The household cook book

The botanical order, CrucifercB, is a most important one, in fnrnishing Tarious nitrogenous, and therefore highly nutritious dishes for our use; cabbage, cale, cauliflower, brocoli, Brussels sprouts, turnips, all belong to this order. For salads and relishes we have cresses, pepper-grass, scurvy-grass, wild pepper=root, radishes, horseradish and cardamine. Cabbage contains 90^ of water, and is more wholesome than nourishing. Its tendency is to purify the blood, and it is particularly serviceable in cases of skin disease, but should be avoided by all who are subject to flatulence and diarrhea. It is long in digesting, and is best fitted to robust and active persons. Cabbage eaten raw as a salad is more wholesome than when cooked. Cabbage and cauliflower contain more gluten than other vegetables, and for that reason they should be eaten with fatty foods. A mild acid, like vinegar, aids their digestion. CAULIFLOWER AND BROCCOLI. BOILED. — Out cauliflower where it begins to branch, place it, head down, in cold salted water for an hour; this will take out hidden insects if there are any; rinse it up and down several times. Put in a kettle with enough slightly salted boiling water to cover, and boil till tender — time 15 to 25 minutes according to size. Do not let the water bubble and boil so violently as to make the cauliflower jump about, as that will break it. It is sometimes tied in a muslin bag; if not, skim the water. When done, put it in a colander to drain well, and at the same time keep it hot. Then cut it coarsely with a knife, put it in a vegetable dish, put a few lumps of butter over it, and send to the table. Or instead of the butter pour over either a bechamel, Hollandaise or cream sauce. It is used also for garnishing chicken or sweetbreads, or for salads. ESCALLOPED CAULIFLOWER.— Boil as directed above. Then put in a baking-dish, pour over a thick drawn butter sauce, sprinkle with bread crumbs, put in the oven and bake until brown — about 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle on grated cheese, also, before baking, if desired. BROCOLI — This, both white and purple, is only a variety of the cauliflower, and is cooked in the same ways. Caulifoweb is only a form of the wild cabbage in its cultivated state. Cauliflower has been known since the times of the Greeks and Romans. It is a wholesome, but not particularly nourishing, article of food; it is difficult of digestion, and ought to be avoided by those who have delicate stomachs, but, on the whole, it is less indigestible and richer in flesh-formers than cabbage. CAULIFLOWER. CARROTS. BOILED. — Wash, scrape, not pare, cut into strips, barely cover with boiling water, and as soon as they begin to boil put in a little butter; as soon as tender add some minced parsley and serve. They need to boil longer than most vegetables. Time, 1 hour or more according to age. They are often boiled with corned beef. Another way is to cut lengthwise, boil until soft and slice thin. Put in sauce-pan with 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup of milk. Season with salt, pepper and a little sugar; stew 15 minutes and serve. CARROTS WITH CREAM.— Cut the carrots in thin slices; boil in water until almost tender; then pour the water off and add butter; fry them a little; then add a few spoons of cream; season with salt and pepper and serve very hot. CARROTS.