The rules for cooking vegetables are very simple, and easily remembered. All vegetables, with the exception of old potatoes, are put into boiling water. Green vegetables must be boiled with the lid off the saucepan, as the steam would discolour them, and the water must boil, not simmer. Salt is added, in the proportion of one tablespoonful to every two quarts of water. If the water is very hard, it may be necessary to add a little piece of soda. The lime in hard water discolours green vegetables, and the use of soda is to throw this down. Do not, however, use soda, unless obliged, as too much of it will destroy, to some extent, the flavour of the vegetables. Peas must be boiled gently, as rapid boiling would break their skins. Haricot beans must be boiled gently, for the same reason. Root vegetables take longer to cook than fresh ones. Old potatoes must be put into warm water, as they require gradual cooking, and must be boiled gently, until tender. With that exception, all the others must be put into boiling water. Carrots, turnips, and parsnips are generally cooked with the meat with which they are served, as their flavour is thereby improved.

To Boil Potatoes.

If boiled in their skins, scrub them perfectly clean, and put them into a saucepan with sufficient warm water to cover them.

Sprinkle them with salt and boil them gently for half an hour or more, until very nearly tender, but not quite. Then pour the water away.

Peel the potatoes, replace them in the saucepan, sprinkle salt upon them, cover them with a cloth, and put the lid on the saucepan.

Let them stand by the side of the fire to finish cooking in their own steam.

Care must be taken that the potatoes cooked in this way are free from disease. One tainted potato would destroy the flavour of the others.

If cooked without their skins, pare them thinly and treat them in the same manner, pouring off the water when they are very nearly tender, and finish cooking them in their own steam.

If the potatoes are good and are cooked according to these directions, they will be perfectly dry and flowery.

To Steam Potatoes.

Put the potatoes into the steamer, and sprinkle them with salt.

Keep the water in the saucepan underneath quickly boiling the whole time the potatoes are cooking.

If the potatoes are cooked in their skins,[*] peel them when very nearly tender, and put them back in the steamer to finish cooking.

Steaming is one of the simplest and best ways of cooking potatoes. If the potatoes are good and the water is kept briskly boiling, this method cannot fail to be successful.

To Cook New Potatoes.

Put the potatoes into boiling water with some salt, and boil gently for twenty minutes or more, according to their age.

When very nearly tender pour off the water, cover them with a cloth, and set the saucepan by the side of the fire, and finish cooking in their own steam.

Baked Potatoes.

Choose nice potatoes, not too large, and scrub them perfectly clean.

Bake them in a moderate oven for about an hour.

Brussels Sprouts.

Trim them nicely and put them in boiling water, adding salt in the proportion of a tablespoonful to every two quarts of water.

Put in a little sugar, or, if the water is hard, a little piece of soda the size of a pea.

Boil them quickly, with the lid off the saucepan, from ten to twenty minutes, according to the size and age of the sprouts.

When tender, drain them quite dry in a colander.

Dry the saucepan and put them back with a little butter, pepper, and salt.

Shake them over the fire for a minute or so, and then serve on a hot dish.

To Boil a Cauliflower.

Soak it in salt and water to draw out any insects, and trim off the outside leaves.

Put it, with the flower downwards, into a saucepan of boiling water with salt in it, and cook from twenty to thirty minutes, according to its age.

Drain it on a sieve or colander.

If liked, it may be served with white or French sauce poured over it (see Sauces.)

Green Peas.

Put them into plenty of boiling water, with a little sugar and a sprig or two of mint. Boil gently with the lid off the saucepan for twenty minutes or more, according to their size and age.

Drain them in a colander.

Then put them into a saucepan with a little piece of butter, a teaspoonful of castor sugar, pepper and salt, and shake them over the fire for a minute or two.

French Beans.

Remove the strings and cut the beans into slices.

Put them into plenty of boiling water, with salt in the proportion of one tablespoonful to every two quarts of water, a little sugar, or, if the water is hard, a small piece of soda about the size of a pea.

Boil quickly for fifteen minutes or longer, according to their age.

Drain in a colander.

Then put them into a saucepan with a small piece of butter, pepper and salt, and shake them over the fire for a minute or two.

Spinach.

Pull off the stalks and wash the spinach well in several waters to remove all grit.

Put it into a saucepan without any water but that which adheres to the leaves, and sprinkle a little salt over it.

Cook with the lid off the saucepan until quite tender, stirring it occasionally.

Drain it in a colander, and wring it dry in a cloth.

Then chop it, or rub it through a wire sieve. The latter method is preferable.

To dress it, mix it in a saucepan over the fire with a little butter, pepper, and salt; a little cream may be used also, care being taken not to make the spinach too moist to serve.

Press it into shape, as a mound or pyramid, in a vegetable dish, and garnish with fried croutons of bread.

Asparagus.

Cut the asparagus all the same length, and scrape the white part lightly.

Tie it together and put it in boiling water, to which salt has been added, in the proportion of one tablespoonful to two quarts of water.

Add also half an ounce of butter.

Boil gently with the lid off the saucepan for half an hour, until the green part is tender—very young asparagus will not take so long.

Dish on toast; if liked, French or white sauce may be poured over the green ends.

Jerusalem Artichokes.

Peel them, and throw them into boiling water, with salt in the proportion of one tablespoonful to every two quarts of water.

Boil gently with the lid on the saucepan for about fifteen or twenty minutes, until quite tender.

They may be served plain, or with French or white sauce poured over them.

They should be sent to table quickly, or they will be discoloured.

Carrots.

Scrape them and put them into boiling water with salt in it, in the proportion of one tablespoonful to every two quarts of water.

Boil gently with the lid on the saucepan until they are quite tender.

New carrots will take about twenty minutes, old ones an hour or more, according to their age and size.

When they are served with boiled meat, they are generally cooked with it. New carrots are sometimes boiled in second stock. When tender, they are put on a hot vegetable dish, the stock is rapidly boiled down to a glaze, and poured over them.

Turnips.

Boil according to directions given for cooking carrots. Turnips generally take about half an hour; but the time depends on their age and size. If liked, they may be rubbed through a wire sieve, and mashed with butter, pepper, and salt.

Parsnips.

Cook like carrots. They may be served plain, or rubbed through a wire sieve and mashed with butter, pepper, and salt.

Haricot Beans.

Soak them overnight.

Put them into boiling water with a small piece of butter and a small onion.

Boil gently from three to four hours until quite tender.

Drain them, and before serving shake them over the fire with a little butter, pepper, and salt.

Spanish Onions.

First blanch them by putting them into cold water and bringing it to the boil.

Then throw away the water.

Rinse the onions, sprinkle some salt over them, and put them into fresh water.

Boil gently from two to three hours, until perfectly tender.

Drain them, and serve, if liked, with French, Italian or white sauce.

Spanish onions are sometimes boiled in stock, or milk which is afterwards used to make the sauce.

Celery.

Clean the celery thoroughly, and tie it in bundles.

Put it in boiling water, milk, or stock, with a little salt and butter, and simmer gently for twenty minutes or more, until quite tender.

Dish on a piece of toast.

If liked, a sauce may be made with the liquor in which the celery has been cooked, and poured over it.

Vegetable Marrows.

Peel the marrows thinly, and cut them in quarters, removing the seeds.

Put them in boiling water, with salt in the proportion of one tablespoonful to every two quarts of water, and boil gently until tender.

They may be served, if desired, with French or white sauce poured over them.

Marrows are very nice when boiled in milk; the milk can afterwards be used to make the sauce.

Cabbage.

Take off the outer decayed leaves, and soak the cabbage in salt and water, to draw out any insects. If very large, cut into quarters.

Put into boiling water, to which salt should be added, in the proportion of a tablespoonful to every two quarts of water. If the water is hard, a piece of soda the size of a bean should be added.

Boil quickly—with the lid off the saucepan—for half an hour, or more, until tender.

Drain well in a colander before serving.

Broad Beans.

Put them, when shelled, into boiling water, to which salt should be added in the proportion of a tablespoonful to every two quarts of water.

Boil gently, from fifteen minutes to half an hour, according to their size and age.

When tender, pour the water away, and shake them in the saucepan over the fire, with a little butter or dripping, pepper, and salt.

Tomatoes.

These are better baked than boiled: boiling destroys their flavour.

Put them on a baking-tin, greased with butter or dripping.

Sprinkle over them a little pepper and salt, and cover them with a greased paper.

Put them in a moderate oven, for about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour.

Seakale.

Tie it in bundles, and put into boiling water, with a little butter, and also some salt, in the proportion of a tablespoonful to every two quarts of water.

Boil, with the lid off the saucepan, until the seakale is tender.

Drain, and serve on toast. French or white sauce may be poured over it.

Seakale is sometimes boiled in milk, which should afterwards be used to make the sauce.

Mushrooms.

Peel the mushrooms; rinse them to remove any grit, and cut off the ends of the stalks. Put them on a greased baking-tin, with the stalks upwards, and put some little bits of butter on each mushroom, with a little pepper and salt.

Cover them with buttered paper, and bake them in a moderate oven from ten to twenty minutes, until tender.

Serve on a hot dish, with the gravy poured over them.

Stewed Mushrooms.

Peel and rinse the mushrooms, and cut off the ends of the stalks.

Stew them gently in water, stock, or milk, until quite tender, adding pepper and salt to taste.

Then thicken the gravy with a little flour, and let it cook well, stirring carefully.

Before serving, stir in a little cream or butter.

Fried Potatoes.

Take thin peelings of potatoes, and twist into fancy shapes, or cut the potatoes into thin slices.

Dry them well in a cloth, and drop them into hot fat (see French Frying) until quite crisp, and of a light brown colour.

Remove them with a fish-slice or colander-spoon, and drain them on kitchen paper.

Tomato Farni.

• Ingredients—6 or 8 ripe tomatoes.
• 1oz. of butter.
• ½oz. of flour.
• 1 gill of stock or milk.
• 1 dessertspoonful of chopped parsley.
• 1 dessertspoonful of chopped cooked ham.
• 1 dessertspoonful of grated Parmesan cheese.
• A few button mushrooms, chopped.
• A few drops of lemon juice.
• Some white and browned bread-crumbs.
• Pepper and salt.

Method.—Melt the butter in a small stewpan.

Mix in the flour smoothly.

Then add the stock or milk; stir and cook well.

Then mix in sufficient white bread-crumbs to make the mixture stiff.

Add the parsley, mushrooms, cheese, ham, lemon-juice, pepper, and salt.

Scoop out the top of each tomato.

Pile a little of the stuffing on each, and sprinkle a few browned bread-crumbs over.

Put them on a greased baking-sheet, and cook them in a moderate oven for about a quarter of an hour.

Cauliflower au gratin.

• Ingredients—1 cauliflower.
• 1oz. of butter.
• 1oz. of flour.
• 1 gill of water.
• 2 tablespoonfuls of cream.
• 2oz. of grated Parmesan cheese.
• Pepper, salt, and a little cayenne.

Method.—Boil the cauliflower; remove the green leaves.

Place it, with the flower upwards, in a vegetable-dish, and press it into an oval shape.

Melt the butter in a small stewpan.

Mix the flour in smoothly.

Add the water; stir and cook well.

Then add the cream, and one ounce of Parmesan cheese, pepper, salt, and cayenne.

Pour the sauce over the cauliflower.

Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese over it, and brown, either with a salamander or in a quick oven.

Potato Croquettes.

• Ingredients—2lb. of potatoes.
• 2oz. of butter.
• 2 eggs.
• Pepper and salt.
• Some white bread-crumbs.

Method.—Boil the potatoes, and rub them through a wire sieve.

Mash them well with the butter, pepper, and salt.

Mix in one egg, well beaten.

Flour the hands very slightly, and form the mixture in balls, or any other shape preferred.

Brush them over with beaten egg, and cover them with crumbs.

Slightly mould them again when the crumbs are on them.

Fry in a frying-basket, in hot fat (see French Frying).

Garnish with fried parsley.

Salsify Patties.

• Ingredients—Some patty-cases, made as for oysters.
• ½lb. of salsify.
• 1oz. of flour.
• ½ pint of milk.
• 2 tablespoonfuls of cream.
• A few drops of lemon juice.
• Pepper and salt.
• A little cayenne.

Method.—Cook the salsify in milk or water until tender.

Then cut it into small pieces.

Melt the butter in a small stewpan, mix in the flour smoothly.

Then add the milk; stir and cook well. Mix in the cream and let it boil in the sauce.

Then add the lemon juice, seasoning, and salsify.

Fill the patty-cases with the mixture, and put a lid on each.

Tomatoes au gratin.

• Ingredients—1½lb. of tomatoes.
• 1 pint of bread-crumbs.
• 2oz. of butter.
• Pepper and salt to taste.

Method.—Slice the tomatoes, and put a layer of them in the bottom of a pie-dish.

Cover them with crumbs; sprinkle with pepper and salt, and place small pieces of butter on them.

Then put another layer of tomatoes, covering them in the same way with crumbs.

Use up all the tomatoes and crumbs in this way, letting the last layer be of crumbs.

Bake in a quick oven for about twenty minutes.

Mashed Potatoes.

• Ingredients—1oz. of butter to every pound of potatoes.
• 1 tablespoonful of cream, if possible.
• Pepper and salt to taste.

Method.—The potatoes should be well cooked, and be dry and floury.

Put them quickly through a wire sieve.

Mix them well in a saucepan with the butter, cream, and seasoning.

Make them quite hot.

Heap them in a mound-like form in a vegetable dish, and smooth over with a knife.

Mashed Potatoes (a plainer way).

Add to the potatoes, while in the saucepan, some butter or dripping. Season with pepper and salt.

Beat with a fork until perfectly smooth and free from lumps.

Where economy must be studied, nice beef dripping will be found an excellent substitute for butter.

Potato Balls.

Form some mashed potatoes into balls.

Brush them over with beaten egg.

Put them on a greased baking-tin, and bake in a quick oven until brown.

Serve garnished with parsley.

This is a nice way of using up cold potatoes.

Flaked Potatoes.

Rub some nicely-cooked floury potatoes through a wire sieve into a hot vegetable dish. This must be done quickly, that the potatoes may be served quite hot.

Rice for a Curry.

Well wash some Patna rice. Throw it into plenty of quickly-boiling water with salt in it, and boil until the rice is nearly cooked, but not quite. This will take from eight to ten minutes. Strain the rice on a sieve and pour hot water over it, rinsing it well. Then put it in the saucepan again, cover it and let it stand in a hot place to finish cooking in its own steam.