The Cauliflower Part 14

N. B.--For cauliflowers, and vegetables generally, the sauce ought to be rather thick, as it is impossible to have the vegetables run perfectly dry when they are to be served warm.

22. a LA FRANCAISE (_Home Cyclopedia_).--After tr.i.m.m.i.n.g properly, cut the cauliflower into quarters, and put into a stewpan and boil until tender; drain and arrange it neatly on a dish. Pour over it melted b.u.t.ter.

23. a LA LOUIS XIV (_Mr. S. J. Soyer_).--Cauliflower, new-made b.u.t.ter, grated nutmeg, bouillon.

The cauliflower is to be repeatedly washed in lukewarm water, boiled with bouillon and a little nutmeg, drained and then shaken with b.u.t.ter over a fire. To be served as soon as the b.u.t.ter is melted.

24. a LA VARENNE (_Mrs. Marshall_).--Trim a cauliflower, and place it in salt and water for about one hour; then put it into cold water with a pinch of salt; bring to the boil, and then rinse the cauliflower and put it again into boiling water which is seasoned with salt, to cook till tender. When cooked, cut it in pieces and dish up in a coil; pour parsley sauce over, and garnish it round with braised carrots or a macedoine of vegetables, and place the cut up stalks of cauliflower in the centre. Serve for a luncheon or second course dish.

25. EN MAYONNAISE (_Mr. S. J. Soyer_).--Two heads of cauliflower, salt, pepper, sweet oil, estragon, chopped parsley, vinegar, oil-sauce.

The cauliflowers are to be plucked apart and the stemlets cut off at proper lengths. Boil in water, and salt when nearly done. Drain off and let cool, and then marinate for an hour with oil, vinegar, spices, estragon and parsley. Drain on a sieve. To be served high on a dish, and oil sauce gradually to be poured over. If desired, the dish might be garnished with carrots or some other suitable vegetable.

26. SOUFFLE OF CAULIFLOWER, a LA BARONNE (_Mrs.

Marshall_).--Trim a nice cauliflower, put it to blanch (note to No. 19), then rinse it and put it into boiling water with a little salt, and let it cook till tender; take up again, drain, and cut it in neat pieces and place them in a b.u.t.tered souffle dish with alternate layers of raw sliced tomatoes; season with a very little salt and white pepper, and fill up the dish with a souffle mixture prepared as below, and sprinkle over with a few browned bread crumbs; place a few pieces of b.u.t.ter here and there on the top, and bake in a moderate oven for thirty minutes, dish upon a paper with a napkin round, sprinkle it with a little chopped parsley, and serve for second course or luncheon.

_Mixture for Cauliflower Souffle._--Mix two ounces of b.u.t.ter, one and a half ounces of fine flour, one and a half raw yolks of eggs, tiny dust of cayenne, a saltspoonful of salt, with not quite half a pint of cold milk; stir over the fire till it boils, then add three ounces of grated Parmesian cheese and the whites of three eggs that have been whipped stiff, with a pinch of salt, and use.

27. CAULIFLOWER SALAD (_Good Living_).--One pint cold boiled cauliflower, one teaspoon of chervil, chopped as fine as powder, one teaspoon of parsley, chopped as fine as powder, one teaspoon of tarragon or Maille vinegar, French dressing.

Boil the cauliflower as directed (No. 3). Separate the flowerets, mix with the parsley, chives and dressing. Set aside one hour. Serve very cold.

_Another_ (_Buckeye Cook Book_).--After boiling, let cool and dress with Mayonnaise, or any dressing preferred.

28. CAULIFLOWER OMELETTE.--Take the white part of a boiled cauliflower after it is cold, chop it very small, and mix with it a sufficient quant.i.ty of well beaten egg to make a very thick batter; then fry it in fresh b.u.t.ter, in a small pan, and send to the table hot.

NOTE:--This omelette makes a fine dressing to pour hot over fried chicken when ready to send to the table.

29. CAULIFLOWER SOUP (_Mr. S. J. Soyer_). Two and a half quarts bouillon, one and a half pint milk, two or three cauliflowers, two and a half ounces b.u.t.ter, one and a half ounce flour, sugar, salt.

The cauliflowers are cleaned, and boiled almost ready, taken out and put on a sieve, and the soup preserved. The b.u.t.ter and flour are baked together; and with the milk, bouillon, sugar and salt added to the decoction from the cauliflowers. These are then cut into proper pieces and put into the soup, which is subjected to a quick boil and then served with bread dumplings: crumbs of white bread moistened with milk, melted b.u.t.ter, dotter of eggs, and the whites beaten to a stiff froth--the ma.s.s rolled into b.a.l.l.s, and boiled until they float.

30. CAULIFLOWER CREAM SOUP (_Rural New Yorker_).--Boil the cauliflower in salt water until nearly done. For a small head, bring another quart of water (or milk and water) to boil, adding half an onion, or a bit of spice if desired, and thicken it as for drawn b.u.t.ter sauce, with an ounce of b.u.t.ter and some flour. Boil the cauliflower in the liquid until soft, then put the whole through a colander; return to the fire, and add a cup of cream; simmer for five minutes, and serve at once, with squares of fried bread.

31. BROCCOLI (_American Garden_).--Broccoli is a pleasant change from cabbage and cauliflower, either as a salad or a side dish.

To dress it, strip off the little branches, till the top one is left, then with a sharp knife peel off all the hard skin on the stalks and branchlets and throw them into water. When the water in the stewpan boils, put in the broccoli and cook till tender, salting in the last five minutes. Serve with toast dipped in the broccoli water, laying the stalks over it, and eat with vinegar and melted b.u.t.ter. Or, let it get cold, cut in small bits, and serve as salad with oil and vinegar, with lemon juice, garnished with nasturtium buds. Or, serve a large round of toast, the size of a dinner plate, moistened with broccoli water, salted and b.u.t.tered, with nicely poached eggs laid on it, and sprigs of hot broccoli set thickly between, dusting with fine salt. Cauliflower and solid white cabbage may be served the same way.

32. EGG BROCCOLI (_Home Cyclopedia_).--Take half a dozen heads of broccoli, cut off the small shoots or blossoms and lay them aside for frying; trim the stalks short and pare off the rough rind up to the head, wash them well and lay them in salt water for an hour, then put them into plenty of boiling water (salted) and let them boil fast till quite tender. Put two ounces of b.u.t.ter into a saucepan, and stir it over a slow fire till it is melted; then add gradually six or eight well-beaten eggs and stir the mixture until it is thick and smooth. Lay the broccoli in the center of a large dish, pour the egg around it, and, having fried the broccoli blossoms, arrange them in a circle near the edge of the dish.

33. PICKLED (_Mrs. M. P. A. Crozier_).--Break at the natural divisions, steam till tender, and place in a jar of cold vinegar with mustard and red peppers.

34. PICKLED (_Gardener's Text Book_).--Place the heads in a keg, and sprinkle them liberally with salt. Let them remain thus for about a week, when you may turn over them scalding hot vinegar, prepared with one ounce of mace, one ounce of peppercorns, and one ounce of cloves to every gallon. Draw off the vinegar, and return it scalding hot several times until the heads become tender.

35. PICKLED (_Rural New Yorker_).--Break the heads into small sprays, throw them into a kettle of scalding brine; let them come to a boil, and drain carefully, so as not to break them; pack in stone or gla.s.s jars, and cover with scalding vinegar seasoned as follows: To one gallon of vinegar allow one cup of white sugar, half an ounce of mace, one ounce of peppercorns, two or three red pepper pods broken into bits, and a tablespoonful each of coriander seed, celery seed, and white mustard. Pour this hot over the cauliflowers and seal at once. Gla.s.s jars are the most convenient, as they may be examined frequently to see if their contents are keeping well. If not, repeat the scalding. In all pickles the vinegar should be two inches or more above the vegetables, as it is sure to shrink, and if the vegetables are not thoroughly immersed in vinegar they will not keep.

36. PICKLED (_Home Cyclopedia_).--Choose such as are firm, yet of their full size; cut away all the leaves and pare the stalks; pull away the flowers in bunches, steep in brine two days, then drain them, wipe them dry, and put them in hot pickle, or merely infuse for three days three ounces of curry powder in every quart of vinegar.

_Another._ Slice, salt for two or three days, drain, spread upon a dry cloth before the fire twenty-four hours; put in a jar and cover with spiced vinegar.

37. MIXED PICKLES (_Home Cyclopedia_).--Three hundred small cuc.u.mbers, four green peppers, sliced fine, two large or three small heads of cauliflower, three heads of white cabbage sliced fine, nine large onions sliced, one large horseradish, one quart green beans cut one inch long, one quart green tomatoes sliced; put this mixture in a pretty strong brine twenty-four hours; drain three hours; then sprinkle in one-fourth pound black and one-fourth pound white mustard seed; also one tablespoonful black ground pepper; let it come to a boil in just vinegar enough to cover it, adding a little alumn; drain again, and when cold put in one-half pint ground mustard; cover the whole with good cider vinegar; add turmeric enough to color if you like.

ACCESSORY RECEIPTS.

38. CAULIFLOWER SAUCE (_Good Living_).--Use either white or cream sauce, adding to it the flowerets of cauliflower previously boiled tender. Serve with boiled fowl, veal saute, etc.

39. CAULIFLOWER SAUCE (_To accompany No. 19_).--One pint of thick Bechamel sauce, a quarter of a pound of grated Parmesian cheese, two tablespoonfuls of grated Gruyere cheese, two tablespoonfuls of cream, a little dust of cayenne pepper and a pinch of salt; mix well together, and use.

40. TOMATO SAUCE (_To accompany No. 14_).--

6 large tomatoes, or 1 can, b.u.t.ter, size of an egg, Bunch of parsley or thyme, 1 tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, 2 chopped onions, Salt and pepper, Pinch of sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour.

Peel the tomatoes, and put into a sauce pan with b.u.t.ter, thyme, onions and parsley (and 1 clove of garlic chopped and fried in b.u.t.ter). Set over boiling water and stew very gently for three hours. Then press fruit and juice all through a sieve, rejecting only the seeds and herbs.

Meanwhile prepare a roux, allowing 1 quart of sauce, 1 tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, and 2 of flour, stirred together over the fire until light golden brown--no darker, or the color of the sauce will be injured. When the sauce is strained, remove the roux from the fire; stir in the sauce.

Return it to the fire. Stir and boil 3 to 5 minutes, until rich and thick. Should the sauce be already quite thick with the pulp of the tomatoes, use less thickening. If served with fricandeau, veal saute, or filet of beef, add the juices of the meat to the sauce.

41. WHITE SAUCE (_To accompany No. 3, etc._)--

3 ounces of b.u.t.ter, 2 gills of water, 1 ounce of flour, Pepper and salt.

Put 2 ounces of the b.u.t.ter in a stew pan; when it melts, add the flour.

Stir for 1 minute or more, but do not brown. Then add by degrees the boiling water, stirring until smooth; pa.s.s it through a sieve; then add the rest of the b.u.t.ter, cut in pieces. When the b.u.t.ter is melted, serve immediately. This makes about one pint of sauce. You may add as a great improvement a little lemon juice or a few drops of vinegar.

N. B.--If the sauce is to have other ingredients added it is best to have it very thick to begin with.

42. CREAM SAUCE (_To accompany Nos. 3 and 18_).

1 tablespoon of flour, 1 very large tablespoon of b.u.t.ter, 2 gills of new milk, teaspoon of salt, Pepper to taste.

Put of the b.u.t.ter in a sauce pan over the fire. As soon as it melts, add the flour; stir till blended. Be careful not to let it brown. Add the boiling milk, by degrees, to the flour and b.u.t.ter, stirring without ceasing. Boil 3 minutes. Remove from the fire; add salt, white pepper, and the rest of the b.u.t.ter; stir until the b.u.t.ter melts, and serve immediately. If it has to be kept, set it over a kettle of boiling water; leave the spoon in it; and every now and again stir it down or the top will form a sc.u.m. Do not let it boil after the last b.u.t.ter is added. Cream may be used instead of new milk.

FOOTNOTES:

[E] Chief Cook at the Court of Denmark.

[F] Blanching anything is placing it on the fire in cold water until it boils, and after straining it off plunging it into cold water for the purpose of rendering it white.

RECAPITULATION.

The following recapitulation of the more important points connected with cauliflower culture will serve to fix them in mind:

1. The best localities for cauliflower growing are where the climate is cool and moist, as near some large body of water.

2. The cauliflower will stand nearly as much dry weather as ordinary crops while growing, providing it has a cool, moist time in which to head.