Vegetables

The first wealth is health.—Emerson.Vegetarians suffer little from thirst.—Hygienic Review.Let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.—Daniel.Sir Isaac Newton, when writing his great work, “Principia,” lived wholly upon a vegetable diet.Body and mind are much influenced by the kind of food habitually depended upon.—O. W. Holmes.

The first wealth is health.—Emerson.

Vegetarians suffer little from thirst.—Hygienic Review.

Let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.—Daniel.

Sir Isaac Newton, when writing his great work, “Principia,” lived wholly upon a vegetable diet.

Body and mind are much influenced by the kind of food habitually depended upon.—O. W. Holmes.

Leaf seperator

Whilenot furnishing the most nutritious diet, vegetables contain many nutritive elements in moderate degree, are rich in mineral substances, and being composed largely of water, perfectly supply many of the needs of the human system. Such vegetables, however, as peas, beans, and lentils, properly termed legumes, are highly nutritious. They are commonly understood to be of the nature of the “pulse” upon which Daniel the prophet subsisted in preference to the king’s meat. While an exclusive diet of ordinary vegetables might fail to give sufficient nourishment to meet the demands of the entire system, their use is valuable in furnishing it with a large quantity of organic fluids, and in giving bulk to the food. It is best to combine their use with other foods, such as grains, which supply the qualities lacking in the vegetables.

Only fresh vegetables should be used. Those which are stale can not be made wholesome and palatable by cooking. Their use imperils the health of the family, and is liable to cause serious illness. Herein lies an advantage in having one’s own garden.

Care should be taken not to cook vegetables too much or too little. They should be neither overdone nor underdone, but “just right.” Cooking vegetables, grains, and fruits is advantageous, as it bursts the particles of starch, and thus renders them more easy of digestion.

While cooking vegetables, a good, steady fire should be kept up, and the kettle kept full of hot water for replenishing.

Never replenish with cold water, but always with hot.

A good rule to follow in cooking vegetables is to put to cook in hot water all vegetables that require to have the water drained off when done, and in cold water those that are to retain it.

All green vegetables, such as spinach, cabbage, etc., should be put to cook in boiling, salted water; the dry vegetables, such as, potatoes, carrots, beans, split peas, and lentils should be cooked in unsalted water. About a tablespoonful of salt should generally be allowed to a gallon of water, or one third of a teaspoonful to every pint of cooked vegetables.

In washing potatoes, a coarse cloth or brush may be used to advantage. If to be baked, they should be wiped dry before placing in the oven.

It is a matter of both economy and improvement to pare potatoes very thin, as much of the mealiest and most nutritious portion lies next to the skin.

As each potato is pared, it should be dropped into a pan of clean, cold water; if allowed to fall back amongthe parings, the potatoes will be dark and discolored when cooked.

Potatoes should never be allowed to remain in the water in which they have boiled after they are done. It should be drained off immediately to prevent their becoming soggy and water-soaked. If given a few vigorous shakes, which allows the steam to escape, they will be much more dry and mealy.

Old potatoes, in the spring, should be allowed to stand in cold water for an hour before paring, to reabsorb the moisture they have lost through evaporation.

In baking potatoes the oven should be hot when they are put in, and the temperature increased rather than diminished afterward.

Only dry, ripe, mealy potatoes are good baked.

Onions should be boiled in two waters, first for about fifteen minutes with cold water put on, then drained off, and boiling, salted water added to finish.

To peel tomatoes readily, first pour over them a little scalding water. This also applies to plums.

Leaf separator

BOILED POTATOES (without skins)SaucepanWash, pare thin, and drop into cold water to prevent discoloring. If not of a uniform size, cut the larger ones in two. Put to cook in only enough boiling water to prevent burning; cook gently from twenty to thirty minutes; when done, drain off all the water, place over the fire for a moment, then give the saucepan a vigorous shake, cover with a coarse cloth, and set on the back of the range to dry.Large quantities of potatoes are best cooked by steaming over boiling water.BOILED POTATOES (with skins)Select potatoes of even size; wash clean with a cloth or brush, and remove the eyes and specks with a knife; put tocook in a small quantity of boiling water; drain when tender, and place the saucepan on the back of the range to dry; remove the skins and serve. Potatoes are best cooked in this way. Serve in an open vegetable dish.BAKED POTATOESChoose smooth potatoes of uniform size, wash well, being careful to clean the eyes. Dry with a cloth, and bake in ahotoven; in a slow oven the skins become thick and hard. Serve as soon as done, in an open dish; if covered, they will become soggy. Baked potatoes are very wholesome, and make a good breakfast dish.MASHED POTATOESPotato MasherWash, pare, and boil the same as boiled potatoes. When they can be readily pierced with a fork, drain thoroughly; return to the range and mash, using the potato masher vigorously for five or ten minutes, until they are light, smooth, and creamy in appearance. A wire potato masher does the work most satisfactorily. Have warmed in a saucepan a half cupful of cream or milk, adding a small piece of butter if milk is used, a teaspoonful of salt, and the well-beaten white of one egg; beat this into the potatoes until they are very light. Put lightly into a warm dish, but do not press down, and serve at once. If desired, the egg may be omitted. Very nice served with cream sauce or brown sauce.STEAMED SLICED POTATOESWash, pare, and slice several medium-sized potatoes very thin. Have in a frying-pan a small piece of butter and a half cup of hot water, put in the potatoes, season with salt, cover closely, and set on the back of the range to cook slowly. Stir up a little occasionally. A few thinly sliced onions may be used with the potatoes if desired.WARMED-UP POTATOESCut cold boiled potatoes into thin slices; heat a little milk to boiling in a saucepan; put in the potatoes, and season with salt to taste. Let boil a few minutes and serve. If desired, the milk may be slightly thickened with a little flour blended in a little cold milk.POTATO PUFFTake two cupfuls of hot, seasoned, mashed potatoes, and moisten well with hot milk or cream. Beat the yolks and whites of two eggs separately; allow the potatoes to cool slightly, then beat in the eggs, the yolks first. Turn at onceinto an oiled, shallow tin; do not smooth or press them down, but leave in a rocky form. Bake about ten minutes, or till a delicate brown.LYONNAISE POTATOESCut into dice enough cold boiled potatoes to make one pint, brown to a golden yellow a spoonful each of butter or oil and minced onion. Add the potatoes, season with salt, and stir with a fork till a delicate brown, being careful not to break them. Add a spoonful of chopped parsley, and serve hot.NEW POTATOESIf new and fresh, the skins may be easily scraped off with a knife, or rubbed off with a coarse cloth. Cook in a little water, drain, and serve; or, when done, drain, pour some rich, sweet milk over them, let it heat to boiling, then thicken with a little flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk, allowing a tablespoonful of flour to a pint of milk, and season with salt. A few green peas cooked with new potatoes and thus dressed make a very acceptable dish.POTATOES WITH CREAMPare, and cut as many as desired into small cubes; put into boiling water and cook from fifteen to twenty minutes; when done, drain off all the water, let dry a few minutes over the fire, then add a little salt, a cup of thin cream, and a little chopped parsley; simmer for two or three minutes, and serve at once.BAKED SWEET POTATOESChoose those of uniform size, wash thoroughly, removing any imperfect spots, wipe dry, and place in a moderately hot oven; bake for about an hour if the potatoes are rather large. Small potatoes are better steamed than baked. Send to the table as soon as done, after removing the skins.BOILED SWEET POTATOESWash well, put into cold water with the skins on, and boil until easily pierced with a fork; drain, remove the skins, and place in the oven to dry for five or ten minutes; serve in a hot, open dish.BROWNED SWEET POTATOESTake cold, boiled sweet potatoes, peel, cut into halves, place on shallow buttered tins, and brown in a hot oven.ROASTED SWEET POTATOESWash, wipe dry, wrap with thin paper, and cover first with hot ashes, then with live coals. Turn occasionally. The coalsmay need renewing several times. When done, remove the ashes with a brush, wipe with a dry cloth, and serve. Sweet potatoes are nicer and more mealy when prepared in this way.YAMSPrepare the same as roasted sweet potatoes or baked sweet potatoes. Boiling them is thought to quite spoil their flavor.STEWED TOMATOESTake nice, fresh tomatoes, pour boiling water over them, remove the skins, slice into a granite saucepan, add a cupful of water, and stew from twenty to thirty minutes. Then add salt, butter, and a half cup of bread or cracker crumbs, or slightly thicken with cornstarch, blended with a little cold water. Sugar may be added if desired.BAKED TOMATOESSelect smooth, even-sized, ripe tomatoes. Peel, remove the stems, and place in an earthen pudding dish; season with a little salt and butter or cream, and bake in a rather hot oven for half an hour.TOMATOES AND MACARONIColanderPut to cook one-half cup of macaroni broken into inch pieces into three cups of boiling water; boil for about an hour, or until perfectly tender, adding more water if necessary. When done, put into a pudding dish, and pour over two cups of stewed tomatoes previously rubbed through a colander. Add a little salt, a few bits of butter, a half cup of sweet cream, and bake in the oven till done. If the tomatoes are quite juicy, a teaspoonful of flour may be used for thickening.SCALLOPED TOMATOESCan Opener.Take one quart of stewed fresh or canned tomatoes, rub through a colander, and thicken with a cupful of bread or cracker crumbs; add a little salt, a few spoonfuls of cream, and bake for twenty or thirty minutes.BOILED BEANSPick over, wash, and soak two cupfuls of beans overnight in cold water. In the morning drain, and put to cook in hot water. Cook slowly for two or three hours, or until perfectly tender, adding more hot water as needed, as they should be quite juicy when done; avoid much stirring. Season with salt and a littlebutter or cream. Colored beans having too strong a flavor may be improved by parboiling for fifteen minutes, then draining, and putting to cook in fresh boiling water.BOILED BEANS WITH RICEWash and soak two cupfuls of beans in cold water overnight; in the morning put to cook, and after about an hour add one-half cup of well-washed rice. Cook slowly until done, season as above, and serve.BAKED BEANSTake two cupfuls of beans, pick over, wash, soak overnight, and cook the same as boiled beans. When done, add a little butter and salt, and two tablespoonfuls of molasses; turn into a pudding dish, and bake until nicely browned. A little hot water should be added occasionally to prevent their becoming too dry.BAKED GREEN BEANS AND CORNShell the beans, and cut the sweet corn from the cob. Put layers of each in equal quantities in a bean pot or pan, seasoning with salt and butter. Add boiling water to cover, and bake in the oven for about two hours, adding more hot water as it becomes absorbed.MASHED BEANSSoak overnight two cupfuls of beans, and cook the same as boiled beans. When very tender, and the water nearly absorbed, rub through a colander to remove the skins; add half a cup of cream or of rich, sweet milk and a little butter; put into a shallow dish, smooth the top with a knife or spoon, and place in the oven to brown.STRING BEANSWash, break off each end, stripping the strong fibers from end to end. Cut or break into inch lengths, and put to cook in enough boiling, slightly salted water to cover. Cook from one to two hours, or until very tender, the length of time required depending upon the age and variety of the beans. The water should be quite absorbed when done. Add a little milk and butter if cream is not available. Let come to a boil, and serve.SPLIT PEASLook over carefully, wash, and put to cook in a good quantity of cold water. Let come to a boil, then simmer until tender and the water quite absorbed. Press through a colander if desired to remove the skins, season with salt, and cream or butter, and serve.GREEN PEASShell, and put to cook in boiling, slightly salted water, allowing one cupful of water to every four cups of peas. If they are old, and need longer cooking, add more water if necessary. Cover, and cook rather slowly till tender. About thirty minutes’ cooking for fresh, young peas will be found sufficient. When done, pour over a cupful of sweet milk, heat to boiling, and thicken with a little flour. Season with a little salt, and a spoonful of cream or a small piece of butter.LENTILSCook, season, and serve the same as split peas, only less water and less time for cooking will be required.BAKED RICETake one cupful of rice, wash well by turning into a colander and dipping in and out of warm water, put into a pudding dish, and pour over four cupfuls of milk, or two each of milk and water, adding a little salt. Bake about an hour, stirring once or twice before the top becomes hard. Serve as a vegetable with lentil sauce.PLAIN BOILED RICEWash thoroughly one cupful of rice, and sprinkle it slowly into a granite saucepan containing two or three quarts of rapidly boiling, slightly salted water. If the grains sink to the bottom, stir gently until they keep in motion themselves. Boil rapidly, without covering, for thirty minutes, or until soft; then drain through a colander and rinse with hot water to remove all starch. The grains should be separate and distinct from one another. It may be served with a tomato sauce. Seepage 77.SPAGHETTI WITH TOMATO SAUCEBreak in pieces and cook in boiling, salted water, or cook whole by dipping the ends in the hot water, and as they bend, coil them around in the saucepan. Cook for twenty or thirty minutes, or until soft, then drain, rinse with hot water to remove starch if it is sticky, turn into a dish and pour over a hot tomato sauce, made as directed onpage 77.STEWED CAULIFLOWERCarefully separate into small portions; examine closely to make sure there are no insects on it; let stand a short time in cold water, then put into boiling, salted water, and cook from twenty to forty minutes, or until tender. Drain, season with a little butter or cream, or serve with cream sauce poured over it.CAULIFLOWER WITH TOMATO SAUCECook the same as stewed cauliflower. When done, drain, turn into a dish, and pour over it a hot tomato sauce.STEWED CABBAGERemove the outer leaves, divide into halves, cut very fine with a sharp knife, omitting the heart. Put into a saucepan with a half cup of boiling water, add a little salt, cover closely, and cook until tender, adding a little more hot water, if it becomes too dry before it is done. When done, add a few spoonfuls of cream, allow to heat, and serve.BOILED CABBAGERemove the outer leaves, place in cold water for half an hour, then quarter, and put to cook in boiling water, adding a little salt. Boil vigorously for about thirty minutes; turn into a colander, remove the heart and coarse portions, press out all the water, return to the saucepan, and season with butter or cream; allow to heat, and serve on a hot dish at once.BOILED CELERYTake one bunch of celery, cut off tops and roots, scrape and wash the stalks, then cut them into small pieces, and put to cook in boiling water. Let cook for fifteen or twenty minutes, or until tender; drain, turn into a heated dish, and pour over a cream sauce. For making cream sauce seepage 77.STEWED ASPARAGUSWash, break into small pieces, and cook from twenty to thirty minutes in just enough water to cover; when tender, drain, add a little butter and salt and a cup of milk; let come to a boil, and thicken with a teaspoonful of flour. Boil up and serve.BOILED CARROTSSelect small or medium-sized carrots, wash, scrape, rinse in cold water, then put to cook in boiling water; cook about thirty minutes, or until tender, then drain. Serve as boiled, or slice them into a heated vegetable dish, and pour over them a cream sauce prepared as directed onpage 77.BOILED PARSNIPSPrepare and cook the same as boiled carrots.BAKED PARSNIPSWash, scrape, rinse, divide in halves, add a little more than enough boiling water to cook them, and boil slowly until tender; place in a shallow dish, pour over the juice that remains, add a little salt, a spoonful or two of cream, and place in the oven until nicely browned, basting occasionally.STEWED TURNIPSPare the turnips, cut into slices, and cook until perfectly tender; then drain, mash fine with a spoon or potato masher, season with salt, a little butter or cream if desired, and serve.SLICED CUCUMBERSPare the cucumbers, slice them very thin into a dish, sprinkle with salt, cover loosely, and shake briskly to distribute the salt; let stand for about half an hour; then drain off all the water, and shortly before serving pour over the juice of one or two lemons. A spoonful or two of cream may be added if desired. Cucumbers should be thoroughly masticated. Their reputed indigestibility is largely due to a failure in this particular.BOILED ONIONSCut off the tops and bottoms, remove the outer skins, and put to cook in cold water; boil fifteen minutes; then drain, and cook in boiling, salted water until tender; turn into a pudding dish, and cut into small pieces; pour over a cupful of hot cream sauce, sprinkle the top with bread crumbs, and bake until brown. For making cream sauce seepage 77.BAKED SQUASHCut into sections, and place shell downward on the top shelf of the oven. Bake until tender, and serve hot in the shell; or, scrape out the inside, mash, add a few spoonfuls of cream or a little butter, and serve.STEWED SQUASHPeel, remove seeds, cut into small pieces, and stew until tender in a little boiling water; drain, mash smooth, and season with butter and salt. Vegetable marrows may be prepared in the same manner.SUCCOTASHSoak one cupful of beans overnight. When ready to cook, add water and one cupful of dried sweet corn, and cook until tender. Season with salt, a little cream or butter, and serve. If green sweet corn is used, do not add it to the beans until they are nearly done.BOILED SWEET CORNSelect full-grown ears, not old and hard, but full of milk; remove the husks and silks, and put to cook in enough boiling,salted water to cover. Boil from thirty to forty minutes; when done, drain, and serve on the cob hot, with a little butter if desired. The corn from ears not eaten may be cut from the cob and warmed up with a little cream or butter for the next meal.STEWED SWEET CORNRemove husks and silks, stand the ears in a dish, and with a sharp knife cut off the corn from the top downward, taking a little more than half of the kernel in depth; then scrape gently downward to get the remainder of the milk and meat of each kernel. Place in a saucepan, add half a cup of water for each quart of corn, and cook for fifteen or twenty minutes. When done, add a little salt, a half cup of cream, or a cup of milk and a little butter, boil up and serve. The milk may be slightly thickened with flour, if desired.BAKED BEETSTake young, tender beets, wash clean, place in a baking dish with a little water, and bake from one to two hours, or until tender; add a little hot water occasionally if they become dry. When done, remove the skins, slice, and serve with lemon-juice.BOILED BEETSCut off the tops, but avoid cutting the beets; put to cook in boiling water. When tender, remove to a pan of cold water; rub off the skins with the hands, slice thin, and serve with lemon-juice.BEET GREENSTake the tops from young, tender beets, look over, put to cook in boiling, slightly salted water, and cook until tender; then drain in a colander; chop rather fine, and serve with lemon-juice.SPINACHLook over carefully a good quantity of spinach, rejecting all wilted and decayed leaves. Wash thoroughly in several waters, and put to cook in slightly salted, boiling water, and boil from twenty to thirty minutes. When tender, drain in a colander, cut into coarse pieces, and put into a warm dish; add a few bits of butter, and garnish with slices of hard-boiled eggs. Serve with lemon-juice.CELERYRemove all the green and decayed parts from the stalks, and put into cold water. When ready to serve, place in a celery glass with the small ends downward. Curl the tops by cutting into narrow strips a little way down. Celery is recommended as a good nerve food.

Saucepan

Wash, pare thin, and drop into cold water to prevent discoloring. If not of a uniform size, cut the larger ones in two. Put to cook in only enough boiling water to prevent burning; cook gently from twenty to thirty minutes; when done, drain off all the water, place over the fire for a moment, then give the saucepan a vigorous shake, cover with a coarse cloth, and set on the back of the range to dry.

Large quantities of potatoes are best cooked by steaming over boiling water.

Select potatoes of even size; wash clean with a cloth or brush, and remove the eyes and specks with a knife; put tocook in a small quantity of boiling water; drain when tender, and place the saucepan on the back of the range to dry; remove the skins and serve. Potatoes are best cooked in this way. Serve in an open vegetable dish.

Choose smooth potatoes of uniform size, wash well, being careful to clean the eyes. Dry with a cloth, and bake in ahotoven; in a slow oven the skins become thick and hard. Serve as soon as done, in an open dish; if covered, they will become soggy. Baked potatoes are very wholesome, and make a good breakfast dish.

Potato Masher

Wash, pare, and boil the same as boiled potatoes. When they can be readily pierced with a fork, drain thoroughly; return to the range and mash, using the potato masher vigorously for five or ten minutes, until they are light, smooth, and creamy in appearance. A wire potato masher does the work most satisfactorily. Have warmed in a saucepan a half cupful of cream or milk, adding a small piece of butter if milk is used, a teaspoonful of salt, and the well-beaten white of one egg; beat this into the potatoes until they are very light. Put lightly into a warm dish, but do not press down, and serve at once. If desired, the egg may be omitted. Very nice served with cream sauce or brown sauce.

Wash, pare, and slice several medium-sized potatoes very thin. Have in a frying-pan a small piece of butter and a half cup of hot water, put in the potatoes, season with salt, cover closely, and set on the back of the range to cook slowly. Stir up a little occasionally. A few thinly sliced onions may be used with the potatoes if desired.

Cut cold boiled potatoes into thin slices; heat a little milk to boiling in a saucepan; put in the potatoes, and season with salt to taste. Let boil a few minutes and serve. If desired, the milk may be slightly thickened with a little flour blended in a little cold milk.

Take two cupfuls of hot, seasoned, mashed potatoes, and moisten well with hot milk or cream. Beat the yolks and whites of two eggs separately; allow the potatoes to cool slightly, then beat in the eggs, the yolks first. Turn at onceinto an oiled, shallow tin; do not smooth or press them down, but leave in a rocky form. Bake about ten minutes, or till a delicate brown.

Cut into dice enough cold boiled potatoes to make one pint, brown to a golden yellow a spoonful each of butter or oil and minced onion. Add the potatoes, season with salt, and stir with a fork till a delicate brown, being careful not to break them. Add a spoonful of chopped parsley, and serve hot.

If new and fresh, the skins may be easily scraped off with a knife, or rubbed off with a coarse cloth. Cook in a little water, drain, and serve; or, when done, drain, pour some rich, sweet milk over them, let it heat to boiling, then thicken with a little flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk, allowing a tablespoonful of flour to a pint of milk, and season with salt. A few green peas cooked with new potatoes and thus dressed make a very acceptable dish.

Pare, and cut as many as desired into small cubes; put into boiling water and cook from fifteen to twenty minutes; when done, drain off all the water, let dry a few minutes over the fire, then add a little salt, a cup of thin cream, and a little chopped parsley; simmer for two or three minutes, and serve at once.

Choose those of uniform size, wash thoroughly, removing any imperfect spots, wipe dry, and place in a moderately hot oven; bake for about an hour if the potatoes are rather large. Small potatoes are better steamed than baked. Send to the table as soon as done, after removing the skins.

Wash well, put into cold water with the skins on, and boil until easily pierced with a fork; drain, remove the skins, and place in the oven to dry for five or ten minutes; serve in a hot, open dish.

Take cold, boiled sweet potatoes, peel, cut into halves, place on shallow buttered tins, and brown in a hot oven.

Wash, wipe dry, wrap with thin paper, and cover first with hot ashes, then with live coals. Turn occasionally. The coalsmay need renewing several times. When done, remove the ashes with a brush, wipe with a dry cloth, and serve. Sweet potatoes are nicer and more mealy when prepared in this way.

Prepare the same as roasted sweet potatoes or baked sweet potatoes. Boiling them is thought to quite spoil their flavor.

Take nice, fresh tomatoes, pour boiling water over them, remove the skins, slice into a granite saucepan, add a cupful of water, and stew from twenty to thirty minutes. Then add salt, butter, and a half cup of bread or cracker crumbs, or slightly thicken with cornstarch, blended with a little cold water. Sugar may be added if desired.

Select smooth, even-sized, ripe tomatoes. Peel, remove the stems, and place in an earthen pudding dish; season with a little salt and butter or cream, and bake in a rather hot oven for half an hour.

Colander

Put to cook one-half cup of macaroni broken into inch pieces into three cups of boiling water; boil for about an hour, or until perfectly tender, adding more water if necessary. When done, put into a pudding dish, and pour over two cups of stewed tomatoes previously rubbed through a colander. Add a little salt, a few bits of butter, a half cup of sweet cream, and bake in the oven till done. If the tomatoes are quite juicy, a teaspoonful of flour may be used for thickening.

Can Opener.

Take one quart of stewed fresh or canned tomatoes, rub through a colander, and thicken with a cupful of bread or cracker crumbs; add a little salt, a few spoonfuls of cream, and bake for twenty or thirty minutes.

Pick over, wash, and soak two cupfuls of beans overnight in cold water. In the morning drain, and put to cook in hot water. Cook slowly for two or three hours, or until perfectly tender, adding more hot water as needed, as they should be quite juicy when done; avoid much stirring. Season with salt and a littlebutter or cream. Colored beans having too strong a flavor may be improved by parboiling for fifteen minutes, then draining, and putting to cook in fresh boiling water.

Wash and soak two cupfuls of beans in cold water overnight; in the morning put to cook, and after about an hour add one-half cup of well-washed rice. Cook slowly until done, season as above, and serve.

Take two cupfuls of beans, pick over, wash, soak overnight, and cook the same as boiled beans. When done, add a little butter and salt, and two tablespoonfuls of molasses; turn into a pudding dish, and bake until nicely browned. A little hot water should be added occasionally to prevent their becoming too dry.

Shell the beans, and cut the sweet corn from the cob. Put layers of each in equal quantities in a bean pot or pan, seasoning with salt and butter. Add boiling water to cover, and bake in the oven for about two hours, adding more hot water as it becomes absorbed.

Soak overnight two cupfuls of beans, and cook the same as boiled beans. When very tender, and the water nearly absorbed, rub through a colander to remove the skins; add half a cup of cream or of rich, sweet milk and a little butter; put into a shallow dish, smooth the top with a knife or spoon, and place in the oven to brown.

Wash, break off each end, stripping the strong fibers from end to end. Cut or break into inch lengths, and put to cook in enough boiling, slightly salted water to cover. Cook from one to two hours, or until very tender, the length of time required depending upon the age and variety of the beans. The water should be quite absorbed when done. Add a little milk and butter if cream is not available. Let come to a boil, and serve.

Look over carefully, wash, and put to cook in a good quantity of cold water. Let come to a boil, then simmer until tender and the water quite absorbed. Press through a colander if desired to remove the skins, season with salt, and cream or butter, and serve.

Shell, and put to cook in boiling, slightly salted water, allowing one cupful of water to every four cups of peas. If they are old, and need longer cooking, add more water if necessary. Cover, and cook rather slowly till tender. About thirty minutes’ cooking for fresh, young peas will be found sufficient. When done, pour over a cupful of sweet milk, heat to boiling, and thicken with a little flour. Season with a little salt, and a spoonful of cream or a small piece of butter.

Cook, season, and serve the same as split peas, only less water and less time for cooking will be required.

Take one cupful of rice, wash well by turning into a colander and dipping in and out of warm water, put into a pudding dish, and pour over four cupfuls of milk, or two each of milk and water, adding a little salt. Bake about an hour, stirring once or twice before the top becomes hard. Serve as a vegetable with lentil sauce.

Wash thoroughly one cupful of rice, and sprinkle it slowly into a granite saucepan containing two or three quarts of rapidly boiling, slightly salted water. If the grains sink to the bottom, stir gently until they keep in motion themselves. Boil rapidly, without covering, for thirty minutes, or until soft; then drain through a colander and rinse with hot water to remove all starch. The grains should be separate and distinct from one another. It may be served with a tomato sauce. Seepage 77.

Break in pieces and cook in boiling, salted water, or cook whole by dipping the ends in the hot water, and as they bend, coil them around in the saucepan. Cook for twenty or thirty minutes, or until soft, then drain, rinse with hot water to remove starch if it is sticky, turn into a dish and pour over a hot tomato sauce, made as directed onpage 77.

Carefully separate into small portions; examine closely to make sure there are no insects on it; let stand a short time in cold water, then put into boiling, salted water, and cook from twenty to forty minutes, or until tender. Drain, season with a little butter or cream, or serve with cream sauce poured over it.

Cook the same as stewed cauliflower. When done, drain, turn into a dish, and pour over it a hot tomato sauce.

Remove the outer leaves, divide into halves, cut very fine with a sharp knife, omitting the heart. Put into a saucepan with a half cup of boiling water, add a little salt, cover closely, and cook until tender, adding a little more hot water, if it becomes too dry before it is done. When done, add a few spoonfuls of cream, allow to heat, and serve.

Remove the outer leaves, place in cold water for half an hour, then quarter, and put to cook in boiling water, adding a little salt. Boil vigorously for about thirty minutes; turn into a colander, remove the heart and coarse portions, press out all the water, return to the saucepan, and season with butter or cream; allow to heat, and serve on a hot dish at once.

Take one bunch of celery, cut off tops and roots, scrape and wash the stalks, then cut them into small pieces, and put to cook in boiling water. Let cook for fifteen or twenty minutes, or until tender; drain, turn into a heated dish, and pour over a cream sauce. For making cream sauce seepage 77.

Wash, break into small pieces, and cook from twenty to thirty minutes in just enough water to cover; when tender, drain, add a little butter and salt and a cup of milk; let come to a boil, and thicken with a teaspoonful of flour. Boil up and serve.

Select small or medium-sized carrots, wash, scrape, rinse in cold water, then put to cook in boiling water; cook about thirty minutes, or until tender, then drain. Serve as boiled, or slice them into a heated vegetable dish, and pour over them a cream sauce prepared as directed onpage 77.

Prepare and cook the same as boiled carrots.

Wash, scrape, rinse, divide in halves, add a little more than enough boiling water to cook them, and boil slowly until tender; place in a shallow dish, pour over the juice that remains, add a little salt, a spoonful or two of cream, and place in the oven until nicely browned, basting occasionally.

Pare the turnips, cut into slices, and cook until perfectly tender; then drain, mash fine with a spoon or potato masher, season with salt, a little butter or cream if desired, and serve.

Pare the cucumbers, slice them very thin into a dish, sprinkle with salt, cover loosely, and shake briskly to distribute the salt; let stand for about half an hour; then drain off all the water, and shortly before serving pour over the juice of one or two lemons. A spoonful or two of cream may be added if desired. Cucumbers should be thoroughly masticated. Their reputed indigestibility is largely due to a failure in this particular.

Cut off the tops and bottoms, remove the outer skins, and put to cook in cold water; boil fifteen minutes; then drain, and cook in boiling, salted water until tender; turn into a pudding dish, and cut into small pieces; pour over a cupful of hot cream sauce, sprinkle the top with bread crumbs, and bake until brown. For making cream sauce seepage 77.

Cut into sections, and place shell downward on the top shelf of the oven. Bake until tender, and serve hot in the shell; or, scrape out the inside, mash, add a few spoonfuls of cream or a little butter, and serve.

Peel, remove seeds, cut into small pieces, and stew until tender in a little boiling water; drain, mash smooth, and season with butter and salt. Vegetable marrows may be prepared in the same manner.

Soak one cupful of beans overnight. When ready to cook, add water and one cupful of dried sweet corn, and cook until tender. Season with salt, a little cream or butter, and serve. If green sweet corn is used, do not add it to the beans until they are nearly done.

Select full-grown ears, not old and hard, but full of milk; remove the husks and silks, and put to cook in enough boiling,salted water to cover. Boil from thirty to forty minutes; when done, drain, and serve on the cob hot, with a little butter if desired. The corn from ears not eaten may be cut from the cob and warmed up with a little cream or butter for the next meal.

Remove husks and silks, stand the ears in a dish, and with a sharp knife cut off the corn from the top downward, taking a little more than half of the kernel in depth; then scrape gently downward to get the remainder of the milk and meat of each kernel. Place in a saucepan, add half a cup of water for each quart of corn, and cook for fifteen or twenty minutes. When done, add a little salt, a half cup of cream, or a cup of milk and a little butter, boil up and serve. The milk may be slightly thickened with flour, if desired.

Take young, tender beets, wash clean, place in a baking dish with a little water, and bake from one to two hours, or until tender; add a little hot water occasionally if they become dry. When done, remove the skins, slice, and serve with lemon-juice.

Cut off the tops, but avoid cutting the beets; put to cook in boiling water. When tender, remove to a pan of cold water; rub off the skins with the hands, slice thin, and serve with lemon-juice.

Take the tops from young, tender beets, look over, put to cook in boiling, slightly salted water, and cook until tender; then drain in a colander; chop rather fine, and serve with lemon-juice.

Look over carefully a good quantity of spinach, rejecting all wilted and decayed leaves. Wash thoroughly in several waters, and put to cook in slightly salted, boiling water, and boil from twenty to thirty minutes. When tender, drain in a colander, cut into coarse pieces, and put into a warm dish; add a few bits of butter, and garnish with slices of hard-boiled eggs. Serve with lemon-juice.

Remove all the green and decayed parts from the stalks, and put into cold water. When ready to serve, place in a celery glass with the small ends downward. Curl the tops by cutting into narrow strips a little way down. Celery is recommended as a good nerve food.

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