The Virginia Housewife Part 15

EGG PLANT.

The purple ones are best; get them young and fresh; pull out the stem, and parboil them to take off the bitter taste; cut them in slices an inch thick, but do not peel them; dip them in the yelk of an egg, and cover them with grated bread, a little salt and pepper--when this has dried, cover the other side the same way--fry them a nice brown. They are very delicious, tasting much like soft crabs. The egg plant may be dressed in another manner: sc.r.a.pe the rind and parboil them; cut a slit from one end to the other, take out the seeds, fill the s.p.a.ce with a rich forcemeat, and stew them in well seasoned gravy, or bake them, and serve up with gravy in the dish.

POTATO PUMPKIN.

Get one of a good colour, and seven or eight inches in diameter; cut a piece off the top, take out all the seeds, wash and wipe the cavity, pare the rind off, and fill the hollow with good forcemeat--put the top on, and set it in a deep pan, to protect the sides; bake it in a moderate oven, put it carefully in the dish without breaking, and it will look like a handsome mould. Another way of cooking potato pumpkin is to cut it in slices, pare off the rind, and make a puree as directed for turnips.

SWEET POTATO.

Take those that are nearly of the same size, that they may be done equally--wash them clean, but do not peel them--boil them till tender, drain the water off, and put them on tin sheets in a stove for a few minutes to dry.

SWEET POTATOS STEWED.

Wash and wipe them, and if they be large, cut them in two lengths; put them at the bottom of a stew pan, lay over some slices of boiled ham; and on that, one or two chickens cut up with pepper, salt, and a bundle of herbs; pour in some water, and stew them till done, then take out the herbs, serve the stew in a deep dish--thicken the gravy, and pour over it.

SWEET POTATOS BROILED.

Cut them across without peeling, in slices half an inch thick, broil them on a griddle, and serve them with b.u.t.ter in a boat.

SPINACH.

Great care must be used in was.h.i.+ng and picking it clean; drain it, and throw it into boiling water--a few minutes will boil it sufficiently: press out all the water, put it in a stew pan with a piece of b.u.t.ter, some pepper and salt--chop it continually with a spoon till it is quite dry: serve it with poached eggs or without, as you please.

SORREL.

Is dressed as the spinach; and if they be mixed in equal proportions, improve each other.

CABBAGE PUDDING.

Get a fine head of cabbage, not too large; pour boiling water on, and cover it till you can turn the leaves back, which you must do carefully; take some of those in the middle of the head off, chop them fine, and mix them with rich forcemeat; put this in, and replace the leaves to confine the stuffing--tie it in a cloth, and boil it--serve it up whole, with a little melted b.u.t.ter in the dish.

SQUASH OR CIMLIN.

Gather young squashes, peel, and cut them in two; take out the seeds, and boil them till tender; put them into a colander, drain off the water, and rub them with a wooden spoon through the colander; then put them into a stew pan, with a cup full of cream, a small piece of b.u.t.ter, some pepper and salt--stew them, stirring frequently until dry. This is the most delicate way of preparing squashes.

WINTER SQUASH.

The crooked neck of this squash is the best part. Cut it in slices an inch thick, take off the rind, and boil them with salt in the water; drain them well before they are dished, and pour melted b.u.t.ter over--serve them up very hot.

The large part, containing the seeds, must be sliced and pared--cut it in small pieces, and stew it till soft, with just water enough to cover it; pa.s.s it through a sieve and stew it again, adding some b.u.t.ter, pepper, and salt; it must be dry, but not burnt. It is excellent when stewed with pork chops.

FIELD PEAS.

There are many varieties of these peas; the smaller kind are the most delicate. Have them young and newly gathered, sh.e.l.l and boil them tender; pour them in a colander to drain; put some lard in a frying pan; when it boils, mash the peas, and fry them in a cake of a light brown; put it in the dish with the crust uppermost--garnish with thin bits of fried bacon. They are very nice when fried whole, so that each pea is distinct from the other; but they must be boiled less, and fried with great care. Plain boiling is a very common way of dressing them.

CABBAGE WITH ONIONS.

Boil them separately, and mix them in the proportions you like; add b.u.t.ter, pepper, and salt, and either stew them, or fry them in a cake.

SALSIFY.

Sc.r.a.pe and wash the roots, put them into boiling water with salt; when done, drain them, and place them in the dish without cutting them up.

They are a very excellent vegetable, but require nicety in cooking; exposure to the air, either in sc.r.a.ping, or after boiling, will make them black.

STEWED SALSIFY.

Half boil it, cut it up, and put it in a stew pan, with a very little water, and a spoonful of b.u.t.ter; stew them dry, and serve them up. For change, you may, after stewing, cut them in scollop sh.e.l.ls with grated bread, and bake them; or make them into cakes, and fry them. They are delicious in whatever way they can be dressed.

STEWED MUSHROOMS.

Gather grown mushrooms, but such as are young enough to have red gills; cut off that part of the stem which grew in the earth--wash them carefully, and take the skin from the top; put them into a stew pan with some salt, but no water--stew them till tender, and thicken them with a spoonful of b.u.t.ter, mixed with one of brown flour; red wine may be added, but the flavour of the mushroom is too delicious to require aid from any thing.

BROILED MUSHROOMS.

Prepare them as above directed--broil them on a griddle, and when done, sprinkle pepper and salt on the gills, and put a little b.u.t.ter on them.