Smothered Ham with Sweetpotatoes
1 slice of smoked ham, cut into sizes for serving. 3 cups raw, sliced sweetpotatoes. 1 tablespoon butter or ham drippings. 2 tablespoons sugar. 1 cup hot water.
Brown the ham lightly on both sides and arrange it to cover the bottom of a baking dish. Spread the sliced sweetpotatoes over the ham. Sprinkle with sugar. Add the hot water and fat. Cover the dish and bake slowly at 350°F. (moderate oven) until the ham is tender. Baste the potatoes occasionally with the liquid. Brown the top well.
Creamed Oysters
1 quart oysters. 2½ cups milk and oyster liquor. ½ cup butter. ½ cup flour. 1 teaspoon salt. ⅛ teaspoon pepper. ¼ teaspoon onion juice, if desired.
Cook the oysters in their liquor until the edges begin to curl. Do not let them cook too long or they will be tough. Strain off the liquor. To about 1 cup of this liquor, add enough milk to make 2½ cups. Melt the butter and add the flour, stirring until blended. Add the liquid. Cook for 5 or 10 minutes to do away with the starchy flavor of the flour. Add the oysters and seasoning and serve at once in patty shells or on toast. If creamed oysters stand, the sauce becomes thin.
Vegetables
Harvard Beets
6 medium-sized beets. ½ cup sugar. ½ tablespoon cornstarch. ½ cup vinegar. 2 tablespoons butter.
Wash beets, cook in boiling water until tender, remove the skins, and cut the beets into thin slices or cubes. Mix the sugar and cornstarch. Add the vinegar, and let the sauce boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Just as the sauce is taken from the fire add the butter. Pour sauce over beets. Let them stand on the back of the stove for a few minutes so that the beets may absorb the sweet-sour flavor of the sauce.