Hints On Cooking And Serving

Vegetables should be boiled in soft water, if obtainable, if not, a little carbonate of soda thrown in will render it so. The water should only be allowed to come to a boil before putting in the vegetables. It is best to boil vegetables by themselves and to boil quickly. When done take them up immediately and drain.

In cooking all vegetables, a teaspoonful of salt for each two quarts of water is allowed. Most vegetables are eaten dressed with salt, pepper and butter, but sometimes a piece of lean pork is broiled with them, which seasons them sufficiently.

Time Table

Thirty Minutes

Asparagus, Corn, Macaroni, Mushrooms, Peas, Tomatoes, New Cabbage, Cauliflower.

Forty-Five Minutes

Young Beets, Carrots, Parsnips, Turnips, Baked Potatoes, Rice.

One Hour

Artichokes, String Beans, Sprouts, Greens, Salsify (oyster plant), New Onions, Winter Squash.

Two Hours

Carrots, Parsnips, Turnips.

Three To Five Hours

Old Beets.

Five To Eight Hours

Dried Beans, Dried Peas, Hominy, etc.

Corn Boiled On The Cob

It is difficult to get corn that has been taken fresh from the field, therefore much of its original sweetness is lost. But no time should be lost in cooking it properly. It is a prevalent custom to cook the cob and thereby sacrifice the corn. Put the corn on to cook in rapidly and freshly boiling water. After it begins to boil, let it cook for five to eight minutes, take out the water, place on a cloth to steam and keep hot, and then on platter to serve at once.

Sauted Green Tomatoes

Select smooth tomatoes not quite half ripe. Wash, slice one-half inch thick, drain, dry and dust with salt and pepper. Egg and crumb the slices; put three tablespoons of oil or drippings, with a bit of butter for flavor, in a frying pan, and when very hot, put in tomato slices. Fry until brown on one side, turn and brown on the other. Remove from pan with cake turner to retain shape, place on heated dish and serve with Hollandaise sauce.

Fried Egg Plant

Wipe the egg plant, cut in one-quarter-inch slices, soak in salted cold water one hour. Dip each slice in beaten egg and fry in butter until inside is very soft, outside brown.

Potato Croquettes

Mix together one pint of hot mashed potatoes, teaspoonful of salt, one-third of pepper, one of onion juice, one tablespoonful of butter, one tablespoon chopped parsley, yolks two beaten eggs. Stir over fire until mixture leaves side 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 one tablespoon butter in frying-pan. Add one tablespoon chopped onion. When pale brown add one pint diced boiled potatoes, seasoned. Shake till butter is absorbed; potatoes should not color. Add one tablespoon chopped parsley and take up.

Potato Cakes

Roast some potatoes in the oven; when done skin and pound in a mortar with a small piece of butter, warmed in a little milk; chop a shallot and a little parsley very finely, mix well with the potatoes, add pepper, salt, shape into cakes, egg and bread crumb them, and fry a light brown.

To Cook Salsify

Scrape the root and put into cold water immediately; cut into thin slices; boil tender, make a nice white sauce or drawn butter and pour over, or boil to a mash; mix with butter, salt, a little milk and pepper, add flour enough and mix as codfish cakes; and fry in the same manner.

Summer Squash

The white scallopped ones are the best. Take them before the rind or seeds become hard. Wash and cut in moderately small pieces. Boil in clear water until tender enough to mash. Then place in a colander and drain. Have ready some bread cut in small pieces (not crumbled). Now put in a spoonful of good butter in a skillet. When hot put in the bread and stir until brown, then add the squash. Mash and mix well together, and season with pepper and salt.

Green Peas

Shell into cold water. Then put them into cold water and let simmer twenty minutes; season with plenty of butter and salt and a cupful of cream. Canned peas should merely be turned out of the can, liquor poured off the peas, rinsed, and set on to boil. When done add milk, butter and salt. When they have come to a boil once they are ready for the table.

Stuffed Peppers

Six green peppers from which stem ends and seeds have been removed. Scald in water to cover, over the simmering burner, from five to eight minutes. Drain ready to fill. Make filling from nicely boiled or steamed whole and blanched, season with salt, pepper and butter. Or from "left overs," if at hand; one and one-half cupfuls of rice, three-fourths of a cup of minced lamb, veal or chicken is used. Tomatoes may be stuffed with one-half cup of stewed and strained tomatoes; and one teaspoon grated onion pulp. Mix ingredients, fill peppers two-thirds and finish each with buttered bread crumbs. Put closely together in a deep baking dish, with one-half cup of stock or water in the dish. Cover for first ten minutes in the oven, and bake fifteen minutes longer uncovered. A very rare vegetable entree when minced lamb, veal or chicken is used. Tomatoes may be stuffed with the same mixture, substituting chopped pepper for tomato or using peppers with the plain rice.