Mazdaznan encyclopedia of dietetics and home cook book

Vegetables reaching maturity below the ground can be used in their raw state as quick operating eliminators, but can be used in small quantities only, owing to their largely poisonous acids. As foodstuffs they develop nutritive value largely thru roasting or baking in hot ashes or the oven. When to be boiled in their skins, or additionally wrapped skins, like corn and palm leaves, they must be boiled quickly and in soft water, or water lightly softened with borax, saleratus or soda, adding whole aromatic seeds to the boiling water in sufficient quantities of one to three pinches to the quart of water. If boiled with their peels pared off they should be boiled quickly and in just enough water to have them done the moment all water has boiled away. Then these vegetables should be thoroly mashed and prepared with cream or butter and put into an earthenware dish to bake in the oven for the purpose of dextrinizing, adding a sprinkle of cheese to cover the top of a dish one inch in depth, adding another sprinkle to each additional depth. In boiling odorous vegetables, like onions, garlic, asparagus, cauliflower, etc., a very small quantity of cayenne pepper and a few sprigs of parsley put in the water will somewhat neutralize the disagreeable odor and, still more, keep the odor from spreading when all such vegetables are boiled in milk or buttermilk. All vegetables intended for food should be strictly fresh, which condition is easily indicated when they break or snap crisply. Home-grown vegetables, such as lettuce, peas, beans, spinach, carrots, corn, etc., should be gathered in the morning when wet with dew. Vegetables are improved by being put in cold water before cooking. Wilting savories and herbs should not be used until they have dried thoroly in the shade. As long as fresh ones are procurable do not use dried savories. Once vegetables have wilted and cannot be redeemed thru the chilling process they should be discarded as food for man, as wilted vegetables will do more to impair peristaltic action than any other one thing. The tops of beets, radishes, turnips, etc., should not be cast aside, as they make a fine vegetable dish. Cut fine and cooked in butter, with additional cream, flavored with parsley and mustard leaves, a combination of vegetable tops will prove an excellent eliminator of particular value to those suffering from fibroids, tumors and cancers. Speaking of cooking vegetables, a wise man once said if you throw away water in which vegetables are boiled, you might as well put on green spectacles and eat shavings. SPANISH BEANS. Soak one quart of red beans over night, rinse, parboil for twenty minutes, pour off water, rinse, then add one quart of stewed tomatoes which have been well strained, four finely-cut onions, two or three green peppers cut lengthwise, with seeds removed, one-half of a cup of oil, one quart of water, boil until thoroly cooked ; one hour before serving add one-half a cup of well washed rice. All to be salted well. (The peppers should be removed as soon as they are found done.) SPANISH SWEET CORN. Put green peppers in oven until slightly brown. Take from oven, cover tightly for five minutes. Remove skins and seeds, cut fine and add chopped green corn and tomatoes. Boil for three minutes and serve hot. ASPARAGUS.