How to cook vegetables

Prepare and boil i large or 2 small cabbages in the usual way, then drain well in a colander, and press out the water. Chop the cabbage finely. Melt 2 oz. of butter in a stew-pan, fry in it a small peeled and chopped onion to a golden brown. Add a tablespoonful of flour, stir for a few seconds, and put in the chopped cabbage, also about 3 oz. of chopped ham. Season with salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg, and cook whilst stirring for about 10 minutes. Lastly, add a little cream. Butter a plain timbale mould, or a pudding basin, and besprinkle the inside with breadcrumbs, then line it with thinly cut slices of bacon. Fill it with the prepared cabbage, and bake for about 40 minutes in a fairly hot oven. To serve, turn out the mould on to a hot dish, and pour round it some hot and well- flavoured brown sauce. Cabbage a la Creme. The cabbage must be pulled to pieces and well washed ; it is then cooked in a saucepan of fast-boiling salted water ; the flavour is improved if an onion is added ; when soft drain well, and then rub through a wire sieve. Half an ounce of butter is next melted, and the cabbage added ; also 2 tablespoonsful of cream. It should be seasoned nicely with salt and pepper, and served very hot. If preferred as a separate dish, it should be garnished with toasted bread cut into fancy shapes. Cabbage a la Viennoise. Trim, wash, drain, and boil in slightly salted water a large cabbage. When done, strain off the water and chop the cooked cabbage rather finely. Cut about 4 oz. streaky bacon into very fine strips, fry them in a stew-pan with a little butter, add a small onion (peeled and chopped), and fry it to a golden brown. Next sprinkle in a tablespoonful of flour, stir well, and fry for a few seconds ; then add the cabbage. Moisten with about half a gill of stock, season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and paprika, cook slowly for about 15 minutes. Dish up, garnish the dish with fried bread croutes and serve. Cabbage with Bacon. Cook a piece of streaky bacon or salted pork with the previously prepared cabbage : this gives it an excellent flavour. When the cabbage and pork are tender, serve the bacon or pork on a dish, surrounded by the cabbage previously drained and cut into portions. Cabbage au Gratin. Parboil a young cabbage, properly trimmed and washed ; drain it well in a colander and shape it. Butter a round gratin dish, line it with thin slices of boiled bacon, and put the cabbage upon the bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Mask with thick white sauce, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs ; place some little bits of butter here and there on top, and bake to a light brown colour in a sharp oven. Serve in the gratin dish. Savoury Cabbage. Trim and wash a young cabbage ; scoop out the base, blanch it, and stuff with a well-seasoned meat and breadcrumbs’ stuffing ; place it in a stewpan lined with bacon, moisten with Espagnole sauce, and braise till tender. When cooked, take it out and press the cabbage into shape. Dish up, cover with reduced Espagnole sauce, sprinkle some bread raspings over, garnish with slices of lemon and grilled cup mushrooms, and serve. Braised Cabbage ( Flemish Style).