Most for your money cookbook

Water from boiled potatoes, celeriac (celery root), and onions. Mix to your liking, being careful not to put in too much onion water. Throw in any left-over vegetables — beans, peas, cabbage, and tomato will make this soup all the richer. Heat to boiling, press all through a sieve. Cut 2-3 slices of bacon into tiny squares (kitchen shears are handy for this) and fry crisp; scatter on top of soup when served. Save bacon grease for other frying. A teaspoon of minced parsley or other herb helps both appearance and taste. The above recipes suggest a few of the dozens of combinations which can be made. The only vegetable broths we never save are from artichokes and eggplant, and from certain bitter greens like dandelion. Of course the vegetables must have been carefully cooked if the cooking water is to be good in soup. (See recipes for vegetables.) For instance, onions should always be parboiled, the first water thrown away and only the second water saved. And one must be especially careful in preparing cabbage; only the liquid from young cabbage is fit to be mixed with delicate vegetables, and the cabbage must be cut into quarters or eighths and dropped into rapidly boiling water; it should be cooked only 15-20 minutes, uncovered; boiled in this manner the broth alone, stirred well with a little butter and seasonings, is delicious and has a flavor that suggests delicate chicken broth. BRUSSELS SPROUTS SOUP Cook a quart of Brussels sprouts in salted boiling water, leaving the cover off the saucepan so they will retain their bright color. Save the cooking water. After serving them as a vegetable, heat any left-over sprouts in 2 tablespoons of butter, shaking the pan; sprinkle them with flour, have the water in which they were cooked boiling hot, throw them into it, cook 5 minutes, then press all through a sieve. Bring to boiling point again and pour over 2 egg yolks beaten with yi cup milk. Serve at once. Onions, potatoes and leeks combine well with Brussels sprouts; and a soup made in the proportion of 2 sliced onions, 4 diced potatoes, 2 chopped leeks and 2 cups of Brussels sprouts is a common family dish in Belgium. When all are tender the soup is pressed through a sieve, seasoned, and sprinkled with minced parsley. VEGETABLE CREAM SOUPS Any vegetable bouillon is quickly made into cream soup by blending 2 tablespoons of flour in 2 tablespoons of melted butter, and then slowly stirring in 2 cups of fresh milk, or evaporated milk thinned with water; cook slowly, stirring constantly, until thick. Add 2 cups of vegetable bouillon and a little of the vegetable, and season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook until well mixed. Serve boiling hot. This is a good way to use up the small quantities of liquids from canned vegetables. PEA POD SOUP Wash young, tender peas before shelling, and put the pods in boiling water with a sprig of parsley, several lettuce leaves and a sliced onion. Cook uncovered until tender and press through a sieve. Season with salt, pepper and a very little sugar. Add any left-over peas after straining, and heat to boiling. FRENCH PEASANT SOUP I ONION, CHOPPED 2 TURNIPS, CHOPPED I LEEK, CHOPPED ^ SMALL CABBAGE, CHOPPED I SLICE SALT PORK, CUBED 12 STRING BEANS, SLICED 1 TABLESPOON FAT 3 POTATOES, SLICED THIN 2 CARROTS, CHOPPED 2 QUARTS BOILING WATER