Girl's home manual of cookery, home management, home nursing and laundry

All herbs, including celery leaves, may be prepared in the same way. They keep green and are preferable to those bought in tins. POTATO RECIPES Composition. Potatoes contain over 76 per cent. of water, about 19 per cent. of starch, very little protein or fat, and salts of potash united with citric acid. These are all contained and held together by the cellulose framework. Food Value. Potatoes are valuable on account of the starch and mineral matter they contain. The latter help to keep the blood pure and the skin in good condition. Much of their nutriment is lost if potatoes are cooked without their skins. Digestibility. Potatoes, if well cooked, are easy to digest, the cellulose being small in amount. Potatoes Boiled and Creamed. Choose potatoes of the same size for one cooking. Scrub potatoes, peel thinly and remove eyes. Potatoes contain more -nutriment and are better flavoured if cooked in their skins. The skin is easily peeled off after cooking. Five to ten minutes longer is required for cooking in their skins. Place potatoes in boiling salted water, boil gently from 30 to 45 minutes, according to size and age of potatoes. Test with a fork; when soft strain off water, cover with a cloth or leave with the lid half off for steam to escape, and dry at the back of the stove for a few minutes, shake once or twice. Serve whole in a hot dish. Creamed Potatoes. Boil as above. When dry add the following to the potatoes in saucepan. To six potatoes: \% tsp. pepper. about 3 tbsp. hot milk. 1 tsp. salt. 1 tbsp. butter. These may be heated together in an enamel cup. Mash potatoes with the above, keeping all hot over the stove. Whip the potatoes to make them white and creamy. Serve piled high in a hot dish. Baked Potatoes. Scrub potatoes, taking those of a similar size. Prick them with a fork so that steam may escape during cooking. Place them on a tin or on the bottom of a hot oven. Bake from 30 to 45 minutes, according to size. Serve at once ina clean table napkin in a hot dish. To Reheat Cold Potatoes. First method. Slice cold cooked potatoes, season them, and fry in bacon fat until a golden brown. Stir frequently during cooking, Second method. Slice and cut into dice. Reheat in sauce No. 2, VEGETABLES 27 Third method. Slice cold cooked potatoes and put in layers in a pie dish, sprinkle a little salt, pepper, butter and flour over each layer. When dish is full pour over hot milk. Bake in a moderate oven until brown. Serve hot in dish in which they were reheated. Potato Scallop is made by method three, using raw potatoes. Cook one hour or longer. VEGETABLE RECIPES Boiled Onions. Take onions of the same size, Spanish onions are the best for boiling. Peel under water, place in a saucepan of cold water, bring to the boil and throw this water away. This is called blanching an onion. It removes some of the green colouring matter and strong flavour which is apt to make onions indigestible. Cover the onions with boiling water and cook from 45 to 60 minutes. Drain off water and serve smothered in white sauce No. 2, or the onions may be served with a little salt, pepper and butter over them. Boiled Beets. Wash without breaking the skin. Place in boiling water and cook gently from 1 to 4 hours, according to age and size. When cooked, drain and rub the skin off by holding on a fork and rubbing with a white paper or a cloth. Return to saucepan, chop into dice, season with salt, pepper and a little butter. Reheat and serve in a hot dish. Serve cold, sliced, and covered with spiced vinegar, Stewed Mushrooms.