The junior cook book

Put in a layer of oyster plant. Sift together i/o cupful of flour with 1 teaspoonful of salt and 14 teaspoonful pepper. Sprinkle part of this flour mixture over the oyster plant. Put in another layer of oyster plant and another layer of seasoned flour. [illustration: SCALLOPED OYSTER PLANT] There should be about 4 layers with flour on the top of the last layer. Pour 1 1/. cupsf ul of milk over the whole dishful and bake 45 minutes. A very easy and delicious way to cook a little used, but very cheap and wholesome, vegetable. YOUNG LETTUCE FROM YOUR GARDEN When the lettuce in the garden grows too thick and fast, thin it out by pulling a panful of the biggest leaves. Wash carefully, leaf by leaf, drain, and cut or tear into small pieces. Cut four thin slices of bacon into six pieces each. Drop these pieces into a frying pan and brown nicely over a slow fire. Cut up one small onion and brown with the bacon if onion flavor is enjoyed. Toss till browned and then pour on 1 cup of vinegar. While this slowly heats arrange the lettuce in a serving dish. Pour the boiling hot vinegar, with the bacon bits and onion, over the lettuce and serve at once. RICED POTATOES Scrub 8 medium sized potatoes. Put in a saucepan and cover with boiling water. Boil till skins break — about 25 minutes. Pour off water at once. Peel potatoes by stripping off loosened skins. Put thru a potato ricer into a baking dish. Put 1/2 cup milk. 2 teaspoonsful butter. 1 teaspoonful salt into a small pan and heat till steaming hot. Pour this over the potatoes. Put potatoes in hot oven for 15 minutes and then serve at once. TASTY SPINACH Material : y^y peck spinach. 4 thin slices of bacon or an equal amount of salt pork. 1 hard boiled egg. 1 teaspoonful salt. Wash spinach carefully. Cut off coarse root end. Wash again to be sure all sand is removed. Pry bacon at the bottom of a kettle, or large pan, till all fat is cooked out but the bacon is not yet brown. Pour Vj cupful of water over the bacon. Drop spinach lightly into th« kettle and cover at once. Cook till tender. The fire should be very moderate so that cooking takes about 30 minutes. Hard cooking spoils the flavor and too much water spoils the food value of the spinach. The water should have about boiled away in 30 minutes so that the spinach can be served at once without draining. Add salt just before serving. Garnish with slices of hard boiled egg and serve at once. YOUNG CARROTS Pull the carrots early in the morning. Cut off tops and put in a cool place. An hour before mealtime, scrape off rough places and slice into 1/2 inch pieces. Do not use the top of root. Put on to cook in saucepan with boiling water. Use 2 pints of water to 3 cupful of carrots. Cook till tender. This will take 20 to 30 minutes according to the age of the carrots. (Winter carrots will take half again as long.) Drain off water and save for soup stock. Add 1 teaspoonful salt, 2 teaspoonsful butter and 1/2 cup milk. 13ring to a boil and serve at once. POTATO CAKES Scrub 5 medium sized potatoes. Put in a pan and cover with boiling water. Boil till skins break — will take about 25 minutes. Pour off the water at once. Peel off skins. (Stick a large fork in the potato and strip off" loosened peeling with small knife.