HOME SCIENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 18, 21 July 1934, Page 18

HOME SCIENCE

S.A. RHODES FELLOWSHIP

VEGETABLE RECIPES

I (Contributed by Miss V. Macmilian, - S.A. Rhodes Scholar, Massey College, Palmerston North.) To make the blood, digestive juices and other juices of the body of tho right composition, it is necessary that we should eat foods which contain tho essential minerals. Vegetables obtain the minerals from the soil,: and are the natural and healthy way for us to receive health salts. They also provide an abundance, of tho protective substances (known as' vitamins) which are necessary to prevent easy infection, impure blood, and general lack of vital' ity. ' _, Thirdly, vegetables provide roughage or bulk without which the waste materials "are moved so islowly (unless medicines are taken) along the alimentary tract as to result in constipa* tion with its attendant .complaints. Tho cooking process may destroy all three of the above valuable properties. (a) Minerals are ■ dissolved out by; long, slow boiling and poured away ia the water. (b) Vitamins arc lost by cooking for a longtime or. when soda is used. (c) Roughage is softened and brokea down by over-cooking, as in "sloppy", cabbage. . • The more frequent use of vegetables^ wisely cooked, must make for goo<i digestion, better, teeth, purer blood, and: clearer skin... It las wise to serve a vegetable dinner or luncheon, at'least once a week, and as a daily-quantity, use a minimum of two vegetables besides potatoes. METHODS OF COOKING. Baking.—Good method for retaining! the food value. Boiling.—Use as little water as pos« sible. Keep vegetable stock for soups, etc. * Steaming means retaining the nutritive value of the vegetable." Buttered.—Any cooked vegetable mair bb' made to taste good by using melted butter, salt, and pepper. Drain off all water when cooking is completed, add butter, salt; and pepper, and serve very hot.; Creamed.-^-Alake a white sauce, using two tablespoonfuls butter, one tablespoonful flour, "one cup milk, salt', an«l pepper.'■ A cup of. this saucers u*6d with 2-2J cups of the cooked vegetable. Serve very hot. ' Escalloped.—Cooked or raw vegetables are placed in a buttered baking dish in alternate layers of vegetables, sauce, and breadcrumbs. (Milk alona may be used in place of the sauce.) Finish with layer of buttered crumbs.' Bake in a moderate oven - until thoroughly cooked and browned on top. In the case of raw potatoes, the layers of thinly-sliced potatoes are dredged with flour and dotted with butter'and sprinkled with salt and pepper, buttered crumbs being used only as a-final covering to, the dish. Au Gratin.—Make a white sauce, addgrated cheese- and stir till - r'nielted. Place the cooked vegetables in a buttered baking dish in alternate layers with the sauce. Cover withy bread or cracker crumbbs—buttered.. Brown in the overi. Croquettes.—Make. a thfck whit». sauce using four tablespoonfuls flour to one cup: of milk1. Combine with' chopped or mashed cooked vegetables. >Mould.into shapes, dip in beaten. «gg, and fine bread or cracker crumbs. Fry,in deep fat, drain well, and serve hot". Glazed.—Boiled carrots, parsnips, or sweet potatoes arc cut in fairly large pieces and placed in a single layor in a. baking dish.' Sprinkle with a._liit]» brown sugar and "water. 'BaTcb until brown, basting constantly. .'. , " Chowder.—Cut a/few strips of bacon, and fry, adding chopped' -onions and stirring until the onions are slightly brown. Add such vegetables as iravfdiced carrots, turnips, beans,-potatoes, etc., with sufficient wafer (hot) or milk to cover. When vegetables are tender add bait. Bring to the boiling point. Place crackers or dry toaVfc in.the serving dish, pour the chowderiovejj. and.serve at once.

v Soups.—For vegetable .cream soup, make a thin white sance,' using one tablespoonful flour to one cup of milk. To this add 'the vegetables which have been cooked, seasoned, - and pressed through a sieve. The water in which, the vegetables were cooked may be used in place of half the milk in making the white sauce. Serve hot. Cream of potato soup may bo made from milk, salt, pepper, mashed potatoes, and onions, without flour, though ;it T is nut so, smooth. Tho onions should', bej chopped fine and scalded with the milt, or they -may bo grated into the soap mixture.

Salads.—All kinds, of combination* arc easy when the .kitchen garden Is well stocked. Even in winter the housewife can produce many varied "gooil. to eat" salads from apples, «abbag»j celery, onions, grated carrot, potatoesbeets, and tomatoes, as well as calling on her stores of preserved vegetables.