VEGETABLES.
If possible, use vegetables gathered early in the morning, with the dew on them. It is even better to gather them late the evening before, with the evening dew on them (setting them in the ice-house or some cool place), than to gather them after the morning sun has grown hot. If you are living in the city, get your vegetables from market as early in the morning as possible.
As soon as gathered or brought from market, all vegetables should be carefully picked over, washed, placed in fresh water, and set in a cool place till the cook is ready to put them on for dinner.
Put them on in water neither cold nor boiling hot. The slow heating that takes place when you put them on in cold water deprives them of their flavor, to some extent, whilst too rapid heating toughens the vegetable fibre.
Just before they are thoroughly done and tender, add sufficient salt to season them. Do not stir them and mutilate them with a spoon, but turn them into a colander and drain. Place them in a hot dish and put a large tablespoonful of fresh butter over them.
In cooking dried peas and beans, as well as corn, put up in brine, always soak them the overnight. These vegetables should first be parboiled, whether they are to be used for soup or for side dishes.
To Boil Green Peas.
Early in the morning, either buy the peas from market or have them gathered in your garden, while the dew is on them. Shell and lay in cold water till half an hour before dinner. Then put in boiling water and boil steadily a half hour. Add a little salt, just before taking from the fire. Drain, add a heaping tablespoonful fresh butter and put in a covered dish.—Mrs. S. T.
To Cook Asparagus.
As soon as you get the asparagus from market or your garden, throw into salt and water, after scraping the outer skin and tying up in bunches. Put on to boil one hour before dinner. After boiling thirty minutes, drain, cut in pieces half an inch long, and put in the saucepan with enough milk to cover them. Just before serving, add one tablespoonful fresh butter, in which one teaspoonful flour has been rubbed. Season with salt and pepper.—Mrs. S. T.