are tender. Then put in the split crackers, which have been soaked in milk or water, as for clam chowder. Cook for ten minutes. Pour in a quart of milk, add a small piece of b.u.t.ter and serve hot.

=Lamb Broth=

2 Pounds of Fore-Quarter of Lamb 2/3 Cupful of Rice 1 Tablespoonful of Salt 1 Teaspoonful of Sage Leaves

Put the lamb into a kettle, cover with cold water, add the salt and cook three hours. As the water boils away, add more. Wash the rice, allowing three-fourths of an hour to cook; put in the sage, about fifteen minutes before serving, and thicken with two tablespoonfuls of flour, wet in two-thirds of a cupful of water. The sage may be left out if preferred.

=A Good Oyster Stew=

25 Oysters 1 Teaspoonful of Flour 1 Quart of Milk b.u.t.ter Salt

Take twenty-five oysters, with their liquor and put these into an agate dish on the stove with salt to taste, in a pint of cold water. Boil five minutes. Stir into this one heaping teaspoonful of flour, which has been wet with two tablespoonfuls of cold water. Add one quart of milk. Let it come to a boil, but be sure not to have it boil. Remove from the fire, and add a piece of b.u.t.ter the size of an egg. This is sufficient for eight people.

=Potato Soup=

4 Potatoes 3 Pints of Milk Piece of b.u.t.ter size of an Egg Small piece of Onion

Take four large potatoes, boil until done and mash smooth, adding b.u.t.ter and salt to taste. Heat the milk in a double boiler, cook the onion in it a few minutes and then remove. Pour the milk slowly on the potato, strain, heat and serve immediately. Thicken with one tablespoonful of flour.

=VEGETABLES=

=Green Corn Fritters=

2 Cupfuls of Corn, grated from the cob 2 Eggs A Little Salt 1/2 Cupful of Milk 1/2 Cupful of Flour 1 Level Teaspoonful of Cream of Tartar 1/2 Level Teaspoonful of Soda

Beat the eggs, then add the milk and salt. Stir the corn into the dry flour, wetting with the milk and eggs, then fry in hot lard.

=Delicious Stuffed Baked Potatoes=

Bake six potatoes, or enough for family. When done, set away to cool slightly. Cut off a small piece, scoop out the inside, mash, add b.u.t.ter, salt, and milk, also tiny bits of parsley, if liked. Fill the sh.e.l.ls with this mixture, put back in the oven and bake until brown.

=Creamed Potatoes=

4 or 5 Baked Potatoes 1 Pint of Milk 1/2 Teaspoonful of Salt b.u.t.ter, the size of a Walnut

Pare the potatoes and cut into small pieces. Put them on the stove, in an agate dish, salt and cover with milk. Let them cook fifteen or twenty minutes, then thicken with one tablespoonful of flour, stirred with half a cupful of water; put in the b.u.t.ter and serve hot.

=Scalloped Potatoes=

b.u.t.ter a baking-dish, pare and slice potatoes in small pieces. Put into the dish with salt, pepper and a little b.u.t.ter. Fill the dish with milk, sprinkle over the top cracker or bread crumbs, and cheese, if you like it. Bake in the oven for an hour and a half or two hours.

=Baked Tomatoes=

6 Tomatoes 2 Cupfuls of Bread Crumbs Small piece of Onion A Few Stalks of Celery Hearts Salt and Pepper to Taste

Cut off a small piece of each tomato and scoop out the inside. Mix this with two cupfuls, or the same amount of bread crumbs, the chopped onion, salt and pepper. Then fill the tomatoes with this mixture, putting small pieces of b.u.t.ter over the top. Place these in a pan in which is a very little water, to prevent sticking, and bake in a hot oven from twenty minutes to half an hour.

=Fried Tomatoes=

Pare and slice (not very thin), dip into flour and fry on a griddle in hot fat.

APPENDIX