VEGETABLES.
_Potatoes._
The great art of cooking potatoes is, to take them up _as soon_ as they
are done. Of course it is important to begin to cook them at the proper
time.
When boiled, baked, fried, or steamed, they are rendered watery by
continuing to cook them after they reach the proper point. For this
reason, potatoes, to bake or boil, should be selected so as to have
them nearly the same size. Begin with the largest first, and continue
to select the largest till all are gone. Be careful that the water does
not stop boiling, as thus the potatoes will be watery. Never boil them
very hard, as it breaks them.
_Boiled Potatoes._
Wash, but do not cut them. Put them in boiling water, having only a
small quantity more than enough to cover them. Put salt in, say a great
spoonful to half a pailful of potatoes. Boil them moderately; when
nearly done, let them simmer slowly, and when cooked (as is discovered,
not by their cracking, but by a fork) pour off the water, and let them
stand till dry. Medium-sized potatoes, when young, will cook in from
twenty to thirty minutes; when old, it requires double the time. When
peeled they boil fifteen minutes quicker. Old potatoes, in the spring,
are improved by soaking in water all night.
_Other Modes of Cooking Potatoes._
After boiling and peeling them, divide them and lay them on a gridiron
to brown. Or when cold, the day after boiling, cut them in slices, and
cook them on a griddle, with just enough lard to make them brown, or
you can brown them on a gridiron.
Another pretty mode for a fancy dish is, to peel large potatoes and
then cut them round and round in shavings, as you pare an apple. Fry
them with clean sweet lard in a frying-pan, till brown, stirring them
to brown alike, drain them on a sieve, and after sprinkling a little
fine salt over them, place them on the table.
Another tasteful mode is, after boiling and peeling them, to flour
them, then dip them in the yolk of an egg, and roll them in fine bread
crumbs. Then fry them till brown and they look very handsomely, and are
excellent to the taste. Fry them without this preparation and they are
very nice.
When potatoes become old, mash them fine, season with salt and butter,
and a little cream or milk, place them in a dish, smoothing and shaping
the top handsomely, and making checks with a knife; then brown them in
a stove, or range-oven, and they are excellent. These can also be made
into balls, dipped in egg and crumbs, and fried as directed above, and
they look very handsomely.
Potatoes, when roasted, should be very carefully washed and rinsed, and
then roasted in a Dutch oven, or stove oven. Notice, lest they be put
in too soon, and thus be made watery by cooking too long.
The following is a very nice way of preparing potatoes for breakfast.
Peel them, and cut them in very thin slices into a very little boiling
water, so little that it will be evaporated when they are cooked.
At this point, add salt to your taste, some cream, or if you have
not cream put in a _very little_ milk and a bit of butter. A little
practice will make this a very favorite dish in any family. The art
is, to cook the potatoes with very little water, so that it will be
evaporated at the time the potatoes are done. They must be stirred
while cooking occasionally.
Another mode is, to mash the potatoes and add salt, butter, and a
little cream, and set them away. Then cut them in slices, and fry for
breakfast.
Many think the following the best way of boiling potatoes. Peel them,
and soak in cold water two hours. Boil in just enough water to cover
them. When about done, pour off the water, and let them steam five
minutes uncovered.
_Turnips._
Boil turnips in a vessel by themselves. Try them with a fork, and
if sweet and good, send them to the table when taken up. If watery,
mash them, wring them in a cloth, and add salt and butter, and if the
sweetness is gone, add a little white sugar, and they will be as good
as new. Boil them in a good deal of water, with salt in it. If they
boil too long, they lose their sweetness and become bitter. An hour is
the medium time required.
_Asparagus._
Keep it cool and moist on the cellar bottom till wanted.
Throw it into cold water, cut off all that is tough, tie it in small
bundles, salt the water when boiling, and then put them in and let them
boil from fifteen to twenty-five minutes. When done, take it up with a
skimmer, lay it on buttered toast, and put butter on to it. Drain it
well on the skimmer before putting it on the toast, or it will spoil
the dish.
_Beets._
Beets must not be cut, as this makes them lose their sweetness. Salt
the water, and boil them in summer an hour, and in winter three hours.
_Parsnips and Carrots._
Parsnips and carrots must be split, or else the outside is done too
much before the inside is cooked sufficiently. Salt the water, and boil
them when young half an hour, and two hours when old. Boil enough to
have some to slice and fry for the next day’s dinner or breakfast, as
they are much the best cooked in this way.
_Onions._
Select the white kind, peel them and put them in boiling milk, a little
salted, and boil them from half to three quarters of an hour. When
taken up, drain in a colander, pour a little melted butter over them,
or put on cold butter.
_Jerusalem Artichokes._
Scrape them, and put them in boiling salted water. Boil large ones
about two hours, then take them up and butter them.
_Squashes._
Summer squashes boil whole, when very young. When older, quarter them,
and take out the seeds. Put them into boiling salted water; when done,
squeeze out the water by wringing in a cloth, and add butter and salt
to your taste.
The neck part of the winter squash is the best; cut it into slices,
peel it, boil it in salted water till tender, then drain off the water,
and serve it without mashing, or, if preferred, wring it and season
with butter and salt. What is left over is excellent _fried_ for next
day’s breakfast or dinner. It must be in slices, and not mashed. Save
the water in which they are boiled, to make yeast or brown bread, for
which it is excellent.
_Cabbage and Cauliflowers._
Take off the outer leaves of a cabbage, cut the stalky part in
quarters, down to the centre, put it in boiling salted water, and boil
them from half an hour to an hour. Cabbages, like turnips, must have a
good deal of water, or they will taste strong.
For cauliflowers, cut off all the leaves but the small ones mixed with
the head, and boil in salted water till it is tender. Some wrap some
of the large leaves around the head, and tie them on, and when cooked
throw aside the leaves. Drain the cauliflower with a skimmer and eat it
with drawn butter.
* * * * *
Most vegetables must be put in water only sufficient to cover them,
allowing a little more for evaporation. Strong vegetables like turnips,
cabbage, and some of the greens, require a good deal of water.
_Peas._
Peas, to be good, must be fresh from the vines. Throw them into boiling
salted water, and cook them from fifteen to thirty minutes, according
to their age. When old, they are improved by putting a very little
saleratus into the water, say a quarter of a teaspoonful to half a peck
of shelled peas.
_Sweet Corn._
If it is to be boiled on the cob, put it in salted boiling water, and
let it cook from twenty minutes to three quarters of an hour after it
begins to boil, according to the age of the corn.
_Succatosh._
If you wish to make succatosh, boil the beans from half to three
quarters of an hour, in water a little salt, meantime cutting off the
corn and throwing the cobs to boil with the beans. Take care not to cut
too close to the cob, as it imparts a bad taste. When the beans have
boiled the time above mentioned, take out the cobs, and add the corn,
and let the whole boil from fifteen to twenty minutes, for young corn,
and longer for older corn. Make the proportions two-thirds corn and
one-third beans. Where you have a mess amounting to two quarts of corn
and one quart of beans, take two tablespoonfuls of flour, wet it into a
thin paste, and stir it into the succatosh, and let it boil up for five
minutes. Then lay some butter in a dish, take it up into it, and add
more salt if need be.
_Beans._
Throw them into salted boiling water, and cook them from an hour to an
hour and a half, according to the age. A little saleratus improves them
when old; a piece as big as a pea will do. If you put in too much, the
skins will slip off.
_Egg Plant._
Boil them in a good deal of water a few minutes, to get out the bitter
taste, then cut them in slices, and sprinkle a little salt on them.
Then fry them brown in lard or butter. If they are fried on a griddle,
with only butter enough to keep them from sticking, they are better
than when more butter is used.
_Baked Beans._
Pick over the beans the night before, and put them in warm water to
soak, where they will be kept warm all night. Next morning pour off the
water, and pour on boiling water, and let them stand and simmer till
the beans are soft, and putting in with them a nice piece of pork, the
skin gashed. Put them into the deep dish in which they are to bake,
having water just enough to cover them. Bury the pork in the middle,
so that the top will be even with the surface. All the garden beans
are better for baking than the common field bean. They must bake in a
moderately hot oven from two to three hours.
_Tomatoes._
Pour on scalding water, and let them remain in it five minutes, to
loosen the skins. Peel them, and put them in a stew-pan with a little
salt and butter, and let them stew half an hour, and then pour them on
to buttered toast.
_Another Way._--Peel them, put them in a deep dish, put salt and
pepper, and a little butter over them, then make a layer of bread
crumbs, or pounded crackers, then make another layer of tomatoes, and
over these another layer of crumbs, till the dish is filled. The top
layer must be crumbs. Some persons put nutmeg and sugar with the other
seasoning. Bake three quarters of an hour, or more, according to the
size.
_Another Way._--Peel them, put them in a stew-pan with some salt, boil
them nearly half an hour, then put into them three or four beaten eggs,
and more salt if needed, and very little pepper. Many would add a few
small slices of onion. Most who have tried this last are very fond of
it.
_Greens._
Beet tops, turnip tops, spinach, cabbage sprouts, dandelions, cowslips,
all these boil in salted water till they are tender, then drain in
a colander, pressing hard. Chop them a little, and warm them in a
sauce-pan, with a little butter.
Lay them on buttered toast, and if you like, garnish them with
hard-boiled egg, cut in slices. If not fresh, soak them half an hour in
salt and water.
_Cucumbers._
The chief art of preparing cucumbers consists in making them cool and
crisp. This is done by putting them in cold water for half an hour,
and then cut them in thin slices into cold water. Then drain them in a
colander, and season them with pepper, salt, and vinegar.
Cucumbers are very nice cooked in this way. Peel and cut them into
quarters, take out the seeds, and boil them like asparagus. Put them on
to buttered toast, and put a little butter over them.
_Macaroni._
Mix a pint of milk, and a pint of water, and a teaspoonful of salt;
put in two ounces of macaroni, and boil till the liquor is wasted and
the macaroni tender. Put on butter, or pour over some gravy. Cut the
macaroni in pieces of three or four inches, in order to help it out
more conveniently.
_Another Way._
Simmer it in thin gravy; when tender lay it in a dish, and grate on it
old cheese, and over that grated bread. Pour over it melted butter, and
set in a Dutch oven till of a brown color.
_To Cook Hominy._
Wash in several waters, and boil it five hours, allowing two quarts
of water, and half a teaspoonful of salt, to every quart of hominy.
Drain it through a colander, and add butter and salt, if needed. The
small-grained requires less water and time.
_Macaroni Pudding, to eat with Meat._
Simmer a quarter of a pound of macaroni in plenty of water, until it
is tender. Strain off the water, and add a pint of milk or cream, an
ounce of grated cheese, and a teaspoonful of salt. Mix well together,
and strew over the top two ounces of grated cheese and crumbs of bread.
Brown it well, in baking, on the top. It will bake in a quick oven in
half an hour. It is appropriate to be eaten with boiled ham, or forms a
course by itself, after meat.
_Salad._
Salad, to be in perfection, should be fresh gathered, and put into
salted cold water, which will remove all insects. Let them stand half
an hour, and then drain them thoroughly.
_Mode of Dressing Salad._
Take the yolks of one or two eggs boiled hard, mash them fine, mix with
them pepper, salt, mustard, oil, and vinegar to your taste. Then cut up
the salad, and mix it with this preparation. This is usually done at
table.
_Mushroom._
Cut off the lower part of the stem, peel them, and put them in a
sauce-pan, with just water enough to prevent their burning at the
bottom, put in a little salt, and shake them occasionally while
cooking, to prevent burning. When tender, add butter, salt, and pepper
to your taste, and wine and spice, if you like them. Serve them on
buttered toast.
_Celeriac._
This is very good, and but little known. It resembles celery in flavor,
and is much more easily cultivated. Scrape and cut the roots in slices.
Boil them very tender, drain off the water, add a little salt, and turn
in just milk enough to cover them. Then take them up and add a little
butter.
_Salsify, or Vegetable Oyster._
Boil it till tender, then pour off the water, and add a little milk,
and a little salt and butter.
_Another Way._--Parboil it, scraping off the outside, cut it in slices,
dip it into beaten egg and fine bread crumbs, and fry it in lard.
_Another Way._--Make a batter of wheat flour, milk and eggs, and a
little salt. Cut the salsify in slices; after it is boiled tender, put
it in the batter, and drop this mixture into hot fat by the spoonful.
Cook them a light brown.
_Southern Mode of Cooking Rice._
Pick over the rice, and wash it in cold water. To a pint of rice, put
three quarts of _boiling_ water, and half a teaspoonful of salt. Boil
it just _seventeen minutes_ from the time it fairly begins to boil.
Then turn off _all_ the water, and set it over a moderate fire, with
the lid off, to steam fifteen minutes. Great care must be taken to be
accurate. The rice water poured off is good to stiffen muslins.
_Common Mode of Cooking Rice._
To a pint of clean rice, put three quarts of cold water, and a
teaspoonful of salt. Boil it fifteen or twenty minutes, then pour off
the water, add milk and some cream, and let it boil a few minutes
longer. It should not be so soft as to lose its form.
In case you wish to fry it next morning, boil it longer in the water,
and omit the milk, or not, as you please. It is always a good plan to
boil a good deal, so as to have it next day for griddle cakes, or to
cut in slices and fry.
_Best Mode of Cooking Tomatoes._
This vegetable is much improved by cooking _a long time_.
Immediately after breakfast, begin by boiling two onions. If they are
not liked, omit this part; but it is best to make the trial, as some
can eat this, who cannot take onions any other way comfortably.
Pour boiling water over a dozen large tomatoes, and peel them. Cut
them into a stew-pan; add a tea-cup and a half of bread crumbs,
a teaspoonful of black pepper, a tablespoonful of salt, four
tablespoonfuls of butter, and also the cooked onion. Set them where
they will stew _very slowly_ all the forenoon, the longer the better.
Fifteen minutes before serving them, beat up six eggs, and add, and
give them a good boil, stirring all the time. (Indiana Receipt.)
_Sweet Potatoes._
The best way to cook sweet potatoes is to bake them with their skins
on. When boiled, the largest should be put in first, so as to have all
cook alike. Drain them and dry them, then peel them. They are excellent
sliced and fried for breakfast next day; much better than at first.
_Artichokes._
Boil them till tender, drain them, and serve them with melted butter.
_Stewed Egg Plant._
Take the purple kind, stew till soft, take off the skin, mash it with
butter and sweet herbs, grate bread over the top, and bake it till
brown.