Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Rhubarb Sherbet (a wholesome and refreshing beverage). — Take as much young rhubarb, which has been cut into short lengths, as will measure half a pint. Boil this in a quart of water for twenty minutes, strain the liquor through muslin, and sweeten with five or six large lumps of sugar, which have been rubbed upon the rind of a smaU lemon until the flavour has been extracted. Stir the sherbet till the sugar is dissolved, and serve when quite cold. Probable cost, 2d. per pint. Sufficient for a quart of sherbet. Rhubarb Soup. — Take half a dozen sticks of fine young rhubarb, peel them, and cut them into short lengths. Throw these into a quart of good veal or beef stock, and add a moderate-sized onion, two thin sUces of bread, and a Little salt and pepper. Let the liquor boil, remove the scum as it rises, and simmer the soup gently until the fruit is quite tender. Strain it, and serve with toasted sippets. Time to simmer the soup, about half an hour. Sufficient for five or six persons. Rhubarb Soup, Sweet. — Boil half a pint of cut rhubarb in a quart of water, with the rind of half a lemon and two or three thin slices of bread, till the liquor is pleasantly flavoured. Strain and sweeten it, add a glassful of light wine and a little cream, and serve. If hked, the yolks of one or two eggs may be used instead of the cream, but the soup must not boil after the eggs are added. Time, about an hour. Probable cost, exclusive of the wine, 9d. Sufficient for five or six persons. Rhubarb Tart. — Cut the large stalks from the leaves, strip oflf the skin, and divide the fruit into pieces half an inch long. With a pint of these pieces put half a tea- cupful of water, half a tea-cupful of brown sugar, a small pinch of salt, and a quarter of a nutmeg, grated. Stew the fruit gently until it is quite soft, then beat it with a wooden spoon until it is smooth. Line some small dishes or tartlet-pans with pastry, and spread on this a layer of the stewed fruit a little more than a quarter of an inch deep. Roll out some pastry, brush it over with yolk of egg beaten up with a spoonful of milk, and cut it into strips a quarter of an inch wide. Lay these across the tart. Lay a band of pastry round the edge of the dish, trim it evenly, and bake the tart in a well-heated oven. When the pastry loosens from the dish it is done enough. Time to bake, half an hour or more. Rhubarb Turnovers.— Make a little good pastry, and roll it out to the thickness of a quarter of an inch. Stamp it out in rounds from four to six inches in diameter, and lay upon one-half of the pastry a httle yoimg rhubarb cut small or a little stewed rhubarb. Add sugar to taste, and sprinkle a little powdered ginger over the fruit. Turn the pastry over, pinch the edges closely together, and brush the turnovers with white of egg. Sprinkle a little powdered white sugar over them, and bake on tins in a brisk oven. Time to bake, about twenty minutes. Probable cost. Id. each. Rhubarb Vol-au-vent.— In the spring of the year this makes a very inviting and BHU ( 733) RIB