SOUPS.
[No. 1.]—Artichoke Soup.
- 3 pounds Jerusalem artichokes after peeling.
- 2 pints water.
- 1 pint milk.
- 2 ounces butter.
- 2 teaspoons salt.
- 2 shalots.
- 2 teaspoons chopped celery.
- 1 tablespoon sago.
- 1 dozen peppercorns, with a suspicion of mace and cinnamon tied in muslin.
Peel the artichokes and throw them into cold water. Dissolve the butter in a large enamelled saucepan, slice the artichokes and fry for five minutes in the butter, then add the water, shalots and celery chopped, and the seasonings. Boil for three-quarters of an hour, removing the scum as it rises. Add milk and sago, and stir frequently for twenty minutes. Rub through a hair sieve into a tureen.
Note.—Cream is often recommended for this soup, but when sago and milk are used as above, the result will be found extremely satisfactory, and the expense considerably lessened.
[No. 2.]—Asparagus Soup.
- 60 heads of asparagus.
- 1 cabbage lettuce.
- 2 quarts of water.
- 1 ounce of butter.
- 6 medium-sized onions.
- A sprig of mint.
- 1 tablespoon of sago.
- 2 teaspoons of salt.
- ½ teaspoon of pepper.
- 2 or 3 drops of spinach extract.
Dissolve the butter in a large saucepan, place in the lettuce finely shredded, the salt, pepper, mint, onions sliced, water, and the green portion of the asparagus, but reserving thirty tops. Boil one hour. Stir in the sago and boil again, stirring frequently for half an hour without the lid. Boil the thirty tops separately in a little salted water until tender. Strain the soup through a hair sieve (rubbing the pulp through with a wooden spoon) into a hot tureen, add the tops and the colouring, and serve.
Note.—If the soup be made some time before required, do not cook the tops until it is being re-heated.