The "Queen" cookery books: Vegetables

tender, but not mashed, drain them from the water, stir to them 2oz. of butter, a teaspoonful of minced parsley, pepper and salt to taste, and a good squeeze of lemon juice, let it all reheat, and serve. Or, when the lentils are tender, stir to them just as they are to be served, the yolk of an egg beaten up with a tablespoonful of lemon juice, and serve with white sauce round the pile. Lentils are also very good if a nice piece of bacon be boiled with them, and when ready, served with the lentils finished off d la maitre d'hotel round it. Lentils au lard. — Cut an onion into dice, and fry it a pale golden brown in butter, then add twice as much fat bacon cut to match, and when this is cooked mix in a pint of lentils boiled as above, moisten it all with a little stock, season to taste with pepper, and a very little salt, with a spoonful of minced parsley, and let it simmer very gently till wanted, moistening it with a little more stock if necessary. Variations of this are produced by using good roast meat gravy, tomato, or brown onion sauce {bretonne) instead of the stock. Lentils also make an excellent puree if when boiled tender they are rubbed through a sieve, and then reheated with butter and a little stock till of the required consistency, when a little minced parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice are added just at the last. Prepared thus they are an excellent accompaniment to broiled or stewed game, cutlets, &c. The lentil puree makes also a very nice pudding on the lines of a peas pudding. The nicest lentils are the Egyptian, known in France as lentilles d la reine. Lastly there are : curried.— Boil three or four good table- spoonfuls of lentils in enough slightly salted water to cover them generously till cooked, but not broken, then strain off every drop of liquid. (Remember that the water in which lentils are boiled, is, like haricot liquor, an excellent foundation for vegetable stock.) Fry a good-sized onion cut in rings in butter till tender, then in the same pan fry half a teaspoonful of mild curry powder for a minute or two, then add three tomatoes, peeled and sliced (canned ones will do), and a heaped teaspoonful of creme de riz (or rice flour), a teaspoonful of curry paste, and half a pint of stock, or preferably cocoanut or almond milk (pour boiling water on the nut, cover the basin, and leave it to infuse till perfectly cold and strongly flavoured, then wring out every drop of liquid and use ; take -ioz. of nut to half a pint of water), add the liquid slowly, stirring it all the time to keep it smooth, then stir in the lentils carefully, with a lump of sugar, the juice of half a lemon, and loz. of butter and let it all stew together till quite thick. Serve in a wall of well-boiled Patna rice. Lentils may also be cooked by any method recommended for haricots. Lettuce. — Of this plant there are two kinds, the cabbage lettuce (laitue) and the Cos lettuce {romaine) ; the former deriving its name from its cabbage-like shape, the second is said to come from the island of Cos, whence it is believed to be derived, but there is considerable doubt on the subject. In this country the lettuce is chiefly eaten raw, but it also makes an extremely appetising vegetable entremet if nicely prepared, whilst the stalks used formerly to be greatly appreciated served like asparagus.