Vaughan's Vegetable Cook Book Part 12

GREEN-PEA SALAD.

Shred some lettuce and add to it the peas--they should be boiled with a little mint, and be quite cold. Add the salad dressing just before serving.

PEA AND NUT SALAD.

Use one cupful of chopped pecan nuts to three cupfuls of French peas.

Serve on lettuce with mayonnaise.

PEA SOUP.

Use chicken, mutton, or beef broth, or water for a liquor in which to boil two cups of green peas, add to them one minced onion, one carrot cut fine, a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, a stalk of celery cut fine, a bay leaf and two cloves. When the peas are tender, rub all through a sieve. Return the soup to the pot and add two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, a teaspoonful of salt, two well beaten yolks and half a cupful of cream.

Let come to a boil and serve with croutons. Croutons are little squares of bread hard baked in the oven, or fried in oil or b.u.t.ter.

DEVILED PEPPERS.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Use green bell peppers, cut off the stem end and remove the inside. Chop cooked cold ham, and with it as many eggs as one wishes, or chop tongue, veal or chicken, and use the following salad dressing:--To a pint of meat use the yolk of a hard boiled egg, rubbed smooth in a scant tablespoonful of melted b.u.t.ter, a half teaspoonful of made mustard, half a teaspoonful of sugar, add enough vinegar to make it thin and stir in the meat. Fill the pepper sh.e.l.ls with this mixture rounding it up high.

It is an excellent lunch dish.

PEPPER MANGOES. (See Mangoes.)

PICKLED PEPPERS.

Remove the seeds from large green peppers, slice them and lay them in a jar alternating each layer of peppers with a layer of cabbage, then cover them with salt and let stand over night. In the morning drain off the water. For the pickle use enough vinegar to cover the peppers, an ounce each of black and white mustard seed, juniper berries, whole cloves and allspice, one half-ounce of celery seed and one large onion chopped fine or one head of garlic if that flavor is liked. Let this come to a boil and pour over the peppers. Pack tightly in a jar, cover with horseradish leaves, and close up tightly.

PEPPER SALAD.

Shave as fine as possible one head of cabbage, use an ounce of mustard seed, or an ounce of celery seed as one prefers either flavor; cut one or two yellow peppers into thin shavings if mustard seed is used, or four if celery seed is used. Pour cold cider vinegar over all, add a little salt and sugar and let stand a day or two to really pickle the cabbage and peppers. Pack in jars or cans and it will keep all winter.

Serve with oysters and cold meats.

STUFFED PEPPERS.

Cut off the stem end of green bell peppers. Mince cooked chicken or use a can of shrimps, and mix with it almost an equal weight of bread crumbs, a large lump of b.u.t.ter, two or three tablespoonfuls of cream, salt and a sprinkle of parsley. Fill the pepper sh.e.l.ls with the mixture, sprinkle bread crumbs over the tops, dot with b.u.t.ter, and brown in the oven.

OAKLAND STUFFED PEPPERS.

Cut off the tops and scoop out the seeds of six peppers, chop an extra pepper without seeds, mix with it a small onion chopped, a cupful of chopped tomato, two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter or salad oil, a teaspoonful of salt, and an equal measure of bread crumbs. Stuff the peppers, replace the stem ends, and bake the peppers for half an hour, basting them with b.u.t.ter or salad oil two or three times. Serve them hot as a vegetable.

BROWNED MASHED POTATOES.

Whip up mashed potatoes with an egg-beater, add a few tablespoonfuls of cream, the yolks of two eggs, a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, pepper and salt. Cover with the whipped whites of the two eggs, bake until browned and with a pancake knife transfer them to a hot dish and serve at once.

POTATOES WITH CHEESE SAUCE.

Use twelve good sized potatoes, mash, add pepper, salt, milk and b.u.t.ter.

Make a cup of drawn b.u.t.ter, (milk, b.u.t.ter and a very little corn starch as thickening, with pepper and salt) into it stir two beaten eggs, and two tablespoonfuls of grated cheese. Put a layer of potatoes on a pie tin, cover with a thin layer of the drawn b.u.t.ter sauce, cover this in turn with more potato and repeat until there is a mound, cover with the sauce, strew thickly with cheese and brown in a quick oven.

LYONNAISE POTATOES.

Put a large lump of b.u.t.ter in a saucepan and let it melt; then add one small onion chopped fine or sliced thin, when it is nicely browned but not scorched, put in slices of cold boiled potatoes, salt and pepper and cook until well browned. Just before taking up add a teaspoonful of parsley.

POTATO PANCAKES.

Grate eight large pared potatoes, add to them one and one half-teacupfuls of milk, the beaten yolks of two or three eggs, a lump of b.u.t.ter the size of a walnut, pepper, salt, enough flour to make a batter, and lastly add the whites of two or three eggs beaten stiff. Add a heaping teaspoonful of baking powder if only one egg is used. Fry in b.u.t.ter or drippings to a rich brown.

RINGED POTATOES.

Peel large potatoes, cut them round and round as one pares an apple, fry in clean, sweet, very hot lard until brown; drain on a sieve, sprinkle salt over them and serve.

POTATO TURNOVERS.

Use ten tablespoonfuls of whipped mashed potatoes with a little salt added gradually, six tablespoonfuls of flour and three tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter. When thoroughly mixed lay the ma.s.s upon a floured board and roll out about an inch thick, cut in circles with a small bowl, lay upon each circle minced meat, poultry or fish. Season the meat, wet the edges of the circle with beaten egg and close each one like a turnover, pinch them around the edges and fry to a light brown, or brush them with egg and brown them in the oven.

POTATO SOUFFLE.

Choose large, smooth, handsome, uniform potatoes, allow an extra potato for any waste. Bake and with a very sharp knife cut them in two lengthwise. Remove the inside, season with b.u.t.ter, cream, pepper and salt and fill the potato skins with the mixture; glaze them with the beaten whites of eggs and over the top spread the whites of eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Brown in the oven.

POTATO SOUP.

Use the water in which the potatoes were boiled, add three tablespoonfuls of mashed potato to a pint of water, and as much rich milk as there is water used, season with salt and a dust of cayenne pepper, a little juice of lemon or a little minced parsley or tarragon.

Serve with crackers or croutons.

STUFFED POTATOES.

Bake handsome, uniform potatoes, cut off the tops with a sharp knife, take out the inside. Add to the sc.r.a.ped potato, b.u.t.ter, milk, pepper, salt and a little grated cheese, fill the empty sh.e.l.ls and heap above the top. Grate a little cheese over this and set in the oven to brown.

Serve hot.

POTATOES USED TO CLEANSE.

Small pieces of raw potato in a little water shaken vigorously inside bottles and lamp chimneys will clean them admirably. To clean a burned porcelain kettle boil peeled potatoes in it. Cold boiled potatoes not over-boiled, used as soap will clean the hands and keep them soft and healthy. To cleanse and stiffen silk, woolen and cotton fabrics use the following recipe:--Grate two good sized potatoes into a pint of clear, clean, soft water. Strain through a coa.r.s.e sieve into a gallon of water and let the liquid settle. Pour the starchy fluid from the sediment, rub the articles gently in the liquid, rinse them thoroughly in clear water and then dry and press. Water in which potatoes are boiled is said to be very effective in keeping silver bright.