How to cook vegetables

Proceed to clean and bundle the asparagus ; tie in the usual way. Cut off the hard portion, and see that the skin of the white part is carefully peeled off, else it will get tough. Boil them till three-parts done, and finish cooking in a well-seasoned white sauce (Bechamel mixed with cream is best). Great care must be taken not to mash up the asparagus whilst cooking. Dish up in the centre of a round dish. Garnish with fleurons or fried bread croutons and serve. Asparagus with Carrots. Prepare and cook half a bundle of green asparagus, the same as directed for Fricassee. Scrape or peel thinly 12 to 18 young carrots ; if large, cut into quarters and cook them in salted water or stock till tender. Mix asparagus and carrots and blend with Veloute sauce or Bechamel ; season to taste, and cook gently for 60 minutes. Dish up and serve hot. Asparagus a la Vinaigrette. Cook the asparagus in water, place it in a sieve and let it get cold. Dish up, and put the dish on the ice till wanted. Serve with a vinaigrette sauce, composed of 3 tablespoonsful of best olive oil, 1 tablespoonful of best French tarragon vinegar, 1 teaspoonful of Chili vinegar, 1 teaspoonful of finelychopped parsley, chervil and tarragon, 1 ditto of finely chopped gherkins. • Season with salt and pepper, mix well, and use as directed. AUBERGINES OR EGG PLANTS. The aubergine or egg plant (also known as egg apple) is an annual plant which grows in hot countries. There are many kinds ; they can be distinguished by their shape and colour. Both the black and the violet are edible. The fruit is not unlike a small cucumber. The others are purely ornamental ; AUBERGINES. the red and the white have the form of an egg, from whence the name of “ ovigere ” was given to this variety. Stuffed Aubergines. Split G aubergines in two lengthwise ; fry them in oil or butter, and drain them ; then scoop out the interior, and mince it up with an equal quantity of preserved mushrooms, a little tomato sauce, some chopped parsley, and a suspicion of crushed garlic. Fill the aubergines with this mixture, sprinkle them with fine breadcrumbs and a little oiled butter Put them on a baking sheet in a hot oven for about 10 minutes, so as to brown the tops. Dish up and serve with hot tomato sauce. Stuffed Aubergines a la Parisienne. Cut each aubergine in half lengthwise, then pass the point of a small knife all round the inside to loosen the skin. Place them in a frying pan of hot oil or butter, fry for a few minutes, then take out the aubergines, drain them on a cloth with the white side down. Then take out the skin with a small spoon and an entirely empty shell is obtained. Chop up 3 or 4 shallots, fry in a little butter, add a little chopped parsley and mushrooms. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of ground spice. Add a few fresh breadcrumbs, and the skin of the aubergine chopped finely. Mix these ingredients with a little Espagnole sauce, reduce well until it forms a thick paste, bind together with 2 or 3 yolks of eggs. Fill the aubergines with this, and arrange them in a buttered gratin dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, baste with melted butter and brown in a hot oven. Before sending to table coat the aubergines with tomato sauce. Aubergines a I’ Espagnole. Cut the required number of aubergines in two ; remove the pulp ; chop up, not too finely, and