The Virginia Housewife Part 14

RED BEET ROOTS.

Are not so much used as they deserve to be; they are dressed in the same way as parsnips, only neither sc.r.a.ped nor cut till after they are boiled; they will take from an hour and a half to three hours in boiling, according to their size; to be sent to the table with salt fish, boiled beef, &c. When young, small and juicy, it is a very good variety, an excellent garnish, and easily converted into a very cheap and pleasant pickle.

PARSNIPS.

Are to be cooked just in the same manner as carrots; they require more or less time, according to their size; therefore match them in size, and you must try them by thrusting a fork into them as they are in the water; when this goes easily through, they are done enough: boil them from an hour to two hours, according to their size and freshness.

Parsnips are sometimes sent up mashed in the same way as turnips.

CARROTS.

Let them be well washed and sc.r.a.ped--an hour is enough for young spring carrots; grown carrots will take from an hour and a half to two hours and a half. The best way to try if they are done enough, is to pierce them with a fork.

TURNIPS.

Peel off half an inch of the stringy outside--full grown turnips will take about an hour and a half gentle boiling; try them with a fork, and when tender, take them up, and lay them on a sieve till the water is thoroughly drained from them; send them up whole; to very young turnips, leave about two inches of green top; the old ones are better when the water is changed as directed for cabbage.

TO MASH TURNIPS.

When they are boiled quite tender, squeeze them as dry as possible--put them into a sauce pan, mash them with a wooden spoon, and rub them through a colander; add a little bit of b.u.t.ter, keep stirring them till the b.u.t.ter is melted and well mixed with them, and they are ready for table.

TURNIP TOPS.

Are the shoots which grow out, (in the spring.) from the old turnip roots. Put them in cold water an hour before they are dressed; the more water they are boiled in, the better they will look; if boiled in a small quant.i.ty of water, they will taste bitter; when the water boils, put in a small handful of salt, and then your vegetables; they are still better boiled with bacon in the Virginia style: if fresh and young, they will be done in about twenty minutes--drain them on the back of a sieve, and put them under the bacon.

FRENCH BEANS.

Cut off the stalk end first, and then turn to the point and strip off the strings; if not quite fresh, have a bowl of spring water, with a little salt dissolved in it, standing before you; as the beans are cleansed and trimmed, throw them in; when all are done, put them on the fire in boiling water, with some salt in it; when they have boiled fifteen or twenty minutes, take one out and taste it; as soon as they are tender, take them up, and throw them into a colander to drain. To send up the beans whole, when they are young, is much the best method, and their delicate flavour and colour is much better preserved. When a little more grown, they must be cut lengthwise in thin slices after stringing; and for common tables, they are split, and divided across; but those who are nice, do not use them at such a growth as to require splitting.

ARTICHOKES.

Soak them in cold water, wash them well, then put them into plenty of boiling water, with a handful of salt, and let them boil gently till they are tender, which will take an hour and a half, or two hours: the surest way to know when they are done enough, is to draw out a leaf; trim them, and drain them on a sieve, and send up melted b.u.t.ter with them, with some put into small cups, so that each guest may have one.

BROCOLI.

The kind which bears flowers around the joints of the stalks, must be cut into convenient lengths for the dish; sc.r.a.pe the skin from the stalk, and pick out any leaves or flowers that require to be removed; tie it up in bunches, and boil it as asparagus; serve it up hot, with melted b.u.t.ter poured over it. The brocoli that heads at the top like cauliflowers, must be dressed in the same manner as the cauliflower.

PEAS.

To have them in perfection, they must be quite young, gathered early in the morning, kept in a cool place, and not sh.e.l.led until they are to be dressed; put salt in the water, and when it boils, put in the peas; boil them quick twenty or thirty minutes, according to their age; just before they are taken up, add a little mint chopped very fine; drain all the water from the peas, put in a bit of b.u.t.ter, and serve them up quite hot.

PUREE OF TURNIPS.

Pare a dozen large turnips, slice them, and put them into a stew-pan, with four ounces of b.u.t.ter and a little salt; set the pan over a moderate fire, turn them often with a wooden spoon; when they look white, add a ladle full of veal gravy, stew them till it becomes thick; skim it, and pa.s.s it through a sieve; put the turnips in a dish, and pour the gravy over them.

RAGOUT OF TURNIPS.

Peel as many small turnips as will fill a dish; put them into a stew pan with some b.u.t.ter and a little sugar, set them over a hot stove, shake them about, and turn them till they are a good brown; pour in half a pint of rich high seasoned gravy; stew the turnips till tender, and serve them with the gravy poured over them.

RAGOUT OF FRENCH BEANS, SNAPS, STRING BEANS.

Let them be young and fresh gathered, string them, and cut them in long thin slices; throw them in boiling water for fifteen minutes; have ready some well seasoned brown gravy, drain the water from the beans, put them in the gravy, stew them a few minutes, and serve them garnished with forcemeat b.a.l.l.s; there must not be gravy enough to float the beans.

MAZAGAN BEANS.

This is the smallest and most delicate species of the Windsor bean.

Gather them in the morning, when they are full grown, but quite young, and do not sh.e.l.l them till you are going to dress them. Put them into boiling water, have a small bit of middling, (flitch,) of bacon, well boiled--take the skin off, cover it with bread crumbs, and toast it; lay this in the middle of the dish, drain all the water from the beans--put a little b.u.t.ter with them, and pour them round the bacon. When the large Windsor beans are used, it is best to put them into boiling water until the skins will slip off, and then make them into a puree as directed for turnips--they are very coa.r.s.e when plainly dressed.

LIMA, OR SUGAR BEANS.

Like all other spring and summer vegetables, they must be young and freshly gathered: boil them till tender, drain them, add a little b.u.t.ter, and serve them up. These beans are easily preserved for winter use, and will be nearly as good as fresh ones. Gather them on a dry day, when full grown, but quite young: have a clean and dry keg, sprinkle some salt in the bottom, put in a layer of pods, containing the beans, then a little salt--do this till the keg is full; lay a board on with a weight, to press them down; cover the keg very close, and keep it in a dry, cool place--they should be put up as late in the season, as they can be with convenience. When used, the pods must be washed, and laid in fresh water all night; sh.e.l.l them next day, and keep them in water till you are going to boil them; when tender, serve them up with melted b.u.t.ter in a boat. French beans (snaps) may be preserved in the same manner.

TURNIP ROOTED CABBAGE.

The cabbage growing at the top is not good; cut the root in slices an inch thick, peel off the rind, and boil the slices in a large quant.i.ty of water, till tender, serve it up hot, with melted b.u.t.ter poured over it.