Farm and home cook book and housekeeper's assistant

Remove bone from a steak cut about % inch thick. Spread with a nice dressing made as for chicken, with bread crumbs, melted butter, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning or sweet herbs, press the dressing down smoothly, roll and wrap securely with twine. Put V2 cup drippings into a heavy skillet HAY BOX DINNERS 281 and when quite hot lay in the roll and turn it until browned all around. Lift into a kettle and add 2 tablesp flour to the remaining grease; when browned add 1 pt water, salt and pepper to season, and when it has boiled, pour it over the beef roll in the kettle. Start the meat to boiling briskly in the gravy, then remove, closely covered, to the hay box and leave for 5 or 6 hours. Lift to a hot platter, add a little grated onion to the gravy and pour it over the loaf. Boiled Dinner Put the ham or corned beef in water first and boil V2 hour, then add cabbage, onions, turnips, carrots, potatoes or whatever assortment of vegetables is liked and let all boil again for 10 minutes, then put in the hay box for 4 to 6 hours. Chicken Stew Joint and boil for 2 0 minutes on the stove. Lift out the chicken and add a cup of cream, enough flour to thicken slightly, salt and pepper to season. Stir until it boils, add the chicken, boil 10 minutes again, then put into hay box for 3 hours or longer, according to age. Old Chicken Fried With the aid of the hay box one can have fried chicken any morning for breakfast, even from the oldest hen on the place. Joint, add boiling water to cover, salt to season, and boil 15 minutes. Put in the hay box over night. In the morning, drain out the pieces, roll in flour, and fry brown. Use broth for making gravy. Boiled Ham Soak in water over night, scrape and clean, and boil on stove % hour, then place in hay box 8 hours. Remove the rind and bake V2 hour if liked, or slice without baking. Boiled Fish Roll the fish in a strip of cheesecloth, tie the ends, and drop into boiling water, adding salt and a little vinegar or juice of lemon. Boil 5 minutes on stove and 2 or 3 hours in hay box. Drain and serve with any preferred fish sauce. Vegetables A preliminary cooking of 5 to 15 minutes over the fire for vegetables is usually enough, supplemented by 2 to 3 hours in the hay box. Dry vegetables absorb a lot of water, so enough must be put in at once, as it is of course impossible to add any during its cooking in the hay box. Dried corn or beans should be soaked over night in water before cooking, and also dried fruits. Green Corn and Peas Husk corn, put in boiling water to cover, adding salt and a little sugar, boil 5 minutes on the stove, and remove to hay box for 2 hours. (Longer if wished to keep hot.) Boil peas 10 minutes on stove, add milk to cover, butter, salt and pepper to season, bring to a boil again, and put into hay box 2 hours. Asparagus Cut off tough ends, cover with water, boil 5 minutes on stove and place in the hay box 1 hour. If one likes to use the liquid in which it is cooked, milk, butter, pepper and salt may be added and it is ready when taken up; otherwise, the water can be drained off when taken up and a cream sauce made over the fire. Summer Squash