Vaughan's Vegetable Cook Book Part 13

BAKED PUMPKIN.

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Slice the pumpkin a quarter of an inch thick, peel and put a layer in the bottom of a baking dish, then a layer of sugar with a sprinkle of cinnamon and dot with b.u.t.ter, repeat this until the pan is full. Let the top be well covered with sugar. Bake in a moderate oven until the sugar becomes like a thick syrup. Or cut the pumpkin in squares and do not peel, bake, and when soft enough, sc.r.a.pe it from the sh.e.l.ls, season with b.u.t.ter and salt and serve like squash.

CANNED PUMPKIN.

Stew pumpkin as for pies, put while hot in cans and seal.

PUMPKIN LOAF.

Take one quart of stewed pumpkin mashed fine, one teaspoonful each of salt and baking soda, one tablespoonful sugar, three pints of meal. Stir all together while boiling hot; steam four hours, or steam three hours and bake one. To be eaten hot with cream, or b.u.t.ter and sugar.

PUMPKIN MARMALADE.

Take ripe yellow pumpkins, pare and cut them into large pieces, sc.r.a.pe out the seed, weigh and to every pound take a pound of sugar and an orange or lemon. Grate the pieces of pumpkin on a coa.r.s.e grater and put in the preserving kettle with sugar, the orange rind grated and the juice strained. Let it boil slowly, stirring frequently and skimming it well until it forms a smooth, thick marmalade. Put it warm into small gla.s.s jars or tumblers and when cold cover with a paper dipped in alcohol and another heavy paper pasted over the top of the gla.s.s.

PUMPKIN PIE.

To one quart of rich milk take three eggs, three big tablespoonfuls of sugar, a little salt, and a tablespoonful of ginger, a teaspoonful of cinnamon and a grated nutmeg if one likes it highly spiced, add enough finely stewed pumpkin to make a thin mixture. This will make three pies.

A good pumpkin pie will puff up lightly when done.

PRESERVING PUMPKINS FOR WINTER USE.

A good way to prepare pumpkin for winter use is to cook and sift it as fine as for pies, then add nearly as much sugar as there is pumpkin; stir well and pack in crocks. Better than dried pumpkin for winter use.

PUMPKIN SOUP.

For six persons use three pounds of pumpkin; take off the rind, cut in pieces and put in a saucepan with a little salt and cover with water; let it boil until it is soft (about twenty minutes) and pa.s.s through a colander; it must have no water in it; put about three pints of milk in a saucepan, add the strained pumpkin, and let come to a boil; add a very little white sugar, some salt and pepper, but no b.u.t.ter. Serve hot.

HOW TO SERVE RADISHES.

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Let every housekeeper try serving radishes in this dainty way. Cut off the root close to the radish and remove the leaves, leaving about an inch of the stem. Then cut the skin of the radish from the root toward the stem, in sections, as is done in removing the skin of an orange in eighths. The skin can then be peeled carefully back to the stem by slipping the point of a knife under it, and pulling it gently away from the heart of the radish. The pure white heart, with the soft pink of the peeling and the green stem makes a beautiful contrast. If they are thrown into cold water as fast as they are prepared and allowed to remain there until the time for serving, they will be much improved, becoming very crisp and tender. The skin of the young radish should never be discarded, as it contains properties of the vegetable that should always be eaten with the heart; and, unless the radish is tough, it will agree with a delicate stomach much better when eaten with the peel on. They look very dainty when served in this way, lying on fresh lettuce leaves, or are beautiful to use with parsley as a garnish for cold meats.

RADISH, CUc.u.mBER AND TOMATO SALAD.

Slice a bunch of radishes, and a cuc.u.mber very thin, make a bed of cress or lettuce, over this slice three solid tomatoes, and cover with the cuc.u.mbers and radish. Pour over all a French or mayonnaise dressing.

BAKED RHUBARB.

Peel rhubarb stalks, cut into inch lengths, put into a small stone crock with at least one part sugar to two parts fruit, or a larger part if liked, but not one particle of water, bake until the pieces are clear; flavor with lemon or it is good without. It is a prettier sauce and takes less sugar than when stewed, and can be used for a pie filling if the crust is made first. To prevent burning, the crock may be set in a pan of boiling water. When done and while yet hot, beat up the whites of two eggs and whip into the sauce. It makes it very light and very nice.

BOTTLED RHUBARB.

Use perfectly fresh, crisp rhubarb, peel and cut in small pieces as for pies, fill a Mason jar with the fruit and pour over it freshly drawn water. Screw on the top and by the next morning the water will have settled in the jar. Fill the jars full with fresh water, seal again and the fruit is ready for winter's use. In making pies it takes less sugar than the fresh fruit. Or, boil the rhubarb a few moments, as for sauce, with or without sugar and put into jars while it is very hot just as other fruit is canned.

RHUBARB COBBLER.

Two cups of flour sifted with two teaspoons of baking powder and one-half teaspoon of salt. Rub in two tablespoons of b.u.t.ter. Beat one egg very light and add it to three-fourths of a cup of milk. Mix with the other ingredients, line the sides of a baking dish with this crust.

Take one quart of chopped rhubarb sweetened with three cups of sugar, fill the pudding dish with the rhubarb; roll out the remaining crust, cover the top of dish and bake one-half hour.

MRS. LAURA WHITEHEAD.

CREAM RHUBARB PIE.

One cup of rhubarb which has been peeled and chopped fine; add one cup of sugar and the grated rind of a lemon. In a teacup place one tablespoonful of cornstarch and moisten it with as much cold water; fill up the cup with boiling water and add it to the rhubarb. Add the yolks of three eggs well beaten. Bake with an under crust. When cold cover with a meringue made of the whites of the eggs and one-half cup of sugar. Place in the oven to become a delicate brown. Very fine.

MRS. BYRON BACKUS.

RHUBARB JAM.

Use equal parts of rhubarb and sugar, heat the sugar with as little water as will keep it from burning, pour over the rhubarb and let stand several hours; pour off and boil until it thickens, then add the fruit and boil gently for fifteen minutes. Put up in jelly gla.s.ses. Apples and oranges may be put up with rhubarb allowing two apples or three oranges to a pint of cut up rhubarb.

RHUBARB TAPIOCA.

Soak over night two-thirds of a cupful of tapioca. In the morning drain; add one cupful of water and cook the tapioca until it is clear; add a little more water if necessary. Then add a cup and a half of finely sliced rhubarb, a pinch of salt and a large half-cup of sugar. Bake in moderate oven an hour. Serve warm or cold and eat with sugar if liked very sweet. Very nice.

SHIRLEY DE FOREST.

RUTABAGAS BOILED.

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Pare, slice and boil in as little salted water as possible, a little sugar added is an improvement. When dry and tender serve plain, each slice b.u.t.tered and peppered as it is piled on the plate.

RUTABAGAS AND POTATOES.

Use three-fourths potatoes and one-fourth rutabagas; boil in salted water until tender, add a lump of b.u.t.ter, a dust of pepper and more salt if necessary, mash and stir until fine and light. Any good recipe for white turnips is equally good for rutabagas.