Mary at the Farm and Book of Recipes Compiled during Her Visit Part 33

FRIED OYSTERS

Procure fine, large, fresh oysters for frying. Drain in a colander carefully, look over, and discard any pieces of sh.e.l.l. Roll each oyster in fine, dried bread crumbs, well seasoned with salt and pepper, then dip them in a lightly-beaten egg, and then in bread crumbs. Allow them to stand several hours in a cool place before frying. Place a few oysters at one time in a wire frying basket, and immerse in smoking hot fat. Should too great a number of oysters be placed in the fat at one time it would lower the temperature of the fat and cause the oysters to become greasy. Drain the oysters when fried on heavy, brown paper, to absorb any remaining fat, and serve at once.

For all deep frying use two-thirds lard and one-third suet, as suet is considered to be more wholesome and cheaper than lard. Two items to be considered by the frugal housewife.

If fat for deep frying is the right temperature a crust is at once formed, and the oysters do not absorb as great a quant.i.ty of fat as when fried in only enough b.u.t.ter and drippings to prevent scorching, as they must then be fried more slowly. Serve pickled cabbage and tomato catsup when serving fried oysters.

PANNED OYSTERS

Aunt Sarah always prepared oysters in this manner to serve roast turkey. At the very last minute, when the dinner was ready to be served, she placed 50 freshly-opened oysters, with their liquor, in a stew-pan over a hot fire. The minute they were heated through and commenced to curl up, she turned them in a hot colander to drain a minute, then turned the oysters into a stew-pan containing two large tablespoonfuls of hot, melted b.u.t.ter, and allowed them to remain in the hot b.u.t.ter one minute, shaking the pan lo prevent scorching, seasoned them with salt and pepper, and turned all into a heated dish and sent to the table at once. These are easily prepared and are more wholesome than fried oysters.

OYSTERS STEAMED IN THE Sh.e.l.l

Place well-scrubbed sh.e.l.ls, containing fresh oysters, in a deep agate pan, which will fit in a kettle containing a small amount of boiling water. Cover very closely until the sh.e.l.ls open easily. These may be served in the sh.e.l.l with hot, melted b.u.t.ter, in a side dish, or they may be removed from the sh.e.l.l to a hot bowl and seasoned with hot b.u.t.ter, salt and pepper.

A RECIPE GIVEN MARY FOR "OYSTER c.o.c.kTAIL"

To 2 tablespoonfuls of tomato catsup add 1/2 tablespoonful of grated horseradish, 1/2 tablespoonful of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoonful of tabasco sause, 1/2 tablespoonful of vinegar, 1 saltspoonful of salt.

Stand on ice one hour at least.

To serve--The freshly-opened oysters on half sh.e.l.l were placed on a plate, in the centre of which was placed a tiny gla.s.s goblet containing a small quant.i.ty of the mixture, into which the oysters were dipped before being eaten.

OYSTER CROQUETTES

Boil 50 oysters five minutes, drain. When cold, cut into small pieces, add 1/2 cup of bread crumbs and mix all together with a thick cream sauce composed of 1/2 cup of cream or milk thickened with flour, to which add 1 large tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter; season with salt, a dash of red pepper and 1 teaspoonful of finely-minced parsley. Stand this mixture on ice until quite cold and firm enough to form into small croquettes. Dip in egg and bread crumbs and fry in deep fat until a golden brown.

Serve at once on a platter garnished with sprigs of parsley From these ingredients was made 12 croquettes.

FRAU SCHMIDTS WAY OF SERVING "OYSTER c.o.c.kTAILS"

Place in a bowl 2 tablespoonfuls of tomato catsup, 1 teaspoonful of grated horseradish, 2 tablespoonfuls of very finely cut celery juice and pulp of 2 lemons. Season with salt and pepper. Mix this with oysters which have been cut in small pieces. Serve in halves of lemons, from which the pulp has been carefully removed.

Place on ice a short time before serving. Crisp crackers should be served at the same time this is served.

SALMON LOAF

One can of salmon, from which all bones have been removed, 1 cup of cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup of milk, 1 tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, which had been melted; 2 eggs beaten, salt and pepper to season. Mix all together, bake in a b.u.t.tered pudding dish one-half hour or until browned on top. Serve hot.

CREAMED SALMON

A half cup of canned salmon, a left-over from lunch the preceding day, may be added to double the quant.i.ty of cream dressing, and when heated through and served on crisply-toasted slices of stale bread, make a tasty addition to any meal.

Of course, it is not necessary to tell even unexperienced housewives never under any circ.u.mstances allow food to stand in tins in which it was canned; do not ever stand food away in tin; use small agateware dishes, in which food, such as small quant.i.ties of left-overs, etc, may be reheated. Never use for cooking agate stew-pans, from the inside of which small parties have been chipped, as food cooked in such a vessel might become mixed with small particles of glazing, and such food when eaten would injure the stomach.

OYSTER CANAPES

1 cup cream.

4 tablespoonfuls of bread crumbs.

1 tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter.

3 dozen stewing oysters.

Season with paprika, tiny pinch of nutmeg and salt. Boil the cream, add bread crumbs and b.u.t.ter. Chop oysters fine, add seasoning. Serve hot in pattie cups or on toast. Serve small pickles or olives. Good dish for chafing dish.

MEAT

Every young housewife should be taught that simmering is more effective than violent boiling, which converts water into useless steam. Even a tough, undesirable piece of "chuck" or "pot roast" may be made more tender and palatable by long-continued simmering than it would be if put in rapidly boiling water and kept boiling at that rate. Meat may be made more tender also by being marinated; that is, allowing the meat to stand for some time in a mixture of olive oil and vinegar before cooking it. In stewing most meats a good plan is to put a large tablespoonful of finely-minced beef suet in the stew-pan; when fried out, add a little b.u.t.ter, and when sizzling hot add the meat, turn and sear on both sides to retain the juice in the meat, then add a little hot water and let come to a boil; then stand where the meat will just simmer but not slop cooking for several hours. The meat then should be found quite tender. Cheaper cuts of meat, especially, require long, slow cooking or simmering to make them tender, but are equally as nutritious as high-priced meats if properly prepared.

To quote from _The Farmers' Bulletin_: "The number of appetizing dishes which a good cook can make out of the meat 'left over' is almost endless. Undoubtedly more time and skill are required in their preparation than in the simple cooking of the more expensive cuts. The real superiority of a good cook lies not so much in the preparation of expensive or fancy dishes as in the attractive preparation of inexpensive dishes for every day. In the skillful combination of flavors. Some housewives seem to have a prejudice against economizing. If the comfort of the family does not suffer and the meals are kept as varied and appetizing as when they cost more, with little reason for complaint, surely it is not beneath the dignity of any family to avoid useless expenditure, no matter how generous its income. And the intelligent housekeeper should take pride in setting a good table."

This is such an excellent article, and so ably written and true, that I feel it would be to the advantage of every young housewife to read and profit by it.

"SAUERGEBRATENS" OR GERMAN POT ROAST

Buy about three pounds of beef, as for an ordinary pot roast. Place in a large bowl. Boil vinegar (or, if vinegar is too sharp, add a little water, a couple of whole cloves and a little allspice); this should cover the piece of meat. Vinegar should be poured over it hot; let stand a couple of days in a cool place uncovered; turn it over occasionally. When wanted to cook, take from the vinegar and put in a stew-pan containing a little hot fried-out suet or drippings in which has been sliced 2 onions. Let cook, turn occasionally, and when a rich brown, stir in a large tablespoonful of flour, add 1-1/2 cups of hot water, cover and cook slowly for two or three hours, turning frequently. Half an hour before serving add small pared potatoes, and when they have cooked tender, serve meat, gravy and potatoes on a large platter.

The writer knew an old gentleman who had moved to the city from a "Bucks County farm" when a boy, who said that he'd walk five miles any day for a dish of the above as his mother had prepared it in former years.

Mary was surprised at the amount of valuable information to be obtained from the different _Farmers' Bulletins_ received at the farm, on all subjects of interest to housewives, and particularly farmers'

wives. All books were to be had free for the asking.

The dishes Mary prepared from recipes in the _Farmers Bulletin_ on "economical use of meat in the home," were especially liked at the farm, particularly "Stewed s.h.i.+n of Beef" and "Hungarian Goulash" (a Hungarian dish which has come to be a favorite in the United States).

HUNGARIAN GOULASH

2 pounds top round of beef.

1 onion.

A little flour.

2 bay leaves.

2 ounces salt pork.

6 whole cloves.

2 cups of tomatoes.

6 peppercorns.

1 stalk celery.

1 blade mace.

Cut the beef into 2-inch pieces and sprinkle with flour. Fry the salt pork until a light brown; add the beef and cook slowly for about thirty-five minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover with water and simmer about two hours. Season with salt and pepper or paprika. From the vegetables and spices a sauce is made as follows: Cook in sufficient water to cover for 20 minutes; then rub through a sieve, and add to some of the stock in which the meat was cooked. Thicken with flour, using 2 tablespoonfuls (moistened with cold water) to each cup of liquid, and season with salt and paprika. Serve the meat on a platter with the sauce poured over it. Potatoes, carrots and green peppers cooked until tender and cut into small pieces or narrow strips are usually sprinkled over the dish when served, and noodles may be arranged in a border upon the platter.