Middle class cookery book

Bruise the nibs slightly ; put them into an iron pan with the water ; bring slowly to the boil ; simmer very slowly for about four to six hours with the lid on, stirring occasionally; the three pints will then be reduced to two. Strain off the liquid into a basin ; let it stand till cold; then carefully remove all the fat floating on the top. This preparation may be taken either hot or cold. CPIAPTER XI SALADS Be careful to have all the vegetables well dried after washing. The vegetables generally used for salads are lettuces, endive, mustard and cress, watercress, radishes, beetroot, celery, tomatoes, and onions.1 There are many others which make excellent salad when previously cooked, such as French beans, potatoes, parsnips, etc. Lettuces and other green vegetables should, if possible, be freshly gathered. Before being torn up for salad, great 1 Tarragon, dandelion, chicory, chervil, parsley, and many other herbs may bo added. 142 MIDDLE CLASS COOKERY BOOK PAKT II care should be taken to see that they are quite clean, and free from earth or insects. There are two kinds of lettuce, the Cos lettuce (the leaves of which grow very close together, and of which the outer leaves are generally tied at the top to blanch the inside leaves or heart) and the cabbage lettuce. The Cos lettuce makes the best salad ; it is generally used in preparing lobster, fish, or meat salad. Endive is seldom used alone ; it is an excellent addition to a salad of lettuce and watercress. Mustard, and Cress, or Small Salad, can be used alone, or mixed with lettuce, etc. To prepare Cos Lettuce for salad, cut off the root ; take off the coarse outer leaves • if large, divide the lettuce lengthwise ; pull off the larger leaves, and care- fully wipe them with a damp cloth. If the leaves are free from earth or insects, they should not be washed, wiping with a damp cloth is sufficient ; but if they require to be put into water, they should be afterwards carefully drained, and shaken in a cloth to remove the moisture. Cabbage Lettuce. — Cut off the root and the coarser leaves, wash or wipe with a damp cloth, as with Cos lettuce. Endive. — Take off the green part, leaving only the yellow centre (the green leaves are bitter) ; put it into a bowl of cold water, drain, and dry by shaking in a coarse cloth. Mustard and Cress. — Cleanse carefully from grit and earth in cold water ; spread it on a cloth to dry. Watercress. — If watercress has been grown in pure water it requires but little washing. Pick off the faded leaves and cut the leaves from the thick stalk, drain them, and dry in a cloth. No green vegetable requires to be more carefully washed than watercress, if it has CHAP. XI SALADS 143 been grown among weeds ; small water-plants and in- sects cling to the leaves and stems. Wash it in two or three waters ; pick off any decayed leaves ; cut off the thick stalk ; then drain and dry. Radishes. — Wash and brush the earth from them ; when clean, cut off the thin part of the root and the green top. Cut into thin slices, or arrange the radishes whole on the top of the salad as a garnish. Beetroot (see p. 115). Celery. — The white heart of the celery is used for salad ; wash free from earth ; dry in a cloth. Onions. — Spring onions should be washed clean; the roots and a part of the green tops cut off. Spanish and other Onions (see p. 34). Lettuce and Endive Salad