Manual for army cooks

Or, after they are sliced, mix one large spoonful of melted dripping or butter with four or five of vinegar and a seasoning of pepper and salt ; let it boil up once and pour it over the beets. Beets may be sliced and served with vinegar. Beets may be baked, turning them three or four times. Time for baking, four to six hours. BOILED STRING BEANS. Time, about thirty minutes. String the beans carefully and cut each pod crosswise in two or three pieces ; wash and soak them in cold water for fifteen or twenty minutes ; drain and put them into a pot of boiling salt water — enough to cover them; cover, and boil until tender. When cooked, drain and season with butter, pepper, and salt. String beans may be boiled with bacon ; in this case the butter and salt may be omitted. BOILED LIMA BEANS. Time, thirty to forty minutes. Shell the beans and put them in cold water for fifteen minutes ; drain and put them into a pot of boiling salt water — enough to cover them ; cover, and boil until tender. When cooked, drain them in a colander and season with butter, pepper, and salt. STEWED LIMA BEANS. Boil a pint of shelled beans until tender, with three slices of onion, and drain. Put into a pot a piece of dripping or butter the size of an egg. When the dripping or butter becomes hot, put into it an even tablespoonful of minced onion and fry it ; then put in the l)eans ; add hot stock or water enough to half cover the beans ; stock is preferable. Cover closely and simmer fifteen minutes. Just before dishing them, stir in a handful of minced parsley. Do not allow the parsley to boil, as boiling spoils its color. LIMA BEANS (DRIED). Soak one pint of beans in water over night. In the morning drain off the water and cover with fresh warm water. Two hours before dinner drain again, cover them with boiling soft water and drain again after boiling them thirty minutes. Cover them once more with boiling water and boil until tender. Add a teaspoonful of salt after they have been Ijoiling an hour. When done drain and dredge with a tablespoonful of flour. Salt and pepper to taste. BOILED GREENS. Spinach, young beets, turnip tops, mustard, nettle, narrow dock, lambs' quarters, dandelion, mountain cowslip, kale, cabbage, poke, sprouts, etc. Pick the greens over carefully ; wash in three or four waters, and soak them in cold water for thirty minutes; drain well and put them into a pot of boiling salt water, enough to cover them. If the greens are light, such as spinach, etc., press them down until the pot is full. Cover and boil steadily until tender. When cooked, drain in a colander and press out the water. Season with butter, pepper, and salt. If the greens are young they should cook in twenty minutes ; if they are old, add to the water a small quantity of bicarbonate of soda ; boil them for ten or fifteen minutes ; turn oft* the water and replenish with boiling water ; add a little salt. Poached egg or hard-boiled egg sliced may be placed on top of the greens when served. Greens may be boiled with salt pork, corned beef, bacon, or ham, putting them into the pot in time to be done with the meat. They may be served separately or with the meat. STEWED TOMATOES.