It’s nearly August and that means raspberries are ready. Although raspberries, sugared, are a favorite, raspberry shortcake comes next. Serve the cake plain or with a baked meringue or with cream.

Raspberry Shortcake 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar Sugar to sweeten berries, as needed 1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup milk 1/3 cup shortening 1 quart (or more) raspberries Cream, egg whites for meringue

Mix and sift the flour, salt, baking powder and 2 tablespoons sugar into a bowl. Cut in shortening as for biscuits. Beat egg slightly, mix with the milk and add to the flour mixture. Mix and pat the dough to about 1/2-inch in thickness. Cut with a 3-inch cutter or in squares and bake on greased baking sheet at 450 F for 15 minutes or until done. Cool slightly; split each hot biscuit and butter the cut surfaces. Top with crushed and sweetened raspberries; top with other half of biscuit and top with more berries. Add desired topping on berries.

If there is weeding to do in the garden or vegetables to pick, a pot roast of beef is a good meat to cook. It should be cooked slowly at a low temperature and kept tightly covered in a heavy Dutch oven or iron frypan with a tight cover. The vegetables may be added at the last of the cooking to get the flavor of the meat or a blend of flavors.

Pot Roast of Beef 4 1/2 pounds boneless chuck or rump roast 3 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 clove of garlic, if desired 3 tablespoons oil or shortening 1 onion, quartered 1 teaspoon dried herb mixture for beef 1 cup boiling water.

Combine the flour, salt, pepper and herb mixture for beef. (Many markets have herb mixtures for different meats.) We use garlic powder or the cloves of garlic in pot roast. Rub the meat thoroughly with the flour mixture. Heat the oil or shortening in a heavy frypan or baking dish which has a heavy cover. Brown the meat in the hot oil or shortening, turning to brown all sides. Lower the heat and add the onion slices and other seasonings. Cover the frypan with the heavy cover. If desired, a cup of hot water or a beef bouillon cube dissolved in the hot water may be added.

We cook on very low heat for about 3 hours, turning the meat a few times. Potatoes, carrots or other vegetables may be added the last half hour of cooking.

To have the coffee cake served hot to go with a meal, we package the dry ingredients, mixed, sifted and ready to add the stick of margarine, the buttermilk and eggs plus the right size pan for baking. It takes but a few minutes to prepare and bake while the coffee brews. It’s best served warm and buttered from the oven, although it is tasty split and toasted for another meal.

Blueberry Coffee Cake 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup shortening, butter or margarine 2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk 1 1/2 cups fresh, frozen or canned blueberries

Mix and sift the dry ingredients into a bowl; cut in the shortening as for biscuits. Mix the buttermilk and slightly beaten eggs; add to dry ingredients and stir to form a soft dough. (It may take two or three more tablespoons of the buttermilk, according to the size of the eggs.) Stir in blueberries. Frozen blueberries do not need to be defrosted. Bake in a greased 7 1/2-by-11 1/2-inch pan at 375 F for 30 to 35 minutes.

Have you tried adding honey mixed with melted butter to fish before baking it? The family may enjoy this way of preparing fish.

Honey of a Haddock 1 1/2 pounds haddock 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 2 teaspoons honey 1/3 cup dried bread crumbs

In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the honey. Place fish in a greased baking dish and drizzle the mixture over the fish. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the fish. Bake in a moderate oven, 350 F for about 25 minutes, or until the fish flakes when tested with a fork. This recipe makes 4 servings of about 6 ounces each. Serve with boiled new potatoes and fresh peas. A Raspberry Shortcake is suggested as dessert.

This is a cold dish to serve with any meal. It may be plain or cut-up vegetables may be added when the aspic is almost set. It may be poured into molds or a pan to be cut into desired sizes.

Richard’s Tomato

and Vegetable Aspic 1 1/2 cups tomato juice 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 3 tablespoons chopped onion 4 stalks celery, chopped 2 cups V-8 juice

1/2 teaspoon paprika 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground bay leaf 1 teaspoon dried basil

In a kettle, combine all ingredients (except any cut fresh ones you may wish to be used in the jelled aspic). Simmer the mixture for 30 minutes; strain. While waiting, soften 2 packages plain gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water. Combine the soaked gelatin with the strained juice. If necessary, add V-8 juice to make 4 cups. Pour into 4- or 6-cup mold. If cut vegetables are added to jell in the aspic, stir them in when aspic is almost set. Set until jelled.

Brownie Schrumpf of Orono has been the NEWS recipe columnist for 38 years.