The Healthy Life Cook Book, 2d ed. by Florence Daniel (good book club books .txt) 📖

id="id00278">No exact time can be given for cooking vegetables, as this varies with age and freshness. The younger—always supposing it has just come to maturity—and fresher the vegetable, the quicker it cooks.

It should not be forgotten that orthodox cooks put all green and root vegetables, except potatoes, to cook in boiling water. This rule should not be neglected when steaming vegetables—the water should be fast boiling.

I will conclude with a few remarks about preparing greens, cauliflowers, etc. The general practice is to soak them in cold salted water with the idea of drawing out and killing any insects. But this often results in killing the insects, especially if much salt is used, before "drawing them out." A better plan is to put the trimmed cabbage or cauliflower head downwards into warm water for about half an hour. As I trim Brussels sprouts I throw them into a pan of warm water, and the insects crawl out and sink to the bottom of the pan. It is astonishing how many one finds at the bottom of a pan of warm water in which sprouts are soaked.

1. ARTICHOKE, JERUSALEM.

Steam until tender, or bake with a small piece of nutter on each artichoke until brown. Serve with tomato or white sauce.

2. ASPARAGUS.

Tie in a bundle and stand in a deep saucepan with the stalks in water, so that the shoots are steamed. Serve with melted butter or white sauce.

3. BEETROOT.

Bake or steam. It will take from 2 to 4 hours, according to size.

4. BROAD BEANS.

Steam until tender, but do not spoil by overcooking. Serve with parsley sauce.

5. BROCCOLI.

This is a rather coarser variety of cauliflower. Cook in the same way as the latter.

6. BRUSSELS SPROUTS.

These should be steamed for not more than 20 minutes. They are generally spoiled by overcooking. Serve plain or with onion sauce.

7. CABBAGE.

Steam. Put in vegetable dish, chop well, and add a small piece of butter.

8. CARROT.

Steam until tender. Serve whole or mashed with butter.

9. CAULIFLOWER.

Steam. This may be done in a large saucepan if a steamer is not available. Support the cauliflower on a pudding basin or meat stand—anything which will raise it just above the level of the water. Serve with white sauce or tomato sauce.

10. CELERY.

Stew. Choose a small head of celery, not a large, coarse head which will be tough. Well wash and cut into about 8 pieces. (Keep any large coarse sticks, if such are unavoidably present, for soup.) Put in stew-pan and barely cover with water. Simmer until tender. Lift out on to hot dish. Thicken the liquor with a little wholemeal flour, add a small piece of butter pour this sauce over celery, and serve.

11. CELERIAC.

This is a large, hard white root, somewhat resembling a turnip in appearance, with a slight celery flavour. It is generally only stocked by "high-class" greengrocers. It costs from 1-1/2d. to 3d., according to size. It is nicest cut in slices and fried in fat or oil until a golden brown.

12. CUCUMBER.

Although not generally cooked, this is very good steamed, and served with white sauce.

13. GREEN PEAS.

Do not spoil these by overcooking. Steam in a double boilerette, if possible. About 20 minutes is long enough.

14. LEEKS.

Cut off green leaves rather close to the white part. Wash well. Steam about 30 minutes. Serve with white sauce.

15. NETTLES.

The young tops of nettles in early spring are delicious. Later they are not so palatable. Pick the nettles in gloves. Grasp them firmly, and wash well. Put a small piece of butter or nutter with a little pounded thyme into the saucepan with the nettles. Press well down and cook very slowly. A very little water may be added if desired, but if the cooking is done slowly, this will not be needed. When quite tender, dish up on a layer of bread-crumbs, taking care to lose none of the juice. This dish somewhat resembles spinach, which should be cooked in the same fashion, but without the butter and thyme.

16. ONIONS.

If onions are peeled in the open air they will not affect the eyes. Only the Spanish onions are pleasant as a vegetable. The English onion is too strong for most people.

Steam medium-sized onions from 45 mins. to 1 hour. Serve with white sauce, flavoured with a very little mace or nutmeg, if liked. For baked onions, first steam for 30 minutes and then bake for 30 minutes. Put nutter or butter on each onion. Cook until brown. Onions for frying should be sliced and floured. Fry for 5 or 6 minutes in very little fat. This is best done in a covered stew-pan. Drain on kitchen paper.

17. PARSNIPS.

Steam. Cold steamed parsnips are nice fried. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve.

18. POTATOES.

Scrub well and steam, either with or without peeling. If peeled, this should be done very thinly, as the greater part of the valuable potash salts lie just under the skin.

BAKED.—Moderate-sized potatoes take from 45 to 60 minutes. If peeled before baking, cut in halves and put on a greased tin with a little nut-fat or butter on each.

CHIPS.—Cut into long chips and try in deep oil or fat. A frying-basket and stew-pan are the most convenient utensils, but they take a great deal of fat. A frying-pan and egg-slice will answer the same purpose for small quantities.

Success depends upon getting the fat the right temperature. It must be remembered that fat and oil do not bubble when they boil. They bubble just before boiling. As soon as they become quite still they boil. A very faint blue smoke now arises. When the fat actually smokes, it is burning and spoilt.

If the chips are put in wet, or before the fat boils, they will be sodden and spoilt. A tiny piece of bread may be first put in to test. If this "fizzles" well, the fat is ready.

When the chips are golden brown, lift them out with a slice and lay them on paper to drain. Then put in vegetable dish and serve quickly. They are spoilt if allowed to cool.

MASHED.—Old potatoes are best mashed after steaming. They should be well beaten with a fork, and a little butter and milk, or nut-butter added.

SAUTÉ.—Take cold steamed potatoes and cut into slices. Melt a small piece of fat or butter in a pan, and, when hot, put in potatoes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Shake over fire until brown.

TO USE COLD POTATOES.—Chop in small pieces. Melt a very little fat in a pan. Put in potatoes, and as they get warm mash with a fork, and press down hard on the pan. Do not stir. At the end of 20 minutes the under side should be brown. Turn out in a roll and serve.

19. BUBBLE AND SQUEAK.

Mix cold mashed potatoes with any kind of cold green vegetable. Heat in a frying-pan with a little butter or fat.

20. RADISHES.

These are generally eaten raw, but are nice steamed.

21. SEA KALE.

Steam, and serve with white sauce.

22. SCARLET RUNNERS AND FRENCH BEANS.

String, slice thinly, and steam.

23. SPINACH.

See Nettles.

24. SWEDES.

These are delicious steamed and mashed with butter.

25. TOMATOES.

These are generally grilled, fried or baked. To fry, cut in slices and flour. Use only just enough fat. Bake with or without fat. Medium-sized tomatoes take about 30 mins.

STUFFED.—Cut a slice off the top like a lid. Scoop out the pulp and mix to a stiff paste with bread-crumbs, a little finely-chopped onion, and a pinch of savoury herbs. Fill tomatoes with the mixture, put on the lids, and bake in a tin with a little water at the bottom.

26. TURNIP.

Steam and serve plain, or mash with butter.

27. VEGETABLE MARROW.

Steam without peeling if they are very young. Otherwise, peel.

VII.—GRAVIES AND SAUCES. 1. BROWN GRAVY.

Fry a chopped onion in a very little nutter until a dark brown. (Do not burn, or the flavour of the gravy will be spoilt.) Drain off the fat and add 1/2 pint water. Boil until the water is brown. Strain. Return to saucepan and add flavouring to taste. A teaspoon of lemon juice and a tomato, skinned and cooked to pulp, are good additions. Or any vegetable stock may be used instead of the water.

THICK.—If thick gravy be desired, mix a dessertspoonful wholemeal flour with a little cold water. Add the boiling stock to this. Return to saucepan and boil for 3 minutes. Add a small piece of butter just before serving.

Another method.—Add a little "browning" (see recipe) to any vegetable stock. Thicken.

2. EGG SAUCE.

Make a white sauce (see recipe). Boil an egg for 20 minutes, shell, chop finely, and add to the sauce.

3. PARSLEY SAUCE.

Make a white sauce (see recipe). But if the use of milk be objected to, make the sauce of water and wholemeal flour. Allow 1 tablespoon finely-chopped parsley to each 1/2 pint of sauce. Add to the sauce, and boil up. Add a small piece of butter or nut-butter just before serving.

4. SWEET LEMON SAUCE.

2 ozs. lump sugar, 1 large lemon.

Rub the lemon rind well with the sugar. Put the sugar into a saucepan with as much water as it will just absorb. Boil to a clear syrup. Add the lemon juice. Make hot, but do not boil.

5. TOMATO SAUCE.

Pour boiling water on the tomatoes, allow to stand for 1 minute, after which the skins may be easily removed. Break the tomatoes (do not cut) and put into a closely-covered saucepan. Put on one side of the range, or an asbestos mat over a very low gas ring, and allow to cook slowly to pulp. Serve.

This simple recipe makes the most delicious sauce for those who appreciate the undiluted flavour of the tomato. But a good sauce may be made by allowing 1 teacup water or carrot stock to each teacup of pulp, boiling up and thickening with wholemeal flour. A little butter may be added just before serving.

6. WHITE SAUCE.

Allow 1 level dessertspoon cornflour to 1/2 pint milk. Mix the cornflour with a very little cold water in a basin. Pour the boiling milk into this, stirring all the time. Return to saucepan and boil 5 minutes. Add a small piece of butter just before serving.

7. BROWNING, FOR GRAVIES AND SAUCES.

Put 2 ozs. lump sugar in saucepan with as much water as it will just absorb. Boil to a clear syrup, and then simmer very gently, stirring all the time, until it is a very dark brown, almost black. It must not burn or the flavour will be spoilt. Then add a pint of water, boil for a few minutes. Put into a tightly-corked bottle and use as required.

VIII.—EGG COOKERY.

Many vegetarians discard the use of eggs and milk for principle's sake, but the majority still find them necessary as a half-way house. But no eggs at all are infinitely to be preferred to any but real new-laid eggs. The commercial "cooking-egg" is an unwholesome abomination.

1. BOILED EGGS FOR INVALIDS.

Put the egg on in cold water. As soon as it boils take the saucepan off the fire and stand on one side for 5 minutes. At the end of this time the egg will be found to be very lightly, but thoroughly, cooked.

2. BUTTERED EGGS.

3 eggs, 1 tablespoon milk, 1/2 oz. fresh butter.

Beat up the eggs and add the milk. Melt the butter in a small stew-pan. When hot, pour in the eggs and stir until they begin to set. Have ready some buttered toast. Pile on eggs and serve.

3. EGG ON TOMATO.

1 egg, 2 medium tomatoes, butter.

Skin the tomatoes. Break into halves and put them, with a very small piece of butter, into a small stew-pan. Close tightly, and cook slowly until reduced to a pulp. Break the egg into a cup and slide gently on to the tomato. Put on the stew-pan lid. The