How to cook vegetables

Artichokes were brought to Europe from Ethiopia, of which country they are indigenous, in the beginning of the 1 5th century. They are delicate annual plants, easily spoilt by frost, so that they must be carefully treated to prevent injury in winter. Several varieties of the vegetable exist, including the Laon artichoke, with its different sized flakes or leaves, the flat and pointed Brittany, the violet — the Provence artichoke, and the red variety which grows abundantly in the South of France. The plant is a febrifuge ; its leaves are dried, pounded into a powder, and used as a remedy for intermittent fever. It is interesting to know that the flower of this plant has properties similar to those of the calf’s stomach, for it curdles milk. Artichokes a la Poivrade. When artichokes are to be eaten with a pepper sauce ‘ a la Poivrade,” they are served raw. After cutting off the stems, the young artichoke bottoms should be rubbed with half a lemon to prevent the cut part turning black. They are then divided into quarters and served with a pepper sauce, which is served separately. It is composed of a little mustard, salt, and pepper moistened with oil and vinegar. Artichokes a la Lyonnaise. Trim off the bottom and stem of 6 artichokes, remove any leaves that are hardened. Cut them into quarters and take out the choke with the point of a small knife. Trim the tips of the leaves nicely, then rub each artichoke with lemon and put them at once into a basin with water flavoured with vinegar. Blanch the artichokes for five minutes and then strain them. Put them into a cooking pot (casserole) with 1 oz. of butter, an onion minced finely, a bouquet garni, salt, pepper, a gill of consomme, and a glass of sherry. Place the artichokes in the casserole and let them simmer gently till tender. When done, drain, them and arrange on a dish. Mix a little Espagnole sauce with some of the artichoke water, reduce it well, and strain. Add the juice of a lemon and a little chopped parsley, and pour the sauce over the artichokes, and serve. Globe Artichokes a la Colbert. Trim some green artichokes, wash and parboil them in salted water. Drain, cut them into quarters, and arrange in a buttered saute-pan. Season with pepper, and salt, moisten with a little chablis or sauterne wine and a little butter, and braise in the oven. Dish up, and pour over some Colbert sauce. ARTICHOKES. 1 1 Artichokes with Foie-Gras. Drain some cooked artichoke bottoms, and fill them with a puree of foie-gras and truffles ; coat well with a rich well-reduced white sauce. Sprinkle over some bread-crumbs, and brown in oven. Boiled Green Artichokes. Trim the artichokes, that is cut off the coarse leaves at the bottom as well as the stem. Next trim the pointed part of the leaves neatly with a pair of scissors. Plunge them into boiling water, seasoned with salt and vinegar or lemon juice, and boil until the leaves can be easily pulled off. Drain them carefully and dish up, and serve with Hollandaise sauce, with melted butter, or a la vinaigrette. Sometimes the core of the artichokes is taken out after it is cooked along with the choke which can be removed with a small spoon. The sauce is poured into the heart just before serving. Green Artichoke Soup.