The Art of Living in Australia/Chapter 20
FIFTY RECIPES FOR VEGETABLES
TOMATOES STUFFED
6 Tomatoes—2d.
1/4 lb. Veal Forcemeat—2d.
1 oz. Cheese—1 1/2d.
6 pieces Fried Bread—1/2d.
Total Cost—6d.
Time—10 Minutes
Choose tomatoes of a good colour, and all about the same size; scoop out the centre. Grate up the cheese and mix it with the forcemeat, put this into the tomatoes; place on a buttered tin, and bake in the oven for ten minutes. Put each tomato on to a round of fried bread, and serve.
POTATOES IN WHITE SAUCE
1 lb. Potatoes—1d.
1/2 pint White Sauce
Salt and Pepper—2d.
Total Cost—3d.
Time—Half an Hour
Peel and slice the potatoes, put them in water seasoned with salt, and boil for five minutes; strain off the water, make some white sauce by directions given elsewhere. Lay in the potatoes and simmer gently till they are soft, but not broken; place them on a hot dish and pour the sauce over.
TO BOIL POTATOES
To boil potatoes properly much care and judgement are required. They should be peeled thinly, and well washed in cold water, but not soaked; put them into a saucepan and kept for this vegetable only. Just cover them with cold water seasoned with salt, and bring to a boil. Then simmer very gently for about twenty minutes; test them with a fork, and if soft, strain off the water and toss them in a saucepan over the fire until they are dry. Some potatoes will not bear boiling as long as this, but begin to break soon after they boil up. When this is the case, pour off nearly all the water, leaving only one inch at the bottom of the saucepan. Cook the potatoes slowly in this and then strain off and dry. Potatoes that are very troublesome to boil often steam well; they must be allowed from an hour to one hour and a half, according to the quantity of water over which they are cooking.
TO BOIL NEW POTATOES
New potatoes may be either scraped while raw, or peeled after boiling; they are a better flavour if cooked in their skins. In either case they should be well washed in cold water, plunged into boiling water seasoned with salt and a sprig of mint, and boiled quickly until a fork will go through easily; then strain off the water, dry, and serve.
TO BOIL CABBAGE
The outer leaves of the cabbage should be removed, then cut it into quarters and cut out the salt; wash it well in salt and water, and leave in the water for half-an-hour. Then put it into a colander and shake all the water from it. Place on the fire a large saucepan of water, and when it boils, put in two teaspoonsful of salt and a quarter of a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. Put in the cabbage and cover down till it boils up; then remove the lid and boil very quickly, pressing it down into the water from time to time. It will be done in from fifteen to twenty minutes; try it with a fork, and if soft turn into a colander, and very carefully press all the water from it. Slip into a vegetable dish and cut into neat pieces.
TO BOIL GREEN PEAS
Shell the peas and wash them well; just cover them with cold water, season it with a little salt, sugar, and mint. Bring quickly to the boil and cook for about twenty minutes. When soft, but not broken, strain off the water and put them into a vegetable dish.
TO BOIL FRENCH BEANS
Slice up the beans and wash in cold water, put them into plenty of boiling water, seasoned with salt and a quarter of a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda; boil quickly without the lid for about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. When soft, strain off and shake the water out thoroughly; put into a hot dish, and serve plainly or with melted butter.
TO BOIL CAULIFLOWERS
Soak the cauliflowers in plenty of salt and water, with the flower downwards, then cook, in plenty of boiling water seasoned with salt, putting the flower to the bottom of the saucepan. Keep uncovered all the time of cooking; take up with a slice and strain in a colander. Turn carefully into a vegetable dish, and serve with or without sauce.
VEGETABLE MARROW
1 Marrow—3d.
1/2 pint White Sauce
Salt—2d.
Total Cost—5d.
Time—15 Minutes
Peel the marrow, take out the seeds, and cut it into small pieces; put into boiling water nicely seasoned with salt, and boil gently for about fifteen minutes. Take up with a slice and strain in a colander, place in a hot dish, and pour over the sauce.
BEETROOT IN SAUCE
3 Beetroots—2d.
1/2 pint White Sauce—2d.
Total Cost—4d.
Time—Two Hours
Wash the beetroots, but do not cut them; put them in cold water, and boil till they feel soft if pressed—the time depends upon the size; then take them up, peel and slice them. Make the sauce by directions given elsewhere. Put in the beetroot and simmer for about half an hour; dish the beets and pour the sauce over. It should be of a bright red colour.
STEWED CABBAGE
1 Cabbage—3d.
Salt and Pepper
1 oz. Butter—1d.
Total Cost—4d.
Time—25 Minutes
Boil the cabbage as directed, and squeeze very dry; melt the butter in a saucepan, season with pepper, salt, and a drop or two of lemon juice. Put in the cabbage and cook in the butter for ten minutes, stirring frequently; arrange neatly in a hot dish, and serve.
BAKED TOMATOES
1 doz. Tomatoes—4d.
1 oz. Bread Crumbs—1/2d.
1 oz. Butter
1/2 teaspoonful Mustard—1d.
Total Cost—51/2 d.
Time—15 Minutes
Slice up the tomatoes, spread with a very little made mustard. Season some brown bread crumbs with pepper and salt, and sprinkle the slices well. Put into a buttered dish and bake till soft. Serve hot.
CURRIED TOMATOES
1 doz. Tomatoes—4d.
1 1/2 oz. Butter—1d.
1 gill Milk—1d.
1/2 oz. Flour
1/2 lb. Rice—1 1/2d.
1 Apple
1 Onion
1 dessertspoonful Curry Powder
Salt—2d.
Total Cost—91/2 d.
Time—Half an Hour
Mince the onion and apple finely, and fry in the batter till a good colour; sprinkle over it the curry power and flour, and mix well. Pour in the milk and stir until it boils; slice the tomatoes and put them in and simmer very gently for half an hour. Season with salt, dish carefully and serve either in a border of rice, or with rice moulds on a separate dish.
CURRIED VEGETABLES
Take any vegetables in season, such as potatoes, peas, carrots, beans, and cauliflowers, very young vegetables are the best, and if there are any cold ones in the larder they will do as well as fresh. Slice up the potatoes and branch the cauliflowers, and, if they are not been boiled before, boil them in water seasoned with a little salt and sugar, for ten minutes, and strain off the water. Put one ounce or more of butter into a saucepan according to the quantity of vegetables, and when hot stir in half an ounce of flour, and the same of curry powder. Pour in half a pint of milk and stir till it boils. Then put in the vegetables and simmer very gently for about half an hour. They should not be broken, but quite soft, and all the liquor absorbed. Pile in a hot dish and serve with boiled rice.
BEETROOT AND ONION STEW
3 Beetroots—2d.
3 Onions—1d.
1 1/2 oz. Butter
1 teaspoonful Sugar
1/2 teaspoonful Salt—1 1/2d.
1/2 pint Milk—1d.
1 tablespoonful Vinegar
1/2 oz. Flour—1/2d.
Mashed Potatoes—1 1/2d.
Total Cost—71/2 d.
Time—One Hour
Boil the beetroots by directions given and slice them up; peel and slice up the onions and fry in the butter, but do not let them brown. Stir in the flour and the milk and bring to the boil, and when it has boiled a few minutes stir in gradually the vinegar, salt, and sugar, then the beetroot. Simmer slowly for one hour; make a border of the potatoes on a hot dish, garnish with sprigs of parsley. Put the beetroot and onion in the centre, and serve hot.
SAUTE OF TURNIPS
6 Turnips—1 1/2d.
1 oz. Butter
1 gill Stock
1 teaspoonful Sugar
1 teaspoonful Salt—1d.
Total Cost—21/2 d.
Time—Half an Hour
Peel the turnips and cut them into pieces like the quarter of an orange; put them into a small stewpan with the butter, sprinkle over them the sugar and salt, and stir about till quite brown. Pour on the stock, bring it to the boil, and simmer till soft but not broken. Dish the turnips, season the gravy with salt and a few drops of lemon juice, pour over, and serve.
CARROTS IN BUTTER
4 Carrots—1 1/2d.
1 oz. Butter
1 teaspoonful Parsley
Pinch of Salt and Sugar—1d.
Total Cost—21/2 d.
Time—One Hour
Scrape the carrots and slice them up, put them into boiling water seasoned with salt and sugar, and boil for ten minutes. Strain off the water. Put the butter into a small saucepan, and when it is hot stir in the parsley and a few drops of lemon juice. Toss the carrots in this until they are thoroughly hot, then cover down and cook slowly till soft. Dish and pour over the butter in which they were cooked.
PARSNIPS AND PARSLEY BUTTER
4 or 5 Parsnips
1/2 oz. Flour
1 teaspoonful Parsley—2d.
1 oz. Butter
1 gill Milk
Pepper and Salt—2d.
Total Cost—4d.
Time—One Hour
Scrape and cut up the parsnips (or cold ones will do). If raw, boil them in water seasoned with salt for three-quarters of an hour. Make the butter, flour, and milk into a sauce by directions given, and season nicely. Stir in the parsley, put in the parsnips, bring to the boil and simmer for ten minutes. Arrange them on a hot dish, pour the sauce over, and serve.
PARSNIPS FRIED
Cold boiled parsnips make a delicious breakfast dish if sliced up and fried either in bacon fat, dripping, or butter. Pile high on a dish and serve very hot.
POTATO BALLS
1 lb. Cold Boiled Potatoes
Bread Crumbs—1d.
2 Eggs
1 oz. Butter
Hot Fat—3d.
Total Cost—4d.
Time—5 Minutes.
Rub the potatoes through a sieve or mash them smoothly. Put the butter into a saucepan, and, when melted, season with pepper and salt; put in the potatoes and turn them about till hot through. Drop in the egg and mix into a paste, turn on to a plate to cool, and roll into balls. Beat up an egg and brush over the balls, cover well with crumbs, and fry in hot fat. The yolks of eggs will do for this dish if the whites are wanted for other purposes.
HARICOT BEANS
Soak the haricots over night, if possible; if not, at least for two or three hours. Put them on in plenty of cold water seasoned with salt and an onion, and boil them steadily for three hours. Strain the water off, put them into a vegetable dish, and pour over them some parsley butter sauce. Haricot beans are the most nutritious of all pulse foods, and are a particularly good food for people who work in the open air. They are very nice eaten alone or served with meat. They make an exceedingly delicious dish if boiled for two hours and then put into a nice brown gravy and simmered for about an hour. Serve in the gravy with roast mutton.
POTATO AND TOMATO PIE
6 Tomatoes—2d.
6 Potatoes—1d.
1/2 lb. Short Pastry
Dripping
1 teaspoonful Parsley
1 1/2 teaspoonful Sweet Herbs
Salt and Pepper—1 1/2d.
Total Cost—4 1/2 d.
Time—One Hour
Peel and slice up the potatoes and tomatoes; lay them alternatively in a pie dish and sprinkle over them some parsley, herbs, salt, and pepper. When the dish is full, cover with a short pastry and bake for one hour; serve hot.
CAULIFLOWERS AND TOMATOES
2 Cauliflowers—4d.
1/2 pint Tomato Sauce—1d.
Total Cost—5d.
Time—20 Minutes
Boil the cauliflowers and make the sauce by directions given elsewhere. Dish the cauliflowers carefully and pour over them the sauce, leaving just the centre of the flowers clear. Put into the oven for five minutes, and serve.
STEWED CELERY
3 heads of Celery—3d.
1 oz. Butter—1d.
1/2 gill Milk
1 oz. Flour
Pepper and Salt—1d.
Total Cost—5d.
Time—Half an Hour
Take only the white and best part of celery for this dish, pull it to pieces, wash well in salt and water, and tie in a bundle. Put it into boiling water seasoned with salt, and boil for about half an hour, or until the fork will go through easily. Take half a pint of the water in which it was boiled and mix it with the milk; make a sauce with this and the butter and flour by directions given for sauces. Dish the celery and pour the sauce over. This is an excellent food for anyone suffering from, or subject to, rheumatism or gout. Celery is also very nice stewed in broth or gravy and thickened with a little butter and flour.
LETTUCE STEWED
4 Lettuces—3d.
1 oz. Butter
Nutmeg
Pepper and Salt—1d.
Total Cost—4d.
Time—Half an Hour
Wash the lettuces very thoroughly and lay them in salt and water for half an hour. Plunge them into plenty of boiling water seasoned with salt and a quarter of a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. Boil quickly without the lid from fifteen to twenty minutes, take up and squeeze all the water from them. Chop them up and put into a saucepan with some butter, nutmeg, pepper and salt, and a few drops of lemon juice; stir them about and cook for about five minutes. Turn into a hot dish and serve.
BAKED ONIONS
2 lbs. Onion—2d.
1/2 pint Thick Gravy
1/2 pint Water
Pepper and Salt—1d.
Total Cost—3d.
Time—One Hour.
Peel the onions, put them on in cold water, and bring to the boil. Strain the water off, butter a baking dish, put in the onions, pour in the water, cover with a plate, and stand in a moderate oven. Stew until soft, place in a hot dish and pour over them, either a nice gravy thickened with a little butter and flour, or some plain melted butter. Serve hot.
CASSOLETTES OF VEGETABLES
Peel some turnips and scoop out the centre; boil them in salt and water till soft, but quite whole. If there are any cold vegetables in the larder, such as beans, peas, carrots, and parsnips, make them hot; if not, cut some into small pieces and boil separately. Stir them into any cold sauce that may be left, or toss them in a little butter. Fill the turnip cups with these, arranging them on a dish, alternately red and green. Serve hot.
VEGETABLE MARROW STUFFED
1 Vegetable Marrow—3d.
1/4 lb. Veal Forcemeat—2d.
1/2 pint Melted Butter Sauce—1 1/2d.
Total Cost—61/2 d.
Time—Half an Hour
Peel a marrow and cut it in half length-ways. Prepare some veal forcemeat by recipe given elsewhere, and make it hot in a saucepan. Remove the seeds from the marrow and put in their place the forcemeat; put the pieces together and bind round with tape. Have ready a fish kettle full of boiling water seasoned with salt; lay the marrow on the drainer and plunge into the water; boil gently for about twenty-five minutes. Slip the marrow carefully into a dish and pour over some melted butter sauce.
LYONNAISE POTATOES
1 lb. Potatoes—1d.
1/2 pint Onion Sauce—2d.
Total Cost—3d.
Time—Half an Hour
Peel and boil the potatoes in the usual way, slice them up and put them into a hot dish; make some rather thin onion sauce by directions given elsewhere, season with a few drops of lemon juice, and pour over the potatoes; serve hot.
POTATOES SAUTE
Cut up any cold potatoes that may be left into strips, not too thin, put some dripping into a frying pan, and when very hot put in the potatoes and fry them a pale colour. Place them on a hot dish; melt one ounce of butter in a saucepan; season with lemon juice, parsley, pepper, and salt. Pour this over the potatoes, and serve very hot.
COLCANNON
Take any remains of cold boiled cabbage and potatoes, and cut them into small pieces, season with pepper and salt. Put a small piece of butter into a frying pan; put in the vegetables and fry them until they are thoroughly hot through and well mixed. Turn them on to a hot dish, make into a neat pile, and serve.
BAKED VEGETABLE MARROW
1 Vegetable Marrow
1/2 pint Gravy
1 oz. Dripping
Total Cost—3d.
Time—One Hour
Peel the marrow and cut into pieces, remove the seeds, put on to a baking sheet with some beef dripping, and bake till soft and rather brown. Thicken a little gravy with some flour, and season and flavour it nicely; dish the marrow and pour this sauce over.
STEWED LEEKS
1 bunch Leeks
1/2 pint Stock—2d.
Pepper and Salt
1/2 oz. Butter
1/2 oz. Flour
Lemon Juice—1/2d.
Total Cost—2 1/2 d.
Time—One Hour
Cut off the roots and green tops of the leeks and wash well. Put them into a saucepan with the stock and stew very gently till soft; take them up and put on to a hot dish. Put the butter into a saucepan, and when it is dissolved stir in the flour, mix well, and strain in the stock. Stir until it boils. Season with some pepper, salt, and a few drops of lemon juice. Pour over the leeks, and serve.
POTATOES A LA MAITRE D’HOTEL
Cold Potatoes—1d.
1/2 pint Maitre d’Hotel Sauce—1 1/2d.
Total Cost—21/2 d.
Time—5 Minutes
Make the sauce by recipe given elsewhere, flavour nicely with lemon juice, pepper, and salt. Slice up the potatoes, and put them into it; simmer for five minutes, dish, and serve.
LENTILS, TO BOIL
Wash the lentils well in cold water, cover them with cold water seasoned with salt, and boil for one hour and a half. Strain all the water off, put them into a hot dish with about half an ounce of butter, and serve.
CURRIED LENTILS
Any cold lentils left make a very nice breakfast dish if they are curried. If there should be any curry gravy left,
put them into that and simmer for half an hour; serve with boiled rice. If there is no curry sauce, make a little by a recipe given elsewhere.
STEWED BEETROOT AND MASHED POTATOES
1 bunch Beetroot—2d.
2 Onions—1/2d.
1 oz. Flour
Mashed Potatoes
Pepper and Salt
1 1/2 oz. Butter
1/2 pint Milk
1 dessertspoonful Vinegar—3d.
Total Cost—51/2 d.
Time—Half an Hour.
Peel and cut the onions into dice, put them into a frying-pan with the butter, and fry, but do not let them brown; sprinkle in the flour, pour in the milk, and stir until it boils. Season with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Boil the beetroot carefully, and when cold, peel and slice up. Put it into the sauce and simmer for half an hour. Make the mashed potatoes into a border on a hot dish, and put the beetroot in the centre; boil up the sauce, pour it over, and serve.
CAULIFLOWERS AU GRATIN
1 Cauliflower—4d.
1/2 pint White Sauce—1 1/2d.
2 oz. Dry Grated Cheese
Pepper and Salt—1/2d.
Total Cost—6d.
Time—15 Minutes.
Boil the cauliflower and make the sauce by directions already given. Put the cauliflower into a dish in which it can be served, put half the cheese into the white sauce, season with pepper and salt, make it hot and pour over. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on the top, and put into the oven till quite brown; it is then ready to serve.
NEW POTATOES SAUTE
1 lb. New Potatoes—1d.
1 oz. Butter—1d.
Pepper and Salt
1 teaspoonful Parsley
Lemon Juice—1/2d.
Total Cost—21/2 d.
Time—Half an Hour.
Wash the potatoes and put them into boiling salt and water, and boil for ten minutes. Take up, peel and cut them in half. Melt the butter in a saucepan, and when quite hot, put in the potatoes and toss over the fire. Sprinkle over the parsley, pepper, salt, and a few drops of lemon juice; cover down and cook gently till the potatoes are soft but not broken. Put into a hot dish and serve.
POTATO PUFF
1/2 lb. Cold Potatoes—1d.
2 Eggs—2d.
1 oz. Butter
1 gill Milk—1d.
Total Cost—4d.
Time—Half an Hour
Mash the potatoes, beat the butter to a cream, then beat in the eggs, pepper, salt, and milk. Stir up the potatoes, pour into a buttered pie-dish, and bake for about half an hour. Serve hot.
POTATOES STUFFED
6 Large Potatoes—2d.
1/4 lb. Cold Meat—1/2d.
1/2 gill Gravy or Sauce
Pepper, Salt, and Parsley—1/2d.
Total Cost—3d.
Time—One Hour and a Half.
Wash and scrub the potatoes, and bake them in the oven till quite done. Cut them in half so that they will stand nicely. Scoop out the inside, and mix the potato meal with some butter, pepper, and salt. Make a little savoury meat by directions given for mince, and nearly fill the potato skins with this. Put some of the potato on top, making it look as rough and rocky as possible. Stand in the oven till quite hot, and serve.
HARICOT BEANS AND BACON
1 pint Haricot Beans—2d.
1 teaspoonful Parsley
1/2 lb. Bacon
Pepper and Salt—5d.
Total Cost—7d.
Time—Two Hours.
Soak the haricot beans and boil them by directions already given. Rub them through a wire sieve. The bacon should be in thin rashers and very fat. Cook it carefully in a small clean frying-pan, and as the fat runs from it, pour it on the beans. Mash them up with this and a little pepper and salt, and put them into a hot dish. Sprinkle over with parsley and lay the bacon rashers on top. Serve hot.
ARTICHOKES, TO BOIL
2 lbs. Artichokes—4d.
1/2 pint White Sauce—1 1/2d.
Total Cost—51/2 d.
Time—One Hour
Wash and peel the artichokes and put them into some water; add a teaspoonful of vinegar and leave them for half an hour. Drain the water all away and put them into a saucepan, cover with cold water; add one gill of milk and some salt. Bring to the boil and cook slowly for about an hour. Take half a pint of the liquor in which the artichokes were boiled, and make a sauce; dish them and pour this over.
IMITATION SPINACH
Take the very young green shoots of the pumpkin plant. Wash them well and put them into a large saucepan, with a very little water seasoned with salt and a pinch of carbonate of soda; keep pressing them down into the water and boil till soft. Turn into a colander and squeeze very dry, put into a saucepan with one ounce of butter, pepper, salt, and a few drops of lemon juice. Stir about till thoroughly hot through, dish neatly, and serve.
BANANAS STEWED
1 doz. Green Bananas—3d.
Lemon Juice
1/2 pint Brown Sauce
Pepper and Salt—2d.
Total Cost—5d.
Time—Half an Hour.
Peel the bananas and put them in boiling water to which a few drops of lemon juice have been added; boil them for half an hour, or until soft. Make sauce by directions already given, flavour with lemon juice, pepper, and salt. Strain all the water from the bananas, dish, and pour over the sauce
POTATO CHIPS
To fry potatoes successfully, two things must be carefully attended to. First of all dry the potatoes thoroughly, and then have very hot fat. Peel the potatoes and dry them in a cloth. Cut into any shape—slices, strips, quarters, &c.—and dry again. Have a good quantity of very hot fat ready, put the chips into a frying basket, and plunge into the fat. Fry quickly, and directly they are brown enough they are done. Throw them on to some kitchen paper to drain off the fat. Pile high on a dish, sprinkle with salt, and serve very hot.
ITALIAN CABBAGE
1 Cabbage—2d.
1 oz. Butter—1d.
2 oz. Dry Cheese
1 spoonful Flour
Pepper and Salt—1d.
Total Cost—4d.
Time—15 Minutes.
Boil the cabbage by directions given, strain away the water and press it very dry. Put the butter into a saucepan, and when it is dissolved, chop up the cabbage and put a layer at the bottom of the saucepan. Sprinkle over some grated cheese, pepper, and salt, then more cabbage and cheese, until all are used up. Simmer gently for fifteen minutes, slip it on to a hot dish, and serve.
SAVOURY POTATOES
5 or 6 Large Potatoes—1 1/2d.
2 oz. Cheese—1d.
1 spoonful of Milk
1 Egg
Pepper and Salt—1d.
Total Cost—31/2 d.
Time—Two Hours.
Scrub the potatoes and bake them in the oven. Cut off the end, scoop out all the meal; grate up some dry pieces of cheese, beat it into the potatoes with the yolk of the egg, and some seasoning. Whip the white till stiff and stir lightly in; fill the potatoes with this mixture. Lay in a baking sheet and bake for about twenty minutes. Garnish with parsley, and serve.
CAULIFLOWER FRITTERS
Cold Cauliflower
Frying Batter
Hot Fat
Total Cost—1 1/2 d.
Time—5 Minutes.
Take any cold cauliflower that may be left, divide it into branches. Make the frying batter by directions given. Dip the pieces of cauliflower into it, and put into very hot fat. Fry a good colour and pile high on a dish. Garnish with fried parsley and serve very hot.
FRIED TOMATOES
1 doz. Tomatoes—4d.
1 gill Milk
1 oz. Butter
Pepper and Salt—1 1/2d.
Total Cost—51/2 d.
Time—10 Minutes.
Slice up the tomatoes, mix a spoonful of flour with some pepper and salt; dip in the slices and fry quickly, pile on a dish. Pour the milk into the pan in which they were fried, stir until it boils, and pour over. Garnish with fried bread and serve hot.