Cookery for every household

Watercress is one of the most wholesome of green salad plants and a favourite with most people. It is rich in mineral salts, cooling to the system and an aid to digestion. There are two different kinds, the brown or bronze coloured and the green ; the former is considered the finer of the two. It requires very careful washing and picking and must be used very fresh. Although generally served raw, watercress is very good when cooked, and when it can be had in abundance it makes a pleasant change as a green vegetable. It can also be chopped and added to soup instead of parsley. 608. Stewed Watercress 1 lb. watercress. I 1 tea-sp. vinegar. 1 oz. butter. Seasoning. | Sippets of toast. Wash and pick the watercress carefully. Scald it in boiling water for about 10 minutes, then drain and chop it finely. Put it into a saucepan with the butter and vinegar, and season with pepper and salt. Stew slowly until tender and serve in a hot dish garnished with sippets of toast or croutons of fried bread. Note. — A little cream added to the mixture would be an improvement. Yams (Ignames) These are tubers resembling the potato or Jerusalem artichoke, and they sometimes grow to a very large size. They grow in tropical climates and are also cultivated to some extent in France. Flageolets (Flageolets) These are the little green beans of French beans or kidney beans freed from their pods. They can be used both fresh and dried, but in this country they are more usually sold in a dried state. They are more expensive than the white haricot beans, costing about 8 d. per lb., but they make an excellent dish and help to give variety. 610. Flageolets au Beurre Wash some dried flageolets and let them soak in cold water overnight. Next day put them into a saucepan with fresh cold water to cover them, bring them to the boil and add an onion and a small bunch of herbs. Sometimes a little bacon is added as well to give flavour. Allow the beans to cook until quite tender, adding more water if required, then drain and remove the onion, herbs, &c. Return the beans to the saucepan with a small piece of butter and toss them over the fire. Sprinkle them with chopped parsley, pepper, and salt, and serve them very hot. Note. — Fresh flageolets can be cooked in the same way as green peas, only longer time should be allowed and the mint must be omitted. Time to cook, from 2 to 3 hours. 611. Flageolets in Sauce Flageolets are also very good served in sauce. They must first be cooked until tender (see above) and then reheated, after draining, in any suitable sauce, such as parsley, egg, tomato, curry, &c. 612. Flageolets au Gratin 2 tea-cupfuls cooked flageolets. 1 oz. butter. 1 oz. flour. Seasoning. | pt. milk or water. 2 or 3 oz. grated cheese.