These dishes remind me of home in New England, except for fry bread, which I have only come to love here in the Western U.S.!

 Winter Corn Chowder  

To make chowder, you will need the following:

1 1/2 c Dried corn
6 sl Bacon
4 c Milk
1/2 ts Salt
3 c Broth
2 c Chopped onion
2 ts Sugar
*optional, three medium potatoes (wild or otherwise), peeled and diced.
*optional, two celery stalks chopped

Rinse corn and combine with broth in saucepan; bring to boil. Remove to heat and allow to stand for 2 hours, then cook for 45 minutes. Cook bacon in skillet until crisp. Drain. Cook onion in drippings. Add to corn mixture and simmer 5 minutes. Add milk, sugar, and salt; sprinkle with bacon.

Note: If you omit the corn and add the optional potatoes, celery and 1 can (or its equivalent of freshly steamed, shelled/shucked) clams you can make another tasty treat which we New England Indians adore: Clam Chowder!

Greatgrandmother's Pumpkin Soup

3 cups fresh pumpkin puree
2 medium onions chopped
2 Tbs. butter
Salt
1 Tbs. flour
4 cups fresh chicken broth
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup sour cream or whipped cream
3 Tbs. toasted pumpkin seeds
Meat drippings (optional)

Saute onions with the butter over low heat in a heavy large pot until soft. Sprinkle in the flour. Stir and cook 2 or 3 minutes. Gradually add the chicken broth, whisking thoroughly. Add pumpkin puree and cook in low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until all flavors are "married".

Pour into bowls and top with dollop your choice cream. Sprinkle seeds, and, if you like, dust with nutmeg or cinnamon.

Indian Fry Bread

3 C flour
lard or cooking oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
dash of salt
water

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Push to he side of the bowl. Add water, slowly kneading into the dry mixture to make a stiff dough. Knead dough very thoroughly. Heat lard or cooking oil in a deep pan, preferably a heavy cast iron pot or pan. Shape dough in to approximately four inch patties. Fry until brown on each side. Drain to remove excess oil. Serve with honey, jam. or powdered confectioner's sugar.

Succotash

1 pint precooked green beans (or lima beans)
1 pint of tomatoes (fresh or stewed)
1 pint precooked yellow kernel corn
1 tbs. minced onion
1/2 tsp salt and peper
bacon drippings (or bits)

Cook altogether until heated.

Baked Indian Pudding

1/2 c Cornmeal, yellow
4 c Milk, whole; hot
1/2 c Maple syrup
1/4 c Molasses, light
2 Eggs; Slightly Beaten
2 tb Butter/Margarine; Melted
1/3 c Sugar, brown; packed
1 ts Salt
1/4 ts Cinnamon
3/4 ts Ginger
1/2 c Milk, whole; cold

In top of double boiler, slowly stir cornmeal into hot milk. Cook over boiling water, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 300 F. Lightly grease 2-quart baking dish. (8 1/2" round) In small bowl, combine rest of ingredients, except cold milk; stir into cornmeal mixture; mix well. Turn into prepared dish; pour cold milk on top, without stirring. Bake,uncovered, 2 hours, or just until set but quivery on top. Do not overbake.

Let stand 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream or light cream. Makes 8 servings.

Molasses Bread Pudding

8 slices old bread cubed
2 eggs
3 tbs. sugar
salt
3 tbs. molasses (thick)
2 tbs. melted butter
2 cups scalded milk

Arrange bread cubes in a well greased baking dish. Beat eggs, molaases, sugar and salt together. Add milk and butter. Pour over bread cubes. Place in pan of hot water and bake at 350 until firm. Topped with whipped cream. Raisins may be added to pre-baked mixture, but increase milk to 2 1/2 cups.

This dish reminds me of my grandfather. It was his favorite summertime pie. We were able to gather wild rhubarb in the woods and make pie out of it!

Rhubarb Pie

2 c. cooked and cooled rhubarb
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. milk
1 c. sugar

Mix ingredients and stir well. Put in unbaked pieshell, dot with butter and bake until firm. Bake at 350 degrees. Top with egg whites beaten stiff with 1/4 c. of sugar. Brown in oven.