The Eastern Shore Cookbook

Let's get Lost! Whitey Schmidt has gotten lost on the back roads of Cheaspeake Bay Country for decades now. Luckily, almost every time he does, he comes back with another recipe … another story … another photo. And you're invited to come along for the ride.

7x9 Hardcover
210 Recipes • 300 Color Photographs
ISBN 978-0-9844035-0-9
$29.95

Fresh Peach Pie

5 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons tapioca
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash of salt
1 tablespoon butter, cut into bits
pastry for a 2–crust 9–inch pie
1 teaspoon sugar

Mix the peaches, 3/4 cup sugar, tapioca, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, and butter. Roll out half the pastry and line a 9–inch pie man with it.

Pour in the peach mixture and cover with the rest of the pastry. Seal, flute the edges, prick with a fork, and brush lightly with cold water. Sprinkle the crust with the 1 teaspoon sugar. Back at 400 °F on the lowest oven rack for 40 to 50 minutes.

Serves 8.

Pepper Stir-Fry

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups red, yellow, and/or green bell peppers, cut into bite-size strips
1/2 cup chopped mixed hot peppers
1/2 cup chopped sweet banana peppers
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper, and set aside. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over high heat for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the peppers and onion and cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook and stir until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Add the soy sauce mixture to the skillet and cook and stir to coat the vegetables. Transfer the mixture to a serving dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Serves 6.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

BASIL LIME BUTTER

1/4 cup lightly packed basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of sugar

CORN

8 ears sweet corn (with husks)

Basil lime butter: In a food processor, pulse the basil and garlic until chopped. Add the butter, lime juice, salt, and sugar and process just until smooth. Transfer to a container and refrigerate.

Corn: Remove the thick, dark, outer husks and peel back the lighter inner husks, but don't remove. Discard the silk. Brush the corn with the basil lime butter. Fold the inner husks back over the kernels and tie them with butcher's string.

Grill corn over direct high heat for about 20 minutes, turning 1/4 turn every 5 minutes.

To serve, peel back the husks and remove them.

Serves 4.

Beer-Battered Soft Crabs

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup beer
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 fresh soft-shell crabs, cleaned and dressed
peanut oil for frying

In a medium bowl,. combine the flour, cornstarch, water, beer, pepper, oil, baking powder, and saalt, and mix well. Dip the crabs into the batter and fry in hot oil until golden brown.

Serves 4.