Serve the melons upon flat dishes; the peaches and pears in fruit-salvers or in fancy baskets, with green leaves and flowers disposed tastefully among them. All would be the more refreshing for having lain in the ice-box or refrigerator awhile.
Fourth Week. Saturday.
Beef Stock Soup.
5 lbs. of beef, and as many of bones; 2 carrots; 2 onions, sliced and fried in dripping; 2 turnips; bunch of herbs; 7 quarts of water; 2 teaspoonfuls essence of celery, or 3 stalks of the green plant, with the tops cut off; pepper and salt; dice of fried bread; 1 large spoonful of tomato catsup.
Cut up the meat, and chop the vegetables. Put with the herbs and cracked bones into a pot, and pour on two quarts of water. Heat slowly, and after it has boiled one hour, skim well, and add the other five quarts—also cold. Cook steadily four or five hours longer, then strain, rubbing the vegetables to pieces. There should be at least five quarts of liquid. If, in the boiling, it has lost too much, you should have replenished the pot with boiling water. Take out two quarts for to-day’s soup. Return meat and bones to the fire, and pour the rest of the soup over them with another quart of cold water. Cover very closely and simmer at the back of the range two hours longer. Then set away in an earthenware vessel, having seasoned it, and when cold, put on ice. You will now have made soup-stock for three days.
Cool the portion kept out for to-day; take off all the fat, season and re-heat it. Boil gently and skim well. Stir in the catsup, and pour upon the fried bread already put into the tureen.
Boiled Ham.
Wash a ham thoroughly, scrubbing off all the rusty parts with the dust. Put on in plenty of cold water, and boil twenty minutes to the pound. Let it get almost cold in the water. If possible, do this on Friday, and do not skin until perfectly cold on Saturday. The fat will then be white and prettily pitted, and the skin leave it easily. Twist frilled paper about the shank, and lay in a bed of curled fresh parsley. Carve in thin slices.