Chapter 49
Cook the celery in boiling salted water until tender, and then drain.
When the celery has cooked, make a white sauce of the other ingredients.
Pour this sauce over the cooked celery, heat together, and serve.
112. CELERY AU GRATIN.--The food value of celery may be still further increased by combining it with cheese and bread crumbs in addition to a cream sauce. Such a dish, which is known as _celery au gratin_, is prepared according to the accompanying recipe.
CELERY AU GRATIN (Sufficient to Serve Six)
4 c. diced celery 2-1/2 Tb. b.u.t.ter 2-1/2 Tb. flour 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 1 c. milk 1 c. water in which celery was cooked 1 c. b.u.t.tered crumbs 1/2 c. grated cheese
Cook the celery in boiling salted water until tender and then drain.
Prepare the cream sauce in the usual manner. b.u.t.ter the crumbs by stirring them into 1 tablespoonful of melted b.u.t.ter. Put 1/4 cupful of the crumbs in the bottom of a baking dish and put one-half of the celery over them. Place another 1/4 cupful of the crumbs over the celery, and on top of this sprinkle 1/4 cupful of the grated cheese. Add the remainder of the celery and pour the sauce over this. Finally, add the other 1/4 cupful of cheese and the remainder of the crumbs. Place in a hot oven, and bake until well heated through and the crumbs are browned.
Serve hot.
CORN AND ITS PREPARATION
113. The seeds of the maize plant, or Indian corn, especially the variety known as _sweet corn_, are eaten as a vegetable when they are immature. They grow on a woody cob, and when they are green they are soft and milky; but when they become ripe they are hard and are then ground as grain. Many varieties of sweet corn are used, but some are better in quality than others. In some varieties, the kernels, or seeds, are yellow, while in others they are white; also, some of them are suitable for use early in the summer, while others come later in the season. However, in spite of this difference in quality, color, and season, all kinds of corn used as a vegetable are called _green corn_ and may be prepared in exactly the same ways.
114. The food value of corn, which is very high, even exceeding that of Irish potatoes, is due princ.i.p.ally to the carbohydrate it contains. This food substance is in the form of sugar in the green kernels, but as they mature it changes to starch. The food value of the dry grain is therefore higher, and the carbohydrate is in a different form.
When the contents of the kernels is still in the liquid form, the corn is said to be at the _milk stage_, and is generally considered to be too young for table use. On the other hand, when the liquid in the kernels has become thickened, the corn, which is then at the _dough stage_, is thought to be too old for use as a vegetable. To be ideal for culinary purposes, it should be just between the milk and dough stages. Then, if it is in good condition, a most satisfactory vegetable is the result.
115. The ear on which the corn kernels grow is entirely encased in several layers of husks. These are not removed until just before the corn is to be cooked; so when this vegetable is in the market the husks are allowed to remain on the ears. The condition of the ears can be determined by stripping the husks down a little and examining the kernels. If they are well filled, they may be considered to be in proper condition; otherwise, they will not be suitable for cooking. No special care need be given to green corn, provided it is not husked. However, when it has been husked, it should be cooked at once. In the husking of corn, all corn silk that is found inside of the husks should be carefully removed, for this is very annoying in the cooked vegetable and its presence indicates carelessness.
116. CORN ON THE COB.--The simplest way in which to prepare green corn is to cook it on the cob. When corn first comes into the market, it is usually very tender and makes a most satisfactory dish when prepared in this way.
To cook corn on the cob, husk the corn, remove the silk from the ears, and place them in a kettle. Pour enough boiling water over them to cover them well, and add 1 teaspoonful of salt for each quart of water. Boil 5 minutes, remove from the water, and serve at once. In eating corn on the cob, most persons dress it with b.u.t.ter, pepper, and salt.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 11]
117. CORN COOKED IN MILK.--Often it is not desired to eat corn on the cob. When this is the case, it may be cut off the ear and cooked in various ways. A simple way to prepare it is to cook it with milk and season it with salt, pepper, and b.u.t.ter, as explained in the accompanying recipe.
Select the desired number of ears of green
After cutting off the kernels, sc.r.a.pe the ears so that nothing edible will be wasted, drawing the knife downwards. Put the corn into a saucepan, add milk until the corn is nearly covered, and season with salt, pepper, and a little b.u.t.ter. Allow the corn to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the milk from sticking to the bottom of the pan and scorching. No difficulty will be experienced in the preparation of this dish if a double boiler is used, but longer cooking will be required. When the corn is sufficiently cooked, remove from the fire and serve hot.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 12] 118. CORN PULP.--Some persons are unable to digest the coa.r.s.e hulls of green corn, but can eat the corn if the hulls are removed. Such persons need not be deprived of the delights of this vegetable, for it may be prepared in the form of pulp, which will not disagree with them.
To prepare corn pulp, first cut a slit down each row of kernels with a sharp knife as shown in Fig. 12; then, in the manner shown in Fig. 13, sc.r.a.pe out the contents of the kernels with the dull edge of the knife, drawing the knife downwards. When all the pulp has been removed, season it with salt, pepper, and b.u.t.ter, and heat it thoroughly in a double boiler. Serve hot.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 13]
If it is not desirable to serve the corn pulp in this manner, it may be used in various ways, as the following recipes indicate. A good subst.i.tute for corn pulp is canned corn, but this must be chopped in order to break up the hulls.
119. CORN SOUFFLe.--No more delightful corn dish can be prepared than corn souffle, for in addition to its being appetizing and nutritious, it is extremely dainty. It may be cooked in a baking dish, but it is more attractive when baked in individual baking dishes. A point to remember about its preparation is that it should be served immediately upon being taken from the oven, for souffle always shrinks as it cools.
CORN SOUFFLe (Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 c. green corn pulp 1 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 2 Tb. melted b.u.t.ter 2 Tb. flour 1/4 c. milk 2 eggs
Mix the corn pulp, salt, pepper, and melted b.u.t.ter, stir in the flour, and add the milk. Separate the eggs, beat the yolks, and add them to the mixture. Then beat the whites stiff and fold them in. Pour into a b.u.t.tered baking dish or into individual baking dishes, set in a pan of hot water, and bake until brown. Serve at once.
120. CORN OYSTERS.--Variety can be secured in the use of corn by making corn oysters. These get their name from the fact that they resemble oysters in both size and shape. They may be served as a garnish for a meat dish or as a vegetable dish.
CORN OYSTERS (Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. corn pulp 1 egg 1/4 c. flour 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 1/2 tsp. baking powder
Prepare the corn pulp according to the directions given in Art. 118. To this add the beaten egg, flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder. Drop in tablespoonfuls on a well-greased griddle. When brown on one side, turn and brown on the other side. Then fold through the center, doubling one side over the other. Serve hot.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 14]
121. CORN FRITTERS.--The popularity of corn fritters, which have corn pulp as their foundation, is undoubtedly due both to their flavor and to the variety they afford in the diet. After being fried, corn fritters should appear as shown in Fig. 14. They may be served plain, but most persons prefer them with a sauce of some kind or with maple sirup.
CORN FRITTERS (Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 c. corn pulp, or 1 can corn, chopped 1 c. flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 2 eggs
If canned corn is used, drain off the liquid before using it. To the corn, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Separate the eggs and stir in the beaten yolks. Beat the whites stiff and fold them into the mixture. Drop with a spoon into deep fat, fry until brown, remove from the fat, and drain on paper. Serve plain, with a desired sauce, or with maple sirup.
CUc.u.mBERS AND THEIR PREPARATION
122. The hard-rinded fruit of the cuc.u.mber plant has been used from time immemorial as a vegetable. In food value, cuc.u.mbers are very low, comparing closely with celery in this respect; however, as they contain a large amount of cellulose, or bulk, and mineral salts, they should not be disregarded in the diet. They have a rather strong flavor due to their volatile oils, which so frequently disagree with persons and which give cuc.u.mbers a reputation for being difficult to digest. However, when they are properly prepared, they can be eaten by most persons without harm.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 15]
123. Formerly it was the custom to soak slices of cuc.u.mber in salt water before serving them. This procedure, however, has been found to be poor policy, for nothing is gained by it and the salt toughens the cellulose and makes the cuc.u.mbers limp and rubbery in texture. A much more satisfactory way to prepare cuc.u.mbers is to slice them and then soak them for some time before serving in ice water or water as cold as can be obtained. They will then become crisp and delicious, and, besides being more appetizing and agreeable, they will be no less digestible.
After being sliced and chilled, cuc.u.mbers are often combined with sliced onions and eaten with vinegar, salt, and pepper, or they are eaten alone or on lettuce, dressed with mayonnaise dressing.
124. STUFFED CUc.u.mBERS.--Possibly the only recipe for cooked cuc.u.mbers that is used to any extent is the accompanying one for stuffed cuc.u.mbers. Cuc.u.mbers prepared in this way are very palatable, and because of the ingredients used are much higher in food value than when eaten alone. Such a dish is attractive, too, as Fig. 15 shows.
STUFFED CUc.u.mBERS (Sufficient to Serve Six)
3 cuc.u.mbers 2 Tb. b.u.t.ter 1 small onion, chopped 1 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 1-1/2 c. steamed rice 1 c. stewed tomatoes Bread crumbs
Select medium-sized cuc.u.mbers, wash and peel them, and cut them in half lengthwise. Hollow out the center so that the cuc.u.mbers will have the shape of boats. Then melt the b.u.t.ter in a frying pan, add the chopped onion, salt, and pepper, and heat together for a few minutes. Next add the rice, tomatoes, and sufficient bread crumbs to take up any excess of moisture. Fill the cuc.u.mbers with this mixture and bake until they are soft enough to be easily pierced with a fork. During the first part of the cooking, pour a small amount of hot water into the pan in which the cuc.u.mbers are baked. Serve hot.
EGGPLANT AND ITS PREPARATION
125. EGGPLANT belongs to the cla.s.s of fruit vegetables, and is closely related to the tomato in structure and composition. It grows rather large in size, is covered with a smooth brownish-purple skin, and is made up of material that is close and firm in texture and creamy white in color. Because of the nature of its structure, eggplant would seem to be high in food value, but, on the contrary, this vegetable has very little. In this respect, it is about equal to cabbage and cauliflower and slightly less than string beans.
126. Eggplant is found in the market from early summer until the beginning of winter. Because it is protected by a heavy skin, it keeps well and needs no special care in storage. The strong flavor of the pulp is disagreeable to many persons. However, it has been found that much of this flavor may be removed by soaking the eggplant in strong salt water or by sprinkling it with salt after it has been sliced and then allowing it to stand for some time. It may be prepared in a variety of ways; so, if the members of the family care for it, the housewife will find it of great a.s.sistance in planning and preparing meals.
127. SAUTeD EGGPLANT.--The usual way of preparing eggplant is to cut it into slices and then saute it. As the slices are dipped into beaten egg and then into crumbs before sauteing, the food value of this vegetable is increased and its flavor improved.
Peel the eggplant and then cut it into 1/4-inch slices. Sprinkle salt over the slices and let them stand for 1 hour or more; then pour off the juice that has collected. Beat an egg slightly, and to it add a few tablespoonfuls of milk or water. Dip the slices of eggplant first into the beaten egg and then into crumbs. When sufficiently coated, saute in shallow fat, browning first on one side and then on the other.
Serve hot.