Most of the garden varieties of lettuce, especially when they have grown very large, are frequently cooked as greens. When used in this way, lettuce is prepared, as are other greens, according to the directions given in Art. 3. This vegetable also makes an appetizing dish when it is prepared with a sauce and served hot in the same way as dandelion.
SPINACH
11. SPINACH, which is shown in Fig. 1, consists of the large, fleshy, deep-green leaves of a garden herb much used as a green for food. In fact, this is one of the most popular varieties of greens and is used more extensively than any other. Many varieties of spinach are grown, but all of them are used in just the same way. It is slightly higher in food value than lettuce and endive, but lower than dandelion. However, it is a valuable food in the diet because of the large quantity of iron it contains, and many persons eat it not so much because they like it but because they believe it is good for them.
12. Some kinds of spinach do not keep for long periods of time. Therefore, in order to avoid any waste, spinach should always be very fresh when purchased and should be used as soon as possible after it is obtained. It may be prepared in a greater number of ways than most of the other greens except, perhaps, those used for salads. For instance, it is served with entrées of various kinds, is combined with meat, ham and spinach being a much used combination, or is made into a purée by forcing it through a sieve and then used in the making of soup or soufflé. Then, again, spinach is often boiled and pressed into small cups to form molds like the one shown in Fig. 3. Such a mold may be used to garnish a dish of some sort or, as here shown, may be garnished with a slice of hard-cooked egg. When spinach is used in any of these ways, it should first be cooked according to the directions given for the preparation of greens in Art. 3.
13. SPINACH SOUFFLÉ.--The purée that is made by forcing boiled spinach through a sieve may be used in a variety of ways, but none of these is more satisfactory than spinach soufflé. When made according to the accompanying recipe, spinach soufflé will be found to be appetizing as well as nourishing.
SPINACH SOUFFLÉ
(
Sufficient to Serve Six
)