FoodNet

The "Queen" cookery books: Vegetables

1902

Page 31 · 2 recipe records on this page

Presented as published in 1902. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
July, though for cooking purposes the leaves may be used later, whilst the roots (which are a very fair substitute for salsify) are in season from the end of June until October. For use as salad the roots and the withered or imperfect leaves should be cut away, the rest being carefully washed in two or three waters to get rid of the sand which clings to them, then blanch, drain, and dry them well, and mix them with a French salad dressing. They also make an excellent salad J la Comtoise, i.e., after washing and drying them, lay them in the bowl, and pour to them 1 or 2oz. of fat bacon — previously cut into dice, and fried for four or five minutes till of a golden colour — then pour a tablespoonful of vinegarDandelion Salad à la Comtoise for each ounce of bacon into the frying pan, let it just heat up, pour it all over the salad, mixing it all well, and serve. These salades d la Comtoise, made with many sorts of vegetables, are very popular in France. Dandelion, stewed. — Pick the leaves well over, wash them in two waters, and then throw them into cold water to steep for one or two hours ; now drain them well, and put them into a pan of boiling salted water, and boil them for twenty to thirty minutes till cooked. They are then lifted out in a strainer, plunged for a minute in cold water, then gently pressed with the hands till all possible moisture is extracted, and chopped fine. Now stir in a pan an ounce of butter or good clarified dripping, with a dessertspoonful of flour, moisten with a full tablespoonful of strong gravy or stock, seasoning it with pepper and salt, and stir it all together till blended, when you lay in the chopped dandelion, and stir it with a wooden VEGETABLES. 61 spoon till it is thoroughly mixed and quite hot (this takes from eight to ten minutes), stir in just at the last a spoonful of rich brown sauce or thick cream, as you please, turn it out on a hot dish, and serve garnished with croutons of fried bread or fleurons of cheese pastry. Always use plenty of water in blanching this vegetable, as this obviates the extreme bitterness sometimes noticed in the leaves, especially if overgrown. Dandelion should always be gathered early in the morning, for the sun toughens the leaves. The roots require to be well scraped, and boiled in acidulated salted water till they are firm but thoroughly cooked, when they may be finished off in any of the ways given for celery or salsify. They are specially good as fritters, or au gralin. Egg Plant. — See Aubergine. Endiie (Chicoree or Escarole). — Abroad several kinds of this plant arc used both for salad and cooking, but the kinds best known in this country are the broad-leaved or Batavian endive {escarole), the curled endive {chicoree), and the wild endive, or succory, as it is sometimes called {barhe de capucin). For salad, endive is w'ell picked over and washed, and served by itself or with other salad herbs, with a French salad dressing. Abroad a “ chapon ” {i.e., a thin crust two inches by one inch, dusted with a little fine salt, and then well rubbed on both sides with a peeled clove of garlic till strongly flavoured) is laid in the salad bowl, tossed about with the mixture, and left in or removed before serving, as preferred. This “ chapon ” is in France a popular addition to most salads. If endive is cooked, it is prepared precisely 62 VEGETABLES.