The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-06-07
CONCERNING BEANS.


(By Christine Terhune Herrick)
certain bachelor housekeeper used
to say that he felt particularly virtuous
whenever he ordered baked beans for
breakfast or luncheon. Although of
Pilgrim parentage he was not especially
fond of the New England dish, but he
was always encouraged in its consump-
ton by the thought of the high nutritive
value of the food Eighty per cent.
nutritive. Eighty per cent. nutritive"
he would say over and over to himself as
he champed the beans. His palate might
not be gratified, but his detetic right
eousness sustained him.
The bean advocates make a great
blunder, however, when they include all
sorts and conditions of beans, new or
old, fresh or dried, in one sweeping com
mendation. There is a great difference
in the amount of nutrition in the various
scions of the family of legumes. The
most palatable among the most easily
digested members are probably fresh
green peas and young and tender string
beans, but they do not equal in nutritive
value the fresh Lima beans. These last,
however, are almost impossible of di-
gestion when they have become old and
hardened
The bean. par excellence, in New Eng
land is the small white kidney bean.
which forms really a staple of diet in the
hill farm houses. where fresh meat is
literally far off and hard to find. The
farmer, his family, and help" seem
never to weary of boiled or baked beans,
and the stranger views with wonder the
quantity consumed by the native.
Il never knew there Were so many
beans in the world as l have seen eaten
during the past week." sighed a city
woman who had sought country rest and
found country fare in Berkshire farm
stead.
fortunate Is it for the people thus fed
that the beans are not only nutritious
In themselves, but that with unconscious
science the farmers wife balances the
heterogeneous and starchy matter in which
the beans are rich by cooking with them
the salt pork which supplies the neces-
sary proportion of energy producing fat.
The chief disadvantage of the bean it.
self lies in the leathery outer husk which
under some circumstances is absolute
ly indigestlble, Ind in the case of dried
beans always requires not only prolonged
boiling, but a lengthy preliminary soak
ing. The beans are, of course, much
entirely removed. and for this reason the
split beans are much more wholesome
than the ordinary dried white or black
beans. 1t is possible to remove the husks
from the latter, and recipe is given be-
low for dish in which the beans have
been submitted to this process. The
savory combinations for which direc-
ttons are also given prove that it is
possible to convert the homely vegetable
"a country cousin-nto a new and pleas
Ing acquaintance whom even dwellers in
cities may be glad to welcome to their
tables.
SPLIT PEAS PUDDING.
Soak two cups of split peas over night
In the morning put them into a double
boiler with water to cover them. Slice
one onion with them and cook all to-
gether for couple of hours. or until the
peas are soft. Drain, rub through a
colander, season with pepper and salt
and beat in a tablespoonful of melted
butter and two eggs. whipped light. Turn
| into buttered mould, boil one hour turn
out and serve. The pudding is sliced and
eaten with a vegetable. good white
sauce is an excellent addition to the dish.
BEANS A LA LYONNAISE
Soak the beans over night in cold
water TO which you have added the tiniest
| pinch OF common washing soda. In the
morning put them over the fire in fresh
cold water. Bring slowly to the boil,
turn the water off, and put on more, also
cold. Cook until the beans are tender,
| but not broken. Turn into a colander,
sprinkle with little salt and leave at
the side of the stove to dry. Heat in
frying pan a large tablespoonful of good
dripping-that from beef or from bacon
is best-brown in it half an onion graf
ed or minced fine, and when the fat is
very hot. turn in tho beans. Shake them
around in the fat about two minutes, or
| until they are hot through; season with