The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-16
RECEIPTS OF PRODUCE.
FRIDAY, March Is.
FOR THE TABLE.

Everything in market now suggests spring and
spring dinners; tender little chickens for broii ng
their heads nearly as large their bodies; young
lamb green peas, fresh asparagus, new potatoes
young lettuce, with it's accompaniment of mint.
parsley and chervil, and an occasional tomato or
very small cucumber. Grape fruit is at its best
now, and oranges are very plentiful, but apples are
rather expensive luxuries, the best NeWtoWn
pippns retailing at 10 cents pound, and as each
apple weighs nearly half that amount, one feels
that one gets very little for the money.
a spring dinner Of five courses, and one which
would involve no great outlay either OF time,
trouble or expense NAV consist of a clear soup, a
broIed Shad, shoulder of lamb, new potatoes,
green peas, salad OF asparagus or lettuce, and
dessert OF sliced oranges and bananas, with few
slices of sponge cake.
The soup can, OF course be prepared the day be-
fore II is needed and Will require only to be re-heat
ed The lamb is in its prime now, and fore-quart-
er varies IN price from sixty cents TO dollar The
shoulder bone should be removed and the piece
lad Hat upon the baking pan, bone side down, not
rolled as it sometimes is then the little ribs
get SO brown and crisp as they should.
1t is a question whether delicate young lamb s
improved by filling the shoulder cavity with stuff
Ing Ii 1t is done no herb spice, except salt and
pepper, should be used. and the meat should be
cooked III hot oven and served at once as every
bit OF juicness and flavor will be destroyed the
lamb is allowed to remain 100 long in the oven.
The new potatoes, after being scraped, should be
put in cold water and cooked quickly, drained and
steamed Tor few minutes rolled in chopped pars-
green, and then plentifully anointed with melted
butter The flavor of the potato will be injured ii
the butter is allowed to become bot and turn TO oil
S44oAAS
Green peas need very little cooking ii they are
young and tender, as they are at present 1t Is
peas in which the pods well filled out and they
are selling from to II cents per pound. There is
a dwarf pea, called the Improved Daniel
ORooke," which it will be hard to surpass in ex-
celenCe. The peas very !! rye, dark green and
sweet, but it is hardly in full bearing yet: In the
Chinese markets peas sold by the pint after
being shelled; but while that method commends
itself as prudent from financial standpoint it i'm
plies degree OF confidence in the manipulation
which we cannot always feel.
In cooking peas it is quite common to a tiny
bit OF cooking soda 10 keep the color and insure
rapid cooking, but by doing there is chance of
loosening the skin from the pea and iniuring its
appearance. A lump OF sugar dropped into the
water in which peas to be boiled viii keep them
green and generally improve the flavor.
Never leave the peas to soak in butter after cook
ing Merely put the butter to be used with them
into hot dish, pour the peas over it when they
tender and serve at once. Standing in the butter
shrivelS them and makes them very tough.
Shad is delicious NOW, barring its ever-obiection-
able neede-like BONES and is very cheap as well
indeed il seems in common with all fish Just at
present to have no settled value. If you cannot
give II cents per pound have il for s. 6
even but at the latter price II is limp, dispirted
object. At the wholesale markets fresh shad can
be had for or cents, and if it is well cooked
and served 1t is as good as any fish market at
fords. 1t is better broiied than baked, but this is
careful bit OF cooking, depending almost entirely
upon the state OF the fire, which must be reduced
to a bed OF Goals, without a tongue of fame The
grdron must be well creased and the fish put on
to cook skin side up and watched to that it does
not burn When nearly done turn and slightly
brown the other side and send TO the table on hot
platter, with little melted butter parsley and
| lemon Juice.
If there seems be a chance of the fish burning
before is quite done il from the gridiron
and lay it in baking pan, pour cup OF cream
over and set it in the oven for ten minutes
! When the fish comes from market il should be
| taken at once from the wrappngs, cleaned care
fully, split open and rubbed with salt Cucumbers
are 100 poor now 10 serve with the Shad but little
lettuce be used in their place 1t is better not
TO leave the lettuce in after il has recovered
Its freshness and crispnesS, then it suffers in
flavor; but when ii is quite crisp take it from the
water and lay it on clean cloth in a cool dark
| place. The parsley, chervil chires used with
| il should be washed clean and fresbened in water
All three of these herbs are Just beginning their
! spring growth now and rather scarce. The
! chervil is in appearance like fine light colored
parsley, but has sweeter and more pungent taste
! and is used parsley and chiveS to sprinkle
upon the leaves of lettuce Just before the French
/ dressing is added. They must be very finely
| chopped and can be used in connection with few
| leaves of mint, if that herb is liked.
Asparagus is still rather -priced-from 10 to
| 20 cents pound-but it is in fine condition, that
| which sells for 1912 cents pound being edible
| stalks and all, and the stalks large that
| twenty-f Just make the two pounds-a cent q
stick. 1t should OF course be OF uniform size that
| it may be evenly cooked, and should be boiled till
very tender then drained dry and served on bits OF
buttered toas-not big, irregular shaped slices OF
bread, but either triangleS squares from which
| all crust has been cut, and which toasted a
| golden brown. When the asparagus is cooked pour
over it melted butter and send il 10 the table
very hot, and send with it generous supply OF
| Mayonnaise dressing, and eat toast and ALL The
| simple dessert OF oranges and bananas is most
easily pre- pared. The oranges are peeled, divided
in quarters and in Slices the bananas are also
peeled and cut in slices, They arranged in
alternate layers in glass dish, with sugar and
| lemon juice over each layer. Sometimes grated
cocoanut is added over ALL or in its place halves