Mrs. Roundell's Practical cookery book

Morels, — This fungus is often found in English woods, but it is not often seen on English tables. It grows, like a mushroom, on a stalk, but the hood or hat is very much wrinkled, and varies in colour from pale yellow to ash-grey. In Germany Morels are considered a great delicacy. It is important never to gather them when they are wet, and they are best when eaten fresh, although they are often dried for future use. Morels can be cooked in any way suitable to mushrooms, but they are particularly good when stewed in cream. For this, take off the stalks, cut the Morels in half, and wash them in several waters, as it is impossible to get the grit out of the little wrinkles in any other way. Put the Morels and their stalks in a saucepan with a little butter, season with salt, pepper, a bunch of herbs, and a little minced parsley. Toss them over the stove, moisten with some good broth, and set the Morels to simmer over a slack fire. Beat up two eggs in cream, take out the bunch of herbs, add the cream, off the fire, add the cream to the Morels, and serve at once. Mushrooms are cooked in this way in Germany. VEGETABLE MARROW. It is sometimes thought that Vegetable Marrows should only be cultivated for the beauty of their colour and of their foliage. But this opinion might be modified if Vegetable Marrows were eaten when quite young. They should be gathered when the size of a very large egg ; in fact, if fairly well grown they cannot be used too young, before the seeds are formed. When Vegetable Marrows are cooked quite in a young state they need not be peeled ; it is better to boil them fast in salted boiling water for a quarter of an hour and to serve them whole. Maitre d’hdtel sauce or Parmesan cheese sauce is good with 37° VEGETABLE MARROW young Vegetable Marrows when served hot; oil and vinegar should he used when they are served cold. Vegetable Marrows when not quite young must be peeled, and the seeds must be removed. But they should be cut as little as possible, so as to preserve the flavour. When once cut the whole of a Marrow should be cooked and eaten, or it will mildew. Vegetable Marrows are never fibrous, and can easily be mashed without beating them through a colander. Or they can be steamed after peeling, cut into fillets, and fried in batter. Or the fillets can be baked in layers in a pie-dish, with grated cheese strewed between each layer, and a little melted butter. The topmost layer should be well covered with grated cheese, and browned in the oven. A French way of serving Courges a la Moelle, or Vegetable Marrows, is to cut each Marrow in half, scooping out the seeds, sprinkling it with salt, and then leaving it till all the water has drained from it. Each half is then fried in oil, filled with a stuffing made of breadcrumbs, minced parsley, and a little chopped onion, moistened with good broth or milk, and set to brown in the oven. Large Marrows must be baked, as they are so watery. Young Marrows are best boiled with the peel on, and with the lid of the pan off. When boiled the peel can be removed, and the Marrows dressed in any of the ways recommended for Aubergines. Indeed, some writers seem to imagine that Aubergine is the French name for Vegetable Marrow. Marrows are in season from the middle of August till October. WATERCRESS.