VEGETABLES.
Baked beans (for 100 men).
Take 25 pounds dry beans that have been soaked overnight and drain off the water, cover them (little over) with fresh water and boil for 1 hour. This water will cook beans well. Divide them in 2 large bake pans and season with salt and pepper and 7 pounds bacon, diced, ½ gallon molasses, and bake at least 3 hours.
POTATOES.
Baked potatoes.
Peel potatoes, wash thoroly, and place in shallow pan, season with salt and pepper, add 1 sliced onion, sprinkle with a little flour. Put in a little lard and beef stock. Bake in oven until done.
Baked sweet potatoes and apples (for 80 men).
Take 30 pounds sweet potatoes and 12 pounds apples. Boil potatoes about 2 minutes; then peel and slice carefully. Boil apples 1 minute; then peel, core, and slice. Take greased bake pan and put in layer of potatoes, then layer of apples, and so on. Put over all a little butter or beef suet. If apples are too sour, add a little brown sugar. Bake all in pan until done and serve warm.
A little expensive, but an excellent holiday dish.
Potato balls (for 90 men).
Mash about 25 pounds boiled potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and add a little milk. Make into small balls and put into a pan with very little grease and brown on both sides.
Boiled potatoes (for 20 men).
Take 10 pounds potatoes, thoroly washt, and put in a tin boiler and cover with cold water and let boil ½ hour. After water boils, stick a fork into 1 or 2 potatoes; if fork enters easily, they are done. Remove from stove and pour the water off and serve good and hot, with or without skins.
Creamed potatoes.
Take 8 pounds raw potatoes, diced in 1-inch pieces, boil until done, then pour water off; add 1 quart cold water, 1 can cream, and a little parsley, salt and pepper, and thicken with ½ pound white flour mixt in 1 pint cold water, then serve.
Fried potatoes.
Boil with peelings on, then slice and fry in lard; salt and pepper to taste.
German fried potatoes (for 20 men).
Take 8 pounds cold boiled potatoes, cut in round slices; add 2 pounds onions chopped fine, salt and pepper to taste. Put in about ½ pound lard and fry to nice brown color and serve hot.
Lyonnaise potatoes.
Boil 30 pounds potatoes and cut up. Mix in 5 pounds raw onions and little grease or lard. Bake in oven till done and browned.
Mashed potatoes.
Take boiled potatoes, peel, mash well, adding cream, salt, and pepper.
Potato salad (for 20 men).
Take 6 pounds cold boiled potatoes diced in ¼-inch pieces; 2 pounds onions, raw, chopped fine; 1 bunch parsley chopped fine; season with salt and pepper. Make a French dressing as follows: 1 pint vinegar, 2 tablespoonfuls sugar (brown or white), 2 or 3 dashes red pepper, 1 ounce dry mustard, ½ pound bacon chopped fine and fried. Pour the vinegar mixture on the hot bacon and grease. Then set back on stove to keep warm, and when ready to serve pour the vinegar, grease, etc., over the potatoes, etc., then serve.
Saratoga potatoes.
Dice potatoes raw, boil them until done, then drain and set away and let cool. When cool fry in butter or lard until nice and brown. Add parsley and chopped onions, 1 quart rich milk. Thicken with ¼ pound flour. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.
Escalloped potatoes (for 100 men).
Take 35 pounds cold boiled potatoes, 8 pounds cheese, 8 cans condensed milk, and 3 or 4 basting-spoonfuls of flour. Pare potatoes and slice them. Grate cheese fine and mix cheese evenly with potatoes in bake pan. Mix flour with milk and dilute milk with water until potatoes are covered. Bake in slow oven.
It is sometimes thought to be an improvement to use less cheese and a much larger quantity of finely ground beef suet.
Fried mush (for 20 men).
Take 2 quarts beef stock, 2 quarts water, 1 ounce salt, and set on stove and let boil for 4 or 5 minutes. Add 2 pounds corn meal. Put the meal in a flour sieve and shake it gradually, stirring it thoroly all the time, until it commences to thicken. Then set on back part of stove and let simmer for about 1 hour or till done, when it drops freely from the paddle. Pour into dish pan about 1 inch deep and set aside to cool. When cool cut into 2-inch squares. Have about ½ pound lard in frying pan. Fry to nice brown color. Serve hot with sirup.
Indian corn meal mush.
Take 5 ounces corn meal, 2 quarts boiling water, 1 ounce salt. Mix corn meal with cold water before putting it in, to prevent lumping. Stir in slowly but be careful to keep the water boiling. Cover closely and let boil 2½ hours. Stir frequently, to prevent scorching. Take off when thick and let cool. Eight pounds corn meal enough for 80 men.
Macaroni and cheese (for 80 men).
Break 14 pounds macaroni into convenient lengths and put into boiler of boiling salted water. Use eight or ten times as much water as macaroni. Boil from 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. Draw off water and pour macaroni into a well-greased bake pan and bake in a moderate oven 1½ hours or until done, then cover with the following dressing: Two cans tomatoes, 2 gallons beef stock, salt and pepper to taste, teaspoonful thyme or a little bay leaves, and a little suet or butter. Put all the dressing in a small boiler on fire and keep stirring until ingredients are well incorporated. Pass dressing thru a sieve and pour over macaroni. Grate over macaroni and sauce 6 or 8 pounds cheese.