WOMAN'S INSTITUTE LIBRARY OF COOKERY. VOLUME 2: MILK, BUTTER AND CHEESE; EGGS; VEGETABLES TEXT

being valuable in the diet for their mineral salts and bulk, they add variety to the menu, especially in the winter, for upon maturing they can be kept for a long time if they are properly stored. As tiny young carrots, they are also much used as a summer vegetable, and when cooked whole and served in an attractive way they make a delicious vegetable dish. 99. SELECTION AND PREPARATION.--The selection of carrots is a simple matter, because they keep well and are not likely to be found in a spoiled condition in the market. When small summer carrots are purchased, they should be fresh and should have their tops on. Winter carrots should be as nearly uniform in size as possible and should not be extremely large. Those which are too large in circumference are likely to have a hollow in the center and are not nearly so desirable as thin, solid ones. Carrots of any kind should be uniform in color, and should be without the green portion that is sometimes found on the top near the stem and that is caused by exposure to the light in growing. 100. In preparing carrots for cooking, they should be scraped rather than peeled, in order to avoid wasting any of the vegetable. They are always cooked in boiling salted water, after which they can be treated in various ways. The water in which carrots are cooked should not be thrown away, as it may be used to flavor soup stock. If any carrots remain after a meal, they may be utilized in vegetable salad or soup. 101. BUTTERED CARROTS.--If small, tender carrots can be obtained, they will be found to be delicious upon being boiled and then dressed with butter. Winter carrots may be prepared in this way too, but they will probably require a little more cooking to make them tender. BUTTERED CARROTS (Sufficient to Serve Six) 3 c. diced carrots 2 Tb. butter 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper Wash and scrape the carrots and cut into half-inch pieces. Put to cook in enough boiling water to cover the carrots well, and add 1 teaspoonful of salt for each quart of water. Cook in a covered kettle until they can be easily pierced with a fork and then drain off the water. Add the butter, salt, and pepper, heat until the butter melts, and serve. 102. CARROTS WITH PARSLEY.--The addition of parsley to carrots gives a flavor that improves them very much. This should be chopped fine and added after the carrots have cooked sufficiently. CARROTS WITH PARSLEY (Sufficient to Serve Six) 3 c. sliced carrots 3 Tb. parsley finely chopped 2 Tb. butter 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper Wash and scrape the carrots, slice in very thin slices, and cook until tender in boiling salted water. Drain and add the chopped parsley, butter, salt, and pepper. Mix carefully so as not to break the slices of carrot. Serve hot. 103. BROWNED CARROTS.--A very appetizing way in which to prepare carrots is to cut them in slices lengthwise, boil them until tender, and then brown them in fat. Wash and scrape the desired number of carrots, cut into slices lengthwise, and if large-sized carrots are used, cut the slices into halves. Cook in boiling salted water until tender and then drain. Melt some fat in a frying pan, place the carrots in the hot fat, and brown first on one side and then on the other, turning the slices carefully so as not to break them. A few minutes before removing the carrots from the frying pan, sprinkle sugar over them and allow the sugar to melt. In removing them to a vegetable dish, pour over them the sirup that forms. Serve hot. CAULIFLOWER AND ITS PREPARATION 104. CAULIFLOWER grows in heads as does cabbage, but only the flower or blossom of the plant is eaten. A head of cauliflower from which the leaves have not been removed is shown in Fig. 8. In flavor and composition this vegetable is similar to cabbage, but its flavor is a little more delicate. Still, cauliflower should always be cooked in an uncovered vessel, as are cabbage and Brussels sprouts, if a strong disagreeable flavor would be avoided. [Illustration: FIG. 8] 105. SELECTION AND COOKING.--Very solid heads of cauliflower that are creamy white in color and free from the black specks or blemishes so common to this vegetable should be selected for cooking. The only care that cauliflower requires before cooking is to keep it in a cool place, for it does not wilt nor decay quickly. To prepare this vegetable for cooking, the white head should be cut from the leaves, which are discarded. Then the head should be placed upside down in a pan of salt water and allowed to soak for an hour in order to drive out the small bugs or worms that are so frequently found in this vegetable. The cauliflower may then be cooked whole or broken apart, but in either case it should be cooked until tender in boiling salted water with the cover removed from the kettle. 106. CAULIFLOWER WITH TOMATO SAUCE.--Variety can be secured in the preparation of cauliflower by serving it with a tomato sauce. Besides being very palatable, this is an extremely attractive dish because of the contrast in colors. Chicken gravy may be used instead of tomato sauce, and a most delightful dish is the result. CAULIFLOWER WITH TOMATO SAUCE (Sufficient to Serve Six) 1 head cauliflower 2 Tb. butter 2 Tb. flour 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 2 c. strained tomato Soak the cauliflower in cold salted water, and then tie it carefully in a piece of cheesecloth and put it to cook in boiling salted water. Cook until tender, but not so long that it will fall to pieces. Take from the water, remove the cheesecloth carefully, and place the cauliflower in a vegetable dish. While the cauliflower is cooking, prepare the sauce by melting the butter in a double boiler, adding the flour, salt, and pepper, and stirring into this the heated strained tomato made by forcing canned or stewed tomatoes through a sieve. Cook until the sauce has thickened and then pour over the cauliflower in the vegetable dish. Serve hot. [Illustration: FIG. 9] 107. SCALLOPED CAULIFLOWER.--Another opportunity to make a delicious scalloped dish is afforded by cauliflower. In fact, many persons prefer scalloped cauliflower to any of the dishes made from this vegetable. The ingredients used with the cauliflower increase its food value, which is somewhat low. SCALLOPED CAULIFLOWER (Sufficient to Serve Six) 1 head cauliflower 2 Tb. butter 2 Tb. flour 1 c. milk 1 c. water from cauliflower 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 1 c. buttered crumbs Prepare and cook the cauliflower according to the directions given in Art. 105, breaking it into flowerets before pouring the boiling water on it. When it has cooked tender, drain the water from it. Prepare a sauce with the butter, flour, milk, water from the cauliflower, salt, and pepper. Butter the crumbs by pouring 1 tablespoonful of melted butter over them. Put 1/4 cupful of the crumbs on the bottom of a baking dish, add one-half of the cauliflower, and over this place another 1/4 cupful of crumbs. Then add the remainder of the cauliflower, and pour the white sauce over all. Sprinkle the remainder of the crumbs over the top. Place in a hot oven and bake until well heated through and brown on top. Serve from the dish. 108. CREAMED CAULIFLOWER.--A very attractive vegetable dish can be prepared from cauliflower by cooking the head whole and then serving a cream sauce over it, as shown in Fig. 9. In serving, a portion of the head should be broken off for each person and served with a little of the cream sauce. CREAMED CAULIFLOWER (Sufficient to Serve Six) 1 head cauliflower 2 Tb. butter 2 Tb. flour 1 c. milk 1/2 c. water in which cauliflower was cooked 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper Soak a solid head of cauliflower in cold salted water for about 1 hour. Then wash thoroughly, wrap carefully in cheesecloth, and cook in boiling salted water until tender. When sufficiently cooked, drain, and make a sauce of the other ingredients. Place the cauliflower in a vegetable dish, pour the white sauce over it, and serve hot. CELERY AND ITS PREPARATION 109. CELERY is the stem of a plant that grows in stalks, as shown in Fig. 10. When the stalks are large, they are sold singly, but if they are very small, several of them are tied together and sold in a bunch. The season for celery begins in the fall and lasts until early spring. It may be obtained in the summer, but as the price is usually high and the quality not good, very little use should be made of it during that time. The chief use of celery is as a relish, when it is eaten raw, but it is also valuable for flavoring soups and making salads, pickles, and various other dishes. It is probably used less frequently as a cooked vegetable than in any other way, but when it is in season and can be purchased at a reasonable price, it should be cooked to give variety to the diet. The food value of celery is extremely low, being less than 100 calories to the pound or about equal to that of 1 ounce of meat. However, in spite of this fact, celery is valuable for its mineral salts and bulk, as well as for the appetizing quality that it lends to various foods and to the meals at which it is served. [Illustration: FIG. 10] 110. CARE AND PREPARATION.--Well-bleached, firm stalks of celery should be selected for use. After it comes into the house, it may be kept in good condition for a long time if it is wrapped in a damp cloth and put where it will keep cool. A good plan is to serve the hearts and tender inside stems raw, as explained in _Soup_, and then to use the coarse outside stems for cooking, flavoring soups, or making salads. Celery must be cleaned carefully for dirt often clings to the ridges. After being scrubbed thoroughly, it will become crisp and tender if it is allowed to stand in cold water for some time before serving. When it is to be served as a cooked vegetable, it should be cooked in boiling salted water, as are other vegetables, and then seasoned or dressed in any desirable way. The water in which it is cooked should be utilized in the making of sauce or soup. 111. CREAMED CELERY.--The usual way of preparing celery when it is to be served as a cooked vegetable is to cream it. The cream sauce that is added to the celery increases its food value considerably and greatly improves its flavor. This sauce may be made entirely of milk or of half milk and half liquid from the celery. CREAMED CELERY (Sufficient to Serve Six) 3 c. diced celery 3 Tb. butter 3 Tb. flour 1 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 1 c. milk 1/2 c. water in which celery was cooked Cook the celery in boiling salted water until tender, and then drain. When the celery has cooked, make a white sauce of the other ingredients. Pour this sauce over the cooked celery, heat together, and serve. 112. CELERY AU GRATIN.--The food value of celery may be still further increased by combining it with cheese and bread crumbs in addition to a cream sauce. Such a dish, which is known as _celery au gratin_, is prepared according to the accompanying recipe. CELERY AU GRATIN (Sufficient to Serve Six) 4 c. diced celery 2-1/2 Tb. butter 2-1/2 Tb. flour 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 1 c. milk 1 c. water in which celery was cooked 1 c. buttered crumbs 1/2 c. grated cheese Cook the celery in boiling salted water until tender and then drain. Prepare the cream sauce in the usual manner. Butter the crumbs by stirring them into 1 tablespoonful of melted butter. Put 1/4 cupful of the crumbs in the bottom of a baking dish and put one-half of the celery over them. Place another 1/4 cupful of the crumbs over the celery, and on top of this sprinkle 1/4 cupful of the grated cheese. Add the remainder of the celery and pour the sauce over this. Finally, add the other 1/4 cupful of cheese and the remainder of the crumbs. Place in a hot oven, and bake until well heated through and the crumbs are browned. Serve hot. CORN AND ITS PREPARATION 113. The seeds of the maize plant, or Indian corn, especially the variety known as _sweet corn_, are eaten as a vegetable when they are immature. They grow on a woody cob, and when they are green they are soft and milky; but when they become ripe they are hard and are then ground as grain. Many varieties of sweet corn are used, but some are better in quality than others. In some varieties, the kernels, or seeds, are yellow, while in others they are white; also, some of them are suitable for use early in the summer, while others come later in the season. However, in spite of this difference in quality, color, and season, all kinds of corn used as a vegetable are called _green corn_ and may be prepared in exactly the same ways. 114. The food value of corn, which is very high, even exceeding that of Irish potatoes, is due principally to the carbohydrate it contains. This food substance is in the form of sugar in the green kernels, but as they mature it changes to starch. The food value of the dry grain is therefore higher, and the carbohydrate is in a different form. When the contents of the kernels is still in the liquid form, the corn is said to be at the _milk stage_, and is generally considered to be too young for table use. On the other hand, when the liquid in the kernels has become thickened, the corn, which is then at the _dough stage_, is thought to be too old for use as a vegetable. To be ideal for culinary purposes, it should be just between the milk and dough stages. Then, if it is in good condition, a most satisfactory vegetable is the result. 115. The ear on which the corn kernels grow is entirely encased in several layers of husks. These are not removed until just before the corn is to be cooked; so when this vegetable is in the market the husks are allowed to remain on the ears. The condition of the ears can be determined by stripping the husks down a little and examining the kernels. If they are well filled, they may be considered to be in proper condition; otherwise, they will not be suitable for cooking. No special care need be given to green corn, provided it is not husked. However, when it has been husked, it should be cooked at once. In the husking of corn, all corn silk that is found inside of the husks should be carefully removed, for this is very annoying in the cooked vegetable and its presence indicates carelessness. 116. CORN ON THE COB.--The simplest way in which to prepare green corn is to cook it on the cob. When corn first comes into the market, it is usually very tender and makes a most satisfactory dish when prepared in this way. To cook corn on the cob, husk the corn, remove the silk from the ears, and place them in a kettle. Pour enough boiling water over them to cover them well, and add 1 teaspoonful of salt for each quart of water. Boil 5 minutes, remove from the water, and serve at once. In eating corn on the cob, most persons dress it with butter, pepper, and salt. [Illustration: FIG. 11] 117. CORN COOKED IN MILK.--Often it is not desired to eat corn on the cob. When this is the case, it may be cut off the ear and cooked in various ways. A simple way to prepare it is to cook it with milk and season it with salt, pepper, and butter, as explained in the accompanying recipe. Select the desired number of ears of green corn, husk them, and remove the silk. Then, as shown in Fig. 11, cut the corn from the cob with a sharp knife, grasping the ear by the larger end and cutting upwards. After cutting off the kernels, scrape the ears so that nothing edible will be wasted, drawing the knife downwards. Put the corn into a saucepan, add milk until the corn is nearly covered, and season with salt, pepper, and a little butter. Allow the corn to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the milk from sticking to the bottom of the pan and scorching. No difficulty will be experienced in the preparation of this dish if a double boiler is used, but longer cooking will be required. When the corn is sufficiently cooked, remove from the fire and serve hot. [Illustration: FIG. 12] 118. CORN PULP.--Some persons are unable to digest the coarse hulls of green corn, but can eat the corn if the hulls are removed. Such persons need not be deprived of the delights of this vegetable, for it may be prepared in the form of pulp, which will not disagree with them. To prepare corn pulp, first cut a slit down each row of kernels with a sharp knife as shown in Fig. 12; then, in the manner shown in Fig. 13, scrape out the contents of the kernels with the dull edge of the knife, drawing the knife downwards. When all the pulp has been removed, season it with salt, pepper, and butter, and heat it thoroughly in a double boiler. Serve hot. [Illustration: FIG. 13] If it is not desirable to serve the corn pulp in this manner, it may be used in various ways, as the following recipes indicate. A good substitute for corn pulp is canned corn, but this must be chopped in order to break up the hulls. 119. CORN SOUFFLE.--No more delightful corn dish can be prepared than corn souffle, for in addition to its being appetizing and nutritious, it is extremely dainty. It may be cooked in a baking dish, but it is more attractive when baked in individual baking dishes. A point to remember about its preparation is that it should be served immediately upon being taken from the oven, for souffle always shrinks as it cools. CORN SOUFFLE (Sufficient to Serve Six) 2 c. green corn pulp 1 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 2 Tb. melted butter 2 Tb. flour 1/4 c. milk 2 eggs Mix the corn pulp, salt, pepper, and melted butter, stir in the flour, and add the milk. Separate the eggs, beat the yolks, and add them to the mixture. Then beat the whites stiff and fold them in. Pour into a buttered baking dish or into individual baking dishes, set in a pan of hot water, and bake until brown. Serve at once. 120. CORN OYSTERS.--Variety can be secured in the use of corn by making corn oysters. These get their name from the fact that they resemble oysters in both size and shape. They may be served as a garnish for a meat dish or as a vegetable dish. CORN OYSTERS (Sufficient to Serve Six) 1 c. corn pulp 1 egg 1/4 c. flour 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 1/2 tsp. baking powder Prepare the corn pulp according to the directions given in Art. 118. To this add the beaten egg, flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder. Drop in tablespoonfuls on a well-greased griddle. When brown on one side, turn and brown on the other side. Then fold through the center, doubling one side over the other. Serve hot. [Illustration: FIG. 14] 121. CORN FRITTERS.--The popularity of corn fritters, which have corn pulp as their foundation, is undoubtedly due both to their flavor and to the variety they afford in the diet. After being fried, corn fritters should appear as shown in Fig. 14. They may be served plain, but most persons prefer them with a sauce of some kind or with maple sirup. CORN FRITTERS (Sufficient to Serve Six) 2 c. corn pulp, or 1 can corn, chopped 1 c. flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 2 eggs If canned corn is used, drain off the liquid before using it. To the corn, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Separate the eggs and stir in the beaten yolks. Beat the whites stiff and fold them into the mixture. Drop with a spoon into deep fat, fry until brown, remove from the fat, and drain on paper. Serve plain, with a desired sauce, or with maple sirup. CUCUMBERS AND THEIR PREPARATION 122. The hard-rinded fruit of the cucumber plant has been used from time immemorial as a vegetable. In food value, cucumbers are very low, comparing closely with celery in this respect; however, as they contain a large amount of cellulose, or bulk, and mineral salts, they should not be disregarded in the diet. They have a rather strong flavor due to their volatile oils, which so frequently disagree with persons and which give cucumbers a reputation for being difficult to digest. However, when they are properly prepared, they can be eaten by most persons without harm. [Illustration: FIG. 15]