Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-03
K 1LLIN G. GERMS
STERILIZING VEGETABLES Is A
MATTER OF PRUDENCE.
Good Recipes for Stewed Lettuce and
Ways to Cook
Radishes.
Written for The Evening Star.

"AittNh ioi Inc Evening star.
London medical paper Of the highest
standing recently stated that a very seri-
Gus fever epidemic had been traced to the
use of raw celery, which was found upon
investigation to have been fertilized with
night soil containing disease germs Water
cress has often been regarded with sus-
picion in cases of typhoid fever germs
Yet people who harbor all sorts of germ
fads and superstitions calmly MUNICH rad
ishes, lettuce and celery with no thought
OF how they may have been cultivated and
very little as to how they have been
cleaned.
As a matter of fact many vegetables
which We are accustomed to eat raw are
delicious when cooked, but If one prefers
the raw vegetable It is the simplest thing
in the world to sterilize ii. A saturate So
luton Of boracic acid kept in a fruit jar
on the kitchen table will insure a sterilized
head of lettuce. Dilute a cupful of the So
luton with one Of water, and after the let
tUce has been freed from grit, dip 1t into
the antiseptic bath. Then rinse imme-
diately with cold water, wipe dry and
serve. Celery should be treated in the
same way, each stalk being carefully pulled
apart to Insure cleanliness. Some celery
is so dirty that it really needs scrubbing
with a stiff kitchen brush to remove the
grit from corrugated stalks.
A Harmless Acid.
Apropos of the vexed question Of admit
ting American meats into Germany, Ger
man chemists have themselves reported
that boracic acid is quite harmless, and
the sinister word acid need not deter
any careful person from using 1t. OF
course, In preparing raw vegetables il is
all rinsed off again, but as it is very VIOLA
tile, it would escape in process of boiling
anyway. Therefore, 1t may be used with
absolute impunity. Radishes make a deli
clous dish when boiled, and one which may
be INDUCED in by persons who are quite
unable to digest them raw. Boil until
tender in barely enough sailed water to
cover them. Then take off the saucepan
lid and let the water boil down about half;
add much milk there is water. Rub
together tablespoonful of flour and one
of butter; add this to the boiling milk and
stir until it thickens.
Stewed Lettuce.
This is a favorite Swiss dish and those
who don't know it have something to look
forward to. An excellent way of preparing
it is to quarter the heads. wash very care
fully and put In a double boiler with enough
milk to cover it. Let this steam until the
lettuce is tender. add dash of pepper. a
tablespoonful of butter Let It stand TIL
the butter is melted and serve.
Inc water IN WHICH vegetables are DolleO,
If drained off, should be saved for the soup
pot Otherwise 1t should be allowed to
sin mer down and become part of the
sauce, for it contains a great deal of the
biCarbonate of potash which makes Vege-
tables wholesome.
The French make a delicious dish by
boiling young, tender peas in a little wa
ter, adding a tablespoonful of butter.
head of fresh, clean lettuce is set in with
the peas and allowed to steam thoroughly
until tender. The lettuce is then removed
to a heated platter, a little milk added to
the peas mixed with teaspoonful Of flour.
When this comes to the boiling point the
thickened peas are poured over and around
the lettuce and served.
Water Cress Stewed.
Cook in the same way as spinach, and
served with butter and a hard boiled egg
chopped fine is an excellent dish.
Cabbage cooked after the following re-
cipe is palatable to many people who cam
not eat the vegetable as ordinarily cooked.
Chop the cabbage as for cold slaw and put
it into a pot of sailed boiling water. Boil
exactly twenty minutes; not minute
longer. Drain off the water, add sufficient
milk to cover dish of paprika and a little
butter and flour mixed. When this be-
comes quite hot again shake in literally
grated Parmesan cheese. Let ii stand a
few minutes and serve. This is good
lunch dish where little meat is eaten. The
milk and cheese make IL quite substantial.
A Glove of garlic boiled with cabbage gives
it a most delicious flavor not at all gar
licky.
Few people realize how infinitely superior
to the fine white turnip is the common
yellow one. Try boiling this vegetable
with bit of garlic, add black pepper ana
a good lump of butter and you will never
use the white sort again.
Small radishes boiled whole with a spoon
full of minced parsley make delicious
salad when cold. Serve with a French
dressing.
A very good Macedonia salad is made
by adding to the radishes and parsley cold
stewed celery and string beans. Make
mayonnaise dressing and add to II table
spoonful each of picked nasturtium seeds
and chopped chives. Mix this with the
Macedonia and serve.
The pods of peas which we extravaganza
ly throw away are never wasted by the
thrifty Frenchwoman. Covered with wa
ter they are allowed to simmer then press
ed through a colander. This makes an ex-
cellent stock In which TO boil lettuce. With
the addition of a single slice Of bacon. o
pinch of thyme and q Glove OF garlic IL
makes an unusually good soup.