The potato, for instance, which is our most popular and most useful vegetable, appears in nine cases out of ten as the boiled potato. This is no doubt excellent in its way, especially when well boiled, but. Why so little variety, when perhaps there is no vegetable which lends itself more readily to different modes of treatment ? Then, again, the throwing away of cold cooked vegetables is one of the commonest forms of waste in our kitchens, and not only in the houses of the rich, but in those of the poor as well. That this is a mis- take, and that some of the most tasty vegetable dishes are made from re-cooked vegetables, and especially potatoes, the following recipes will show. GENERAL REMARKS ON THE COOKING OF VEGETABLES The cooking of vegetables is not difficult, but the simplicity of the operation must not be made an excuse for slovenly treatment. Their prepara- tion requires some patience; attention must be given to the instructions for cooking them, care must be taken in the seasoning, the making of the sauce, and also in the tasteful serving, so as to make a dish tasteful to tbe eye as well as to the appetite. With a little care and ingenuity an air of finish can be given to even the simplest cuisine, and a well-prepared vegetable, instead of forming a mere adjunct to a meat dish, can often be served as a separate course, thus saving a joint or avoiding the necessity for another meat dish. To have vegetables in perfection they should be cooked very soon after they are taken from the ground, and to secure a good colour and flavour when cooked, careful dressing and preparation beforehand are essential. Coarse or damaged leaves and decayed or dis- coloured parts must be removed from all vegetables before cooking. When freshly gathered, they should be washed just before cooking, but when bought in the shops it is often necessary to soak them in water for a short time, in order to restore some of their original freshness. Close green vegetables, such as cabbage, cauli- flower, Brussels sprouts, &c., will require soaking for a short time in vinegar and water to draw out any slugs or insects, but do not soak them longer than is necessary, and do not use salt in the water as it tends to harden the fibre. Earthy roots, such as potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc., should be well scrubbed and thoroughly rinsed in cold water before peeling to prevent the insides becoming soiled. Then after peeling they should again be thrown into clean cold water, but not allowed to remain too long. Steaming is one of the most satisfactory ways of cooking vegetables, and this method should be adopted instead of boiling whenever possible. The old-fashioned method of boiling them in a quantity of water and then throwing it away has much to condemn it, as so many of the valuable properties are lost in the water. Some of the coarser green vegetables may be found too strong in flavour to cook by steaming, but this may be got rid of by plunging them in boiling water for a minute or two, rinsing them in cold water and then squeezing out the water. The cooking may then be proceeded with, either by steaming or any other method preferred. When vegetables are steamedor boiled they should be served with a good and suitable sauce or with a little melted butter. Some vegetables are very good if mixed with a little cream or milk.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

The potato, for instance, which is our most popular and most useful vegetable, appears in nine cases out of ten as the boiled potato. This is no doubt excellent in its way, especially when well boiled, but. Why so little variety, when perhaps there is no vegetable which lends itself more readily to different modes of treatment ? Then, again, the throwing away of cold cooked vegetables is one of the commonest forms of waste in our kitchens, and not only in the houses of the rich, but in those of the poor as well. That this is a mistake, and that some of the most tasty vegetable dishes are made from re-cooked vegetables, and especially potatoes, the following recipes will show. GENERAL REMARKS ON THE COOKING The cooking of vegetables is not difficult, but the simplicity of the operation must not be made an excuse for slovenly treatment. Their preparation requires some patience; attention must be given to the instructions for cooking them, care must be taken in the seasoning, the making of the sauce, and also in the tasteful serving, so as to make a dish tasteful to the eye as well as to the appetite. With a little care and ingenuity an air of finish can be given to even the simplest cuisine, and a well-prepared vegetable, instead of forming a mere adjunct to a meat dish, can often be served as a separate course, thus saving a joint or avoiding the necessity for another meat dish. To have vegetables in perfection they should be cooked very soon after they are taken from the ground, and to secure a good colour and flavour when cooked, careful dressing and preparation beforehand are essential. Coarse or damaged leaves and decayed or discoloured parts must be removed from all vegetables before cooking. When freshly gathered, they should be washed just before cooking, but when bought in the shops it is often necessary to soak them in water for a short time, in order to restore some of their original freshness. Close green vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, &c., will require soaking for a short time in vinegar and water to draw out any slugs or insects, but do not soak them longer than is necessary, and do not use salt in the water as it tends to harden the fibre. Earthy roots, such as potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc., should be well scrubbed and thoroughly rinsed in cold water before peeling to prevent the insides becoming soiled. Then after peeling they should again be thrown into clean cold water, but not allowed to remain too long. Steaming is one of the most satisfactory ways of cooking vegetables, and this method should be adopted instead of boiling whenever possible. The old-fashioned method of boiling them in a quantity of water and then throwing it away has much to condemn it, as so many of the valuable properties are lost in the water. Some of the coarser green vegetables may be found too strong in flavour to cook by steaming, but this may be got rid of by plunging them in boiling water for a minute or two, rinsing them in cold water and then squeezing out the water. The cooking may then be proceeded with, either by steaming or any other method preferred. When vegetables are steamedor boiled they should be served with a good and suitable sauce or with a little melted butter. Some vegetables are very good if mixed with a little cream or milk.

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