Part 17

37. OKRA is a fruit vegetable consisting of a green pod that is several inches long, pointed at one end, and filled with seeds. Fig. 9 shows okra pods attached to the herb of which they are a part. Although okra originated in Africa, it is for the most part grown in the southern section of the United States. However, canned okra may be obtained almost anywhere. Okra is low in food value, being only slightly higher than cabbage and most of the greens; nevertheless, it is liked by many persons. It is of a mucilaginous, or gummy, consistency, and if it is not properly cooked it becomes very slimy and is then decidedly unpleasant. Because of its gummy nature, it helps to thicken any dish to which it is added. Probably its chief use is as an ingredient in soups, when it is known as _gumbo_. Chicken gumbo soup is one of the most popular dishes of this kind. The preliminary preparation of okra is the same as that of most other vegetables; that is, the pods should be washed, the stems removed, and the cleaned pods then cooked in sufficient boiling salted water to cover them well.

38. STEWED OKRA.--The simplest way in which to prepare okra is to stew it. When seasoned well with salt, pepper, and butter, stewed okra finds much favor with those who care for this vegetable.

Select the required number of okra pods and put them on to cook in enough boiling salted water to cover them well. Cook until the pods are soft enough to be easily pierced with a fork. Season with pepper and, if necessary, additional salt, and add 1 tablespoonful of butter for each four persons to be served.

39. OKRA WITH TOMATOES.--If one does not desire a dish made entirely of okra, it may be combined with tomatoes. Such a combination, seasoned well and flavored with ham or bacon fat, makes a very tasty dish.

OKRA WITH TOMATOES (Sufficient to Serve Six)

1-1/2 c. stewed or canned okra 1-1/2 c. stewed or canned tomatoes 1-1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 2 Tb. ham or bacon fat

Heat the okra and tomatoes together in a saucepan and add the salt, pepper, and ham or bacon fat. Cook for 5 or 10 minutes or until well blended. Serve hot.

ONIONS AND THEIR PREPARATION

VARIETIES OF THE ONION FAMILY

40. ONIONS are the chief commercial vegetable of the bulb crops. They have been cultivated from the earliest times, their native country being Central Asia. Closely allied to the onion are several other bulb vegetables, including garlic, shallots, leeks, and chives, all of which are used more extensively for flavoring dishes than for any other purpose. Fig. 10 shows several varieties of this family, the group of three in the upper right corner being garlic; the bunch in the lower right corner, leeks; the bunch in the lower left corner, green onions; and the remainder of those shown in the illustration, different varieties of dried onions, that is, onions that have been allowed to mature.

41. This entire class of food is characterized by a typical, volatile oil, which in most cases is so strong as to be somewhat irritating and which causes the vegetable to disagree with many persons. This flavor, however, can be almost entirely dissipated by cooking, so that many persons who cannot eat the various members of the onion family raw can tolerate them cooked. In food value, which is found principally as carbohydrate in the form of sugar, this class of foods is not very high, being about the same as carrots, beets, and other root vegetables. Some persons believe that onions have wonderful medicinal value in curing colds and preventing them, but there is really no foundation for such a belief.

42. ONIONS.--As has been pointed out, onions are of two general varieties, dried and green. _Dried onions_, as shown in Fig. 10, are those which have been allowed to grow to maturity and have then been cured, or dried, to a certain extent. Such onions are in demand at all seasons. _Green onions_, also shown in Fig. 10, are those which are pulled, or taken out of the ground, before they have matured and are eaten while fresh. They are especially popular in the spring, although they have a rather long season. Each of these classes has many varieties, which vary in flavor and in color, some of the dried ones being yellow, some red, and others white. All dried onions have excellent keeping qualities, so, after purchasing, no special care need be given to them except to store them in a comparatively cool, dry place. Deterioration is due chiefly to sprouting, for as soon as the new plant begins to grow from the center of the onion, the remainder becomes soft and loses much of its flavor. The green, immature onions, however, will not keep for any length of time, and in order to keep them fresh until they are used, they must be stored in a cool, damp place.

43. GARLIC.--The variety of onion known as garlic is very much desired by the people of southern Europe, where it originated. As Fig. 10 shows, it resembles the onion in appearance, but it consists of several parts, or small bulbs, called _cloves_, which are encased in a covering of thin white skin. Garlic has a very strong penetrating odor and a biting taste that resemble the odor and taste of onion, but that are much ranker. It is little used by Americans except as a flavoring for salads and various kinds of highly seasoned meats. In reality, a very small amount of garlic is sufficient to lend enough flavor, and so the bowl in which a salad is served is often merely rubbed with garlic before the salad is put into it. No difficulty will be experienced in recognizing garlic in the markets, for here it is found in long strings that are made by braiding the dry stems together.

44. SHALLOTS.--Closely allied to garlic are shallots, which are native to Syria, where they still grow wild. They are said to have been brought into Europe by the Crusaders. The bulbs of this vegetable are similar to those of garlic, being compound in form, but instead of being enclosed in a thin covering, they are separate when mature, as Fig. 11 shows. Shallots have a strong flavor, but it is not so rank as that of garlic, nor does the odor remain in the mouth so long as that of onion. Many persons like shallots for flavoring stews, soups, salads, and pickles.

45. LEEKS.--Another member of the onion family that is more highly prized and more extensively raised in Europe than in the United States is leeks. As Fig. 10 shows, leeks do not produce a bulb as do onions. In this vegetable, the lower parts of the leaves grow close together and form a bulb-like stem, or neck, which is fairly solid and which constitutes the edible part. The odor and flavor of leeks are similar to those of onions, but they are somewhat weaker. The fleshy stem may be bleached by banking it with earth, and when this is done, the flavor becomes more mild and the texture more tender than in the onion bulb. Like shallots, leeks are used to flavor stews, soups, and similar foods.

46. CHIVES.--The member of the onion family known as chives is a small plant whose roots remain in the ground for many years and produce year after year dense tufts of slender, hollow leaves. These leaves grow to a height of about 6 or 8 inches and resemble the tops of onions except that they are much smaller. Chives, which have a more delicate flavor than onions, are much used for flavoring soup, stews, salads, meats, and other vegetables and as a garnish for salads. When used for any of these purposes, they are cut into tiny pieces.

PREPARATION OF ONIONS

47. ONIONS FOR FLAVORING.--When only the flavor of onions is desired in a salad or a cooked dish of some sort, such as a dressing for fowl, hash, or any similar combination of food ingredients, the onion should be added in the form of juice and pulp rather than in pieces. Then it will not be possible to observe the onion when it is mixed with the food nor to come across small pieces of it when the food is eaten. To prepare an onion in this way, peel it, cut off a crosswise slice, and then grate the onion on a grater over a shallow dish. Add the juice and pulp thus obtained to any food that calls for onion as a flavoring.

48. ONIONS FOR THE TABLE.--When onions are to be used as a vegetable for the table, they require cooking, but first of all they must be peeled. This is at best a rather unpleasant task, because the fumes from the strong volatile oil are irritating to both the eyes and the nostrils. However, it may be done more comfortably by keeping the onions immersed in cold water during the peeling. Remove only the dry outside shells, and, if the onions are large, cut them in halves or quarters. However, as the various layers are likely to fall apart when the onion is cut, it is advisable to select medium-sized or small onions, for these may be cooked whole. After the onions have been peeled, they may be cooked in a variety of ways.

49. BOILED ONIONS.--Perhaps the simplest method of cooking onions is to boil them. To allow the strong volatile oil to escape instead of being reabsorbed by the onions, and thus improve the flavor of the onions, the cover should be kept off the vessel while they are cooking. The water in which this vegetable is cooked has not a very agreeable flavor, so no use should be made of it.

Peel the desired number of onions and if necessary cut them into halves or quarters. Place them in sufficient boiling water to cover well. Cook in an uncovered vessel until tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork, but not so soft as to fall apart. Then pour off the water, season with more salt, if necessary, and a little pepper, and add 1 tablespoonful of butter for each four persons to be served. Serve hot.

50. CREAMED ONIONS.--A cream sauce added to onions makes a very appetizing dish. In fact, most persons prefer creamed onions to any other method of preparation.

CREAMED ONIONS (Sufficient to Serve Six)

1 pt. stewed onions 3 Tb. butter 3 Tb. flour 1 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 1-1/2 c. hot milk

Prepare the onions according to the directions given in Art. 49. When they are tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork, drain. Melt the butter, and add the flour, salt, pepper, and hot milk. Cook until the sauce thickens, pour over the stewed onions, heat together for a few minutes, and serve.

51. BAKED ONIONS.--If variety in the preparation of onions is desired, baked onions should be tried. Select medium-sized onions, peel them, and then boil them whole in boiling salted water until they are almost tender. Drain off the water, place the onions in a shallow dish, brush with butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a hot oven and bake until brown on one side; then turn them and brown on the other side. Serve hot.

64. CREAMED PEAS.--A cream sauce adds considerable food value and flavor to green peas. Peas prepared in this way may be served plain, but they can be made very attractive by serving them in croustades, as shown in Fig. 13. As already learned, _croustades_ are cases made from large pieces of bread that are cut any desired shape, hollowed out, and then toasted in a hot oven or on a broiler or fried in deep fat until crisp.

CREAMED PEAS (Sufficient to Serve Six)

2 c. shelled green peas 2 Tb. butter 2 Tb. flour 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 1/2 c. water from peas 1/2 c. milk

Cook the peas in boiling salted water until tender, and then drain the water from them, retaining 1/2 cupful for the sauce. Melt the butter, add the flour, salt, and pepper, and stir in the hot liquids. Cook until the flour has thickened and then pour over the peas. Serve hot, either plain or in croustades.

65. PEAS IN TURNIP CUPS.--A somewhat unusual dish can be prepared by making cups out of turnips, filling them with peas, and then pouring a cream sauce over the peas. Besides being attractive, this combination makes a very palatable vegetable dish.

Select a sufficient number of medium-sized white turnips. Wash them thoroughly, and then hollow out the inside of each, leaving cup-shaped shells about 1/4 inch thick. Cook these shells in boiling salted water until tender, but not tender enough to break into pieces, and remove from the water. Then, according to the directions given in Art. 60, cook enough green peas to fill the cups. When tender, fill the cups with the peas and over them pour a medium white sauce. Serve hot. 66. PEAS PUREE.--Many persons who cannot eat peas because of the coarse outside skins are able to digest them in the form of a puree. To prepare them in this way, boil fresh peas in the manner explained in Art. 60. When they are tender, force them through a puree sieve or a fine-mesh wire sieve. The pulp will pass through the sieve, but the coarse skins will remain. The puree thus made may be used for soup or in the making of a souffle.

67. PEAS SOUFFLE.--Nothing in the way of peas is more appetizing and at the same time more easily digested than peas souffle. This may be baked in a large baking dish, or it may be divided and baked in individual baking dishes.

PEAS SOUFFLE (Sufficient to Serve Six)

2 Tb. butter 2 Tb. flour 1/2 c. milk 1 c. peas puree 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 2 eggs

Melt the butter, stir in the flour, and add the heated milk. Cook until the mixture thickens and then add the peas puree, salt, and pepper. Separate the eggs, beat the yolks and add them to the mixture, and then fold in the stiffly beaten whites. Pour into a well-greased baking dish or individual baking dishes, place in a pan of hot water, and bake in a slow oven until set, or for 30 or 40 minutes. Serve at once.

PEPPERS AND THEIR PREPARATION

68. PEPPERS are one of the fruit vegetables. Some varieties of them are dried and used as a condiment, that is, to season or give relish to food, but as they are never used as a vegetable, they are not included here. It is the sweet varieties of peppers which are used as vegetables and to which reference is made in these discussions. They are valuable chiefly for two reasons: to flavor various kinds of dishes, such as entrees, salads, etc., and to make a dish more attractive in appearance because of the contrast in color they afford. In food value, they are about equal to the various greens, but as a rule such small quantities of them are eaten that they cannot be regarded as a food.

69. STUFFED PEPPERS.--The usual way of preparing peppers as a vegetable is to stuff them and then bake them, when they will appear as in Fig. 14. The stuffing may be made of various kinds of material, such as pieces of meat, vegetables, cereals, etc., and so affords an excellent way to utilize left-overs of any of these foods. Two recipes for stuffing are here given, and either one may be used with equally good results.

To prepare peppers for stuffing, wash them in cold water and remove the tops by cutting around the peppers a short distance from the stem. Remove the pulp and seeds from the inside, and wash the peppers thoroughly to make sure that no loose seeds remain. Fill with the desired stuffing, place in a shallow pan with a small amount of water, and bake until the peppers are soft enough to be pierced with a fork. The water permits the peppers to steam during the first part of the cooking. Serve hot.

STUFFING NO. 1 (Sufficient for Six Peppers)

2 Tb. ham fat 1 small chopped onion 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 1-1/2 c. steamed rice 1/2 c. bread crumbs 1/2 c. finely chopped boiled ham Milk

Melt the fat in a frying pan, add the onion, salt, and pepper, and heat together for several minutes. Add the rice, bread crumbs, and ham, and moisten with milk until the mixture is of the right consistency. Use to fill the peppers.

STUFFING NO. 2 (Sufficient for Six Peppers)