Mrs. Roundell's Practical cookery book

Laver is a sea-weed, indigenous in this country, but unknown in France. There are two kinds, each with leaves like broad ribbons. One, Porphyra vulgaris , is purple, and is thought the best. The other, Diva latissima, is green. Sir Henry Thompson says that Laver, like Mushrooms, ranks much higher in nutritive value than green vegetables. It is best eaten with roast mutton. Laver is in season from October to March. When gathered fresh from the rocks soak it in two waters, about an hour in each, to get rid of the salt. Then simmer the Laver in hot water till it is quite soft and mucilaginous. Cook it like Spinach with a little stock or butter, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve as hot as possible in a dish over a spirit-lamp, and always help Laver with a little wooden spoon. Such shops as Messrs. Cobbett and Morel, in Pall Mall, supply Laver three times a week during the winter. This Laver has been soaked already, and only needs warming up in stock and moistening with a little butter. LEEKS. Leeks are best stewed. Take off the coarse leaves, cut the Leeks in four-inch lengths, wash them, and blanch them twice in boiling water, adding salt the second time. Drain very thoroughly. Simmer the Leeks gently in either broth or milk, but use as little liquid as possible, as Leeks are a watery vegetable. More liquid can easily be added, but if Leeks are stewed in too much they will be sodden. Wyvern says that Leeks in the form of puree with a dusting of grated cheese make a good savoury toast. Leek Milk is excellent for a cold. For this, cut up the Leeks, using every part, including the green tops, and boil them in milk till it becomes quite thick. Salt must not be added. LETTUCES. It is a great mistake to think that Lettuces can only be eaten as salad, and it is another mistake to let gardeners overlook them till they are running to seed. If, however, the stalks can be captured when they are just beginning to run to seed they are excellent if cooked like celery, or cut to one length and stewed. Wyvern gives two excellent methods of cooking Lettuce hot. Both are applicable to the cabbage Lettuce (the French Laitue ) and to the long Cos Lettuce ( Laitue Romaine). Cos Lettuce derives its name from the fertile island of Cos, one of the Cyclades, now belonging to Greece, where Lettuces have been cultivated from the earliest ages. Stewed Lettuces. — Choose three fair-sized Lettuces, soak them like cabbages to get rid of slugs and insects. Trim them neatly, casting away all bruised or faded leaves, plunge them into boiling water (salted) for ten minutes to blanch them, drain them, pour cold water over them, press the moisture from them, cut them in two, season with a sprinkling of salt, tie the halves together with tapes, put them into a stewpan with sufficient broth to cover them, add two tablespoonfuls of melted dripping or stock-pot fat, an onion, a bunch of parsley, and a couple of cloves ; cover with a round of buttered paper, and simmer for two hours. When serving sever the tapes and pour about half a pint of good brown sauce made from their cuisson over them.