Classes of Vegetables, and How to Select Them - Preparation of Vegetables - Jersey Fritters - Seakale with White Sauce - Spinach - Salsify Fritters - Cassolette of Mixed Vegetables - Carrot Souffles

During the winter months vegetables are apt to be neglected by the housewife, so many erroneously imagining that potatoes, cabbage, celery, spinach, etc., are only capable of being served plainly boiled, and, one might reasonably add, frequently spoiled. Vegetables, and foods served as vegetables, may be divided into four groups. Those containing :

Nitrogen - examples: peas, lentils, beans ;

Starch - examples : potatoes, sweet potatoes, as well as pulse ;

Fat - examples, nuts of all kinds ;

The succulent varieties, including the green varieties, such as the cabbage family, spinach, cress, also cucumber, root vegetables, celery, etc.

Many varieties of vegetables contain very small amounts of both nitrogen, starch, and fat. An intelligent caterer bears these classes in mind, and endeavours to serve a starchy vegetable with a succulent variety, and to avoid the nitrogenous pulse when her menu consists largely of meat, cheese, or eggs.

The greatest care is needed when boiling vegetables to strain them out the instant they are cooked, otherwise they become sodden and flavourless. When time permits, they may with advantage be steamed.

Many vegetables are excellent blended with others, such as a mixture of carrots, turnips, and sprouts, celery and potatoes, tomatoes and onions, etc. Any cooked vegetables remaining from dinner should be utilised for salads.

The greatest care should be taken when peeling and trimming vegetables of all kinds. Bushels of potatoes are yearly wasted by careless peeling; while tons of greenstuff are wrongly removed as outside leaves, and tossed into the rubbish bucket.