Foods, their selection and preparation

In panning, the vegetable is cut into small pieces and cooked in a flat covered pan on top of the range with a little fat to prevent sticking and develop flavor. The water that cooks out of the vegetable evaporates, so that there is no excess liquid. The finished product contains all the soluble nutrients and flavor of the vegetable. Seasoning and Serving. Methods of seasoning and serving add food value, flavor, and interest to vegetable dishes. Plain with added fat is the simplest and one of the best methods of serving a vegetable. Butter, margarine, salad oil, or the fat from bacon or Vischer Products Company National Pressure Cooker Company Typical Pressure Sauce Pans • A pressure sauce pan should have a tight-fitting top, a pressure indicator, and a safety valve. Follow directions that accompany cooker as to the amount of water and cooking time for each vegetable. Never open cooker until pressure is at 0. If necessary to reduce pressure quickly, place cooker in cold water salt pork may be used. These are added during the cooking of panned vegetables, or after cooking when other methods are used. With most cooking methods the liquor in which they are cooked can be poured over the vegetables. Any excessive amounts should be drained off into the soup kettle. Salt is added during cooking. Chopped parsley, peppers, or any suitable green herb added at the last develops flavor, adds color, and makes for variety and interest. Sauces frequently are used in serving veg¬ etables. White sauce is combined with the vegetable for creamed vegetables. These sauces are used in the basic proportions of [79] U. S. Bureau of Home Economies Panning Okra • Okra cooked with a little added fat develops a good flavor and texture 1 cup of sauce to 2 cups of vegetables. For succulent vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, or onions, a medium sauce is used; but for the starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, a thin sauce is better. The vegetable should be drained before the sauce is added. The liquor should be used in making the sauce, replacing some or all of the milk. (See page 63.) A very little curry powder or chopped herbs added to a white or cream sauce gives varia¬ tion in color as well as flavor. When creamed vegetables are placed in a casserole and browned, they become a scal¬ loped dish. Uncooked vegetables may be scalloped by placing layers of sliced vege¬ tables in a casserole, sprinkling each layer with flour, salt, pepper, and fat, and repeat¬ ing until the dish is full. Then add milk to fill the crevices. The amounts of flour, fat, and milk used should be approximately the same as for a white sauce, that is, with each cup of milk use 2 tablespoons fat and 1 to 2 tablespoons flour, depending upon whether the vegetable is starchy or succulent. Bake slowly, to cook the vegetable and sauce and to brown the top. When buttered crumbs are added to the top of a scalloped dish, it is called au gratin. Cheese may or may not be used.