Part 20

All vegetables are best when fresh, as can easily be discovered by the difference between those newly brought from the garden, and those that have been kept in a provision shop till next day, (and perhaps longer,) imbibing the atmosphere of meat, fish, poultry, and a variety of things, each becoming impure from the same causes; not to mention the rats, mice, and insects which run over them at night. You cannot have vegetables in perfection without a country garden. But if obliged to depend upon the market or the provision shops, always have your vegetables washed and laid in cold water before cooking. Some are best when put on to boil in cold water; others require boiling water at the beginning, to give them what the cooks call a quick start. All should be thoroughly done throughout. If hard in the centre they are unpalatable, and very unwholesome; even worse than underdone meat. Use but very little salt in cooking vegetables; too much renders them hard, and overpowers their real taste. Also, it is easy for the lovers of salt to add more when at table. When vegetables are done, and taken out the pot, drain them well through a cullender or sieve, carefully pressing out all the water that is about them. There is generally, in our country, too much water allowed to the vegetables. Merely enough to cover them well, and keep them from burning, is in most cases sufficient. In France, so little water is used in cooking vegetables, that they are rather stewed than boiled, and are the better for it. A puddle of greasy water in the bottom of every vegetable dish is a disgusting sight; and yet how frequently it is seen. If of every-day occurrence, it is a certain indication of a bad cook, or an inefficient mistress, or both.

Almost all green vegetables should be thrown into fast-boiling water, and cooked rapidly; first washing them carefully, and laying them for half an hour in a large pan of cold water. If found frozen in the winter, be sure to thaw them in cold water. Continue the boiling till they are thoroughly done, and with a steady heat, taking off the scum as it rises.

It is very usual in the spring to bring early vegetables from the south, for the markets of Philadelphia and New York. By the time they reach us they are faded, withered, tough and unwholesome. It is better to wait a week or two longer till the season is a little more advanced, and the farms and gardens of our neighborhood can supply our own markets, at a far less cost, and with fresher and better vegetables.

The water in which vegetables have been boiled becomes very unwholesome, and should be thrown out immediately.

BOILED POTATOS.--To have boiled potatos in perfection they should all be of a good sort and as nearly as possible of the same size. Till it is time to cook them, let the slight mould or earth that has adhered to the potatos in digging, be carefully washed off, even scrubbing them with a hard brush. This can be done very conveniently, by laying them under the hydrant or pump, washing them there with a broom, and letting the water run on them.

An iron pot is the best of all things for boiling potatos, as it retains the heat longer than any other utensil. Lay them in it, closely and compactly, and pour in barely sufficient cold water to cover them well, adding a tea-spoonful of salt. Simmer them till nearly done, which you may ascertain by probing all through with a fork. You may quicken the fire for the last five minutes. Pour off all the water from them as soon as they are tender all through. Lift the lid of the pot at one side to allow the steam to pass off, and set them beside the fire, or on a trevet far above it, till the moisture has escaped; the potatos will then be dry and mealy. Then peel them; or if preferred, send them to table with the skin on, which will keep them hot longer.

If the potatos are old, cut a piece of skin (about the size of a sixpence) from the top and bottom before boiling; or, take off a long slip from each side. In the spring, when quite old, cut out all the blemishes, pare the potatos, and always boil them for mashing.

ROAST POTATOS.--Potatos for roasting should always be large and fine. If small, "they go all to skin." Select those that are nearest of a size, and wash them very clean, and wipe every one with a cloth. Put them into an oven, and let them roast or bake for more than two hours, turning them with a fork. Dish them in the skins, and send only cold butter to table with them. Bake sweet potatos in the same manner, but much longer. Small sweet potatos should be boiled; as, when small, they are not worth cooking in any other way; and when roasted there is scarcely any thing of them, but tough shriveled skin.

BAKED POTATOS.--Pare some fine potatos all about the same size, and cover with them the whole bottom of a large deep earthen dish; lay them close together so that they all touch. Bake them under a nice piece of beef, veal, or pork, raised above them on a trivet. The gravy from the meat will drip upon them as soon as it begins to bake. They must bake till they are nicely browned, and till a fork will easily go through them. Have a smaller dish of potatos baked without meat, in a dish by themselves, as potatos pared before baking are much liked. Lay some bits of fresh butter among those that are cooked without any meat.

TO BOIL NEW POTATOS.--Rub each one with a coarse cloth to clear off the skin, it being too thin for paring. Wash them well, and cut a small piece off the top and bottom of each potato, to make them boil tender all through. Put no salt in the water, and boil them till soft. Serve them plain, and eat them with cold butter--or, put them into a sauce-pan, and stew them in butter.

MASHED POTATOS.--Having boiled the potatos till tender all through, drain them very dry in a cullender, and mash them smoothly with a potato beetle, a large wooden spoon, or a short-handled wooden ladle. When all are nicely mashed, add gradually plenty of fresh butter, and some cream or rich milk. On no account spoil the potatos by putting any water to them, when mashing. Put them into a deep dish or mould, and brown them with a salamander.

POTATO CAKES.--After the mashed potatos are mixed with butter in a deep earthen pan, beat them with a wooden spoon to render them very light. Then make them up into thick flat cakes, about the size of a muffin, and brown each with a salamander.

COUNTRY POTATOS.--Having boiled and peeled some fine newly-dug potatos, melt some butter in a sauce-pan, with cream, instead of flour and water, and pour it plentifully into the dish of potatos; seasoning with black pepper and sweet marjoram leaves. Where cream is plenty, this is a very nice way of cooking. Serve them up with the sauce poured over them, and around them. They must be well boiled, and tender all through.

FRIED POTATOS.--The potatos must be raw, large, unblemished, and of a good round shape. First take off a thin paring of the skin. Then, pare the whole potato round and round, (not too thin,) till you have gone through it all, and nothing is left unpared but a little lump in the centre. Then put these continuous rings of potato into a frying-pan, in which is boiling plenty of fresh butter, or butter and lard mixed. Fry them brown and tender, and arrange them handsomely in a dish for breakfast.

_Another Way._--Slice thin a sufficiency of fine raw potatos, and lay them in a pan of cold water to soak for an hour or more. Then pour off that water entirely, and replace it with fresh. Let them remain in this for another hour, or till it is time to cook them. Put them into a frying-pan that has in it plenty of fresh butter or lard, enough, while frying, to keep the potatos near the surface. Fry them till perfectly well done and tender.

Attempting to re-cook cold potatos renders them more hard and tough.

When once cold, potatos always remain indigestible, cook them as you will.

STEWED POTATOS.--Having pared some fine raw potatos, quarter them, and put them into a stew-pan with a little salt, pepper, and some green sweet marjoram stripped from the stalks, and scattered among the potatos. Put them into a stew-pan with milk enough to prevent their burning, and some fresh butter--no water. If you can get cream conveniently, add some to the milk. Cover the pan, and let the potatos stew, till, on trying them with a fork, you find them thoroughly cooked, and soft and tender all through. If not sufficiently done, they are hard, tough, leathery, and unfit to eat.

They are very good stewed entirely in the dripping of cold gravy of roast beef, veal, or pork--but not mutton, as that will give them the taste of tallow. This is a nice breakfast dish. Cold potatos re-cooked never again become good. After potatos once become cold, no cooking can restore them.

STEWED SWEET POTATOS.--These should first be scraped or pared. Then cut into pieces, and stewed as above.

BOILED CABBAGE.--All cabbage should be well washed, and boiled in a large quantity of water with a little salt; the loose or faded leaves being stripped from the outside. They should always be cut or split in two, or in four pieces if very large. Cut the stalk short, and split it up to where the leaves begin. Put it on in boiling water, and keep it boiling steadily till quite done, which will not be till the stalk is tender throughout. If a young summer cabbage, split it in half, and when well boiled, and drained and pressed in a cullender, serve it up with a few bits of cold fresh butter, laid inside among the leaves. Season it with pepper. This is a much nicer and easier way, than to make drawn butter, and pour over the outside of the cabbage.

Sprouts and very young greens, require nothing more than to be well washed, boiled and drained. In the country, cabbage sprouts are commonly boiled with bacon.

Savoy cabbage is considered the finest sort. It is a late autumn and winter cabbage. If very large, split it in four. Do not boil it with meat. The fat will render it strong and unwholesome. Still worse, when melted butter is added to a cabbage already saturated with the fat of corned beef.

AN EXCELLENT WAY OF BOILING CABBAGE.--Having trimmed the cabbage, and washed it well in cold water, (examining the leaves to see that no insects are lurking among them,) cut it almost into quarters, but do not divide it entirely down at the stem, which should be cut off just below the termination of the leaves. Let it lie an hour in a pan of cold water. Have ready a pot _full_ of boiling water, seasoned with a small tea-spoonful of salt. Put the cabbage into it, and let it boil for an hour and a half, skimming it occasionally. Then take it out; put it into a cullender to drain, and when all the hot water has drained off; set it under the hydrant. Let the hydrant run on it, till the cabbage has become perfectly cold all through. If you have no hydrant, set it under a pump, or keep pouring cold water on it from a pitcher. Then, having thrown out all the first water, and washed the pot, fill it again, and let the second water boil. During this time the cabbage under the hydrant will be growing cold. Then put it on again in the second water, and boil it two hours, or two and a half. Even the thickest part of the stalk must be perfectly tender all through. When thoroughly done, take up the cabbage, drain it well through the cullender, pressing it down with a broad ladle to squeeze out all the moisture; lay it in a deep dish, and cut it _entirely_ apart, dividing it into quarters. Lay some bits of fresh butter among the leaves, add a little pepper, cover the dish, and send it to table hot.

Cooked in this manner it will be made perfectly wholesome, and the usually unpleasant cabbage smell will be rendered imperceptible. We recommend it highly.

CALE CANNON.--Boil in one pot a fine large cabbage, and when done, drain and press it in a cullender till all the water is squeezed out. Have boiled in another, four or five large mealy potatos. Peel and mash the potatos, and chop the cabbage small. Mix the cabbage and the potatos evenly, in one large dish, and season them with black pepper; adding some bits of nice butter. Cale cannon is a plain family dish, but is very good, when all the dinner corresponds.

FRIED CABBAGE.--Parboil a fine cabbage. When half-boiled, take it out, drain it, and lay it awhile in cold water, to remove the cabbage smell. Next put it into a clean pot of fresh water, and boil it again till thoroughly done. Afterwards, chop it small, season it with pepper and salt, and fry it in fresh butter.

A less delicate way is to fry it in boiling lard, taking care to drain it well. It should be eaten only by people in good health.

FORCED CABBAGE--(_Choux farcie._)--This is for dinner company. Take two fine fresh cabbages, and examine them well to see that there are no insects hidden among the leaves. Wash the cabbages in cold water, and drain them. Take out the heart or inside cluster of leaves in the centre of each cabbage, leaving a circle of them standing. Cut off the stalk near the bottom, but not so close as to cause the cabbage to fall apart. You may leave a double circle of leaves. Have ready plenty of stuffing, or forcemeat, made of veal or fresh pork minced finely, cold ham or smoked tongue minced also, grated bread-crumbs, fresh butter, powdered mace, sweet marjoram and sweet basil, grated lemon-peel, and two hard-boiled yolks of egg, crumbled fine. Fill the cabbages full with this stuffing, and to keep them in shape, tie them firmly round in several places, with strings of twine or bass. They must be tied in the form of a round ball. Put them into a stew-pot, with water enough to cover them well, and let them stew till thoroughly done. Take them up immediately before they are wanted, and remove the strings that have kept them in shape while cooking. Red cabbages may be done in this way.

FRENCH SOUR CROUT.--This may be made fresh every day, and has none of the objections generally alleged against the German saur-kraut. Having taken out the stalks or cores, split into quarters, four large white-heart cabbages. Shred them fine with a cabbage-cutter. Wash them well in two waters, and drain them in a cullender. Next lay the shred cabbages in a large earthen pan, add a table-spoonful of salt, and a pint of the best cider vinegar. Stir and toss the cabbage in this, and let it steep for three hours. Then wash and drain it, and put it into a large stew-pan, with half a pound of nice sweet butter, or a quarter of a pound of lard. Season it with a little black pepper, and three table-spoonfuls of French mustard, or a jill of tarragon vinegar. Cover the whole with a buttered white paper, and stew it slowly for two hours longer. Take off the paper, and send the sour crout to table in a covered dish.

You may lay on the top of the stew, a pound of sausage meat, or of sausage cakes. Or a thin slice or two of cold ham.

DRESSING FOR SLAW.--Mix a small pint of real cider vinegar with four large table-spoonfuls of nice fresh butter, divided into four bits, and each bit rolled in flour; a tea-spoon of salt, and a salt-spoon of cayenne. Being well stirred, and mixed thoroughly, boil this in a porcelain-lined sauce-pan; and, as soon as it has come to a fast boil, remove it from the fire, and stir in the beaten yolk of four eggs. Have ready a nice fresh white cabbage, that has been washed, drained, and cut, or shaved, into small shreds with a cabbage cutter. Lay the shred cabbage in a deep dish or bowl, while you prepare the above dressing. Having taken it from the fire, and stirred in, gradually, the beaten yolk of egg, pour the dressing hot over the cabbage: mixing it all with a large boxwood salad-spoon or fork. Set it out of doors to cool; or cool it quickly on ice or snow.

Or if preferred warm, place it on the top of a stove, and cover it closely till wanted. It may be made of red cabbage.

This slaw (either cold or warm) will be found very superior to all others, if this receipt is exactly followed.

SALSIFY FRITTERS.--Having washed and scraped the salsify roots, and cut off the extreme joints, stand them up and grate them. Beat three eggs very light, and stir them gradually into a pint of milk, with sufficient flour to make a stiff batter. Instead of grating the salsify you may cut it into pieces, and boil it till quite soft, so that you can mash it easily. Add a little pepper. Have ready over the fire a deep frying-pan or skillet, with plenty of boiling lard. Put in a large spoonful of the batter, and into the middle of each drop a spoonful of the mashed salsify. Fry these fritters of a light brown on both sides, and take them out with a perforated skimmer, draining off the lard through its holes.

You may fry the mashed salsify without the batter, taking large spoonfuls, and dipping each in beaten egg first, and afterward twice over in grated bread-crumbs, so as to resemble fried oysters.

Or you may first boil the roots merely split in two, and then fry them in fresh butter, or bake them brown in an oven.

SALSIFY OYSTERS.--Get some fine salsify roots, (called also oyster-plant,) and wash and scrape them well. Boil them in sufficient fresh oyster liquor to cover them well, and when they are soft take them out, split them, and cut them into pieces about two inches long. Then put them into a stew-pan, with the oyster liquor, some pieces of fresh butter rolled in flour, and some blades of mace and some grated nutmeg, with a few whole pepper-corns. Let them cook between five and ten minutes, having stirred among them the beaten yolks of two or three eggs. Serve them up hot, as a side dish.

MELONGINA OR EGG-PLANT.--Take a large fine egg-plant, and see that there are no blemishes about it. Having cut it into thin round slices, (without paring off the skin,) sprinkle between the slices a very little salt and pepper, cover them with a plate, and let them rest an hour more. Then wipe the pieces dry. Have some beaten egg in one deep plate, and some bread-crumbs, finely grated, in another. Dip each slice of egg-plant first into the beaten egg, and then into the bread-crumbs, and fry them brown in a pan full of boiling lard, or else lard and fresh butter mixed in equal quantities. Take them out with a perforated skimmer, and drain them well.

They will be much better if each slice is dipped _twice_ in the egg, and twice in the crumbs.

They may be fried very plainly, simply dredged with flour, and then put into a pan with plenty of boiling lard, the lard drained well from each slice when it is done. They should be fried brown on both sides. If underdone, and left greenish or whitish, they have a raw bitter taste.

BAKED EGG-PLANTS.--Prepare several fine large unblemished egg-plants, by scooping out the inside or pulp with a spoon, leaving the rind standing. To do this you must cut off very nicely and evenly a round piece from the top, (afterwards to be tied on again.) Make a sufficient quantity of forcemeat or stuffing of soaked bread, pressed and dried slightly; fresh butter; minced sweet marjoram leaves; a little pepper and salt; and some powdered mace, and the yellow rind of a lemon grated off very fine. Mix all these with the pulp or inside of the egg-plant. When thoroughly mixed, stuff with it the rind or outside into a perfectly round shape, and with a packthread tie on the top-piece which was cut off. Put the egg-plants into a dish, the bottom covered with thin slices of cold ham. Bake them for an hour or more, and then send them to table whole, with the slices of ham laid round on the dish. Remove the strings.

FRIED BANANAS.--The bananas should be perfectly ripe and yellow all over. Peel them, split them into long slips, and dredge them slightly with flour. Have ready a frying pan filled with boiling lard. Put in the bananas, and fry them well. When done, take them up on a perforated skimmer, and drain back the lard into the frying pan. Dish, and send them to table with powdered sugar to eat with them.

In the West Indies, the large green bananas that are exported from thence, are by no means in favor, compared with a _very small_ yellow sort, the only banana eaten at the best tables. The little ones are fried in the above manner.

ONION CUSTARD.--Peel and slice ten or twelve mild onions, and fry them in fresh butter, draining them well when you take them up. Then mince them as fine as possible. Beat four eggs till very thick and light, and stir them gradually into a pint of milk, in turn with the minced onion. Season the whole with plenty of grated nutmeg, and stir it very hard. Then put it into a deep white dish, and bake it about a quarter of an hour. Send it to table as a side dish, to be eaten with poultry. It is a French preparation, and will be found very nice, by those who have no dislike to onions.

CAULIFLOWERS.--Choose large fine white cauliflowers. Wash them well, and lay them in a pan of cold water, having divided each cauliflower into quarters. Trim off the outside green leaves. Put on the cauliflowers in boiling water with a little salt in it. It is still better to boil them in milk. Let them cook till tender throughout, flower and stalk. When quite done, put some bits of fresh butter among the flowers, or pour over them drawn butter sauce, made with milk and seasoned with powdered nutmeg or mace. Serve them up hot, and covered.

BROCCOLI--Is drest in the same manner. It is very good with toast under, though inferior to cauliflower.

CAULIFLOWER OMELET.--Take the white part of a boiled cauliflower after it is cold; chop it very small, and mix with it a sufficient quantity of well beaten-egg, to make a very thick batter. Then fry it in fresh butter in a small pan, and send it hot to table.

FRIED CAULIFLOWER.--Having laid a fine cauliflower in cold water for an hour, put it into a pot of boiling water that has been slightly salted, (milk and water will be still better,) and boil it twenty-five minutes, or till the large stalk is perfectly tender. Then divide it, equally, into small tufts, and spread it on a dish to cool. Prepare a sufficient quantity of batter made in the proportion of a table-spoonful of flour, and two table-spoonfuls of milk to each egg. Beat the eggs very light, then stir into them the flour and milk alternately; a spoonful of flour, and two spoonfuls of milk at a time. When the cauliflower is cold, have ready some fresh butter in a frying-pan over a clear fire. When it has come to a boil and has done bubbling, dip each tuft of cauliflower twice into the pan of batter, and fry them a light brown. Send them to table hot.

Broccoli may be fried in this manner.

CAULIFLOWER MACCARONI.--Having removed the outside leaves, and cut off the stalk, wash the cauliflower, and examine it thoroughly to see if there are any insects about it. Next lay it for an hour in a pan of cold water. Then put it into a pot of boiling milk and water that has had a little fresh butter melted in it. Whatever scum may float on the top of the water must be removed before the cauliflower goes in. Boil it steadily half an hour, or till it is quite tender. Then take it out, drain it, and cut it into short sprigs. Have ready three ounces of rich, but not strong cheese, grated fine. Put into a stew-pan a quarter of a pound of fresh butter, nearly half of the grated cheese, two large table-spoonfuls of cream or rich milk, and a very little salt and cayenne. Toss or shake it over the fire till it is well mixed and has come to a boil. Then add the tufts of cauliflower, and let the whole stew together about five minutes. When done put it into a deep dish, strew over the top the remaining half of the grated cheese, and brown it with a salamander or a red-hot shovel held above the surface.

This will be found very superior to real maccaroni. It is a company dish.