Foods and home making

The roots must be discarded. Few or no roots are an ad- vantage. Spinach often has much sand clinging to it. Some- times spinach is washed to remove the sand and is left dripping with water. There is considerable loss when sandy or very wet spinach is bought by the pound. One pound of spinach makes 3 or 4 servings. 2. Lettuce. — There are in general two kinds — leaf and head lettuce. In either kind, look for freshness. A solid head of lettuce is desirable. If the leaves are close together, the head is heavy and feels solid. One pound of leaf lettuce averages 40 leaves ; one pound of head lettuce makes 6 or 7 servings; one pound of head lettuce will garnish 12 or 75 salads. Fresh Vegetables 275 3. Cabbage. — The leaves of the best cabbage are compact. Compactness of leaves can be judged by the feel and weight. Look to see if the outer leaves can be used. It is a loss to have to discard them. Cabbage is sold by head and by weight , the latter being preferable. One average-sized solid head weighs from 2 to 3 pounds; one medium head makes 12 or more servings of coleslaw ; one medium head when cooked makes 6 servings. 4. Asparagus. — The freshness of asparagus can be judged not only by crisp-looking unbroken tips , but by the cut end of the stem. If the stem has been cut for some time, the end will look shriveled. Only tender asparagus is desirable. If the cut end is woody, it will have to be cut away and wasted. Uniformly thick asparagus stalks are usually better than those which are very slender. Asparagus is sold by the bunch, which varies in size. 5. Celery. — Freshness and tenderness are two points to observe. A kind of celery called Pascal celery has slender, tender stems. When this kind of celery is broken, it breaks clean, i.e., the broken edge is not fringed with strings. Although stringy celery is coarser, it is often of fine flavor. Sometimes the outer large coarse stems are removed from a bunch of celery. The inner portion is known as trimmed celery. It is usually more thrifty to buy untrimmed celery. The coarser stems may be cooked. 6. Tomatoes. — The most desirable tomatoes have much meat and few seeds. Such tomatoes are solid. Those appearing in the market the first of the season are usually less solid, having less meat and more seeds. Round, smooth tomatoes are more desirable than those having many creases. (See Figure 96.) Tomatoes are sold by the pound or by the basket. One pound contains 3 large or 4 medium tomatoes. 7. Carrots. — Young carrots usually have their leaves 2j6 Luncheon or Supper attached to the roots. The freshness of the young vegetable can be judged by the condition of the leaves. The leaves are usually cut from the older vegetables. The older carrot roots are cheaper, larger, tougher, and less delicate in flavor than the younger roots. Young carrots are often sold by the bunch. The number of carrots in each bunch varies. There are often 5 to g carrots in a Figure 96. Poor and Good Tomatoes and Peas Because the tomato on the left has more creases than the other, it is not so desirable. The peas on the left are not fully developed. It is wasteful to buy such peas. The other peas are well developed, but they are not too old to be tender. hunch. Older carrots are sold by the pound, quart, or peck. One pound contains 6 to 8 medium carrots.