The "Queen" cookery books: Vegetables

with pepper, salt, a dust of sugar, and a very little grated nutmeg if liked, moisten with a gill or so (according to quantity) of new milk or cream, let this just boil up, lay in the turnips, let it simmer altogether for a few minutes, and serve as Navels a la crème. If you add to the above sauce the yolk of an egg beaten up in one or two spoonfuls of cream, they become Navels a la Pouletle. Or, if preferred, tomato, bechamel, veloute, or cheese cream sauce (given for artichokes) may be used in the same way with advantage. Turnips cooked in this way must be small and even, both in shape and size ; failing this, however, they should be trimmed into little even-sized cones or pear shapes, but for ordinary purposes it is best to avoid this, as it entails a good deal of waste. Turnips, glazed. — Choose some new turnips as above, or, if preferred, cut them into quarters, shaping these a little like the sections of an orange ; parboil them in salted water for five or ten minutes, then drain them thoroughly, and place them in a wellbuttered saute pan, sprinkle them with plenty of powdered loaf sugar, set the pan on the fire, and, as soon as the turnips begin to colour, moisten with a little clear stock, season with pepper, salt, and, if needed, a little more sugar, let them stew gently till quite tender, and serve with their sauce over and round them. Turnip Tops. — These, in season in the early spring, may be cooked by any of the recipes given for spinach, but take a little longer to cook. They are excellent au gralin. It must be remembered in cooking these that a large quantity of water must be allowed in the boiling, as this removes the bitter taste sometimes noticed in this vegetable, especially when they are no longer in their first youth. Old turnip tops should never be used under any circumstances, but if by any accident they must be cooked when slightly passed their prime, they are immensely improved by being blanched first for five to ten minutes or so in boiling water, then pouring this away, rinsing the turnip tops in cold water, draining them Avell, and finishing them off in fresh boiling salted water. Late in the season the large stalks, of these tops are excellent if blanched and cooked like celery or salsify. Vegetable Marrow {Courges a la motile). — These vegetables are, in this country, usually served far too old. To be eaten in perfection they should not be larger than a fairly large duck’s egg ; in this state they need not be peeled, a great advantage, as, being so watery, directly they are cut marrows lose a great deal both of their moisture and of their flavour ; if chosen small, they should be put on in boiling salted water, boiled fast for fifteen minutes or so, and served whole with maitre d’hotel, tomato, or cheese cream sauce to taste, and, if cold, make a delicious salad with a vinaigrette sauce. baked. — When baked, vegetable marrows are almost always served stuffed, either with meat, fish, or any of the savoury stuffings recommended for aubergines, tomatoes, &c. Cut an average sized vegetable marrow in half, remove the pips and the pulp adhering to them, fill each half with the stuffing,.