Boil three sweet potatoes of medium size until done. Peel and squeeze through the patent vegetable strainer, add a heaping tablespoonful of butter, salt and pepper to taste, and enough milk to make very soft. Put in a baking dish, dot it over with tiny bits of butter and bake until brown. Serve in the dish in which it is baked. If any is left over remove the thin brown skin, make the potato into small, flat cakes and brown on both sides in a little butter in a spider.
[SWEET POTATO CROQUETTES.]
Three medium-sized potatoes baked and mashed very fine and beaten to a cream with one generous tablespoonful of butter, three tablespoonfuls of cream, one teaspoonful of sugar, a little salt, one teaspoonful of lemon juice, a saltspoonful of cinnamon and one egg yolk beaten very light, and add at the last the white of egg whipped to a stiff froth. Form into cones or cylinders, dip in beaten egg and bread crumbs and fry in boiling fat. Drain on kitchen paper, sift a little sugar over them and serve at once.
[BRUSSELS SPROUTS.]
Pick off any leaves that may be discolored and wash well a quart of Brussels sprouts, put into a saucepan with two quarts of boiling water and a saltspoonful of soda. Boil rapidly until tender—about half an hour—just before they are done add a tablespoonful of salt. Drain them in a colander, and if it is not time to serve them stand the colander over steam to keep them hot. Do not let them remain in the water. When ready to serve put the sprouts in a vegetable dish and pour over them a pint of rich cream sauce.
[OKRA AND TOMATOES.]
A quart of fresh or canned tomatoes—if fresh, skin in the usual way—cut them in quarters and put over the fire, let them boil until a great deal of the water has evaporated, then add a pint of fresh okra, cut in slices, cook until tender, season with a generous heaping tablespoonful of butter, and pepper and salt to taste.
[BEETS.]
Wash the beets carefully to avoid breaking the skin, and do not cut off the fine roots, as this will bleed and spoil them. Put on in boiling water and cook from an hour and a half to three hours. Test with a wooden skewer. Cut in slices or dice and serve with melted butter, pepper and salt. Winter beets should be soaked over night.