The housekeeper's guide to preserved meats, fruits, vegetables, &c

In England at present we generally serve French artichokes and spinach by themselves, but nearly every other kind of vegetable is almost invariably served with meat. I am sure, if housekeepers were to try a course of vegetables to follow meat, that very soon they would find this method of serving them preferable. Take for instance young new potatoes. How much better are these served by themselves in a little white sauce and a few fresh mintleaves boiled with them. Take again asparagus, that most delicious vegetable. How is it possible at the same time to appreciate the flavour of the asparagus and a good joint of meat, such as a well-cooked haunch of mutton ? Again, take the case of cauliflower. This is generally served with the meat, and very often melted butter is served with it. Now melted butter and cauliflower surely do not suit on the same plate with roast beef and gravy, or roast mutton and some bright gravy. How far better would it be to serve the cauliflower alone, and instead of having plain melted butter, to have some kind of good white sauce, which is easily made, if the cook will take care always to have by her a small quantity of good stock. Of course the stock used for making every kind of white sauce must not be coloured, nor should extract of meat ever be added to it. Green peas are another instance of a vegetable that is far best served by itself. When the peas are quite young they should be served plain, with no sauce whatever. When, however, they are what may be called middle-aged, they can be mixed with a little good white sauce, or a little plain butter, and in every case a few fresh mint-leaves should be boiled with them. French beans preserved in tins are exceedingly useful, as they can be used .to make a little extra dish at a few moments’ notice, and so great is the perfection to which the art of preserving vegetables has now been brought, that it is very difficult indeed to distinguish the difference between French beans preserved in tins and those fresh gathered. Indeed the tinned vegetables are preferable to all kinds of fresh ones, unless they are very young. Too often French beans are old and stringy, as well as coarse, whereas only the young and tender beans are preserved in tins. HARVEY SAUCE. — Harvey sauce is one of the best known and most popular of sauces. It is sold in bottles, and can be used for chops, steaks, fish, gravies, etc. A small addition of Harvey sauce is a great improvement to hashes and stews of every description, only care should be taken not to put in too much. Many of these sauces, when used with care, are very valuable to assist in improving the flavour of a dish, but when added in too large quantities they are often found to drown all other flavours. Harvey sauce is used for making what is known as white ravigotte sauce. This is made by taking say a tablespoonful of chili vinegar, another of tan-agon vinegar, and another of Harvey sauce, putting it into a small stewpan, and letting the whole boil away till it is reduced to rather less than half the original quantity. Then add a little good bechamel sauce, and a tablespoonful of chopped blanched parsley. Harvey sauce is also used in making black butter, and should be added to the “nut-brown butter,” as well as a little mushroom ketchup and vinegar, and a small quantity of chopped capers.