Capsicums ‘Farciti.’ No. 1.
Select large green sweet capsicums, and for each one take half a pound of minced roast or boiled fowl, half a pound of grated bread-crumbs, a little salt and pepper, and some chopped parsley and mix; add two ounces of melted butter and mix again. Meanwhile cut off one end of the capsicums (remove the seeds), and put the capsicums into a sauce-pan of boiling water; cover the pan and let it boil for about a quarter of an hour. Then drain the capsicums well, fill them with the force-meat, and sprinkle them over with bread-crumbs. Put some butter in an earthen pan and cook the capsicums in a moderate oven for a quarter of an hour.
Capsicums ‘Farciti.’ No. 2.
Fry six medium-sized green sweet capsicums for one minute in boiling fat, drain, peel, and cut off the ends, keeping them to use as covers. Remove the insides and fill them with force-meat made of minced fresh pork, a spoonful of salt, a saltspoonful of pepper, half a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg, and the same of powdered thyme. Put on the ends, lay the capsicums in a well-oiled baking-dish, add a little pure olive oil, and put them in a moderate oven to bake for a quarter of an hour. Turn them on to a hot dish, and serve with a quarter of a pint of Vellutata sauce (see Sauces, p. [127]), with a little Marsala added.
Capsicums ‘al Forno.’
Cut two or more green capsicums in two lengthwise, remove the seeds and filaments, and parboil them in boiling water for five minutes. Fill each half with an equal quantity of softened bread-crumb and minced meat seasoned with butter, salt, and a squeeze of lemon. Then put them into a baking-dish in half an inch of good stock (or water), and bake. Serve in the baking-dish, hot.
Cardoons ‘al Bianco.’
Clean and pare two or three pounds of cardoons, cut them lengthwise, and blanch them in boiling water. Then throw them into cold water to make them retain their whiteness, and dry them on a clean cloth. Cut an onion and a carrot into slices, and put them into a sauce-pan with four ounces of fresh butter, take out the carrot and onion after ten minutes and mix a tablespoonful of flour into the butter, adding some broth (or water), to prevent it burning. As soon as the broth (or water) boils, throw in the cardoons. When done, serve up hot.