My mother's cook book

Strip off the outer husks and turning the fine inner leaves carefully down, remove the silk from about the kernels, when the remaining husk must be again brought I06 VEGETABLES. to cover the ear in its natural fashion, and secured at the tip end with a piece of twine. Prepare a large saucepan of boiling water into which throw the salt and then the corn, laying the ears in the fashion of a cob-house, that the water may boil equally through and around all.. The corn must be left to boil twenty-five or thirty minutes, unless very young, when twenty minutes will do. > ' Serve in the husk, having first removed the binding twines, and covered closely with a folded napkin. Notes — Corn may be overdone as well as other vegetables, but by watching when the kernels are swelled to their largest size and the prick of a fork will bring a little pufF of steam followed by the shriveling of the kernel, no mistake of this kind need be made. An instants longer boiling when this point is reached, will cause the small puff of steam generated, to find its own outlet, and the corn will shrivel and become 'watery in consequence. Green corn may also be stewed very palatably by being cut from the cob, put into a saucepan with such equal parts of milk and water as will cover the corn nicely, and when stewed until the kernels lose their milky rawness, season with the pepper, salt, and a lump of butter. Oyster Plant. — For this take: one-half dozen oyster plants, one-half tablespoonful of salt, three ounces of flour, one dessert spoonful of salad oil, one gill of tepid water, white of one egg. The oyster plants must be scraped and thrown into cold water in order to keep their color. Cut them when scraped, into convenient pieces and preparing a saucepan of boiling water into which ^throw the salt, put in the plants to boil until tender, the time for which depends upon the age of the plants. While the plants are boiling, place in a bowl the flour, FRENCH ARTICHAUTS. 107 pour into the centre of it the salad oil and mixing this, add by degrees the tepid water. When this mixture is well beaten together, whip up the white of egg and add it, with a little salt. The plants being boiled, they must be taken from the water and dried thoroughly in a towel. The pieces must be thrown into the batter and each piece taken separately therefrom with a skewer or fork, dropped into hot clarified fat or lard and allowed to cook for three minutes. When done drain them for a moment upon a piece of kitchen paper and serve them piled high in a vegetable dish. French Artichauts. — Provide: six large artichauts, two ounces of butter, one ounce of flour, one gill of cream, one and one-half gills of milk, one grain of cayenne, one dessert spoonful of salt, one saltspoonful of pepper. The artichauts must first be scraped and thrown into vinegar and water, three parts water, and one part vinegar, to preserve their color, When all are scraped transfer them from the vinegar- - water to a saucepan containing sufiicient boiling water, into which must be thrown the salt, to cover them nicely, and boil them until a skewer will pierce theip readily. Melt now in a small saucepan the butter, stir into it the flour, and, by degrees, the milk also, stirring all until boiling. Add to this the cream and letting the mixture cook for two minutes longer, season it with the salt and pepper, when thq sauce should be poured into a vegetable dish and the artichauts taken from the boiling water, and thoroughly drained, must be arranged to stand up in regular order in it. I<^ VEGETABLES. Note. — It is sometimes preferred to serve the artkhauts plainly boiled, as above, with a saoce piquant of vinegar, salad oil, pepper and salt. Brussels Sprouts. — Prepare : One quart of Brussels sprouts, one ounce of butter, one dessert spoonful of salt, one-half teaspoonful of pepper.