Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-14
MARKET IN SPRING
Numerous Crisp Delights
That Are on Sale.
FRESH VEGETABLES
HOW TO SELECT, COOK AND
SERVE THEM.
When cucumbers and Radishes Give
Least Strain to Di-
gestion.

Written for The Evening Star.
The hcusekeeper who wishes her family
to reap real benefits from the early veg
etable season, markets as soon as possible
after sun-up. before heat, dust and handling
get in their deadly work. If she is among
the first at the green grocer's, she has the
double reward of serving her family well
and feasting her own eyes on the array
of dewy; crisp spring eolorings.
There is no such thing bargains in
vegetables Green things which lie until
wilted are sold at reduced prices, but the
cook throws away more than the marketer
saves. Vegetables should always be crisp
and firm.
When pea and bean pods refuse 10 crack,
but droop Imply in the hand, they are not
worth carrying home Heat makes Gu
cumbers. radishes and all salads stringy.
and where the mistress is within daily
reach of the markets, it is best to buy only
in daily quantities. as frequently the vege-
tables have already been brought long dis
tances
The freshest of vegetables may be ruined
by slovenly cooking. These general rules
should always be borne in mind:
If vegetables show the slightest trace of
wilt drop them in cold, clear, unsalted
water for half an hour before cooking. All
vegetables should be dropped into water
that is boiling briskly. TO lie for mo-
ment in luke-warm water or water that is
just coming to a boil, means they will be-
come soggy and stringy.
For all green vegetables, add a teaspoon
of salt to every half gallon of water All
vegetables grown under ground, such as
potatoes and turnips, should be boiled in
unsaited water, as salt makes them tough
and hard.
Fresh vegetables should be cooked simply
and served with a plain sauce. Elaborate
made dishes suggest winter, not crisp, life
giving spring. Salads should not include
meat, IT served at the spring dinner table.
and French dressing should be given the
preference with the crisp green salads.
Radishes and cucumbers. though obtain
able all the year round from lighthouses
southern helds, are now more palatable. as
they are apt to be locally grown. But it
must be remembered that they are a relish
and not strengthening item on the bill
of fare.
Spring radishes, commonly known as but
ton radishes. should not be pared and laid
in water. This makes them soggy and they
sour quickly. The tops may be trimmed,
all save one long, slender leaf which makes
dainty handle. Then they are dropped
without pairing into iced water for an hour.
They should be sent to the table in a nest
of chopped ice.
Cucunbers may be pared thinly sliced
and dropped into clear iced water for half
an hour before serving. 1t is grave mis-
take to follow the old-fashioned rule of
soaking them indefinitely in strong salt
more than ordinarily trying on the diges-
ton. Just before serving, lay them on a
cold salad dish, pour French dressing over
them, and add a handful of chopped ice to
keep them fresh. Young onions, thinly
sliced, may be added to the cucumbers
when they are first soaked in cold water.
Asparagus should be plentiful by this
time. 1t can be made to serve double duty
When the stalk and tip are cooked together
the tip is eaten off and the stalk thrown
away. If the tips are cooked separately,
the stalks can be saved for soup, cream of
asparagus soup being esteemed a delicacy
for the spring dinner table.
TO COOK the tips, cut them two inches in
length, wash them and cut again into three
pieces Boil them, dropping them in boil
ing sailed water, for half an hour Have
ready in a double boiler white GAUGE made
as follows: Rub together one tablespoon Of
butter and the same of -four and add half
a pint of milk. Stir until smooth and add
salt and pepper to taste. Take a loaf Of
stale bread, cut in thick slices and scrape
or CRATE off the outside crust, and scoop
out little hollow in each Slice Brush
these patty-shaped slices Of bread with
melted butter, and brown in quick oven.
Remove the asparagus from the fire drain
1t and pile the tips neatly in the pieces of
bread. Pour over the asparagus some of
the cream sauce. and serve as you would
patties of any description. garnishing with
parsley or endive.
If an asparagus salad is desired, cut off
the tips dS diceidy dcSCiiDSu, idyliiS Tie
stalks away for soup. Cook the tips until
tender, drain carefully and set away to get
ice cold. Have ready some French dressing
andssome chopped sweet relish, sometimes
called Waldorf relish. Lay tablespoon of
asparagus tips crisp young lettuce
leaf, sprinkle lightly with chopped relish,
pour over this the French dressing and
serve at once individual salad plates.
The ingredients for this salad must be ice
cold.
Young cabbage, If crisp and white, lends