CHAPTER V.
Vegetables.—Potatoes and Green Corn, Boiled, Fried, Roasted and Stewed.
The canoeist, whose stowage room is limited, will not carry with him a variety of vegetables, therefore completer directions for cooking these edibles will be left for Part II. of this book, and instructions will here be given only for the preparation of the potatoes, which he will most certainly carry, and green corn, which, in its season, he can obtain readily, if his cruise leads him through a farming country. These two articles will form the canoeist's mainstay in the vegetable line, and can be prepared in several appetizing ways.
Boiled Potatoes.
Small or medium-sized potatoes are preferable to large ones. Choose those with small eyes, as those with large eyes are generally about to sprout and are of poor quality. Do not pare unless they are very old, and in the latter case put them in cold water and allow it to boil. If they are of unequal size cut the large ones, so that they will boil evenly; wash, cut out bad places and eyes, and slice off a piece of skin at each pointed end. Put, unless old, into enough boiling salted water to cover them, and simmer steadily till a sliver will easily pierce the largest. Strain when done, and set the pot near the fire, shaking them occasionally to dry them.
Mashed Potatoes.
After boiling, peel and mash thoroughly with the bottom of a large bottle, working in pepper, salt, butter, and sufficient hot milk or water to make them into the consistency of soft dough. If mashed in an iron pot they will be discolored, but will taste just as good as if mashed in tin or earthenware.
Roasted Potatoes.
Wash and wipe them dry, and cut off the ends. Bury them in the ashes till a sliver will easily pierce them. Do not make the common mistake of putting them among the live coals of the fire, or they will be burned, not cooked through.
Fried Cooked Potatoes.
Peel and slice cold cooked potatoes, and put them into enough "screeching hot" lard or pork fat to cover the bottom of the pan. Stir frequently and fry slowly, seasoning with pepper and salt.
Fried Raw Potatoes.
Wash, peel, and slice very thin. Put few at a time into enough boiling fat to float the slices. If too many are put in at one time they will chill the fat and will not fry evenly. Turn and fry a light brown on both sides. When done remove with a fork, leaving as much grease as possible, and shake them up in a covered dish to eliminate the grease still further.
Stewed Potatoes.
Cut cold boiled potatoes into pieces the size of a hickory nut, put them into enough boiling milk to cover them, and let them simmer slowly till the milk is nearly exhausted, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Season with pepper, salt and butter.
Sweet Potatoes.
Are cooked the same as Irish potatoes, but require longer time. See time table in Part II.
Boiled Green Corn.
The sweetness of corn is better preserved in the boiling if the outer layer of husks only is stripped off. Turn back the inner husks and strip off the silk, then replace the inner husks and tie the ends. Put the corn into enough boiling salt water to cover it. Boil, if young, twenty-five minutes; if old, nearly or quite twice as long. After half an hour's boiling, an ear had best be removed occasionally and the kernels prodded with a sliver, to see if they have cooked tender. Overboiling spoils corn. Drain off the water as soon as they are done.
Fried Corn.
Cut cold boiled corn from the cob, mix with mashed potatoes, and fry in butter or pork fat.
Roasted Corn.
Leave the ear in the husks, cover it well with the hot ashes, and let it remain from forty-five minutes to an hour.
Stewed Corn.
Cut the corn from the cob, put it into a pot, barely covering it with cold milk. Season it with pepper and salt, and if common field corn, with sugar. Cover and stew gently till very tender.