Health, or, How to Live

VEGETABLES

DRIED BEANS. — Pick the beans over carefully, wash them perfectly clean, cover them about three inches deep with cold water, and let them soak all night. Early in the morning place them over the fire, leaving upon them all the water that may remain unabsorbed and adding enough more to cook them in. Let them simmer slowly all the forenoon, but do not allow them to boil. When done if any seasoning is desired, a little sweet cream is sufficient. To bake them, take them from the fire about an hour before they are done, place them immediately in a deep pan, and bake one hour in a very hot oven. HHTL 45.6

NOTE. — Those who will try this method will be surprised to find how much superior it is to the ordinary way of cooking them. HHTL 45.7

BEAN PORRIDGE. —This is made by cooking dried beans in plenty of water till they are quite boiled to pieces. Add cream and a very little flour. HHTL 46.1

BOILED GREEN BEANS. — The common garden, kidney, and lima beans are all excellent dishes, prepared by simply boiling till soft without destroying the shape of the seed. A little milk or cream may be stirred in when they are cooked sufficiently, if any seasoning is desired. They usually require boiling an hour and a half. HHTL 46.2

STRING BEANS. — When very young, the pods need only to be clipped, cut finely, and boiled till tender. When older, cut or break off the ends, strip off the strings that line their edges; cut or break each pod into three or four pieces, and boil. When made tender, a little cream or milk may be simmered with them a few minutes. HHTL 46.3

SUCCOTASH. — Take green sweet corn and green beans, cut the corn from the cobs, and when the beans have been cooking about three-quarters of an hour add it to them, letting it cook about three-quarters of an hour longer. If any one desires a richer article, a little sweet cream may be added. HHTL 46.4

BOILED GREEN CORN. —The only corn fit for boiling green, is the sweet or evergreen corn. It should be simply husked, the silk removed and the ears plunged into boiling water and boiled from twenty to thirty minutes. HHTL 46.5

STEWED CORN. — Cut the corn from the cob, boil it in just water enough to prevent burning. When done, add a little rich milk or sweet cream, and a trifle of sugar. HHTL 46.6

BOILED GREEN PEAS. — Washing green peas seems to extract much of their sweetness. If care be taken in shelling them they will not need washing. Immediately after shelling them put in boiling water sufficient to cover them, and boil from twenty to thirty minutes. When the pods are fresh and green, if they are washed and boiled in as little water as will cover them for fifteen or twenty minutes, and the juice added to the peas, it will improve the flavor. Sweet milk or cream is the only admissible seasoning. HHTL 46.7

BOILED POTATOES. — Wash and trim the potatoes, put them in boiling water, with not more water than is sufficient to cover them; boil moderately until they are softened so that a fork will readily penetrate them; pour off the water and let them stand till dry. All who would have potatoes well cooked must observe the following particulars: Always take them out of the water the moment they are done. Ascertain when they are done, by pricking with a fork, and not leave them to crack open. When cooked in any way, they become heavy and watery by cooking them after they are once softened through. They should be selected of an equal size, or the smallest should be taken up as fast as cooked. The water should not stop boiling, as it will tend to make them watery. Old potatoes are improved by soaking in cold water several hours or over night, before cooking. They should never remain covered after having been roasted or boiled, to keep them hot. HHTL 47.1

MASHED POTATOES. — Pare and wash the potatoes; drop them into water which is boiling very hard; let them boil moderately till done. As soon as they will pierce easily with a fork, pour off the water, place them over the fire again for a couple of minutes till perfectly dry, then mash them till they are entirely free from lumps. If any seasoning is desired a little rich milk or sweet cream is sufficient. HHTL 47.2

BROWNED MASHED POTATOES. — Prepare the same as mashed potatoes above; turn them immediately into a deep platter or dripping pan, smooth them evenly and place in a hot oven till browned. HHTL 47.3

POTATO BALLS. — Take mashed potatoes, either cold or hot, and form them into small round cakes of three-fourths of an inch in thickness. Place them in a hot oven, and let them remain till well browned. HHTL 47.4

STEWED POTATOES. — Cut cold boiled potatoes into thin slices, cover with milk or diluted sweet cream, and stew slowly till warmed through. HHTL 47.5

CHOPPED POTATOES. — Place cold boiled potatoes in a wooden bowl; chop them with a chopping-knife till very fine; turn them into a deep platter; add milk till they are nearly covered, and bake in a moderately hot oven half an hour; stir them occasionally at first, then let a nice brown crust form upon them. HHTL 48.1

BROWN SLICED POTATOES. — Cut cold boiled potatoes into slices one-third of an inch in thickness; lay them on a platter in a hot oven till both sides are moderately browned. HHTL 48.2

BROWNED POTATOES. — Boil potatoes of a nearly uniform size till about two-thirds done; pour off the water; remove the skins; place them in a hot oven, and bake till done. When baked potatoes are wanted in haste, this is a very quick and excellent method. HHTL 48.3

BREAKFAST POTATOES. — Pare and wash the potatoes. Cut them in pieces one-third of an inch in thickness; boil in as little water as possible, so that it will nearly all be evaporated in cooking. When done, add a small quantity of sweet cream or milk thickened with a little flour. HHTL 48.4

BOILED SQUASH. — Winter squash should be pared, cleaned inside, cut into small pieces, and boiled, or steamed, which is better. When done, mash and season with sugar, and it is ready for the table. HHTL 48.5

BAKED SQUASH. — Take winter squash, cut in halves, partially clean them inside, and bake slowly in an oven an hour and a half; then scrape the inner surface and remove the squash from the rind — which has served as a dish in baking — mash and serve for the table Or, cut the squash into several pieces, clean inside, and bake slowly. Eat the same as bread or baked potatoes. HHTL 48.6

MASHED PARSNEPS. — Wash them thoroughly, and remove the skins by scraping, split them into halves, or quarters, and boil till tender. When done, mash them the same as potatoes. HHTL 48.7

BROWNED PARSNEPS. — Cold parsneps may be cut into pieces one-half inch in thickness, and browned in the oven the same as potatoes, or fried on a griddle. They are nice for breakfast. HHTL 49.1

STEWED PARSNEPS. — Wash, scrape, and cut the parsneps into thin slices. Stew them in just water enough to prevent their burning. When nearly cooked, add a little boiling milk, and thicken with a small quantity of flour wet with cold milk. Let them simmer fifteen minutes. HHTL 49.2

CARROTS. — Carrots may be boiled, stewed, or browned, in the same manner as parsneps. When stewed they are a favorite dish with many persons. HHTL 49.3

BOILED TURNIPS. — When turnips are sweet and tender, they are best if boiled whole till soft, and then sent immediately to the table. If any are allowed to boil too long they become bitterish. An hour is the medium time. They are less watery and better flavored when boiled with their skins on, and pared afterward. HHTL 49.4

MASHED TURNIPS. — This is the best method of preparing watery turnips, and a good way of cooking all cookable kinds. Pare, wash, and cut them in slices; put them in just enough boiling water to cover them; let them boil till soft; pour them into a sieve or colander and press out the water; mash them with fresh milk or sweet cream until entirely free from lumps; then put them into a saucepan over the fire, and stir them about three minutes. HHTL 49.5

STEWED TURNIPS. — Wash and pare your turnips, divide them into small pieces, and slice very thin. Put them into a stewpan with water sufficient to cook them. Cover close, and let them boil till all the water is evaporated. Then add a little salt, with cream or butter. Either is good. HHTL 49.6

BOILED CABBAGE. — Take off the outer leaves; cut the head in halves or quarters, and boil quickly in a large quantity of water till done; then drain and press out the water, and chop fine. Cabbage requires boiling from half an hour to an hour. HHTL 49.7

STEWED CABBAGE. — Slice the cabbage very fine, pour over it boiling water, nearly sufficient to cover it. Let it cook quickly till tender. Add boiling milk and thicken with flour wet with cold milk. Let it simmer fifteen minutes. This is excellent. HHTL 50.1

CAULIFLOWER. — Cut off the green leaves; plunge the heads in boiling water and then cook from twenty minutes to half an hour. Split the heads open and lay them in halves in vegetable dishes, and cover with a sauce made with boiling milk, thickened with flour wet with cold milk, and boiled till well cooked. HHTL 50.2

GREENS. — Spinach, beet-tops, cabbage sprouts, mustard leaves, turnip leaves, cowslips, dandelions, and deerweed, are all excellent for greens. They all require to be carefully washed and cleaned. Spinach should be washed repeatedly. All the cooking requisite is boiling till tender, and drain on a colander. Lemon juice is the only admissible seasoning. HHTL 50.3

BOILED BEETS. — Wash the roots carefully; avoid scraping, cutting or breaking the roots, as the juice would escape and the flavor be injured; put them into a pan of boiling water; let them boil one or two hours according to size; then put them in cold water and rub off the skin with the hand, and cut them in neat slices of uniform size. Good beets are sweet enough intrinsically, and need no seasoning. HHTL 50.4

CHOPPED BEETS. — Boil them whole. Peel and chop fine. Season with butter or a little salt. HHTL 50.5

BAKED BEETS. — Wash the roots clean, and bake whole till quite tender; put them in cold water; rub off the skin; if large, cut them in round slices, but if small, slice them lengthwise. If any seasoning in insisted on, lemon-juice is the most appropriate. When baked slowly and carefully, beet-root is very rich, wholesome, and nutritious. It usually requires baking four or five hours. HHTL 50.6

STEWED ASPARAGUS. — Cut the tender parts of the stalks into pieces of half an inch in length. Wash them; put them in enough boiling water to cook them without burning, and when nearly done add a small quantity of sweet cream or milk thickened with flour. HHTL 51.1