The Myrtle Reed Cook Book Part 64

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY WAYS TO COOK OTHER VEGETABLES

BOILED ARTICHOKES

Cut off the tips of the leaves and round off the bottoms, removing the stalk and tr.i.m.m.i.n.g away the under leaves. Soak for half an hour in salted water, was.h.i.+ng thoroughly. Boil until tender in a large quant.i.ty of salted water. Drain, and remove the soft inside with a spoon. Put into a serving dish, dot with b.u.t.ter, heat until the b.u.t.ter is melted, and serve; or, serve with Bechamel or Hollandaise Sauce.

BOILED ASPARAGUS

Sc.r.a.pe and clean the asparagus and tie into bundles of five or six stalks each, taking care to have the heads even. Cook rapidly in boiling salted water until tender. Drain, and serve on toast with melted b.u.t.ter to which a little lemon-juice may be added.

Drawn-b.u.t.ter, Cream, Hollandaise, or White Sauce may be used instead.

The tips may be cooked in the same way.

BAKED ASPARAGUS

Cut the tender parts of the asparagus into inch-lengths, boil until tender in salted water, and drain. Put a layer into a b.u.t.tered baking-dish, season with pepper and salt, dot with b.u.t.ter, sprinkle with crumbs and hard-boiled eggs chopped fine. Repeat until the dish is full, having crumbs and b.u.t.ter on top. Bake for half an hour and serve in the same dish. A thin Cream Sauce may be poured over before sprinkling with the crumbs, and the eggs omitted. A little grated cheese may be used instead.

CREAMED ASPARAGUS

Boil the tender parts of asparagus until tender, drain, and chop.

Reheat in a Cream Sauce to which a bit of baking-soda has been added.

Season with salt and pepper and cool. Stir into it three eggs well-beaten with two tablespoonfuls of cream. Pour into a b.u.t.tered baking-dish and bake covered for twenty minutes.

ESCALLOPED ASPARAGUS

Wash and cut up a bunch of asparagus, discarding the tough ends. Boil in salted water until tender, and drain. Boil three eggs hard, throw into cold water, remove the sh.e.l.ls and, chop fine. b.u.t.ter a shallow baking-dish, put in a layer of asparagus, cover with chopped eggs, sprinkle with grated cheese, and repeat until the dish is full, having asparagus on top. Pour over two cupfuls of Drawn-b.u.t.ter or Cream Sauce, cover with crumbs, dot with b.u.t.ter, sprinkle with grated cheese, and bake until brown.

BOILED STRING-BEANS

Cut off the ends, remove the strings, and cut into two or three pieces. Wash in cold water, drain, and boil until tender in salted water. Drain, and serve with melted b.u.t.ter. A bit of bacon or ham, for flavor, may be boiled with the beans.

STRING-BEANS WITH CREAM

String the beans and boil until tender in as little water as possible.

Without draining, add half a cupful of cream, a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, and pepper and salt to season.

STRING-BEANS WITH SOUR SAUCE

Remove the strings from a quart of beans, cut in pieces, boil with a pinch of soda until tender, and drain. Add a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter blended with a teaspoonful of flour, a tablespoonful of vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for five minutes, while stirring add in a well-beaten egg, and serve immediately.

STRING-BEANS EN SALADE

Prepare according to directions given for Boiled String-Beans, changing the water once, and add a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter after changing. Drain and pour over a French dressing to which a little chopped onion has been added. Serve hot. The onion may be omitted.

STRING-BEANS a LA BRETONNE

Prepare according to directions given for Boiled String-Beans. Cut two small onions into thin slices, fry golden brown in b.u.t.ter, dredge with flour, and add a little white stock. Cook until thick, stirring constantly, and seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the cooked beans to the sauce with a crushed bean of garlic, cook for ten minutes, sprinkle with minced parsley, and serve. The garlic and parsley may be omitted and one chopped onion used.

STRING-BEANS a LA PROVENcALE

Prepare according to directions given for Boiled String-Beans and drain. Slice an onion, fry golden brown in oil with minced parsley, thyme, chives, and a bay-leaf. Remove the bay-leaf, add a little vinegar, pour over the beans, reheat, and serve. The juice of a lemon may be used instead of vinegar.

STEWED LIMA BEANS

Cover a pint of lima beans with a quart of boiling water and cook for thirty minutes. Drain off half the water, add a tablespoonful of chopped salt pork and a little grated onion and minced parsley. Add a pinch of salt and a cupful of hot milk and stew until the beans are tender. Thicken with flour cooked in b.u.t.ter and rubbed smooth in a little cold milk.

LIMA BEANS WITH ONIONS

Soak a pint of dried beans overnight, drain, and boil until tender in fresh water to cover. Drain and keep warm. Parboil and chop three small onions, fry in b.u.t.ter, and reheat the beans with the onions.

Moisten with brown gravy or thickened stock.

LIMA BEANS a LA PHILADELPHIA

Prepare a pint of beans according to directions given for Stewed Beans and reheat in Cream Sauce, seasoning with salt, pepper, and a little grated onion. Take from the fire and add the yolks of two eggs beaten with a little cream. Serve very hot.

BOILED BLACK BEANS

Soak the beans in cold water for three hours, rinse thoroughly, and boil for three hours, or more if necessary. Fry three thin slices of bacon and add to it a little stock. Season with Chutney, mushroom catsup, and anchovy essence. Reheat the drained beans in the sauce.

FRIJOLES MEXICANA

Pick over and wash one pound of small red Mexican beans, cover with cold water, bring to the boil, and add a pinch of soda. Cook for five minutes, drain and rinse, then cover with cold water, and cook slowly until soft. Melt two or three tablespoonfuls each of drippings and b.u.t.ter. When sizzling hot drop in two or three cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed. Keep stirring until well browned, then add two or three chopped and seeded green peppers and a large onion, sliced. Stir until cooked, then add a few tablespoonfuls of the boiled beans, mas.h.i.+ng a few of them to form a thickening gravy. Add the rest of the beans with a portion of the liquor in which they were cooked, and three or four tomatoes, peeled and cut up. Simmer for an hour. When ready to serve, grate one-half pound of Mexican or Parmesan cheese and stir into the beans. Serve very hot.

STEWED KIDNEY BEANS

Soak a cupful of beans overnight in cold water. Drain, cover with cold water, add a chopped onion and a carrot, three or four slices of bacon, and a pinch of soda. Simmer until the beans are tender, drain, season with b.u.t.ter, salt, and pepper, and serve hot.

KIDNEY BEANS a LA CReOLE

Soak overnight a quart of kidney beans and cook until tender in boiling salted water. Drain, put a layer into a baking-dish with half a pound of bacon in one piece which has been boiled until tender and skinned, and a chopped onion. Cover with beans, season with salt and red pepper, fill the baking-dish with cold water, and bake slowly until the liquid is nearly absorbed.