PEPPERS AND THEIR PREPARATION

[Illustration: FIG. 13]

64. CREAMED PEAS.--A cream sauce adds considerable food value and flavor to green peas. Peas prepared in this way may be served plain, but they can be made very attractive by serving them in croustades, as shown in Fig. 13. As already learned,croustadesare cases made from large pieces of bread that are cut any desired shape, hollowed out, and then toasted in a hot oven or on a broiler or fried in deep fat until crisp.

CREAMED PEAS

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Sufficient to Serve Six

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Cook the peas in boiling salted water until tender, and then drain the water from them, retaining 1/2 cupful for the sauce. Melt the butter, add the flour, salt, and pepper, and stir in the hot liquids. Cook until the flour has thickened and then pour over the peas. Serve hot, either plain or in croustades.

65. PEAS IN TURNIP CUPS.--A somewhat unusual dish can be prepared by making cups out of turnips, filling them with peas, and then pouring a cream sauce over the peas. Besides being attractive, this combination makes a very palatable vegetable dish.

Select a sufficient number of medium-sized white turnips. Wash them thoroughly, and then hollow out the inside of each, leaving cup-shaped shells about 1/4 inch thick. Cook these shells in boiling salted water until tender, but not tender enough to break into pieces, and remove from the water. Then, according to the directions given in Art. 60, cook enough green peas to fill the cups. When tender, fill the cups with the peas and over them pour a medium white sauce. Serve hot.

66. PEAS PURÉE.--Many persons who cannot eat peas because of the coarse outside skins are able to digest them in the form of a purée. To prepare them in this way, boil fresh peas in the manner explained in Art. 60. When they are tender, force them through a purée sieve or a fine-mesh wire sieve. The pulp will pass through the sieve, but the coarse skins will remain. The purée thus made may be used for soup or in the making of a soufflé.

67. PEAS SOUFFLÉ.--Nothing in the way of peas is more appetizing and at the same time more easily digested than peas soufflé. This may be baked in a large baking dish, or it may be divided and baked in individual baking dishes.

PEAS SOUFFLÉ

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Sufficient to Serve Six

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Melt the butter, stir in the flour, and add the heated milk. Cook until the mixture thickens and then add the peas purée, salt, and pepper. Separate the eggs, beat the yolks and add them to the mixture, and then fold in the stiffly beaten whites. Pour into a well-greased baking dish or individual baking dishes, place in a pan of hot water, and bake in a slow oven until set, or for 30 or 40 minutes. Serve at once.

68.PEPPERS are one of the fruit vegetables. Some varieties of them are dried and used as a condiment, that is, to season or give relish to food, but as they are never used as a vegetable, they are not included here. It is the sweet varieties of peppers which are used as vegetables and to which reference is made in these discussions. They are valuable chiefly for two reasons: to flavor various kinds of dishes, such as entrées, salads, etc., and to make a dish more attractive in appearance because of the contrast in color they afford. In food value, they are about equal to the various greens, but as a rule such small quantities of them are eaten that they cannot be regarded as a food.

69. STUFFED PEPPERS.--The usual way of preparing peppers as a vegetable is to stuff them and then bake them, when they will appear as in Fig. 14. The stuffing may be made of various kinds of material, such as pieces of meat, vegetables, cereals, etc., and so affords an excellent way to utilize left-overs of any of these foods. Two recipes for stuffing are here given, and either one may be used with equally good results.

[Illustration: FIG. 14]

To prepare peppers for stuffing, wash them in cold water and remove the tops by cutting around the peppers a short distance from the stem. Remove the pulp and seeds from the inside, and wash the peppers thoroughly to make sure that no loose seeds remain. Fill with the desired stuffing, place in a shallow pan with a small amount of water, and bake until the peppers are soft enough to be pierced with a fork. The water permits the peppers to steam during the first part of the cooking. Serve hot.

STUFFING NO. 1

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Sufficient for Six Peppers

)

Melt the fat in a frying pan, add the onion, salt, and pepper, and heat together for several minutes. Add the rice, bread crumbs, and ham, and moisten with milk until the mixture is of the right consistency. Use to fill the peppers.

STUFFING NO. 2

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Sufficient for Six Peppers

)

Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the chopped onion, salt, and pepper, and heat together. To this add the bread crumbs, chopped parsley, and celery salt, and moisten with enough milk to make the stuffing of the right consistency. Use to stuff peppers.

WHITE POTATOES

70.WHITE POTATOES, popularly calledIrish potatoesbecause they are a staple food in Ireland, belong to the class of tuber vegetables. They form such an extensive part of the diets of the majority of people that they are generally considered the most important vegetable used by civilized man. They are usually roundish or oblong in shape and have a whitish interior and a darker colored skin.

71. FOOD VALUE OF POTATOES.--In food value, Irish potatoes are comparatively high, being in this respect about two and one-half times as great as an equal weight of cabbage, but not quite twice as great as the various root vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, etc. The largest amount of this food value occurs as carbohydrate in the form of starch, there being almost no fat and very little protein in potatoes. The starch granules of potatoes are larger than the starch granules of any of the cereals, the class of foods highest in this food substance, and it is the proper cooking of this starch that makes potatoes dry and mealy. Potatoes also contain a large amount of mineral salts, much of which lies directly under the skin. Therefore, the most economical way in which to prepare potatoes is to cook them with the skins on, for then all of the mineral salts are retained and none of the material is wasted.

72. SELECTION OF POTATOES.--The new potato crop begins to come into the market during the summer, when potatoes are especially appetizing. However, as potatoes can be easily stored and kept very well for a considerable time, they form a large part of the winter food supply. If there is sufficient storage space, it is a wise plan to buy a large enough supply of potatoes in the fall to last for several months and then to store them for the winter. However, when this is done, care should be taken in the selection.

In the first place, the outside skin should be smooth and not scaly. Then, if possible, potatoes of medium size should be selected, rather than small ones or large ones. The small ones are not so satisfactory, because of the greater proportion of waste in peeling, while the very large ones are apt to have a hollow space in the center. To judge the quality of potatoes, a few of those to be purchased should be secured and cooked before a large number of them are bought. The soil and climatic conditions affect the quality of potatoes to such an extent that a particular kind of potato which may have been excellent last year may be entirely different in quality this year. A housewife cannot, therefore, be guided entirely by her previous knowledge of a certain kind of potato.

73. CARE OF POTATOES.--Potatoes bought in quantity should be kept in a cool place and should be excluded from the light. Such care will usually prevent them from discoloring and sprouting. In case they should sprout, the sprouts should be removed at once, for the potatoes will deteriorate rapidly with such a growth. If the potatoes freeze, they may be thawed by putting them in cold water. Such potatoes, which are characterized by a peculiar sweetish taste, should be used as soon as possible after being thawed.

74. PREPARATION OF POTATOES.--As has already been explained, the most economical way in which to cook potatoes is with the skins on. However, when it is desired to remove the skins, they should be taken off as thinly as possible. New potatoes may be scraped, but completely matured potatoes that have been out of the ground for some time do not scrape easily and so should be pared thinly.

Potatoes lend themselves to various methods of cookery, and this is well, for although this is a food of which most persons do not tire easily, variety in the preparation of a vegetable so commonly used as the Irish potato is very much to be desired. When cooked in the skins, potatoes may be boiled, baked, or steamed. When the skins are removed, potatoes may be cooked in these ways, as well as fried, sautéd, scalloped, creamed, etc.

75. BOILED POTATOES.--Without doubt, potatoes are cooked more often by boiling than by any other method, for besides being eaten in this way a great deal, they must first be boiled for many of the more elaborate methods of preparation. If the skins are removed before boiling, the water in which the potatoes are cooked contains a quantity of starch and a great deal of soluble mineral matter that are lost from the potatoes. Use should therefore be made of this liquid, it being very satisfactory for soups, sauces, and the liquid required in bread making.

When potatoes are to be boiled, select the desired number of medium-sized potatoes, and wash them in cold water. If desired, remove the peelings with a sharp paring knife, but if the potatoes are to be cooked with the skins on, scrub them thoroughly with a vegetable brush in order to remove all dirt. Put to cook in a sufficient amount of boiling salted water to cover well, and cook until the potatoes are tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork. Usually the kettle in which potatoes are cooked is covered, but if desired they may be cooked in an uncovered vessel. When done, drain the water from the potatoes and serve at once or use for some of the other methods of preparation.

[Illustration: FIG. 15]

76. MASHED POTATOES.--If mashed potatoes are prepared properly, they are much relished by the majority of persons. However, to be most satisfactory, they should be cooked long enough not to be lumpy and then, after being mashed and softened with milk, they should be beaten until they are light and creamy.

Peel the desired number of potatoes and boil them according to the directions given in Art. 75. When they are tender, remove them from the fire and drain off the water. Mash the potatoes with a wooden or a wire potato masher, being careful to reduce all the particles to a pulpy mass in order to prevent lumps. However, the preferable way to mash them is to force them through a ricer, when they will appear as shown in Fig. 15, for then, if they are thoroughly cooked, there will be no danger of lumps. When they are sufficiently mashed, season with additional salt, a dash of pepper, and a small piece of butter, and add hot milk until they are thinned to a mushy consistency, but not too soft to stand up well when dropped from a spoon. Then beat the potatoes vigorously with a large spoon until they become light and fluffy. Serve at once.

77. BAKED POTATOES.--A very nutritious vegetable dish results when potatoes are baked. For this method of cooking potatoes, those of medium size are better than large ones; also, if the potatoes are uniform in size, all of them will bake in the same length of time. It is well to choose for baking, potatoes that are smooth and unblemished, in order that they may be prepared without cutting the skins. As the starchy particles of the potato are cooked by the heated water inside the potato, the cooking cannot be done so successfully when the skin is cut or marred, for then the water will evaporate.

Prepare the potatoes by scrubbing them thoroughly; then place them on a shallow pan and set them in the oven or place them directly on the oven grate. The temperature of the oven is important in baking potatoes. If it is too hot, the skins of the potatoes will become charred, and if it is not hot enough, too long a time will be required for the baking. The temperature found to produce the best results is about 400 degrees Fahrenheit, or the same as that for the baking of bread. Turn the potatoes once or twice during the baking, so that they will bake evenly. Allow them to bake until it is possible to pierce them to the center with a fork or they are soft enough to dent easily when pinched with the tips of the fingers. The latter is the preferable test, for when the potato is pierced, so much of the moisture is lost that it is not likely to be of the best quality when served. Upon removing from the oven, serve at once. Baked potatoes become soggy upon standing. If desired, they may be rolled to soften the contents of the shell and then cut open on one side, and pepper, salt, and paprika put into the potato.

The length of time required for baking potatoes is usually 10 to 15 minutes longer than is necessary to cook potatoes of the same size in water. However, the time for baking may be decreased by boiling the potatoes for about 5 minutes before they are put in the oven. In such an event, the boiling and the baking should be accomplished in about 35 minutes.

78. STUFFED POTATOES.--An attractive way in which to serve baked potatoes is shown in Fig. 16. After the potatoes are thoroughly baked, the contents are removed, treated as mashed potatoes, and then stuffed into the shells and set in the oven to brown for a few minutes. When something different in the way of potatoes is desired, stuffed potatoes should be tried.

Bake the desired number of potatoes until tender. Remove from the oven, cut through the skin of each from end to end with a sharp knife, and scrape out the contents of the shell. Mash the pulp according to the directions given in Art. 76. Then fill the shells with the mashed potatoes, allowing the surface to stand up roughly, as shown, instead of smoothing it down. Dot each with butter, sprinkle a little paprika over the tops, and replace in the oven. Bake until the surface is nicely browned and then serve at once.

[Illustration: FIG. 16]

79. BROWNED POTATOES.--While not so easy to digest as boiled or baked potatoes, browned potatoes offer an opportunity for a change from the usual ways of preparing this vegetable. They may be prepared on the stove or in the oven, but when browned in the oven the surface is more likely to be tough.

Boil the desired number of potatoes, and when they are sufficiently tender, drain off the water. If they are to be sautéd on the stove, melt a small amount of fat in a frying pan, and place the cooked potatoes in it. Sauté until brown on one side, then turn and brown on the other. Season with additional salt, if necessary, and serve.

In case it is desired to brown them in the oven, put the boiled potatoes in a shallow pan and brush them over with butter. Set them in a hot oven, allow them to brown on one side, then turn and brown them on the other. Season with salt, if necessary, and serve at once upon removing from the oven.

80. RAW SAUTÉD POTATOES.--If a potato dish suitable for supper or luncheon is desired, raw potatoes may be sliced thin, as ata, Fig. 17, and then sautéd. For this purpose, small potatoes that are not suitable for other methods of preparation may be used.

Peel the potatoes and slice them into thin slices. Melt a small amount of fat in a frying pan, place the potatoes in the hot fat, and cover the pan. Allow them to steam in this way for 10 to 15 minutes and then remove the cover. Brown on one side; then turn and brown on the other. Season with salt and pepper.

[Illustration: FIG. 17]

81. HASH-BROWNED POTATOES.--A very good way in which to use up boiled potatoes is to hash-brown them in the oven.

HASH-BROWNED POTATOES

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Sufficient to Serve Six

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Slice or chop the cold potatoes, place in a buttered pan, add the salt and pepper, melt the butter, and pour it over them. Place in a hot oven until nicely browned. Stir, add the milk, and brown again. Stir again, brown the third time, and serve.

82. POTATO PATTIES.--Mashed potatoes, whether left over or boiled and mashed especially for the purpose, may be made up into patties and then sautéd until brown on both sides.

POTATO PATTIES

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Sufficient to Serve Six

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To the mashed potatoes that have been well seasoned, add the egg and mix thoroughly. Shape into flat, round patties and roll in the bread crumbs. Melt fat in a frying pan, place the patties in it, sauté on one side until brown, and then turn and brown on the other side. Serve hot.

83. FRENCH FRIED POTATOES.--Many families are deprived of French fried potatoes because the majority of housewives think they are difficult to prepare. This, however, is not the case, for when the procedure is understood nothing is easier.

Peel the required number of potatoes and cut them into the desired shape. Great variety exists in the method of cutting potatoes for this purpose. However, the form that is usually thought of when French fried potatoes are mentioned is the one obtained by cutting the potatoes into pieces like the sections of an orange and then cutting these sections lengthwise into smaller pieces, like those shown atb, Fig. 17. Pieces like those shown atc, calledshoestring potatoes, are also popular. As soon as cut, in no matter what shape, drop the pieces into cold water, but when ready to fry, remove them from the water and dry on a clean dry towel. Place in a wire basket and lower the basket into a pan of hot fat. Fry until the potatoes are nicely browned, remove from the fat, drain, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve at once.

84. POTATOES AU GRATIN.--Something a little unusual in the way of a potato dish is produced when potatoes are combined with cheese, bread crumbs, and a cream sauce to make potatoes au gratin. In addition to supplying flavor, these ingredients increase the food value of the potatoes so that a highly nutritious dish is the result.

POTATOES AU GRATIN

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Sufficient to Serve Six

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Grease a baking dish, place 1/2 of the potatoes in the bottom of the dish, and sprinkle over them 1/2 of the crumbs and then 1/2 of the cheese. Put the remainder of the potatoes in the dish, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese, pour the hot white sauce over all, and place the remaining crumbs on top. Set the dish in a hot oven and bake until well heated through and brown on top.

85. LYONNAISE POTATOES.--When sautéd potatoes are flavored with onion and parsley, they are known as Lyonnaise potatoes. As they are very appetizing, potatoes prepared in this way are relished by most persons.

LYONNAISE POTATOES

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Sufficient to Serve Six

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Melt the fat in a frying pan, and add the onion, parsley, salt, and pepper. When the fat is hot, add the potatoes, which should be diced, like those shown atd, Fig. 17, and allow them to sauté until slightly brown. Stir frequently to avoid burning. Serve hot.

86. SCALLOPED POTATOES.--Many vegetables may be scalloped, but potatoes seem to lend themselves to this form of preparation to good advantage. Potatoes prepared in this way are suitable for luncheon, supper, or a home dinner.

Wash and peel the desired number of potatoes and slice them thin. Place a layer in the bottom of a well-greased baking dish, sprinkle lightly with flour, salt, and pepper, and dot with butter. Add another layer of potatoes, sprinkle again with flour, salt, and pepper, and dot with butter. Continue in this way until the dish is filled. Pour a sufficient quantity of milk over the whole to cover well. Place a cover over the dish, set in a hot oven, and bake for about 1/2 hour. Then remove the cover and allow the potatoes to continue baking until they can be easily pierced with a fork and the surface is slightly brown. Serve hot from the baking dish.

87. CREAMED POTATOES.--A very good way in which to utilize left-over boiled potatoes is to dice them and then serve them with a cream sauce. If no cooked potatoes are on hand and creamed potatoes are desired, potatoes may, of course, be boiled especially for this purpose. When this is done, it is well to cook the potatoes in the skins, for they remain intact better and have a better flavor.

Cut up potatoes that are to be creamed into half-inch dice, like those shown atd, Fig. 17. Make a thin white sauce, pour it over the potatoes until they are well moistened, and allow the potatoes to simmer in this sauce for a few minutes. If desired, chopped parsley may be added to the sauce to improve the flavor. Serve hot.

[Illustration: FIG. 18]

88. POTATO BALLS.--If a potato dish is desired for a meal that is to be dainty in every respect, potato balls should be tried. These are small balls of uniform size, like those shown ate, Fig. 17, cut from raw potatoes by means of a French cutter, as shown in Fig. 18, cooked until tender, and then dressed with a cream sauce or in any other way. As will be observed, much of the potato remains after all the balls that can be cut from it are obtained. This should not be wasted, but should be boiled and then mashed or prepared in any other desirable way.

Wash and peel the potatoes that are to be used, and then from each potato cut with a French cutter all the balls possible. When a sufficient number have been obtained, boil them until tender in boiling salted water and then drain. Make a thin cream sauce, add the potatoes to this, and heat together thoroughly. Serve hot.

89. POTATO CROQUETTES.--Left-over mashed potatoes can be utilized in no better way than to make croquettes. Of course, if potato croquettes are desired and no potatoes are on hand, it will be necessary to cook potatoes and mash them especially for this purpose. Croquettes made according to the accompanying recipe will be found a delightful addition to the menu. They are often served plain, but are much improved by a medium white sauce or a gravy.

POTATO CROQUETTES

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Sufficient to Serve Six

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To the mashed potatoes, add the parsley, onion juice, and celery salt and mix thoroughly. Beat the eggs slightly, reserve a small amount to be diluted with water or milk for dipping the croquettes, and add the rest to the potatoes. Shape the mixture into oblong croquettes of uniform size and shape. Roll each in the crumbs, then in the diluted egg, and again in the crumbs. Fry in deep hot fat until an even brown in color. Remove from the fat, drain, and serve.

90. POTATO PUFF.--Mashed potato combined with egg, seasoned well, and baked in the oven makes a very appetizing dish known as potato puff. This is suitable for any meal at which potatoes would be served.

POTATO PUFF

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Sufficient to Serve Six

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To the mashed potato, add the celery salt. Separate the egg, beat the yolk, and mix it with the potato. Beat the white stiff and fold it into the potato last. Pile into a buttered baking dish, set in a hot oven, and bake until the potato is thoroughly heated through and the surface is brown. Serve at once.

91.SWEET POTATOES are used for practically the same purposes as white potatoes, and while these vegetables resemble each other in many respects they are not related botanically, sweet potatoes being root rather than tuber vegetables. Sweet potatoes are of a tropical nature and have been cultivated for hundreds of years in the West Indies and Central America. They form a staple article of diet in the southern part of the United States, where, on account of the warm climate, they are raised abundantly. They are not raised in the North; still they are consumed there in large quantities. After maturing, sweet potatoes are collected and dried in kilns before shipping. While this makes it possible for them to keep longer than if they were not dried, they do not keep so well as white potatoes and therefore cannot be stored in such large numbers. If they are to be kept for a considerable period of time, they should be wrapped separately in paper and stored in a cool, dry place.

92.Sweet potatoes vary considerably in size, shape, and quality. Some are short and blunt at the tips, others are long and cylindrical, either crooked or straight, while others are medium in size and spindle-shaped. Some varieties, which are known asyams, cook moist and sugary, while others, which are simply called sweet potatoes, cook dry and mealy. The kind to select depends entirely on the individual taste, for in composition and food value all the varieties are similar. In composition, sweet potatoes resemble white ones, except that a part of their carbohydrate is in the form of sugar, which gives them their characteristic sweet taste, but in food value they are almost twice as great as white potatoes.

93.The preparation of sweet potatoes is similar to that of white potatoes, for they may be boiled, steamed, baked, mashed, creamed, fried, etc. In fact, they may be used at any time to take the place of white potatoes in the diet. A few recipes are here given for this vegetable, but any of those given under White Potatoes may also be used by merely substituting sweet potatoes for the white potatoes specified.

94. BOILED SWEET POTATOES.--It is a very simple procedure to boil sweet potatoes. When they are to be prepared in this way, select potatoes of uniform size and either remove their skins or cook them with the skins on. If they are not peeled, scrub them perfectly clean. Put them to cook in boiling salted water and allow them to boil until they may be easily pierced with a fork. Drain the water from them, peel if cooked with their skins on, and serve hot with butter or gravy.

95. BAKED SWEET POTATOES.--Persons who are fond of sweet potatoes prefer them baked to any other method of preparation. Select medium-sized potatoes for this purpose, scrub thoroughly, and put in a hot oven to bake. Bake until they are soft enough to dent when pinched between the fingers. Remove from the oven and serve at once.

96. GLAZED SWEET POTATOES.--To increase the sweet taste characteristic of sweet potatoes and favored by many persons, a sweet sirup is sometimes added. When this is done, the potatoes are first boiled and then cut in half lengthwise and sautéd. Sweet potatoes so prepared afford a pleasing variety in the diet.

Clean and peel the desired number of potatoes and boil them as already explained. Cut them in half lengthwise, so that each piece has a flat side. Melt fat in a frying pan, add the halves of sweet potato, and fry until slightly brown. Then turn and fry on the reverse side. About 10 or 15 minutes before removing from the pan, pour a small quantity of molasses or a mixture of sugar and water over the potatoes, and allow them to cook in this sirup until they are well covered with the sweet substance. Remove from the pan and serve at once.

97. MASHED SWEET POTATOES.--Used alone without further preparation, mashed sweet potatoes make a very palatable dish. However, as in the case of mashed white potatoes, numerous appetizing dishes, such as croquettes, patties, etc., can be made of mashed sweet potatoes, whether left from a previous meal or cooked for this purpose. In the preparation of all such dishes, the recipes given under White Potatoes may be followed.

Peel the desired number of potatoes and cook them in boiling salted water until they may be readily pierced with a fork. Drain, force through a sieve or a ricer, and season with salt, pepper, and a small amount of butter. Thin the mixture with sufficient hot milk to make it of a stiff, mush-like consistency. Then beat vigorously until the potato is light and creamy. Serve hot.

98.RADISHES are a root vegetable used almost exclusively as a relish or to lend flavor to a vegetable-salad mixture. They are easily and successfully grown and are plentiful and cheap, except when they are out of season and must be raised in hothouses. Numerous varieties of radishes differing from one another in size, shape, and color are raised. The red ones are generally preferred, because they lend color to a dish or a meal, but the white and brown varieties are just as desirable so far as flavor is concerned.

99.Radishes contain very little food value, being about equal to celery and cucumbers in this respect. They do not supply anything valuable to a meal except mineral salts. Although some persons consider radishes difficult to digest, they contain almost nothing that has to be digested, for they are composed largely of cellulose, which does not digest, and water. Radishes disagree with some persons because, like onions and cabbage, they contain a strong volatile oil that gives them their flavor.

100.Since radishes are always eaten raw, they require very little in the way of preparation. The principal thing is to see that they are perfectly clean and as crisp as possible. To make them crisp, allow them to stand in cold water for some time before using them. Then remove the tops and the roots and scrub thoroughly with a vegetable brush. The small red radishes can be made very attractive by cutting the skin in sections to resemble the petals of a rose. When prepared in this way, a small portion of the green top is allowed to remain.

101.SALSIFY is a root vegetable resembling in food value such other root vegetables as carrots and parsnips. Because it has a flavor similar to that of oysters, especially when it is used for soup, it has received the name ofvegetable oyster. It consists of long slender roots that are covered with tiny roots. It is somewhat difficult to clean and prepare, but as it may be stored through the entire winter and is particularly desirable for the making of soup, it is a valuable vegetable.

102.In preparing salsify for cooking, scrape the roots rather than peel them. Then put them in a solution of cold salt water made by using 1 teaspoonful of salt to each quart of water and keep them there until ready to cook them. This precaution will, to a certain extent, prevent the discoloration that always takes place in salsify as soon as the skin is removed. When thus prepared, salsify lends itself to the same forms of preparation as do the other root vegetables.

103. BUTTERED SALSIFY.--The simplest way in which to cook salsify is to cut it in thin slices, boil it until tender, and then serve it with butter.

Wash and scrape the desired quantity of salsify and slice in thin slices. Put to cook in boiling salted water, and cook until it can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain off the water, season with pepper and, if necessary, additional salt, and add 1 tablespoonful of butter for each four persons to be served. Allow the butter to melt and serve the salsify hot.

104. CREAMED VEGETABLE OYSTERS.--If creamed vegetables are favored, vegetable oysters served with a cream sauce will be very much relished. Clean and scrape the salsify and cut it into 1/4-inch slices. Put to cook in boiling salted water, cook until tender, and then drain. Make a medium white sauce and pour this over the cooked vegetable. Heat together and serve.

105. SCALLOPED VEGETABLE OYSTERS.--A very appetizing scalloped dish can be made of salsify by following the directions given in the accompanying recipe.

SCALLOPED VEGETABLE OYSTERS

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Sufficient to Serve Six

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Cook the vegetable oysters as explained in Art. 103. Sprinkle a layer of crumbs in the bottom of a well-greased baking dish, place a layer of the cooked vegetable oysters on top of this, and season with salt and pepper. Place a second layer of crumbs and the remainder of the vegetable oysters in the dish, and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Pour the white sauce over this, and put the remainder of the crumbs on top. Place in a hot oven and bake until well heated through and the top is brown. Serve from the baking dish.

SUMMER SQUASH

106.SUMMER SQUASH is a fruit vegetable belonging to the same class as eggplant, peppers, etc. and occurring in many varieties. The different kinds of this vegetable vary greatly in size, shape, and color, but all of them may be prepared in practically the same way and used for the same purposes. They get their name from the fact that they are grown and used during the summer season; in fact, they must be used at this time, for they do not permit of storage.

Summer squash contains a great deal of water, and for this reason its food value is very low, being about equal to that of lettuce, celery, etc. Because of the large percentage of water in its composition, as little water as possible should be added in its cooking, or the result will be a vegetable so watery as to be unattractive and unpalatable. Another precaution that should be taken in its preparation is to remove the seeds and the skins. Many housewives think it unnecessary to do this, for both the skins and the seeds can be eaten after cooking; but most persons prefer to have them removed, as the dish appears more appetizing.

Vegetable marrowis a type of summer squash and may be prepared for the table by any of the recipes for summer squash.

107. STEWED SUMMER SQUASH.--The usual way in which to cook summer squash is to stew it. If properly cooked and well seasoned, stewed squash makes a very tasty dish.

Wash and peel the desired number of summer squashes, remove the seeds, and cut into small pieces. Put over the flame in just enough water to start the cooking and add sufficient salt to season well. Cook until tender enough to be pierced with a fork and most of the water is boiled away, being careful not to scorch. Remove from the fire, season with pepper, and add 1 tablespoonful of butter for each four persons to be served. Mash until the squash is as fine as desired and serve at once.

108. SAUTÉD SUMMER SQUASH.--For variety, summer squash is sometimes sliced, coated with egg and crumbs, and then sautéd until well browned.

To prepare it in this way, wash and peel the squash and cut it into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Roll first in beaten egg diluted with milk or water and then in fine crumbs. Sauté in a small amount of fat in a frying pan until well browned, and then turn and brown on the other side. Serve hot.

WINTER SQUASH

109.WINTER SQUASH is the kind of squash that may be removed from the vine in the fall and stored for winter use. Although both summer and winter squashes are closely related, they differ considerably in appearance, flavor, texture, and composition. The different varieties of winter squash are usually larger than summer squashes and have a very hard outside covering; also, they contain less water and more carbohydrate and, consequently, have a higher food value. Winter squashes are usually taken from the vines in the fall before the frost sets in, and before they are placed in storage they are allowed to lie in the sunshine for a few days until the skin hardens and becomes flinty. If the outside covering is unmarred when the squashes are stored, they will remain in good condition almost the entire winter season, provided the storage place is cool and dry.

110.To prepare winter squash for cooking, cut it open, remove the seeds, and peel off the outside skin. Because of the hardness of the covering, a cleaver or a hatchet is generally required to open the squash and cut it into pieces. With this done, scrape out the seeds and, with a very sharp large knife, peel off the skin. The squash may then be cooked in any suitable manner.

111. MASHED SQUASH.--If winter squash is desired as a vegetable, it is very often boiled and then mashed. Squash prepared in this way, with the exception of the seasoning, is also used for pie that is similar to pumpkin; in fact, many persons prefer the flavor of squash pie to that of pumpkin pie.

Cut pieces of peeled winter squash into cubes about 1 inch in size. Put these to cook in a small amount of boiling water, add enough salt to season, and cook until tender and quite dry. Season the cooked squash with pepper, add 1 tablespoonful of butter for each four persons to be served, and, if desired to increase the sweet taste, add a small amount of sugar. Mash until smooth and serve hot.

112. BAKED SQUASH.--Winter squash, because of its hard covering, is very satisfactory when baked in the shell, as shown in Fig. 19. If it is not desired to cook it in a whole piece, the squash may be cut into pieces about 3 inches square or into triangular pieces.

[Illustration: FIG. 19]

Remove the seeds from the squash, sprinkle each with salt and pepper, and dot with butter, as shown. Place in a hot oven directly on the grate or in a shallow pan, and bake until the contents of the shells are tender. Remove from the oven, and serve from the shells. If desired, the squash may be scooped from the shells after baking, seasoned at that time instead of when put in the oven, and then served in a vegetable dish.

113. TOMATOESare a fruit vegetable that may be either cooked or prepared raw in many different ways. They are usually red when ripe, and because of this color they are particularly attractive on the table. Green or partly ripe tomatoes are also used in the preparation of many dishes. Tomatoes are composed largely of water, and for this reason their food value is low, being about the same as that of greens. This large proportion of water is also responsible for the fact that they do not keep for a great length of time. Tomatoes, however, have a long season. They begin to appear in the market early in the spring and they may be obtained from this time until the frost kills the vines in the fall.

114.While tomatoes appeal to the majority of persons, they disagree with some on account of the acid they contain. This acid is similar to that found in some fruits, and it is present in greater quantity in cooked tomatoes than in raw ones, the heating of the vegetable apparently increasing the acidity. This acidity of tomatoes may be reduced by the addition of soda, and while soda produces a marked change in the flavor, it is necessary in the preparation of some dishes. For instance, in the case of cream-of-tomato soup, soda must be added to reduce the acidity and thus keep the milk or cream used in preparing this dish from curdling.

115.The skin of tomatoes, whether they are to be eaten raw or cooked, is usually undesirable. Therefore, in preparing tomatoes for the table, the skins are generally removed. In order to do this, first dip the tomatoes into boiling water for several seconds and then immediately into cold water. This will loosen the skins, which may then be peeled off very thinly, and very little of the tomato will be wasted.

116. STEWED TOMATOES.--The usual way of preparing tomatoes is to stew them. Stewed tomatoes may be served plain, but they can be improved very decidedly by toasting cubes of bread and adding these to the tomatoes just before serving.

Remove the skins and stem ends from the desired number of tomatoes, and either cut the tomatoes into pieces or allow them to remain whole. Put to cook with little or no water, as the tomatoes themselves usually provide sufficient water. Season with salt, and cook until the tomatoes are reduced to a mushy consistency. Just before removing from the stove, add a dash of pepper and a small amount of butter.

117. SCALLOPED TOMATOES.--A very appetizing way in which to cook tomatoes is to scallop them according to the accompanying recipe.

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