212 VEGETABLES.
Wash them, cut them into pieces and take out the seeds. Boil them about three-quarters of an hour, or till quite tender. When done, drain and squeeze them well till you have pressed out all the water : rnash them with a little butter, pepper and salt. Then put the squash thus prepared into a stewpan, set it on hot coals and stir it very fre- quently till it becomes dry. Take care not to let it burn.
Summer squash is very nice steamed, then prepared the same as
boiled.
BOILED WINTER SQUASH.
THIS is much finer than the summer squash. It is fit to eat in August, and, in a dry warm place, can be kept well all winter. The color is a very bright yellow. Pare it, take out the seeds, cut it in pieces, and stew it slowly till quite soft in a very little water. After- wards drain, squeeze and press it well ; then mash it with a very little butter, pepper and salt. They will boil in from twenty to forty
minutes.
BAKED WINTER SQUASH.
CUT open the squash, take out the seeds and without paring cut it up into large pieces ; put the pieces on tins or in a dripping-pan, place in a moderately hot oven and bake about an hour. When done, peel and mash like mashed potatoes, or serve the pieces hot on a dish, to be eaten warm with butter like sweet potatoes. It retains its sweetness much better baked this way than when boiled.
VEGETABLE HASH.
CHOP rather coarsely the remains of vegetables left from a boiled dinner, such as cabbage, parsnips, potatoes, etc.; sprinkle over them a little pepper, place in a saucepan or frying pan over the fire ; put in a piece of butter the size of a hickory nut ; when it begins to melt, tip the dish so as to oil the bottom and around the sides ; then put in the chopped vegetables, pour in a spoonful or two of hot water from the tea-kettle, cover quickly so as to keep in the steam. When heated thoroughly take off the cover and stir occasionally until well cooked. Serve hot. Persons fond of vegetables will relish this dish very much.
SPINACH.
IT SHOULD be cooked so as to retain its bright green color and not sent to table, as it so often is, of a dull brown or olive color ; to retain its fresh appearance, do not cover the vessel while it is cooking.
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