Manual for army cooks

Shell the peas and soak them in cold water (ice water is preferable) for ten or fifteen minutes, drain, and put them into a pot of boiling salt water ; cover ; boil until tender. When cooked, drain dry ; season with butter, pepper, and salt. If the peas are old and tough, there may be put into the pot with them a small quantity of bicarbonate of soda. It will make the peas tender and freshen their color. A sprig of mint may be boiled with the peas. It should be removed when the peas are drained. If peas are not really in season it is more satisr factory to use canned peas, and French peas are the best. BOILED PUMPKIN OR WINTER SQUASH. Wash, pare, and cut the pumpkin or squash into pieces and remove the seeds. Soak it in cold water for two hours, then put it into a pot of boiling salt water; cover, and boil until tender throughout. When cooked drain thoroughly and mash it through a colander ; season with butter, pepper, and salt. If the pumpkin or squash is too hard to be easily pared, it may be first parboiled. BAKED WINTER SQUASH. SSmall Hubbard squash is best. Saw the squish in halves; scrape out soft part and seeds; put the halves in oven and bake three-fourths of an hour, or until tender; serve in shell, helping from them. BAKED PUMPKIN OR WINTER SQUASH. Cut the pumpkin or squash into slices and remove the seeds. Put it into a broad, shallow baking pan, with a very little water ; put it in the oven and bake with a gentle heat. It requires a long time to bake, and should be done dry. When baked, season with butter, pepper, and salt. The slices may be pared and put into the baking pan in layers. BAKED PUMPKIN. Cut the pumpkin in halves, then quarters ; remove the seeds, but not rind ; place in baking pan with the rind down, and bake in a slow oven until tender when pierced with a fork. When done serve in rind, helping it by spoonfuls, as you would mashed potatoes. BOILED SUMMER SQUASH, OR CYMLING. Wash the squash, or cymling, and if the rind is tender enough to be easily pierced with the finger nail, cut it up without paring, removing the seeds. If the rind is hard, pare thinly. Soak it in cold water for fifteen or twenty minutes ; then put it into a pot of boiling salt water; cover, and boil until tender throughout. When cooked, drain thoroughly and mash it through a colander ; season with butter, pepper, and salt. BOILED CABBAGE. If the cabbage is large, quarter it; if small, cut it into halves. Remove the outer and all bad leaves ; examine carefully for insects ; wash, and soak it in cold water for half an hour. Put it into a covered pot with plenty of boiling salt water ; cover. If the cabbage is old, pour off the water after it has boiled for ten or fifteen minutes and replace with fresh boiling water ; add salt, and boil until tender. When the stalk is tender, it is cooked. When cooked, drain and press out the water, and season with butter, pepper, and salt. Omit the butter if the cabbage is boiled with meat. The odor of cabbage may be lessened by putting in the pot pieces of charcoal, or boiling in equal parts of milk and water, and the flavor is thereby improved. A cabbage may have the central part cut out and filled with mixed vegetables, enveloped in a cloth, and boiled as above. FRIED COOKED CABBAGE.