How to cook vegetables

Cook some potatoes, then drain and dry them, and pass them through a wire sieve, putting the dish on which the puree is to be served underneath the sieve. Once passed through the sieve on to the dish, they must not be touched, but served just as they are. Only the edge of the dish is wiped. Before serving place the dish in a hot oven for a few minutes. Scalloped Potato Mash. To 1½ lb. hot mashed potatoes add 1 oz. of butter, 2 tablespoonsful of cream, a tablespoonful of parsley, and 2 yolks of eggs, and season with pepper and salt. Butter a fireproof baking dish, dust it with fine breadcrumbs, and fill with the potato mixture, smooth over with a knife, and brush over with oiled butter. *47 besprinkle with breadcrumbs and grated cheese. Bake in a quick oven to a golden brown. Dish up and serve hot. Potatoes with Spinach. Make a rich potato puree, adding to it quarter of the same quantity of spinach, previously cooked, passed through a sieve, and seasoned. Mix the puree and spinach well together, and put them in a wellbuttered fireproof china dish. Sprinkle over the top some fresh breadcrumbs and melted butter, and bake in a moderate oven till nicely browned. Serve hot. French Potato Fritters. Take some potato puree prepared in the same way as for croquettes. Peel and chop 2 shallots finely and fry them in butter ; when of a pale colour, add some finely chopped fresh mushrooms and a little chopped parsley. Fry all the ingredients for a few minutes. Season with a good pinch of cayenne and grated nutmeg. Shape the mixture into croquettes, small corks, or balls. Roll them first in flour, then dip in beaten-up egg, then roll them in breadcrumbs made from fresh bread. Fry the fritters in hot lard. Drain them and dish them up in pyramidal form. Garnish with some fried parsley and serve hot. Baked Potato Balls. Shape some well-seasoned mashed potatoes into balls of even size. Butter a baking-sheet and place on it the potato balls. Brush them over with beaten egg, and bake quickly in a hot oven. Dish up and serve. Potato Croquettes. 2 lb. mealy potatoes, x oz. butter, 2 tablespoonsful cream, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley, salt, pepper, nutmeg, breadcrumbs, frying fat. Wash the potatoes, peel them thinly, and boil till tender. Drain and mash them whilst hot, i.e., rub them through a line sieve. Melt the butter in a stewpan, put in the mashed potatoes, add the cream, parsley, and seasoning, stir well over the fire for a few minutes. Heat up the yolks of 2 eggs with a tablespoonful of milk, stir this into the potato mixture, continue to stir over the fire until the mixture is set, then set aside to cool. Divide into equal portions, and shape into croquettes. Brush over with beaten egg, cover with breadcrumbs, shape again, and fry to a golden brown in very hot fat (clarified dripping, or lard). When done, take up, drain carefully, dish up, garnish with parsley, and serve hot. Potato Croquettes a la Rouennaise. These are mashed potatoes, prepared the same as for croquettes, and made in the size and shape of small eggs or large olives, then dipped in frying batter and fried in hot fat. Drain them and season with salt, and serve on a folded napkin. Potato Boulettes.