Wash the vegetables thoroughly, leaving them in cold water to crisp, if wilted. Keep cool until ready to serve, then arrange daintily, and dress with salt, vinegar, and oil as desired, or prepare a dressing as follows:
Cooked Dressing
| ½ | tbsp. salt | ½ | tbsp. flour |
| 1 | tsp. mustard | 1 | egg or yolks of 2 eggs |
| 1½ | tbsp. sugar | 1½ | tbsp. melted butter |
A few grains pepper | ¾ | c. milk | |
| ¼ c. vinegar | |||
Mix the dry ingredients, add the egg slightly beaten and the butter and the milk. Cook over boiling water until the mixture thickens. Add the vinegar, stirring constantly. Strain and cool.
[A] Note].—It may be well to omit from this lesson the uncooked vegetable that is served in the form of a salad and to give it at some other time. It is not well to attempt to teach more than the pupils can master thoroughly.
Recipe for Boiling and Seasoning Fresh Green Vegetables
Wash the vegetables carefully and put them on to cook in boiling water. Delicately flavoured vegetables (spinach, celery, fresh peas, etc.) will require but little water, and that should be allowed to boil away at the last. If spinach is stirred constantly, no water need be added. Starchy vegetables should be completely covered with water, and strongly flavoured vegetables (as turnips, onions, cabbage, and cauliflower) should be cooked in water at simmering temperature.
After the vegetables have cooked for a few minutes, salt should be added, one teaspoonful to each quart of water. Cook the vegetable until it can be easily pierced with a fork. Let the water boil away at the last. If it is necessary to drain, do so as soon as the vegetable is tender. Season with salt, pepper, and butter (¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, and ½ tablespoon butter to each cup of vegetable).
Note.—The water in which the vegetables are cooked should be saved for soups and sauces, as it contains most of the valuable mineral matter.
METHOD OF WORK
Discuss the heating of water and apply the facts to cooking. Have the pupils observe and describe the heating of water.