Baking with Betty

This week’s column is dedicated to Earl Dearborn, a true-blue “granger.”

Fish Hash

1 1/2 cups cooked fish

2 cups mashed or boiled potatoes

1/4 teaspoon pepper

salt to taste

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons margarine

Combine leftover fish and mashed potato, or if it’s leftover boiled potato then chop fine with fish. Add pepper and salt, mix with beaten egg. Add some dry mustard if you wish. Melt two tablespoons margarine in heavy fry pan, add hash, cover pan. Use foil if you have no cover. Fry, using a medium heat until browned on the bottom. Fold over and serve very hot. Serves four. Corn muffins, sliced carrots and a tossed salad are good with fish hash.

Crabmeat Stew

Melt two tablespoons butter slowly in kettle. Roll six small soda crackers until crumbs are as fine as flour. Place these crumbs and two cups fresh crabmeat in the butter, add 1/2-cup water, and let mixture bubble for one minute to bring out the flavor of the crabmeat. Pour in one quart of milk and stir until it is very hot, but do not boil. Add salt and pepper to taste and one can evaporated milk. Reheat, but again do not boil.

Squash Pie

1 1/2 cups cooked squash, strained or use canned squash

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 eggs beaten

1 3/4 cups light cream, scalded

Mix squash with sugar, salt and spices. Add lightly beaten eggs. Stir in scalded cream.

Fit pastry into a 9-inch pie plate, flute edge. Pour filling into unbaked pastry. Bake 15 minutes at 450 degrees, then lower heat to 325 degrees and bake 35 minutes longer.

Thought for the week: Squash is a “keeping” vegetable for use all through the months while God is writing with the chalk of winter on the blackboard of the land.