I’ve been a fan of the cheddar-apple pie combination for many years now and I often make my apple pies with a cheddar cheese crust. Somehow, I’d never considered doing the same for peach pies.
I made this simple pie for a Labor Day crab feast and my family raved about it – despite the fact that I kinda burned the crust. All this is to say, this is a surprisingly forgiving recipe.
The recipe was contributed by Mrs. Kenneth B. Millett to “A Cook’s Tour of the Eastern Shore,” a 1948 community cookbook benefiting the Memorial Hospital of Easton Md. The book contains over 400 handwritten recipes, and includes Eastern Shore wisdom on seafood and game.
“Dolphin,” a boat built by Kenneth B. Millett, on the Chesapeake Bay
A recipe for a crab feast instructs the cook to set the table while the crabs are steaming:
“Spread a table with a thick layer of newspapers. Provide each guest with a paring knife, nut cracker or heavy handled knife to break claws. Paper towels and beer. Every man for himself now.“
Later in the book is some advice on wild ducks:
“Maryland hunters divide ducks into two groups: those you eat, and Trash ducks. You eat Trash ducks too, but there is some difference in the cooking process.”
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Millet were originally from New England, but during their years in Trappe, Maryland, they assimilated into the Eastern Shore way of life. This is partially due to Kenneth’s lifelong experience in sailing and boat-building. Millett had been in the office of the Supervisor of Shipbuilder’s at Annapolis during World War II. The position involved frequent travel to Oxford and Cambridge (Maryland), and the family settled there after the war.
Kenneth Millett operated the “Island Creek Boat Shop,” building yachts, sailboats, cruise boats, and racing boats. In 1951, Millett was recalled to duty for the Navy’s Bureau of Ships in Washington DC. For the two years that he held that position, he commuted to DC each day – by plane.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find as much about Mrs. Millett (as usual). She was born Alice Eleanor Heckman in Buffalo, NY, in 1916. When the Milletts lived on the Eastern Shore, Alice was a teacher at the Easton Country School, and later, at the Friends Academy in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Her other recipe contributions to “A Cook’s Tour of the Eastern Shore” are for a Jellied Ham Loaf and an icebox cake.
Images from Hurricane Carol August 31, 1954, https://www.westislandweather.com
In 1954, Hurricane Carol hit Connecticut and Rhode Island, causing $462 million dollars in damage and claiming 72 lives. One of those lives was Kenneth Millet, who was swept off of his 36-foot cutter “Misty.” A report of his death in the Easton Star Democrat relayed the shock of the “local yachting circles.” Kenneth Millett, the article reported, “was one of the most competent and experienced sailors to settle in Talbot County.” The severity of the storm had not been fully predicted, and Kenneth was caught off guard by the 108 mph winds and 18-foot tide rise.
Alice Millett died in St. Petersburg Florida in 1996. In 1991, she wrote to the Tampa Bay Times to make sure the newspaper delivery bags were recyclable. “Otherwise – for shame!,” the letter declared. She was 75 at the time. I may not know much about Alice Millett but I know we shared an urge to recycle and – now – an appreciation for peach pie served with “snappy cheese.”
Recipe:
- 1 unbaked, 9″ pie crust
- 4-6 peaches
- .5 Cup sugar
- .125 Teaspoon cinnamon
- .5 Cup sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- .5 Cup grated “snappy” cheese
Line pyrex pie pan with pastry. Cut peaches in eighths or leave in halves. Arrange in pastry lined pan Mix the sugar, flour and cinnamon and cream. Pour mixture over the peaches. Sprinkle the cheese over peaches and bake at 425° 40-50 minutes. (Variation – substitute apples for peaches.)
Recipe from “A Cook’s Tour of the Eastern Shore”
