Tomato and Pea Soup.
Take the fat from the liquor in which the tongue was boiled yesterday; set it over the fire, and, when boiling, put in the empty pods of two quarts of peas. Boil half an hour; take from the fire and strain out the pods. About half an hour before dinner, take the fat from the “stock” set aside yesterday, and pour off from the meat and sediment into the soup-pot. While it is slowly heating, put on the water in which the pods were boiled, with the peas and two quarts of peeled and sliced tomatoes, in another pot, and bring more rapidly to the boil. Cook twenty-five minutes, then stir in two lumps of white sugar, two tablespoonfuls of butter, rolled in flour, pepper well, boil up, and rub through a colander into the main soup-kettle. Simmer all together three minutes, and it is fit for use. Pour half into the tureen; cool the rest and remand to the refrigerator.
Stewed Lamb with Mushroom Sauce.
Let your butcher take out the bones from the lower side of a shoulder of lamb, leaving in the shank. Fill the cavity thus left with a good force-meat of crumbs, chopped pork, and sweet herbs, and sew the meat edges together to hold it in. If you have no gravy ready make a pint on Saturday of the lamb trimmings and a few veal-bones, with seasoning. It need not be strong. Put the lamb into a broad pot, with some thin slices of fat pork laid in the bottom; pour in the gravy, cover tightly, and stew gently one hour. Turn the meat then, and cook twenty minutes longer. Lay the lamb upon a hot dish, and butter it all over. Cover, and keep warm over hot water while you make the sauce. Have ready half a can of mushrooms, boiled and chopped. Strain the gravy left in the pot, add the mushrooms, and stew five minutes; thicken with browned flour; boil up and pour over the lamb. Garnish with alternate slices of green pickle and boiled beets.
Lima Beans.
Shell; lay in cold water twenty minutes, and cook in slightly salted boiling water about half an hour, or until tender. The time depends much upon age and size. Drain well; pour into a deep dish; pepper, salt, and butter.
Green Peas.
Receipt given on Sunday of First Week in this month.
Stewed Turnips.
Peel and slice young turnips. Boil fifteen minutes in hot, salted water; throw this off, and add half a cup of milk and as much boiling fresh water. When this heats, stir in a generous lump of butter, rolled in a teaspoonful of flour, with pepper and salt to taste. Simmer ten minutes longer, or until tender, and pour into a deep dish. Eat very hot.
Lemon Blanc-Mange.
- 1 large lemon, or two small ones—all the juice and half the grated peel.
- Whisked whites of 4 eggs.
- 1 package of gelatine soaked two hours in one cup of cold water.
- 1 pint and 1 cup of boiling water.
- 2 cups of powdered sugar—even ones.
- ½ teaspoonful of nutmeg.
- 1 glass of good claret.
Add to the soaked gelatine the lemon-juice and peel, sugar and spice. Leave standing one hour. Then pour on the boiling water. Stir until clear, add the wine, and strain through double tarlatan. While it is cooling, whip the whites very stiff. When the gelatine begins to coagulate around the edge of the dish, whip it, little by little, into the frothed whites until it is stiff. Put into a wet mould, and set upon the ice. On Sunday turn it out, and pour a rich liqueur—that from brandied peaches is best—about the base. Preserved strawberries are also very nice with it if you have no liqueur.
Coffee and Cake.
If you prefer, you can give the cake with the blanc-mange, and drink the coffee afterwards.