VEGETABLE CHOWDER
Minestrone alla Milanese
- ½ lb. salt pork
- 2 or 3 sprigs parsley
- 1 kernel garlic
- 2 carrots
- ¼ medium sized cabbage
- 1 scant cup dried beans, Lima or kidney, soaked over night
- 2 quarts cold water
- A little celery
- Any left over peas
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Rice, salt and pepper
Cut off the rind of the pork and put it into 2 quarts of water to boil. Cut off a small slice of the pork and beat it to a paste with the parsley and garlic. Add this paste to the pork and water. Slice the carrots, cut the rib out of the cabbage leaves. Add the carrots, cabbage leaves, other vegetables, seasoning and butter to the soup, and let it boil slowly for 2½ hours. The last ½ hour add 1 small handful of rice for each person.
When the pork is very soft, remove and slice in little ribbons and put it back.
This is equally good eaten cold. Three bouillon cubes may be used instead of pork, or may be added if a richer soup is desired.
Mme. Varesi.
FRENCH ONION SOUP
Minestra di Cipolla alla Francese
- 4 large onions
- 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil or meat drippings
- ¼ lb. Swiss or American brick cheese, grated
- 1 quart to 3 pints soup stock or boiling water
- 4 slices of stale bread toasted, salt, pepper
Peel the onions and slice them very thin. Fry them slowly in the fat until they are a uniform golden brown, using a kettle deep enough to hold the water afterwards. When the onions are thoroughly fried add the hot water, cover and let simmer at least three-quarters of an hour, seasoning to taste. The onions will make a clean brown liquor without the use of any meat but soup stock may be used instead of water, or beef extract or bouillon cubes may be added to the water if a meat soup is preferred.
Put the soup in a hot tureen, add the toast cut into triangles and sprinkle it over with the grated cheese. Serve as soon as the toast and cheese have been added.