First scrape parsnips, then boil in weak salt water until tender; drain, and put in white sauce. Oyster plant may be prepared same way.
SPINACH
Spinach with large leaves is best. It is richest in mineral matter and is less liable to conceal insects that are difficult to dislodge. Buy the crisp, green spinach that has no withered leaves or stalks. That is the freshest and healthiest.
Cut off the roots and pick it over carefully, cutting off all the withered leaves and stems, put the leaves in cold salt water to soak for half an hour. That refreshens them, and makes any minute insects crawl out and come to the surface. Shake the leaves about and turn them over several times, drop them in a large pan of water; rinse well; lift them out separately and drop back into a second pan of water. Continue washing in fresh water until there is not a grain of sand to be found in the bottom of the pan.
In cooking be careful not to put too much water in the pot. That is the trouble with most spinach. It is drowned in water; a cup is plenty for one quart of spinach. Let the water come to a boil. Then lift the spinach out of the pan with the cold water dripping from it and put it into the pot, into the boiling water. Put the lid on the pot. Turn the fire a little low and let it cook slowly for fifteen minutes, stirring every now and then to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Just before taking up the spinach put some salt in it; then drain off the water and put a big tablespoon of butter and one-quarter teaspoon of pepper in it. Take it out of the pot and place it in a long, flat dish. Slice some hard-boiled eggs and place the slices all around the spinach for a kind of border.
SPINACH WITH CREAM SAUCE
Cook as directed, drain through colander, and grind through machine, make a rich cream sauce. Stir spinach in this sauce, add pepper, salt, nutmeg to taste, and garnish with slices of hard-boiled egg.
SPINACH—FLEISCHIG
Boil a quart of spinach about fifteen minutes, drain thoroughly through a colander and chop extremely fine. Heat one tablespoon of drippings in a saucepan, rub one tablespoon of flour in it, add salt, pepper and ginger to taste. Add one cup of soup stock to the whole or some beef gravy. Put the spinach in the sauce, let boil for five minutes. Garnish with hard-boiled eggs or use only the hard-boiled whites for decoration, rub the yolks to a powder and mix through the spinach.
SAVOY CABBAGE
Cut off the faded outside leaves and hard part of the stalk, and wash the vegetable well. Cook in boiling salted water. Drain, chop very fine and proceed as with spinach in the foregoing recipe.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Remove any wilted leaves from the outside of the sprouts, and let them stand in cold salted water from fifteen to twenty minutes. Put the sprouts into salted, rapidly boiling water and cook, uncovered, fifteen or twenty minutes or until tender, but not until they lose their shape. Drain them thoroughly in a colander; then place them in a saucepan with butter, pepper and salt, and toss them until seasoned; or mix them lightly with just enough white sauce to coat them.
OYSTER PLANT—SALSIFY
Wash, scrape and put at once in cold water with a little vinegar to keep from discoloring. Cut one-half inch slices and cook in boiling, salted water until soft. Drain and serve in white sauce. Or boil in salted, boiling water until tender and cut in four pieces lengthwise, dredge with flour and sprinkle with a little salt and fry in hot butter or fat until nicely browned.
SCALLOPED SALSIFY
Boil and slice the salsify as in preceding recipe. Butter a baking dish; fill it by adding alternate layers of salsify and small bits of cheese. Season with salt, pepper and butter. Pour over it a sufficient quantity of milk or cream to moisten thoroughly. Bake one-half hour. Bread crumbs may be added if desired.
PLUMS, SWEET POTATOES AND MEAT
Wash one pound of prunes or plums and put on to boil with one pound of brisket of beef or any fat meat; when the meat is tender add five medium-sized sweet potatoes which have been pared and cut in small pieces. Place the meat on top, add one-half cup of sugar and a piece of sour salt (citric acid). Cover and bake until nicely browned. If gravy should cook away add some warm water.
TSIMESS
Take equal portions of parboiled spinach and sorrel, season to taste with ground nutmeg, pepper and salt, and add sufficient drippings to make all moist enough. Place in a covered dish in a slow oven.
This is prepared on Friday and left in the oven to keep hot until needed for Shabbas dinner. All green vegetables may be prepared in the same way.
TURNIPS
Do not spoil turnips by overcooking. The flat white summer turnip when sliced will cook in thirty minutes. The winter turnip requires from forty-five to sixty minutes.
BOILED TURNIPS
Have the turnips peeled and sliced. Drop the slices into a stew-pan with boiling water enough to cover generously. Cook until tender, then drain well. They are now ready to mash or chop. If they are to be served mashed, put them back in the stew-pan; mash with a wooden vegetable masher, as metal is apt to impart an unpleasant taste. Season with salt, butter, and a little pepper. Serve at once.
HASHED TURNIPS
Chop the drained turnips into rather large pieces. Return to the stew-pan, and for one and one-half pints of turnips add one teaspoon of salt, one-fourth teaspoon of pepper, one tablespoon of butter, and four tablespoons of water. Cook over a very hot fire until the turnips have absorbed all the seasonings. Serve at once. Or the salt, pepper, butter, and one tablespoon of flour may be added to the hashed turnips; then the stew-pan may be placed over the hot fire and shaken frequently to toss up the turnips. When the turnips have been cooking five minutes in this manner add one-half pint of meat stock or of milk and cook ten minutes.
When meat or soup stock is used substitute drippings for the butter in the above recipe.
KOHL-RABI WITH BREAST OF LAMB
Strip off the young leaves and boil in salt water. Then peel the heads thickly, cut into round, thin slices, and lay in cold water for an hour. Put on to boil a breast of mutton or lamb, which has been previously well salted, and spice with a little ground ginger. When the mutton has boiled one-half hour add the sliced kohl-rabi, and boil covered. In the meantime, drain all the water from the leaves, which you have boiled separately, and chop them, but not too fine, and add them to the mutton. When done thicken with flour, season with pepper and more salt if needed. You may omit the leaves if you are not fond of them.
KOHL-RABI
Kohl-rabi is fine flavored and delicate, if cooked when very young and tender. It should be used when it has a diameter of not more than two or three inches.
Wash, peel and cut the Kohl-rabi root in dice and cook in salt water until tender. Cook the greens or tops in another pan of boiling water until tender, drain and chop very fine in a wooden bowl. Heat butter or fat, add flour, then the chopped greens, and one cup of liquor the Kohl-rabi root was cooked in or one cup of soup stock. Add the Kohl-rabi, cook altogether, and serve.
Use same quantities as for turnips.
KALE
Remove all the old or tough leaves; wash the kale thoroughly and drain. Put it into boiling water to which has been added salt in the proportion of one-half tablespoon to two quarts of water. Boil rapidly, uncovered, until the vegetable is tender; pour off the water; chop the kale very fine; return it to the kettle with one tablespoon of drippings and two of meat stock or water to every pint of the minced vegetable. Add more salt if necessary; cook for ten minutes and serve at once. The entire time for cooking varies from thirty to fifty minutes.
The leaves are sweeter and more tender after having been touched by the frost. The same is true of Savoy cabbage.
SWISS CHARD
This vegetable is a variety of beet in which the leaf stalk and midrib have been developed instead of the root. It is cultivated like spinach, and the green, tender leaves are prepared exactly like this vegetable. The midribs of the full-grown leaves may be cooked like celery.
STEWED TOMATOES
Pour boiling water over the tomatoes; remove the skins; cut into small pieces and place in a saucepan over the fire. Boil gently for twenty or thirty minutes and season, allowing for each quart of tomatoes one generous teaspoon each of salt and sugar and one tablespoon of butter. If in addition to this seasoning a slice of onion has been cooked with the tomatoes from the beginning, the flavor will be greatly improved.
CANNED TOMATOES, STEWED
Salt, pepper; add a lump of butter the size of an egg and add one tablespoon of sugar. Thicken with one teaspoon of flour wet with one tablespoon of cold water, stir into the tomatoes and boil up once.
FRIED TOMATOES
Cut large, sound tomatoes in halves and flour the insides thickly. Season with a little salt and pepper. Allow the butter to get very hot before putting in the tomatoes. When brown on one side, turn, and when done serve with hot cream or thicken some milk and pour over the tomatoes hot.
FRIED GREEN TOMATOES
Cut into thin slices large green tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and dip into cornmeal, fry slowly in a little butter till well browned; keep the frying-pan covered while they are cooking, so they will be perfectly tender. These are very delicately flavored, and much easier to fry than ripe tomatoes. They make an excellent breakfast dish.
TOMATO PURÉE
Scald the tomatoes, take off the skins carefully and stew with one teaspoon each of butter and sugar; salt and pepper to taste. This is enough seasoning for a quart of tomatoes. When the tomatoes are very soft strain through a coarse sieve and if necessary thicken with one teaspoon of flour.
SCALLOPED TOMATOES
Drain off part of the juice from one quart of tomatoes and season with pepper, salt, and onion juice. Cover the bottom of a baking dish with rolled crackers, dot over with dabs of butter, pepper, and salt, then another layer of tomatoes, then of crumbs, and so on until a layer of crumbs covers the top.
If fresh tomatoes are used bake one hour, if canned, 1/2 hour.
If the crumbs begin to brown too quickly cover the dish with a tin plate.
STUFFED TOMATOES
Select tomatoes of uniform size, cut a slice from the stem end and scoop out a portion of the pulp. Have in readiness a dressing made from grated bread crumbs, parsley, a slice of minced onion, a high seasoning of salt and paprika and sufficient melted butter to moisten. Fill this into the tomatoes and heap it up in the centers. Place a bit of butter on top of each and bake in a quick oven until the vegetables are tender and the tops are delicately browned.
TOMATOES WITH RICE
Take six large tomatoes, pour boiling water over them and skin them. Scrape all the inside out with a spoon, put in saucepan together with two onions, a tablespoon of butter, one pint of water; let this boil for a little while; strain, place back on stove, pour into this one-half pound of rice, let it cook tender; add salt, pepper, a tablespoon of butter and a little grated cheese. Fill the tomatoes with this mixture, dip them in egg and bread crumbs, then fry till nice and brown.
TOMATO CUSTARDS
Simmer for fifteen minutes in a covered saucepan four cups chopped tomatoes, four eggs, one sliced onion, one bay leaf, and sprig of parsley. Strain and if there be not two cups of liquid, add water. Beat four eggs and add to liquid. Pour into greased baking cups, and stand them in a pan of water and bake until firm—about fifteen minutes. Turn out and serve with cream sauce containing green peas.
BAKED TOMATO AND EGG PLANT
Take a deep earthenware dish, pour into it a cup of cream; cut several slices of eggplant very thin, salt well, and line the dish with them; slice two large tomatoes, place a layer of these on the eggplant, next a layer of spaghetti (cooked); sprinkle with grated cheese, pieces of butter, salt, and pepper; cover this with layer of tomatoes; salt well and sprinkle with chopped green pepper, and a top layer of eggplant, which also salt and pepper well. Cook gently an hour and a half in slow, hot oven.
CREOLE TOMATOES
Take one small onion and half a green pepper, chop them fine and cook until tender in a tablespoon of butter. Cut six tomatoes in half, sprinkle with a little sugar, season on both sides with salt, pepper and a little flour, and put them into the pan with skin-side down to cook partially, then turn them once; they must cook over a slow fire. Then sprinkle one tablespoon of chopped parsley over them, pour in one cup of thick cream and when this has become thoroughly hot, and has been combined with the other ingredients, the tomatoes are ready to serve.
They have not been disturbed since the first turning and have retained their shape. Half a tomato is placed on a slice of toast, with sufficient gravy to moisten. At the season of the year, when tomatoes are hard and firm, they may be peeled before cooking. Later they will likely fall to pieces unless the skin is left on. This is one method of cooking tomatoes in which they lose the sharp acid taste, disagreeable to so many persons.
STRING BEANS WITH TOMATOES
Cut off both ends of the beans, string them carefully and break into pieces about an inch in length and boil in salt water. When tender drain off this brine and add fresh water (boiling from the kettle). Add a piece of butter, three or four large potatoes cut into squares, also four large tomatoes, cut up, and season with salt and pepper. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a spider, stir into it one tablespoon of flour, thin with milk, and add this to the beans.
STRING BEANS WITH LAMB
Take a small breast of lamb, two large onions, one-quarter peck of beans (string and cut in long thin pieces); skin six large tomatoes, and add two cups of water. Cook until the beans are tender, then add one tablespoon of flour to thicken.
STRING OR WAX-BEANS, SWEET AND SOUR
Put the beans into sufficient boiling water to just cover them; cook for one hour and a half to two hours, depending upon the tenderness of the beans. Meanwhile, prepare for each quart of beans five sour apples; peel, core and cut in pieces. When the beans are done, add the apples, the thin peel of one lemon, the juice of one and one-half lemons, a small teaspoon of salt, and two tablespoons of cider vinegar. Let the apples cook on top of the beans until they are thoroughly done, then mix well with a good quarter cup of granulated sugar. This dish will be better by being served the next day warmed up.
SWEET SOUR BEANS
If you use canned string beans, heat some fat in a spider and put in one tablespoon of flour; brown slightly; add one tablespoon of brown sugar, a pinch of salt, some cinnamon and vinegar to taste; then add the beans and let them simmer on the back of stove, but do not let them burn. The juice of pickled peaches or pears is delicious in preparing sweet and sour beans.
STRING OR GREEN SNAP BEANS
Cut off the tops and bottoms and "string" carefully; break the beans in pieces about an inch long and lay them in cold water, with a little salt, for ten or fifteen minutes. Heat one tablespoon of drippings in a stew-pan, in which you have cut up part of an onion and some parsley; cover this and stew about ten minutes. In the meantime, drain the beans, put into the stew-pan and stew until tender; add one tablespoon of flour and season with salt and pepper (meat gravy or soup stock will improve them). You may pare about half a dozen potatoes, cut into dice shape, and add to the beans. If you prefer, you may add cream or milk instead of soup stock and use butter.
POTATOES
Potatoes are valuable articles of food and care should be taken in cooking them. The most economical method is to cook them in their "jackets" as there is not nearly as much waste of potato or of the salts that are valuable as food.
POTATOES BOILED IN THEIR JACKETS
Potatoes should be well brushed and put on to boil in a saucepan of boiling water; they should continue boiling at the same degree of heat until they are done, when a fork will easily pierce them. This will take from twenty-five to thirty minutes. Drain, draw the saucepan to a low flame, place a clean cloth folded over the top of the saucepan and press the lid down over it. This dries the potatoes and makes them a good color. Hold the potatoes in a cloth and peel them, then reheat for one minute and serve.
New potatoes, if well brushed or scraped do not require peeling.
POTATOES FOR TWENTY PEOPLE
To serve twenty people one-half peck of potatoes is required.
BOILED POTATOES
Peel six or eight potatoes, and put them on in boiling water to which has been added one teaspoon of salt. Boil as above.
The saucepan used for cooking potatoes should be used for no other purpose.
BAKED POTATOES, No. 1
Select fine, smooth potatoes and boil them about twenty minutes. Drain off the water, remove the skins and pack in a buttered dish. Lay a small piece of butter on each potato, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sprinkle fine bread crumbs over all, with a few tablespoons of cream. Bake until a nice light brown. Serve in the same dish. Garnish with parsley.
BAKED POTATOES, No. 2
Wash large potatoes and bake in a quick oven until soft, which will take about three-quarters of an hour. This is the most wholesome way of cooking potatoes.
POTATO BALLS WITH PARSLEY
Pare very thin, medium potatoes as near a size as possible. Have ready a pot of boiling water, salted, drop in the potatoes and keep them at a quick boil until tender. Serve with a batter made by beating to a cream two tablespoons of butter, one-half tablespoon of lemon juice and one tablespoon of finely minced parsley; add salt and a dash of cayenne pepper; spread over the hot potatoes, and it will melt into a delicious dressing. This is especially nice to serve with fish.
NEW POTATOES
Brush and scrape off all the skin of six potatoes and boil for half an hour in salted boiling water, drain, salt and dry for a few minutes, and then pour melted butter over them and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
MASHED POTATOES
Old potatoes may be used. Pare as many potatoes as required. Boil in salt water, drain thoroughly when done and mash them in the pot with a potato masher, working in a large tablespoon of butter and enough milk to make them resemble dough, do not allow any lumps to form in your dish. Garnish with parsley.
SCALLOPED POTATOES, No. 1
Grease a pan with butter. Choose the potatoes that are so big or misshapen you wouldn't want to use them for boiling or baking. Cut them in thin slices. Spread them in the pan in a layer an inch thick. Sprinkle with pepper and salt to taste. Dot with butter here and there, perhaps a half teaspoon for each layer. Four or six bits of butter should be sprinkled over each layer. Repeat the layers of the raw potatoes until the pan is full. Cover them with milk. Place in the oven and cook for one hour.
SCALLOPED POTATOES, No. 2
Cut two cups of cold potatoes into cubes; mix well with two cups of cream sauce, adding more seasoning if necessary; pour into a baking dish; cover with one cup of bread crumbs and dot with small pieces of butter and bake for about half an hour.
ROAST POTATOES
Take either sweet or Irish potatoes, or both; pare, wash, and salt them, and lay them around the meat, and let them roast for about three-quarters of an hour. Turn them about once, so they will be nicely browned.
CREAMED POTATOES
Make a cream sauce, a little thinner than usual by adding a little extra milk. Cut two cups of boiled potatoes into small cubes and mix them thoroughly with the same. Cook in a double boiler until the potatoes are thoroughly hot, add a little chopped parsley if desired, and serve.
POTATOES AU GRATIN
Slice two cups of cold boiled potatoes and add them to two cups of hot cream sauce. Bring all to a boil; remove and add three tablespoons of grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Pour all into a baking dish, sprinkle buttered bread crumbs over the top and set in the oven to brown.
GERMAN FRIED POTATOES
Cut up some raw potatoes quite thin, salt and pepper and drop in boiling fat. Cover up at first to soften them. Turn frequently to prevent burning and then remove the cover to brown slightly.
SARATOGA CHIPS
Proceed as above; but do not cover and do not take as many potatoes at one time.
HASHED BROWN POTATOES, LYONNAISE
Finely hash up six cold boiled potatoes and keep on a plate. Heat one tablespoon of butter in a frying-pan, add a finely chopped onion, and lightly brown for three minutes, then add the potatoes. Season with one-half teaspoon of salt and two saltspoons of white pepper, evenly sprinkled over, then nicely brown them for ten minutes, occasionally tossing them meanwhile. Give them a nice omelet form, brown for eight minutes more, turn on a hot dish, sprinkle a little freshly chopped parsley over and serve. These potatoes may be prepared with fat in place of butter.
CURRIED POTATOES
Melt two tablespoons of fat in a frying-pan; add one onion chopped fine and cook until straw color. Add two cups of boiled potatoes, cut in dice, one-half cup of stock, and one tablespoon of curry powder. Cook until the stock has been absorbed; then add one-half teaspoon of salt, a dash of red pepper, and one teaspoon of lemon juice.
POTATO CAKES
Take cold mashed potatoes or cold baked or boiled potatoes that have been mashed and seasoned; roll into balls, dusting the hands well with flour first. Flatten into cakes and sauté in butter, or place on a buttered tin with a small piece of butter on the top of each and bake in a hot oven until golden brown.
POTATOES AND CORN
Butter well a deep baking dish, holding a quart or more. In the bottom place a layer of potatoes, sliced thin, then a layer of corn, using one-half the contents of a can. On this sprinkle a little grated onion and season with salt, pepper and bits of butter. Add another layer of potatoes, then the rest of the corn, seasoning as before, and cover the whole with a layer of cracker crumbs. Dot well with butter, pour on milk until it comes to the top, and bake three-quarters of an hour. Use cooked potatoes, having them cold before slicing.
FRENCH FRIED POTATOES
Pare the potatoes and throw them into cold water until needed. Dry them with a towel; cut into small pieces lengthwise of the potato; drop them into hot fat and remove when lightly browned. It is better to fry only a few at a time, letting those done stand in a colander in the oven to keep hot. When all are done, sprinkle with salt and serve at once.
For variety; and for use in garnishing, cut the potatoes into balls, using the vegetable cutter which comes for this purpose.
POTATOES WITH CARAWAY SEEDS
Boil medium-sized potatoes in their jackets until tender, peel while hot. Put two tablespoons of butter or fat in spider, when hot add potatoes, brown well all over. Drain, sprinkle with salt and one teaspoon of caraway seeds and serve hot.
POTATOES AND PEARS
Heat two tablespoons of fat, add chopped onion and two tablespoons of flour; when flour is brown, add 1-1/2 cups of water, stir and cook until smooth, add salt, brown sugar and a little cinnamon to taste. Quarter four medium-sized cooking pears, but do not peel, cook them in the brown sauce, then add six medium, raw potatoes, pared, and cook until tender.
IMITATION NEW POTATOES
Buy a potato cutter at a first-class hardware store, and with it cut the potatoes to the size of a hickory nut, and then fry or steam them. When cooked they look just like new potatoes. They are especially nice to garnish meats. You may also parboil and brown in fat, or boil and add parsley as you would with new potatoes. The remainder of the raw potatoes may be boiled and mashed or fried into ribbons.
POTATO RIBBON
Pare and lay in cold water (ice-water is best) for half an hour. Select the largest potatoes, then cut round and round in one continuous curl-like strip (there is also an instrument for this purpose, which costs but a trifle); handle with care and fry a few at a time for fear of entanglement, in deep fat.
STEWED POTATOES WITH ONIONS
Take small potatoes, pare and wash them very clean, use one onion to about ten potatoes, add goose-oil (in fact any kind of drippings from roast meat will answer) and put them in a pot or spider. When hot cut up an onion very fine and add to the boiling fat. Then add the potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour some water over all, cover up tight and let them simmer for about 3/4 of an hour.
STEWED POTATOES, SOUR
Put a tablespoon of drippings in a kettle, and when it is hot cut up an onion fine and fry in the hot fat, cover closely. Put in potatoes, which have been previously pared, washed, quartered and well salted. Cover them tight and stew slowly until soft, stirring them occasionally. Then heat in a spider a little drippings. Brown in this a spoon of flour and add some soup-stock, vinegar and chopped parsley. Pour this over the potatoes, boil up once and serve.
STEWED POTATOES
Pare and quarter, and put on to boil. When almost done drain off the water, add one cup of milk, one tablespoon of butter, a little chopped parsley and cook a while longer. Thicken with a little flour (wet with cold water or milk), stir, and take from the fire.
STUFFED POTATOES
Take as many potatoes as are needed; when done, cut off one end and take out inside; mash this and mix with it one tablespoon of butter, a sprig of parsley, pepper, salt, and enough milk to make quite soft. Put back in tine potato skins and brown in oven and serve very hot.
If so desired the open end of each may be dipped in beaten egg before being put in oven.
BOHEMIAN POTATO PUFF
Pare, wash and boil potatoes until soft enough to mash well. Drain off nearly all the water, leaving just a little; add one teaspoon of salt and return to the stove. It is better to boil the potatoes in salt water and add more salt if necessary after mashing. Sift one-half cup of flour into the potatoes after returning to the fire and keep covered closely for about five minutes. Then remove from the stove and mash them as hard as you can, so as not to have any lumps. They must be of the consistency of dough and smooth as velvet. Now put about two tablespoons of drippings or goose-fat in a spider, chop up some onions very fine and heat them until they become a light-brown, take a tablespoon and dip it in the hot fat and then cut a spoonful of the potato dough with the same spoon and put it in the spider, and so on until you have used all. Be careful to dip your spoon in the hot fat every time you cut a puff. Let them brown slightly.
POTATOES (HUNGARIAN STYLE)
Wash, pare and cut potatoes in one-third inch pieces, there should be three cups; parboil three minutes, and drain. Add one-third cup of butter, and cook on back of range until potatoes are soft and slightly browned. Melt two tablespoons of butter, add a few drops of onion juice, two tablespoons of flour, and pour on gradually one cup of hot milk, season with salt and paprika, then add one well-beaten egg yolk. Pour sauce over potatoes and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.
POTATO PUFF
Take two cups of cold mashed potatoes and stir into them one tablespoon of melted butter, beating to a white cream before adding anything else. Then put with this two eggs beaten extremely light, one cup of cream, and salt to taste. Beat all well and pour into a deep dish, and bake in a quick oven until it is nice and brown. If properly mixed, it will come out of the oven light, puffy, and delectable.
POTATO SURPRISE
Take large potatoes, parboil without peeling, cut a small piece of one end of the potato and scoop out the inside. Mince two ounces cooked mutton, season with pepper and salt, mix with the potato pulp and a little gravy. Return end of potato to its place and bake for about twenty minutes with a little fat on top of each potato.
BOILED SWEET POTATOES
Put on in boiling water, without any salt, and boil until a fork will easily pierce the largest. Drain off the water and dry.
FRIED SWEET POTATOES
Boil, peel and cut lengthwise into slices a quarter of an inch thick. Fry in sweet drippings or butter (cold boiled potatoes may also be fried in this way).
FRENCH FRIED SWEET POTATOES
Wash and cut small uncooked sweet potatoes into quarters; dry them and lower them into boiling hot fat. Brown thoroughly; remove with a skimmer; drain and dry on paper; sprinkle with salt and serve.
ROAST SWEET POTATOES
These are commonly called "baked" sweet potatoes. Select those of uniform size; wash, and roast in the oven until done, which you can easily tell by pressing the potatoes. If done they will leave an impression when touched. It usually requires three-quarters of an hour. Serve in their "jackets."
ROAST SWEET POTATOES WITH MEAT
Pare, cut lengthwise, salt and put them around roast meats or poultry of any kind. Roast about three-quarters of an hour, or until brown.
SWEET POTATOES AND APPLES
Wash and pare long sweet potatoes. Cook in boiling salted water until almost soft; drain and cut slices crosswise, two inches high. Core, pare and cut apples in one-half inch rounds. Into a spider, place the potatoes upright, with a slice of apple on top of each. Pour over one-half cup of maple syrup, one-fourth cup of water and two tablespoons of butter. Baste frequently until apples are soft. Then pour one teaspoon of rum over each section, place a candied cherry in the center of each apple and bake ten minutes. Remove to platter and if desired, pour more rum over and around. Light the liquor and bring to the table burning.
CANDIED SWEET POTATOES
Boil sweet potatoes, peel and cut into long slices; place in an earthen dish; place lumps of butter or chicken-fat if desired on each side, and sprinkle with sugar. A little water or juice of half a lemon may be added. Bake until the sugar and fat have candied and the potatoes are brown.
DRIED BEANS
Look the beans over carefully to remove all dirt and pebbles, then wash clean. Soak them overnight in plenty of cold water. In the morning pour off the water and put them in a stew-pan with cold water enough to cover them generously. Let them come to the boiling point in this water, then drain. If the beans are old and hard, for each quart put a piece of soda about the size of a large bean in the water in which they are soaked overnight, also in the first water in which they are boiled.
The scalded and drained beans should be put back in the stew-pan and covered generously with boiling water. Add one tablespoon of salt for one quart of beans. They should now cook slowly, with the cover partially off the stew-pan until they have reached the required degree of tenderness. For stewed and baked beans the cooking must stop when the skins begin to crack. For beans served with a sauce they should cook until perfectly tender, but they must not be broken or mushy. For purées and soups they should be cooked until very soft.
SWEET SOUR BEANS AND LINZEN
Soak overnight and drain the beans, boil in salted water until tender; drain and prepare by adding salt and pepper to taste, thicken with one tablespoon of drippings in which has been browned one tablespoon of flour and some soup stock. If the beans are to be made sweet sour add two tablespoons of vinegar and two tablespoons of brown sugar; boil for a few minutes and serve.
BAKED BEANS WITH BRISKET OF BEEF
Wash, pick over and soak overnight in cold water, two cups of navy beans. In the morning, drain and cover with fresh water, heat slowly and let cook just below the boiling point until the skins burst. When done, drain beans and put in a pot with one and one-half pounds of brisket of beef. Mix one-half tablespoon of mustard; one teaspoon of salt, one tablespoon of molasses, two tablespoons of sugar, one-half cup of boiling water and pour over beans, and add enough more boiling water to cover them. Cover pot and bake slowly six or eight hours.
HARICOT BEANS AND BEEF
Wash two cups of haricot beans and leave them covered with two pints of water overnight. Next day brown one coarsely chopped onion in a little fat and put it with the beans and their water into a casserole or stew-jar.
Cook closely covered and rather slowly in the oven or by the side of the fire one hour, then put in a pound of beef in fairly large pieces.
An hour later add one carrot cut into dice, half as many dice of turnip, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue the slow cooking until these vegetables are tender, and a few minutes before serving thicken the stew with pea meal or flour previously baked to a fawn color. Flavor with vinegar.
Owing to its concentrated nutriment this stew should be served sparingly with an abundance of potatoes and green vegetables.
BEANS AND BARLEY
Soak one-half cup of navy beans in cold water overnight. Drain and cook in one quart boiling water with one teaspoon of salt until tender but not broken, add one-half cup of barley and let cook slowly until barley is tender, about one-half hour. Add fat soup stock as the water evaporates. Season to taste and bake in medium oven about one-half hour or until dry but not browned.
DRIED LIMA BEANS, BAKED
Wash one pound of dried Lima beans, let soak overnight. Drain, add fresh water, bring quickly to the boiling point, then let simmer until tender. Add salt and paprika. Heat two tablespoons of poultry or beef fat in a spider, add two tablespoons of flour, when brown add one cup of bean liquid, and the beans. Let simmer and bake in casserole one-half hour. Reserve the bean broth and add more if necessary.
FARSOLE
Soak the large, very hard Lima beans overnight. To a pound of beans take two large onions. When the beans are soft add the onions browned in fat, salt, pepper, a tablespoon of sugar, a quarter cup of rice, and let all simmer until the rice is done.
FARSOLE DULCE
Soak dried Lima beans in cold water overnight. Drain, put on with very little water, add one tablespoon of fat, peel of lemon or orange. When beans are half done, add a tablespoon of sugar which has been browned in a pan, stew slowly until the beans are tender.
SLAITTA (ROUMANIAN)
Soak one pound medium-sized white beans overnight. Put on to boil in cold water, when soft, mash, adding a little warm water while mashing. Add salt and mashed garlic to beans and one or two teaspoons of sugar. To a pound of beans take a pound of onions. Brown the onions in oil and add water so they do not become too brown or greasy. When beans are tender serve on platter with browned onions poured over them. May be served either hot or cold. This dish is served with Carnatzlich. (See Meats.)
BAKED LENTILS (LINZEN)
Pick and wash one-half pound of lentils and soak them in cold water overnight. In the morning put them over the fire in a large saucepan with about a quart of water. As soon as the water begins to boil, the lentils will rise to the top. Remove them with a skimmer, put them in a baking dish with one small onion and three or four ounces of smoked fat meat in the centre, and pour over them a pint of boiling water, in which one-half teaspoon of salt and one-quarter teaspoon of pepper have been mixed. Bake in a moderate oven four or five hours. The lentils must be kept moist and it may be necessary to add a little water from time to time.
MEAT SUBSTITUTES
The following recipes contain as much nourishment as any meat dish and can readily be substituted for meat at a meal.
LENTIL SAUSAGES
For each person soak one tablespoon of lentils overnight. Then drain and leave them spread on a dish for a day.
When ready to use, chop them finely and cook gently in a covered jar in an outer vessel of water for about one hour, adding from time to time just as much water as they will absorb.
When fully cooked, stir in about twice their bulk in bread crumbs (preferably whole wheat), a slight flavoring of very finely chopped onion, powdered mixed herbs and nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, and drippings to make the whole fairly moist.
When cool, shape into sausages (or cutlets or round cakes for luncheon), coat them with egg and bread crumbs or seasoned flour, and brown them in a little fat in a frying-pan or in a fairly hot oven.
Gravy or diluted meat extract should be served with them. They are no less good when fried overnight and reheated in the gravy.
MOCK CHILE CON CARNE
Pick over and wash two cups of kidney beans, soak in one quart of water. Next morning bring to a boil in fresh water, drain, cover beans with boiling water and cook until tender. Half an hour before beans are to be served, put one tablespoon of butter in a saucepan, chop and add four green, peppers, one small red pepper, one onion, one pint of tomatoes, one teaspoon of salt, cook fifteen minutes, add to beans with three tablespoons of uncooked rice, simmer until thick.
SPANISH BEANS
Soak two cups of beans overnight. Drain and boil until the skin cracks, and let one cup of water remain on the beans. Chop fine one onion and two cloves of garlic and fry a light brown in one tablespoon of olive oil; then add one-half can of tomatoes, one teaspoon chili powder dissolved in a little cold water, salt to taste and half a dozen olives chopped. A piece of smoked beef or tongue improves the flavor.
PEA PURÉE
Pick over and wash two cups of dried peas. Soak them over night or for several hours in cold water. Put them on to boil in three pints of fresh, cold water and let them simmer until dissolved. Keep well scraped from the sides of the kettle.
When soft, nib through a strainer, add a little boiling water or soup stock, add one and one-half teaspoons of salt, one-half teaspoon of sugar and a speck of white pepper, and beat the mixture well.
Put hard brisket fat chopped in small pieces, about one-eighth of a pound will be sufficient, into a spider and cook until a light yellow, add a large onion, cut in dice and continue cooking with the fat until brown. Serve the purée like mashed potatoes. Pour the onion and fat over it before serving. Serve hot.
KIDNEY BEANS WITH BROWN SAUCE
Pick over and wash one pint (two cups) of kidney beans let soak overnight in cold water. Drain and cook in fresh salted water till tender. Drain; shake in saucepan with one teaspoon butter three minutes. Add one cup of brown sauce and simmer five minutes.
NAHIT (RUSSIAN PEAS)
Place one pound Russian peas in granite kettle, add one tablespoon of salt and hot water to more than cover and let soak twelve hours or more. Drain, return to the kettle, cover with boiling water, let cook fifteen minutes, add one-quarter teaspoon of soda and one pound of brisket of beef or back or neck of fat chicken and let cook slowly until peas are tender. Melt two tablespoons of fat, add two tablespoons of flour and two tablespoons of brown sugar, let brown, add one cup of the liquid from the peas, cook until thick and smooth. Pour over the peas, cook thoroughly, then place in casserole and bake in a moderate oven one-half hour.
BOILED CHESTNUTS
Boil the chestnuts a few minutes; drain and remove the shells and skins. Boil again until tender, adding sufficient salt to make them palatable. Drain again; shake over the fire until dry; cover with cream sauce and serve at once. If allowed to stand the chestnuts become heavy and unappetizing.
CHESTNUT PURÉE
Put one pound of chestnuts, which have been shelled and skinned, on to boil in two cups of milk and cook until tender, then mash smooth. If necessary add more milk while boiling. Strain and season with salt and pepper and one teaspoon of fresh butter. Serve hot.
ROASTED CHESTNUTS
With a sharp knife cut across on the flat side of each chestnut; put them in a wire pan and shake constantly over a hot fire until the shells split. Serve at once.
CHESTNUTS WITH CELERY (TURKISH)
Clean and cut table celery and some celery root. Take roasted chestnuts, season with two tablespoons of olive oil; put on to boil with the celery and one tablespoon of lemon juice; boil all until celery is tender, season with salt and pepper and serve hot.
CHESTNUTS AND PRUNES
Peel one pint of chestnuts and skin, then boil until tender. Boil one pint of prunes till tender. Mix chestnuts and prunes together, leaving whatever of sauce there is oil the prunes. Season with sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice, and cook all together.
CHESTNUTS AND RAISINS
Remove the outer shells from one quart of chestnuts. Then pour boiling water over them and remove the skins; put in cold water for half an hour, then drain and put on in a boiler with cold water and boil until tender. Do not add any salt as it toughens them.
In another boiler put one cup of raisins which have been stemmed and cleaned, cover with cold water, add two bay leaves and some stick cinnamon; boil until tender, then pour them into the boiler containing the chestnuts. Add a pinch of salt and one teaspoon of butter and continue until chestnuts are done, then add two tablespoons of white wine, two tablespoons of sugar, one-half teaspoon of vinegar and thicken with one tablespoon of flour dissolved in water. More sugar or vinegar may be added to suit taste. Boil a few minutes, then serve.
BOSTON ROAST
Mash one pound of cooked kidney beans and put them through a food chopper, add one-half pound of grated cheese, salt and red pepper to taste and sufficient bread crumbs to make the mixture stiff enough to form into a ball. Bake in a moderate oven, basting occasionally with butter and water. Serve with tomato sauce.
NUT LOAF
Mix two cups of soft bread crumbs and one cup of chopped walnut meats with six tablespoons of butter or any butter substitute, one-half cup of hot water, one and one-half teaspoons of salt, one-quarter teaspoon of pepper, one tablespoon of chopped onion, a sprig of parsley chopped, and bind with one egg; shape into a loaf. Place in a greased baking-dish and bake in a moderate oven one hour. As the liquor boils out of the loaf it may be used for basting. A brown sauce may be made in the dish in which the loaf is cooked.
NUT ROAST
Soak one-half cup of lentils overnight; in the morning drain, cover with fresh water and bring to a boil. Drain again, put in fresh water and cook until tender. Drain once more, throw away the water, and press the lentils through a colander. To them add one-half cup shelled roasted peanuts, either ground or chopped, one-half cup of toasted bread crumby one-half teaspoon of salt and one-half saltspoon of pepper, and milk sufficient to make the mixture the consistency of mush. Put into a greased baking-dish; bake in a moderate oven for an hour; turn out on a heated platter; garnish with parsley or watercress and serve.
VEGETABLE MEAT PIE
Soak one-half cup of Lima beans overnight; in the morning let them boil rapidly for one-half hour. Drain, slip the beans from their skins and split them in halves. Blanch one-quarter cup of almonds and chop them with one-quarter cup of peanuts. Boil four potatoes, and when done cut two of them into small cubes. Mash the remaining; two and use them for a dough, adding four tablespoons of hot milk, a little salt and one-quarter cup of flour. Put a layer of beans in the bottom of the baking-dish, a sprinkling of nuts, a little hard-boiled egg, then the potato blocks and one-half tablespoon each of chopped parsley and chopped onion, one-half teaspoon of salt and one-half saltspoon of pepper and so on until the material is all used. Roll out the potato dough the size of the baking-dish; put it over the dish, brush with milk and bake half an hour in a moderately quick oven.
*TIME TABLE FOR COOKING*
The ordinary recipe generally states the time required for cooking its ingredients, but an approximate table is occasionally of use as giving a general idea of the time required for certain things. In any case, it is approximate only, for things should be cooked until done, and various conditions modify the time stated. The atmosphere, altitude, kind of oven or mode of heating employed, and the age of certain things, such as vegetables, all have to be considered, so that hard and fast rules cannot be laid down.
ROASTING
Allow 15 minutes to warm the meat through, and after that, figure the time.
Beef (rare), 12 to 15 minutes per pound; (well done), 15 to 18 minutes.
Lamb 18 minutes per pound
Mutton 20 minutes per pound
Veal 30 minutes per pound
Chicken, 4lb about 2 hours, or 20 minutes per pound
Turkey, 10lb about 3-1/2 hours, or 20 minutes per pound
Goose, 8lb about 2 hours, or 15 minutes per pound
Duck 40 to 60 minutes per pound
BROILING
Steaks, 1 inch thick (rare), 6 to 8 minutes; (medium), 8 to 10 minutes.
Steaks, 1-1/2 inch thick (rare), 8 to 12 minutes; (medium), 12 to 15 minutes.
Lamb, or Mutton Chops (well done) 8 to 10 minutes
Spring Chicken 20 minutes
Squab 10 to 15 minutes
BOILING
Beef Slowly, 40 to 60 minutes per pound
Mutton Slowly, 20 minutes per pound
Corned Beef Slowly, 30 minutes per pound
Chicken Slowly, 20 minutes per pound
Fowl Slowly, 30 minutes per pound
Tripe three to five hours
VEGETABLES
Young peas, canned tomatoes, green corn, asparagus, spinach, Brussels sprouts—15 to 20 minutes.
Rice, potatoes, macaroni, summer squash, celery, cauliflower, young cabbage, peas—20 to 30 minutes.
Young turnips, young beets, young carrots, young parsnips, tomatoes, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, cabbage, cauliflower—30 to 45 minutes.
String beans, shell beans, oyster plant, winter squash—45 to 60 minutes.
Winter vegetables—one to two hours.
*SALADS AND SALAD DRESSINGS*
Salads are divided into two groups, dinner salads and the more substantial ones served at supper and luncheon in the place of meats. They are exceedingly wholesome.
Nearly all the meats, vegetables, and fruits may be served as salads. The essential thing is to have the salad fresh and cold; and if green, to have the leaves crisp and dry.
Lettuce, Romaine, endive and chicory or escarole make the best dinner salads, although one may use mixed cooked vegetables or well-prepared uncooked cabbage.
Left-over green vegetables, string beans, peas, carrots, turnips, cauliflower, cooked spinach, leeks and beets may all take their place in the dinner salad. Use them mixed, alone, or as a garnish for lettuce.
Lettuce and all green, raw salad vegetables should be washed and soaked in cold water as soon as they come from the market. After they have stood fifteen to twenty minutes in cold or ice water, free them from moisture by swinging them in a wire basket, or dry, without bruising, each leaf carefully with a napkin. Put them in a cheese-cloth bag and on the ice, ready for service. In this way they will remain dry and cold, and will keep nicely for a week.
The dressing is added only at the moment of serving, as the salad wilts if allowed to stand after the dressing is added.
Meat of any kind used for salads should be cut into dice, but not smaller than one-half inch, or it will seem like hash. It should be marinated before being mixed with the other parts of the salad. Meat mixtures are usually piled in cone-shape on a dish, the mayonnaise then spread over it, and garnished with lettuce, capers, hard-boiled eggs, gherkins, etc.
*To Marinate.*—Take one part of oil and three of vinegar, with pepper and salt for taste; stir them into the meat, and let it stand a couple of hours; drain off any of the marinade which has not been absorbed before combining the meat with the other parts of the salad. Use only enough marinade to season the meat or fish.
If too much vinegar is added to mayonnaise it robs it of its consistency and flavor. All salads must be mixed at the last minute, at serving time. Mayonnaise dressing may be made hours before and the meat, lettuce and celery prepared, but each must be kept in a separate dish until mixing time.
*SALAD DRESSINGS*
MAYONNAISE DRESSING
Beat the yolk of one egg in a cold dish with a silver or wooden fork. If the weather is very warm, place the bowl in a larger vessel filled with chopped ice. When the egg is beaten add one-half teaspoon of salt, dash of red pepper, one-half teaspoon of English mustard and olive oil, drop by drop, being careful to beat well without reversing the motion for fear of curdling. When the dressing thickens, begin adding the vinegar or lemon juice, drop by drop. Then add more olive oil, then more acid, continuing until one cup of olive oil and two teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice are all used. Be sure to have all the ingredients and dishes as cold as possible.
If the mixture should curdle, begin immediately with a fresh egg in a fresh dish and when it is well beaten add carefully the curdled mixture, drop by drop.
To serve twenty people one pint of mayonnaise is required.
MAYONNAISE WITH WHIPPED CREAM
When you are in want of a large quantity of dressing, mayonnaise or French, add one pint of whipped cream to your prepared dressing, stirring thoroughly, just before ready to serve.
COLORED MAYONNAISE
To color mayonnaise, chop parsley leaves very fine; pound them in a small quantity of lemon juice; strain and add the juice to the dressing.
WHITE MAYONNAISE
To make white mayonnaise, follow the ordinary directions, using lemon juice instead of vinegar, omitting the mustard and adding, when finished, a half cup of whipped cream or half an egg white beaten very stiff.
RUSSIAN DRESSING
Make one-half pint of mayonnaise dressing and add to it the following: Two hard-boiled eggs chopped fine, two to four tablespoons of tomato catsup, one tablespoon of finely chopped parsley, one teaspoon of finely chopped or grated white onion or shallot, after these ingredients are mixed, fold them into one cup of mayonnaise and serve. Enough for ten people.
BOILED DRESSING WITH OLIVE OIL (PARVE)
Beat three whole eggs until very light, add two tablespoons of olive oil, stirring constantly, add a good pinch of salt, pepper, mustard and cayenne pepper. Heat one-half cup of vinegar with one teaspoon of sugar in it, stir while hot into the eggs and put it back on the stove in a double boiler or over hot water in another saucepan and stir until thick. Serve cold.
MUSTARD DRESSING
Take yolk of one hard-boiled egg and rub smooth in a bowl. Add two teaspoons of French mustard, salt, pepper, and little sugar. Add a little oil, and then a little vinegar. Garnish top with the white, cut in pieces.
SOUR CREAM DRESSING
Mix one cup of sour cream and three eggs, well beaten. Dissolve two tablespoons of sugar and one tablespoon of mustard in one-half cup of vinegar; salt, pepper and paprika to taste, and then stir this slowly into the cream and eggs. Put in double boiler, cook until thick, then add butter the size of an egg and cook about five minutes longer. Take from fire and bottle; this dressing will keep for months.
BOILED DRESSING
Mix one teaspoon of salt, one tablespoon of mustard, one tablespoon of sugar, one tablespoon of flour and a few grains of cayenne. Beat three eggs until lemon-colored and add the dry ingredients with one-half cup of vinegar and two tablespoons of melted butter. Cook over boiling water until thick; strain, add one-half cup of cream or milk. Beat until smooth, and cool.
FRENCH DRESSING
Mix one-half teaspoon of salt, one-fourth teaspoon of pepper, one teaspoon of sugar, a dash of paprika, two tablespoons of vinegar and four tablespoons of olive oil. Stir until well blended and use at once.
DRESSING FOR LETTUCE
Rub the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs to a paste, adding one teaspoon of salad oil or melted butter, being careful to add only a few drops at a time. Add one-half teaspoon salt, one-half teaspoon of prepared mustard, very little pepper, two tablespoons of white sugar. Stir very hard, then pour in gradually one-half teacup of vinegar.
*SALADS*
GREEN SALADS
Imported or domestic endive, chicory, escarole and Romaine or lettuce must be washed, made crisp in cold water, and dried in a bag on the ice. Serve them with French dressing.
Imported endive may, however, be served with mayonnaise, if desired.
LETTUCE
The French style of making lettuce salad is as follows: After dressing the salad, mix it in one tablespoon of oil, then take only two tablespoons of white wine vinegar, mixed with a very little pepper and salt, and just turn the lettuce over and over in this mixture.
CHIFFONADE SALAD
Lettuce, dandelion, chicory, a little chopped beet, chopped celery, a bit of tomato are mixed and covered with French dressing. The dressing is usually flavored both with onion and garlic.
ASPARAGUS SALAD
Boil the asparagus in salted water, being very careful not to break the caps; drain, and pour over it when cold a mayonnaise dressing, with some chopped parsley. Serve each person with three or four stems on a plate, with a little mayonnaise dressing. Do not use a fork; take the stems in the fingers and dip in the dressing.
BEET SALAD
Boil beets when tender, skin quickly white hot and slice them into a bowl. Sprinkle salt, pepper, a tablespoon of brown sugar, some caraway seeds, one medium-sized onion in slices and pour over all one-half cup of vinegar which has been boiled; with a fork mix the hot vinegar through the other ingredients.
BEET AND CAULIFLOWER SALAD
Take some thin slices of cooked beets, some cold cooked potatoes, some cold cooked cauliflower, and a little chopped parsley. Pour over the following dressing and add salt and pepper to taste:
Put one level teaspoon of mustard, one teaspoon anchovy sauce, one tablespoon of milk or cream, and one dessertspoon of vinegar. Mix the mustard with the anchovy, then add the milk, and lastly the vinegar.
Tomatoes are equally good served in the same way.
STRING BEAN SALAD
String and remove the ends from one quart of beans. Cut into short lengths. Cover with boiling water, add one level tablespoon of wilt and cook until tender, but not soft. Drain and save one cup of the liquor. Cream one tablespoon of flour with two tablespoons of butter. Pour the liquid over the flour and butter, stirring constantly to avoid "lumping." Cook this sauce for five minutes, remove from stove and stir in two tablespoons of strained lemon juice. Pour this over the beans and serve.
BOHEMIAN SALAD
Cover the bottom of the salad bowl with crisp Romaine or lettuce; arrange over the top alternate slices of hard-boiled eggs and boiled beets. Sprinkle with finely chopped onion, cover with French dressing, toss and serve.
BOILED CELERY ROOT SALAD
Pare and wash the celery roots (they should be the size of large potatoes), put on to boil in a little salted water, and when tender remove from the water and set away until cool. Cut in slices about an eighth of an inch thick; sprinkle each slice with fine salt, sugar and white pepper; pour enough white wine vinegar over the salad to cover. A few large raisins boiled will add to the appearance of this salad. Serve cold in a salad bowl, lined with fresh lettuce leaves.
CELERY ROOT BASKETS
Buy large celery roots, parboil them and cut in shape of baskets and scallop the edge; boil beets until soft and cut them in small balls (like potato-balls). Set celery root baskets in French dressing for several hours to flavor and the beet-balls in boiling sugar and vinegar. Fill the baskets with pickled beet-balls; roll lettuce and cut it into shreds and put it around the celery root basket. The green lettuce, white basket and red balls form a pretty color scheme, and are delicious as a salad.
CHESTNUT SALAD
Equal parts of boiled chestnuts and shredded celery are combined. Bananas, apples, celery and chestnuts. Dress with mayonnaise and serve on lettuce leaves.
COLD SLAW OR CABBAGE SALAD
Select a small, compact cabbage; strip off the outside leaves and cut the head in quarters. With a sharp knife slice very thin; soak in cold water until crisp; drain and dry between clean towels. Mix with hot dressing and serve when cold.
DRESSING FOR COLD SLAW
Beat the yolks of two eggs until light, add one tablespoon of sugar, one teaspoon of pepper, one-half teaspoon of salt and dry mustard, pour one cup of vinegar over, stir well and pour over the slaw.
This dressing may be cooked over boiling water if so desired. Care must be taken in adding the vinegar gradually, and add sliced onions to the salad.
CUCUMBER SALAD
Pare thickly, from end to end, and lay in ice-water one hour; wipe them, slice thin, and slice an onion equally thin. Strew salt over them, shake up a few times, cover and let remain in this brine for another hour. Then squeeze or press out every drop of water which has been extracted from the cucumbers. Put into a salad bowl, sprinkle with white pepper and scatter bits of parsley over them; add enough vinegar to cover. You may slice up an equal quantity of white or red radishes and mix with this salad.
CAULIFLOWER SALAD
Wash the cauliflower carefully, tie in a cloth and cook in boiling salt water until thoroughly tender. When done, remove the cloth, pour two tablespoons of lemon juice over the cauliflower and set it on the ice to cool. When ready to serve, separate the flowerets, lay them on lettuce leaves, cover with French dressing and sprinkle one tablespoon of chopped parsley over the top.
SALAD OF EGGPLANT (TURKISH STYLE)
Use small eggplants. Place on end of toasting fork under broiler gas flame until the peel is black; remove the skin. The eggplant will then be tender; chop with wooden spoon, add lemon juice, parsley chopped fine, and olive oil.
EGGPLANT SALAD (ROUMANIAN)
Broil eggplant; when cool, skin, lay on platter, cut with wooden spoon, add a red onion cut fine, or garlic cut very fine salt and a little vinegar.
TOMATO SALAD (FRENCH DRESSING)
Take six firm red tomatoes, wash and wipe them neatly, slice them in thin slices with a very sharp knife. Line a salad bowl with lettuce leaves, lay the sliced tomatoes in, sprinkle with salt and pepper, serve with French dressing.
MAYONNAISE OF TOMATOES (WHOLE)
Select tomatoes that are of uniform size, round, smooth and spotless, scald and take off outer skin, set away on ice until ready to serve. Serve on individual dishes, putting each on a lettuce leaf and pour a tablespoon of mayonnaise dressing over each tomato.
STUFFED TOMATOES
Select round, very firm and even sized tomatoes, cut off the top (reserve to use as a cover), scrape out the inside, being very careful to not break the tomato. Fill each tomato with some finely prepared "cold slaw," cover with the top of the tomato, lay them on lettuce leaves and pour a mayonnaise dressing over each. You may lay them en masse on a decorated platter, heaping them in the shape of a mound, or serve individually.
STUFFED TOMATOES, CHEESE SALAD
Wash and skin six small tomatoes. Cut a piece from the stem end of each and when cold remove a portion of the pulp from the centre. Then sprinkle with salt and invert on the ice to chill. Mash to a paste one small cream cheese add two tablespoons of chopped pimento, one tablespoon of French mustard. Blend well, moisten with a French dressing and fill into the tomato shells. Arrange on a bed of crisp lettuce leaves and pour over each tomato a tablespoon of thick boiled dressing.