Simmer till cooked, lay in the vegetables to be warmed up. Make thoroughly hot and serve.
Cauliflower.
Trim and lay in cold salt water for some time, then boil or steam till just done. Trim off all the green leaves--it is best not to do this before cooking, as it is not so ready to break--lay in vegetable dish, and pour white sauce over.
Cauliflower au Gratin.
Prepare exactly as above. Coat with the sauce, sprinkle all over with bread crumbs or grated cheese, or a mixture of both, put some butter in little bits over it, and bake a light-brown in moderate oven.
Artichokes.
These may be cooked same as cauliflower, but require longer time. Cut the stalk off quite bare, and trim the leaves with scissors where necessary. By way of variety the centre part may be removed and the cavity filled with forcemeat or sausage filling. Serve with white sauce.
Jerusalem Artichokes.
Wash well, pare neatly, and lay in cold water and vinegar to cover. Have ready some boiling water with a little salt and some milk. Boil gently till tender--15 to 20 minutes. Drain, and serve with white sauce.
Fried Artichokes.
Parboil lightly, dry, dip in beaten egg, then toss in bread crumbs or a mixture of crumbs and grated cheese. Fry in smoking hot fat, and serve very hot on a napkin.
Fried Celery.
Prepare exactly as above. The pieces should be about 5 or 6 inches long. Pile up crosswise in serving.
Stewed Celery.
Wash and trim the celery into short lengths and allow to soak in vinegar and water for an hour or so before cooking. Drain, and parboil in water containing a little salt and lemon juice or vinegar for 10 minutes. Drain again, and stew for another 10 or 15 minutes in some good white stock. Do not throw away the water in which celery, cauliflower, peas, &c., are boiled. It can be added to the stock-pot. Meantime toast a slice of bread, dip it in this celery water, and lay on ashet cut in triangles. Lay the celery on this when cooked, make the stock in saucepan into a good sauce with flour and butter, and pour over.
Seakale
is rather scarce and expensive as a rule, but it is well to know how to cook it when occasion offers. It is a choice delicacy for an invalid or convalescent. Soak in salted cold water for a time, trim neatly and cook till tender--about half-an-hour in fast boiling water containing a little salt and lemon juice. Drain, and serve on toast with white sauce over.
Asparagus.
Wash well in cold water and scrape the stalks white. Tie in small bundles and stand in fast boiling salted water till the stalks are tender--about twenty minutes. Drain, and serve like celery.
Salsify,
or vegetable oyster, is another vegetable which would find great favour were it not so scarce and dear. Scrape the roots and throw into cold water. Cut in 2-inch pieces and simmer gently for an hour or till tender in stock with a slice of lemon, or in milk and water. Lift out the salsify and place on toast. Thicken the liquor with butter and flour and pour over.
All vegetables which are served with white sauce or melted butter can be acceptably served
Au Gratin,
and a dish of carrots, turnips, and the like served in this way is quite a delicacy. Young tender vegetables are of course always to be preferred, but even when rather old are better this way than any other. Cook till quite tender, but not in the least broken. Lay in a pie dish, cover with sauce, coat thickly with crumbs or cheese and crumbs. Dot over with butter, and bake a light brown.
Spinach.
Soak in cold water and rinse very well to remove all grit, &c. Trim away stalks and tough fibre at the back of the leaf. Shake the water well off, and put in dry saucepan with lid on, to cook for about 10 minutes. Drain, chop finely, and return to saucepan with some butter, salt and pepper, to get quite hot. Dish neatly in a flat, round, or oval shape, with poached eggs on top, and croutons of toast or fried bread round.
Cauliflower--Dutch Way.
(Mr VAN TROMP.)
Boil