European and American cuisine

Oyster Plant Boiled. — Scrape and wash 1 bunch of oyster plant, drop them as soon as one is cleaned into 1 quart of cold water to which Ys gill of vinegar has been added ; when they are all cleaned tie into 3 bundles, cut all of an even size. Place a saucepan with 3 pints of boiling water over the fire, mix 1 tablespoonful flour with Vs cupful cold water, stir it into the boiling water ; add the juice of Ys lemon, Ys tablespoonful salt, and Y^ ounce of butter, put in the oyster plant, cook till tender. When done remove from the saucepan, cut each plant in half, lay in a hot dish, and cover with the following sauce : Melt 1 tablespoonful butter, add 1 tablespoonful flour, 6 whole peppers, and Y4 bay leaf, stir and cook 3 minutes ; add lYi cupful milk (if handy, 1 gill of mushroom liquor), 1 even teaspoonful salt, Ys teaspoonful pepper, cook 5 minutes; then strain the sauce over the oyster plant and serve. Oyster Plant Fried. — Glean, wash, and boil 1 bunch of oyster plant the same as in foregoing recipe. When cooked remove and wipe dry, dust with flour, dip into beaten egg, roll in fine sifted bread crumbs, and fry light brown in hot fat to a fine golden color. Oyster Plant Fritters. — Prepare and boil 1 bunch of oyster plant as in foregoing recipe. Remove the cooked oyster plant and dry on a towel. Then prepare a batter ; mix the yolks of 2 eggs with Ys cupful beer, 1 teaspoonful butter, 4 tablespoonfuls flour, Ys teaspoonful salt, and lastly the whites beaten to a stiff froth ; mix all well together. Have a deep pan or kettle with hot fat over the fire, dip the oyster plants in the batter, drop into the hot fat, not too many at one time, and fry light brown ; then remove with a skimmer and lay for a few minutes on paper. Dress them on a hot dish and serve with roasted, broiled, or fried meat. Parsnips, Boiled and Fried. — Clean and wash 3 medium-sized parsnips, place them in a saucepan, cover with boiling water, and YEQETABLES. 505 boil till done ; then remove from the water, cut them lengthwise into thick slices. Place a frying pan with 1 tablespoonful drippings over the fire ; as soon as hot put in the parsnips and fry light brown on both sides, then serve. Another way is to lay the parsnips after they have been boiled in the pan with roast meat and roast to a fine golden color. Artichokes an NatnreL — Procure 6 fresh artichokes, remove the lower outer leaves, cut the tips from the upper ones, trim the bottoms neatly, wash in cold water, rub over each a little lemon juice, and lay in cold water. Forty minutes before serving, put them in a saucepan of boiling water, add Ys tablespoonful salt and the juice of 1 lemon, cover and cook till tender, or until the leaves detach easily. Then drain the artichokes, remove the chokes in center, dress them upside down on a napkin, and serve with melted butter, butter, HoUandaise, or vinaigrette sauce.