Twentieth century home cook book

Pick the stalks from the spinach; wash well, and boil well in a stewpan with a little salt ; boil until very tender ; season with nutmeg and two ounces of fresh butter ; stir it over a fire until quite warm, then add a gill of cream, two pats of butter and a dessertspoonful of pounded sugar; work the whole over the fire, and dish up the spinach, putting it in the center of dish. Garnish with croutons, and serve. Sorrel may be treated as spinach, above. ASPARAGUS. Cook only the tender, green stalks ; Cut them of equal lengths and boil in water with a little salt till tender. While the asparagus is cooking prepare some nicely toasted bread, lay the asparagus on the toast and season with butter, salt and pepper, or pour over it a little cream which has been scalded. This is a favorite way for serving this vegetable. ASPARAGUS WITH WHITE SAUCE. Pick the loose leaves from the heads, and scrape the stalks clean ; wash well in very cold water; tie them up in bundles of about twenty in each, keeping all the heads turned the same way ; cut the stalks even, leaving them about eight inches long. Put the asparagus in hot water witli a small handful of salt in it to boil about twenty minutes, and when done, drain carefully upon a napkin, to avoid breaking off the heads ; dish them up on a square thick piece of toasted bread dipped in the water they have been boiled in. Cover with white sauce and serve. ASPARAGUS. Cut the stalks of equal length as possible. Tie in a bunch. Boil in salted water twenty-five minutes. Pour drawn butter over it. Asparagus makes a nice dish cut into small pieces, and cook as you would green peas. CARROTS. Boil, without peeling, two hours ; remove their skin ; cut them in slices, and serve with butter and salt on them. SPRING CARROTS. Scrape well and boil in salted water until tender. Pour over them white sauce, addmg a little chopped parsley and lemon juice. TO STEW PARSNIPS. Peel the parsnips and slice them ; boil in a covered vessel until tender with thin slices of pork ; salt and pepper to taste. TO FRY PARSNIPS. Parsnips are very nice cut lengthwise and fried in butter until brown. TO COOK PARSNIPS. Parsnips when large require at least one and a half hours to boil. When done, peel off the skin, split them in halves, and serve with butter and cream; or the parsnips may be mashed and mixed with an egg batter, and seasoned. Parsnips are better when left in the ground all winter. CELERY. Clean and wash the heads , cut in nice pieces ; stew them in little water for twenty-five minutes ; serve on toast, and pour butter over. STEWED CELERY. Clean the heads nicely. Take off all the outer leaves. Cut in small pieces and stew ; when tender, add some rich cream, butter and very little flour. Season with pepper, salt and a very little nutmeg if preferred. SALSIFY. Scrape and wash the roots, cut them in slices, and stew in water enough to cover them 3 keep thein well covered, as they will turn dark if exposed to the air ; twenty minutes is sufficient to cook them ; when done add butter, pepper, salt, and thicken with a little flour. Serve hot in a covered dish. TO COOK SALSIFY. Wash the roots, scrape well, cut in line pieces. When boiled very tender, mash and season with pepper, salt, cracker crumbs, butter and milk. Pour into a dish and bake nicely. SALSIFY FRIED IN BATTER. Cook the salsify until tender, drain and cut into pieces three inches long; drop in a basin with two tablespoonfuls oil, one of vinegar, little mignonette pepper, and salt ; let the salsify steep in this until about ten minutes before sending to the table ; they must then be drained on a napkin, dipped in some light made batter, and fried in hot lard ; when done drain them on a cloth, dish them up on a napkin with fried parsley and serve.