Oyster Chowder
One quart of oysters; six potatoes; one and one-half pint of milk; three pilot biscuits; one tablespoon of flour; one tablespoon of butter; one onion; salt and pepper to taste. Drain the oysters, and run each through the fingers to remove any particles of shell. Strain the liquor through a fine wire sieve. Thinly slice the potatoes and onion, and boil them in the oyster liquor until tender. Wet the flour in a little of the milk, and stir it into the scalding milk adding also the butter, salt and pepper. Cook about one minute, put in the oysters and boil two minutes. Then turn into the milk the potatoes and onion, and the liquor in which they have been boiled. Place the pilot biscuits in the tureen. Pour the chowder over them.
COLD FRUIT PURÉES-In hot weather cold fruit purées are sometimes preferred to hot soups. They are always served in cups, usually of glass-and with a few pieces of the fruit floating on the surface.
SWEDISH STRAWBERRY PURÉE-This is really more like a sherbet, and is more refreshing than hot soup. Hull one quart of strawberries, setting aside one cup of the finest ones. Sprinkle the rest with two cups of sugar and add a cup of water and the juice of a lemon. Mash fine and let stand for two hours. Rub through a fine sieve and add a quart of Rhine wine. Set on the ice for three hours, or till ready to serve. Add the whole berries and serve in sherbet glasses.
RASPBERRY PURÉE-Boil in six cups of water one-half cup of sago and one-half cup of currant juice. When the sago is transparent, add two cups of raspberries and sugar to taste. Set aside to cool. Serve in sherbet glasses with cracked ice.
COLD CHERRY PURÉE-Heat the juice from a quart of canned, tart cherries. Add two level tablespoons of arrowroot moistened with cold water, stirring the mixture rapidly to prevent the forming of lumps. Flavor with the grated rind of a lemon. Place on ice and serve very cold with a whole cherry floating on each portion. ORANGE PURÉE-Place in an agateware kettle two cups of orange juice, and, when it is thoroughly heated, add one teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in a little cold water. Cook slowly until clear. Add one-half cup sugar and a tablespoon of good sherry or brandy. Place on ice until needed and serve ice cold in glass sherbet cups.