VINTAGE RECIPES—VEGETABLES

“Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard

or

Canadian Cook Book. 1881

Vegetables

General Directions

1^st Have them fresh as possible. Summer vegetables should be cooked on the same day that they are gathered.

2^nd Look them over and wash well, cutting out all decayed or unripe parts.

3^rd Lay them when peeled in cold water for some time before using.

4^th Always let the water boil before putting them in and continue to boil until done.

Turnips—Should be peeled and boiled from forty minutes to an hour.

Beets– Boil from one to two hours; then put in cold water and slip the skin off.

Spinach—Boil twenty minutes.

Parsnips—Boil  from twenty to thirty minutes.

Onions—Best boiled in two or three waters; adding milk the last time.

String Beans– Should be boiled one hour.

Shell Beans—Require half an hour to an hour.

Green Corn—Boil twenty to thirty minutes.

Green Peas—Should be boiled in as little water as possible boil twenty minutes.

Asparagus—Same as peas; serve on toast with cream gravy.

Winter Squash—Cut in pieces and boil twenty to forty minutes in small quantity of water; when done press the water out, mash smooth, and season with butter, pepper and salt

Cabbage—Should be boiled from one-half hour to one hour in plenty of water; salt while boiling.

Pare and slice thick eight or ten large potatoes. Half fill a good sized kettle with lard or drippings. When boiling put in the potatoes; cook until tender and brown; then take out with a skimmer into a colander to drain off any grease. Sprinkle salt over them. Be sure and not fill the kettle too full with potatoes, as it is better to cook at a time only what the lard covers.

Put a tablespoon of lard into a kettle; pare and slice fine as many potatoes as needed. When the  lard is hot put in the potatoes and cover closely; watch and stir frequently, to prevent burning. When nearly cooked remove the cover and brown them; then stir in salt, pepper and a heaping teaspoon of butter.

Pare eight or ten potatoes, or as many as needed; bake in a quick oven half an hour.

Use boiled potatoes; slice them thin; put in a pudding dish a layer of potatoes, a thin layer of rolled crackers; sprinkle in pepper and salt and three or four small pieces of butter; then add another layer of potatoes, crackers, etc., until the dish is filled. Over all pour a cup of cream or rich milk. Bake from one-half to three-quarters of an hour.

Take five or six potatoes, boil and wash them; add salt, pepper and a little milk. Beat three eggs light and mix with them. Make out into little rolls and cover with flour. Fry in hot lard.

Boil eight or ten large potatoes; when cold, slice them lengthways and put on a toaster or fine wire broiler over a hot fire; when browned remove; salt, and pour melted butter over them.

Cut the tomatoes in slices without skinning; pepper and salt them; then sprinkle a little flour over them and fry in butter until brown. Put them on a hot platter, and pour milk or cream into the butter and juice. When boiling hot, pour over the tomatoes.

Skin the tomatoes, slice in small pieces; spread in bottom of a pudding dish a thick layer; cover with a thin layer of bread crumbs, sprinkle salt, pepper and a few small pieces of butter over them; add layers of tomatoes, until the dish is filled—sprinkle over the top a layer of fine rolled crackers. Bake one hour.

Cut large tomatoes in two, crosswise; put on gridiron, cut surface down; when well seared, turn and put butter, salt and pepper on and cook with skin side down until done.

To one pound of ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced, add one-half pound of brown sugar, one-half pint vinegar, one teaspoon cinnamon. One teaspoon allspice, one teaspoon cloves. Boil two hours.

Bake one dozen ears sweet corn, one cup milk, small piece butter; and bake in pudding dish one hour.

One pint grated corn, two eggs, one teaspoon melted butter; three tablespoons sweet milk, two and one-half tablespoons Boston crackers, rolled. Fry in spider.

Eight ears of sweet corn, grated; two cups of milk three eggs, salt and pepper; flour enough to make a batter. Put a tablespoon of butter into a frying pan and drop the mixture into the hot butter—a spoonful in a place; brown on both sides. Serve hot for breakfast or as a side dish for dinner.

Ten ears green corn, one pint lima beans; cut the corn from the cob, and stew gently with the beans until tender. Use as little water as possible. Season with butter, salt, and pepper-milk if you choose.

Pare and cut in slices half an inch thick; sprinkle with salt; cover and  let stand for an hour. Rinse in clear cold water; wipe each slice dry; dip first in beaten egg, then in rolled cracker or bread crumbs. Season with pepper and salt, and fry brown in butter.

Three long sticks of maccaroni, broken in small pieces; soak in a pint of milk two hours. Grate bread ad dried cheese. Put a layer of maccaroni in a pudding dish; add pepper, salt and butter; then sprinkle the bread and cheese crumbs over it, and so continue until the dish is filled. Bake until brown

One bunch of oysters; boil and mash. One pint sour milk, half a teaspoon soda; flour to make a batter; add two eggs, beaten and the oysters. Fry in hot lard—drop in spoonfuls.

Three grated parsnips, three eggs, one teaspoon salt, one teaspoon sweet cream, butter half the size of an egg, three tablespoons flour. Fry as pancakes.

One quart of beans, soaked over night; in the morning put them in a kettle with cold water and boil ten minutes; change the water and put with them a small piece of salt pork. Let them boil until nearly tender, then take them out of the kettle with a skimmer, put in a baking dish, with pork in the center; cut the rind in small squares; sprinkle over the top one tablespoon of white sugar; bake three hours. If they bake dry, add the bean broth.