The Story of Crisco Part 12

[Ill.u.s.tration]

In the vegetable kingdom the cereals form a very important part of our diet, by supplying chiefly the carbohydrates or heat giving matter.

Another nutritious group termed pulse, are those which have their seed enclosed in a pod. The most familiar are peas, beans, and lentils; peas and beans are eaten in the green or unripe state as well as in the dried. Vegetables included in the pulse group are very nouris.h.i.+ng if they can be digested, they contain a large amount of flesh forming matter, usually a fair amount of starch, but are deficient in fat.

Peas and beans also contain sulphur and tend to produce flatulence when indulged in by those of weak digestion. Lentils contain less sulphur, and do not produce this complaint so readily.

The more succulent vegetables include tubers, as potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes, leaves, stems, and bulbs, as cabbages, spinach, celery, and onions, roots and flowers, as carrots, parsnips, and cauliflower. These are very valuable on account of the mineral matter, chief of which are the potash salts, so necessary to keep the blood in a healthy condition.

Care should be taken in cooking vegetables not to lose the salts.

Steaming is preferable to boiling, by preserving the juices, though it does not tend to improve the color of green vegetables. A little lemon juice added to the water in which new potatoes are boiling improves their color. Mint is sometimes cooked with new potatoes. To secure a good color in vegetables when cooked, careful cleaning and preparation before cooking is essential. Earthy roots, such as potatoes, turnips, and carrots, must be both well scrubbed and thoroughly rinsed in clean water before peeling. From all vegetables, coa.r.s.e or discolored leaves and any dark or decayed spots should be carefully removed before cooking.

Potatoes should be peeled thinly, or, if new, merely brushed or rubbed with a coa.r.s.e cloth to get the skin off. Turnips should be thickly peeled, as the rind in these is hard and woody. Carrots and salsify, unless very old, need sc.r.a.ping only. After the removal of the skin, all root vegetables (except those of the onion kind) should be put in cold water till wanted. Potatoes, artichokes, and salsify especially, must not remain a moment out of water after peeling, or they will turn a dark color, and to the water used for the two last, a little salt and lemon juice should be added in order to keep them white.

Root vegetables should be boiled with the lid of the pan on, green vegetables should be boiled with the lid of the pan off, for the preservation of the color.

Baked Parsnips

1/2 cupful Crisco 5 parsnips Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and wash parsnips and cut into two lengthwise, and steam for one hour. Remove from fire, lay in greased baking pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, spread Crisco over top and bake slowly till tender. Serve hot.

Brussels Sprouts with Crisco

1/2 cupful Crisco 2 baskets brussels sprouts 1/2 cupful grated cheese

Trim sprouts and cook them in boiling salted water till tender, drain and dry on clean cloth. Heat Crisco hot, then add sprouts, and fry until very hot. Turn them into hot vegetable dish, sprinkle cheese over them and serve immediately.

Sufficient for one dish.

Colcannon

3 tablespoonfuls Crisco 1/2 lb. cold cooked potatoes 1/2 lb. cold cooked cabbage 1 onion Salt and pepper to taste

Chop onion and cabbage and mash potatoes. Put into frying pan with Crisco and fry few minutes adding seasonings. Turn into Criscoed fireproof dish and brown in oven.

Lentils and Rice

3 tablespoonfuls Crisco 1/2 cupful lentils 1/2 cupful milk 1/2 cupful water 1 teaspoonful curry powder 1 small onion 1 tablespoonful lemon juice 1 cupful boiled rice Salt and pepper to taste

Wash lentils and soak them in milk twelve hours. Melt Crisco slice onion and fry a pale brown, add curry powder, milk, water, seasonings, and lentils, simmer two hours and add lemon juice just before serving, Serve with rice.

Corn Fritters

1 tablespoonful melted Crisco 1 can crushed corn 1 cupful flour 1 teaspoonful baking powder 2 teaspoonfuls salt 1/4 teaspoonful white pepper 3 tablespoonfuls milk

Put corn into bowl, add Crisco, salt, pepper, flour, baking powder, and milk. Mix well and drop in spoonfuls on a Criscoed griddle. Fire brown on both sides. These fritters are a palatable accompaniment to roast chicken.

Sufficient for twelve fritters.

Corn, Okra and Tomatoes

2 tablespoonfuls Crisco 2 tablespoonfuls sugar Salt and pepper to taste 6 ears corn 6 okra pods 6 tomatoes 2 cupfuls water

Cut corn from cob, put into saucepan, cover with water and bring to boil. Scald and skin tomatoes and cut okra into cross sections half inch long. Add both to corn with Crisco and seasonings. Stir and cook until tender. Serve hot.

Curried Cauliflower

4 tablespoonfuls Crisco 1 cauliflower 1 sliced onion 1 dessertspoonful curry powder 1 tablespoonful lemon juice 1/4 teaspoonful salt 1 cupful stock or water

Boil cauliflower in boiling salted water till tender, drain, then divide into small flowerets. Fry onion in Crisco a few minutes, then add curry powder, lemon juice and stock or water. Simmer fifteen minutes, then strain into clean saucepan. Add cauliflower and salt and simmer fifteen minutes. Serve hot.

Creamed Potatoes au Gratin

2 tablespoonfuls Crisco 1 quart peeled and diced potatoes 2 cupfuls milk 1 tablespoonful flour 1 cupful grated cheese 1 teaspoonful salt 1/4 teaspoonful white pepper Few breadcrumbs

Cut potatoes in about 11/2-inch pieces, then boil carefully in boiling salted water. When done, drain, and pour into Criscoed fireproof dish.

Blend Crisco and flour in saucepan over fire, add milk, stir till boiling, then add cheese and seasonings. Pour over potatoes; grate a little cheese over top, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake five minutes in hot oven.

Eggplant en Ca.s.serole

4 tablespoonfuls melted Crisco 1 large eggplant 3 small onions 2 garlic cloves 3 tomatoes 1 green pepper Salt and pepper to taste

Slice eggplant into thin slices, then slice onions, garlic, tomatoes and pepper quite thin. Arrange them, alternately, in a Criscoed ca.s.serole, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Pour in melted Crisco and cover. Cook over slow fire or in moderate oven till the eggplant is tender. Serve hot or cold.

Fried Parsley

Crisco 1 bunch parsley Salt and pepper to taste

Wash, pick and dry the parsley; put into frying basket and immerse in hot Crisco fifteen seconds or until crisp. Drain and sprinkle with salt and pepper. It should be a nice green color. If it turns black it has been too long in the fat.