How to cook vegetables

Trim the beetroots, but do not wash them ; put them in a pot of water sufficient to well cover them, and cook from 2 to 3 hours, according to size. Some cooks bake beetroots in hot cinders or ashes, others bake them in the oven till quite tender. When done, and cool, skin them and cut into fairly thin slices. Place them in a jar with enough vinegar to cover, also a few peppercorns and a bay-leaf. They are ready for use after they have soaked for 24 hours. Beetroot Tossed in Butter. Peel and cut into slices 1 to 2 beetroots. Put them in a saute-pan containing about an ounce of hot butter. Season with salt and pepper, and toss over a quick fire until the beetroot is very hot. At the last add a little chopped parsley. Serve in a vegetable dish and pour over a little hot, well-flavoured brown sauce. Savoury Beetroot Bouchees. 1 or 2 beetroots (cooked and pickled in vinegar), 1 gill milk, i£ oz. butter, 2 oz. flour, 1 tablespoonful cream, 2 eggs, salt, pepper, 1 tablespoonful grated cheese, breadcrumbs, fried or toasted bread. Cut the beetroot into inch-thick slices, by means of BEETROOT. a paste-cutter, £ inch in diameter ; cut each slice so that all the slices are of an even size. With a smaller cutter cut out the inside of each, and place these on rounds of fried or toasted bread. Put the milk and butter in a stew-pan, add a bayleaf, and bring it to the boil, then stir in the flour (previously sifted). Mix well together, and stir over the fire for about 5 minutes, let the mixture cool a little, then add the yolks of 2 eggs, the cream, grated cheese, and season to taste. Remove the bay-leaf, and add a small handful of finely chopped beetroot. Whisk the whites of eggs to a froth, and mingle with the above. Fill the prepared beetroot shapes with this mixture, sprinkle the top with a few fine breadcrumbs, place the shapes on a baking-tin, and bake in a brisk oven from 10 to 12 minutes. Dish up with the croutes of bread, garnish with a few sprigs of parsley, and serve. Beetroot Cassolettes. Cut 8 or more cassolette shapes from cooked beetroot, scooping out the centre of each, and steep them in vinegar marinade. Prepare a salpicon composed of anchovy fillets, hard-boiled white of egg, and gherkins, all cut into dice or julienne strips. Season with salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar, and mix with finely-chopped parsley and other herbs. Drain the cassolettes and fill them with the salpicon. Dish up, garnish, and serve very cold. Beetroot Fritters. Boil a large beetroot, also a large peeled Spanish onion. When done, remove the skin of the beetroot, and cut into thin rounds ; stamp these out into even-sized rounds, and place them on a dish. Season with a little vinegar, salt, and pepper. Chop finely the boiled onion, moisten with a little thick bechamel sauce ; spread the slices of beetroot on one side with this. Put 2 slices together, like sandwiches, press them lightly, dip them in frying batter, and drop one by one into boiling fat or lard. Fry for 5 minutes, drain on a cloth, sprinkle with salt and pepper ; dish up, and garnish with parsley. Beetroot Ragout.