The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1914-10-30
LESSONS IN
DOMESTIC SCIENCE
Prepared by tho
Agricultural Department
WASHINGTON. D. c.
CABBAGE AND WAYS OF COOKING
1T.

anu 'eSedDle besides the bread and
Dutter which appear at every meal. So
Tar as the food values of these mate
rlals are concerned, meat is depended
upon TO supply the protein or tissue
forming material; the bread and pota-
toes supply most of the starch which
is one OF the principal fuels of the
diet, while the butter and the meat
particularly If 1t happens to be fatty,
supply the fat, another important fuel.
mat part of the meal which is COM
monty known as the vegetable"
though 1t is no more entitled to the
name than bread or sugar isl, COM
pares rather unfavorably with the 9TH
er parts In the amount of food which it
supplies, for often or 8 parts of 1t
in every 10 are water even before 1t
has been cooked. Meat on the other
hand seldom has more than parts in
III OF water and bread less than
parts. But when the kinds of food
which vegetables" supply are taken
into consideration they seem very i'm
portant. Even some of the most wa
terry of them, lettuce for example, of
which more than 8 parts in 10 are wa
ter providing we are speaking of the
edible portion or the lettuce after the
waste has been removed and it is
ready for the table,. supplies salts
which play an important part in the
body, and also cellulose. This last
substance, unlike most other parts of
the food (the protein, fat, starch, and
sugar., is useful because it cannot be
digested. This sounds strange, and
it should not be taken to mean that
the cellulose is harmful in any way;
quite the reverse. 1t remains almost
unchanged while 1t passes through the
body and thus gives needed volume
to the food in the intestines and tends
to prevent a very common ailment,
constipation. This is true except OF
the cellulose in the very youngest
plants and in the tiny leaves in the
heart of celery and lettuce, which is
so tender that 1t digests much as
starch and sugar do.
Salts and cellulose then are the
chief substances which vegetables"
supply, and these are both so neces-
sary that special care should be taken
to cook the vegetables well in order
to make them attractive and to make
people like and want them. Some
times, too, it is necessary to take care
that the mineral matter or salts be
retained in the vegetables. This is not
necessary when vegetables and fruit
are very abundant, but only when the
supply is limited Under the latter
circumstances, the vegetable should
be steamed in dish or cooked in very
little water and the juice should be
poured over the vegetable when it is
served. Spinach, which is especially
rich In salts, can, when it is young,
be cooked with the addition of no more
water than that which clings to the
leaves after they are washed.
Many common vegetables are over
cooked. This is particularly true of
the green vegetables like cabbage and
spinach which consist of the leaves of
plants. They are often cooked like
the root vegetables, turnips, parsnips,
and carrots, which being starchy and
more or less fibrous require long con-
tinued cooking. The fact is that cab
bage frequently falls into disfavor be-
cause 1t Is not cooked we'll Many
people think they cannot eat it with
out danger of digestive troubles. This
is unfortunate. because it is one of
the most convenient of the green vege-
tables to obtain during the winter
months. Farmers Bulletin 256 on
Preparation of Vegetables for the Ia
ble,' written by Maria Parloa, says it
Is not cabbage that causes the trouble,
but overlooked cabbage. The bulle-
tin tells how this vegetable should
look when rightly cooked and also
how it looks when overlooked, and
pives a rule for preparing it properly.
When done just enough it is crisp and
tender, not soft and tough, and the
part which was originally green is
Green still and that which was white
Is white still. Overlooked cabbage
has lost all its crispness and also its
colors; it is more or
ess yellow throughout. 1t has devel-
)ped too a strong flavor which is not
present in cabbage that is cooked Just
enough. OF course, the amount Of
cooking needed depends upon the age
If the cabbage. for the cellulose grows
ough as this vegetable natures, and |
he time of boiling cannot be stated |
loser than as from 25 to As minutes. |
[ is necessary, therefore, to depend |
lpon the signs which have been given |
!bove.
The bulletin gives the following |
'mong other recipes for preparing cab
,age:
To Boil Cabbage.
Cut small head Of cabbage into
our parts. cutting down through the |
took. Soak for half an hour in a
IAN of cold water to which has been
dded a tablespoonful of salt; this is
o draw out any insects that may be
hidden in the leaves. Take from the
water and cut into slices. Have a
arge stewpan half full of boiling wa
er; put In the cabbage. pushing it I'M
er the water with a spoon. Add one