Vegetables
Hints on Cooking Vegetables.—First—Have them fresh as possible. Summer vegetables should be cooked on same day they are gathered. Second—Look them over and wash well, cutting out all decayed or unripe parts. Third—Lay them, when peeled, in cold water for some time before using. Fourth—Always let water boil before putting them in, and continue to boil until done.
Turnips.—Should be peeled, and boiled from 40 minutes to an hour.
Beets.—Boil from 1 to 2 hours; then put in cold water and slip skin off.
Spinach.—Boil 20 minutes.
Parsnips.—Boil from 20 to 30 minutes.
Onions.—Best boiled in 2 or 3 waters, adding milk the last time.
String Beans.—Should be boiled 1½ hours.
Shell Beans.—Require an hour.
Green Corn.—Boil 20 or 30 minutes.
Green Peas.—Should be boiled in little water as possible; boil 20 minutes.
Asparagus.—Same as peas; serve on toast with cream gravy.
Winter Squash.—Cut in pieces and boil 20 to 40 minutes in small quantity of water; when done, press water out, mash smooth, season with butter, pepper, and salt.
Cabbage.—should be boiled from 1 to 2 hours in plenty of water; salt while boiling.
Asparagus on Toast.—Have stalks of equal length; scrape lower ends; tie in small bunches with tape. Cook 20 to 30 minutes, according to size. Dip 6 or 8 slices dry toast in asparagus liquor, lay on hot platter, place asparagus on them, and cover with a white or drawn butter sauce; in making sauce use asparagus liquor and water or milk in equal quantities.
String Beans.—Top and tail the beans, and strip off all strings carefully; break into short lengths and wash. Boil in salted water until tender—from 1½ to 3 hours. Drain, season with butter, salt, and pepper.
Kidney Beans, Brown Sauce.—Cook 1 pint fresh shelled beans in salted water till tender. Drain; shake in saucepan with 1 teaspoon butter 3 minutes. Add 1 cup brown sauce (seeSauces), and simmer 5 minutes.
Beets, Cream Sauce.—Wash and boil beets till tender. Rub off skins and slice or dice. To 1 pint add 1 cup white sauce (seeSauces); simmer 5 minutes. Other root vegetables may be finished same way.
Boiled Cabbage.—Strip off outer leaves, cut in quarters, cut out stalk. Soak in salted water 1 hour. Drain. Have kettle of rapidly boiling water. Add ½ teaspoon baking soda and cabbage. Cover and keep at galloping boil. Unless very old, cabbage will be done in 1 hour. Press out all water; season well; put in hot dish.
Carrots and other Root Vegetables.—Scrape or pare carrots, parsnips, turnips. Dice and cook gently in unsalted water till tender. Drain and reheat in seasoned butter, 1 tablespoon to 1 pint, or in a drawn butter or white sauce. In early summer, when roots are small, water should be salted. Onions should also be boiled in salted water, then finished as here directed.
Stewed Corn.—Husk corn. Draw sharp knife down center of each row of grains; press out pulp with back of knife. To 1 pint add ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon sugar, dash pepper, ½ cup cream or rich milk. Heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Corn Pudding.—To 1 pint scraped corn pulp add 4 beaten eggs, 1 pint milk, 1 teaspoon salt, ⅓ teaspoon pepper. Mix, bake in moderate oven till set in center.
Fried Egg Plant.—Wipe the egg plant, cut in ¼—inch slices, soak in salted cold water 1 hour. Dip each slice in beaten egg and fry in butter until inside is very soft, outside brown.
Fried Onions.—Peel (holding onions and hands under water to prevent tears), wash and cut crosswise so as to form undivided rings. Flour them, fry 5 or 6 minutes. Drain, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve with beefsteak.
Fried Potatoes.—Pare raw potatoes; cut thin as wafers with sharp knife or patent slicer. Soak 20 minutes in cold water; dry on towel. Throw a handful at a time in kettle of smoking-hot fat; skim out fast as browned and drain on unglazed paper. Sprinkle with salt.
Fried Potatoes, 2.—Cut cold boiled potatoes in thick slices, season and sauté in a little hot fat in a frying-pan.
Mashed Potatoes.—Boil potatoes in salted water; while hot put through ricer or mash with fork till smooth. Season with salt and pepper; to 1 pint add 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons hot milk. Beat till light, heap in hot dish.
Baked Potatoes.—Scrub potatoes of same size. Bake in very hot oven until tender. Press till skin breaks slightly, serve hot with butter.
Potato Croquettes.—Mix together 1 pint hot mashed potato, 1 teaspoon salt, ⅓ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon onion juice, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, yolks 2 beaten eggs. Stir over fire till mixture leaves sides of saucepan. When cool, shape into croquettes, dip each in beaten egg, roll in crumbs, and fry brown in deep kettle of smoking-hot fat.
Lyonnaise Potatoes.—Heat 1 tablespoon butter in frying-pan. Add 1 tablespoon chopped onion. When pale brown add 1 pint diced boiled potatoes, seasoned. Shake till butter is absorbed; potatoes should not color. Add 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and take up.
Creamed Potatoes.—To 3 cups diced boiled potatoes add 1 pint cream sauce (seeSauces), more seasoning if necessary, and simmer 10 minutes. Or, season cold sliced potatoes, cover with milk, and stew till milk is reduced one half, then add a little butter.
Stewed Squash.—Pare small squash, remove seeds, boil in salted water till tender. Drain, mash, season, and stir over slow fire till quite dry. Add butter and seasoning to taste.
Stewed Tomatoes.—Scald and skin tomatoes, remove hard ends and cut up. Stew in agate saucepan till tender, add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste, also 1 teaspoon butter to each pint. If liked, thicken with fine crumbs or with a little flour dissolved in cold water.
Stuffed Tomatoes.—Choose large tomatoes; cut off stem ends and take out centers. Fill with stuffing (seeStuffings), lay on buttered baking-pan, and bake in hot oven 30 minutes. Peppers, summer squash, large ripe cucumbers, onions, and egg plant may be prepared in same way.
Panned Tomatoes.—Cut firm tomatoes in halves. For 4, heat 1 tablespoon butter in frying-pan. Dip tomatoes in flour, put cut side down in pan, cover, and cook over hot fire until browned. Transfer to hot dish, sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour in pan, stir, add 1 cup milk; stir till thickened, season, boil 1 minute, and pour round tomatoes.
Mashed Turnips.—Pare and dice turnips, boil in unsalted water till tender. Mash, adding salt, pepper, and butter to taste. If cut small they will cook in less time and be less odorous.
Ragout of Vegetables.—Parboil 1 carrot, 1 turnip, 2 potatoes, 2 ears of corn, 1 cup of lima beans, and the same of peas, 1 onion, and with them ¼ pound of fat salt pork. Drain off the water and lay aside the pork. Slice carrots, turnips, potatoes, and onion. Put into a saucepan with a cup of some good meat soup before it has been thickened. Season well; cut the corn from the cob and add with the peas, beans, and a sliced tomato as soon as the rest are hot. Stew all together ½ hour. Stir in a great lump of butter rolled in flour. Stew 5 minutes, and serve in a deep dish.
Dried Sweet Corn.—Soak 1 pint overnight. Drain, add fresh cold water, and cook slowly. When tender drain, add ½ cup rich milk, 1 tablespoon butter, salt and pepper to taste, simmer 10 minutes.
Boiled Rice.—Wash 1 cup rice through several waters till water runs off clear. Have at least 4 quarts rapidly boiling water in kettle. Add rice and 1 tablespoon salt. Boilat a gallopuntil rice is tender—this takes 12 to 20 minutes according to kind and age of rice. Drain, set colander over boiling water for 10 minutes or more to steam. Each grain will be distinct yet tender.
Macaroni.—Have a large kettle nearly full of rapidly boiling salted water. Break macaroni into 2 or 3 inch lengths, drop into the water, and boil as directed for rice until tender, which will take from 30 to 45 minutes. Drain, then pour cold water through the colander to remove pastiness. Reheat in a little butter, or in a white, brown, or tomato sauce. Before sending to table, sprinkle thickly with grated cheese or stir the cheese through it.
Spaghetti, vermicelli, or any of the forms of paste may be prepared in the same way.