Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1915-05-01
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT
EXPERTS GIVE RESULTS OF
STUDY AND EXPERIMENT.
ON CHOOSING AND CLEANING
Care Must Precede the Process of
cooking-Try Combinations-Som
Suggestions on the Proper
Way of Serving.

process OF cookery MeQ1um-SlZeQ N0So-
tables are always to be preferred to
the overlarge. Food plants retarded
in normal growth are liable to be
tough and corky, while those having
abundant moisture and sunlight and
making normal growth are crisp, ten
der and well favored.
The shorter the time and journey
between garden and table the better
for green plants. 1t is wiser not to
gather vegetables while wilted or
otherwise showing the effects of the
midday sun, but rather to pick them
after the dew has evaporated in the
morning, or in the cool of the late
afternoon. Wilted vegetables can
never be wholly satisfactory, but may
be improved by careful washing and
removal of inferior portions, and then
soaking in cold water, or with salad
plants by wrapping in a damp cloth
and keeping in a cool place.
The soaking of vegetables in cold
water to freshen them probably ex-
tracts a little of the valuable salts
which they contain. When they are
blanched in hot water or parboiled
still more mineral matter is lost. If
boiled in considerable water of which
no use is made, some of the soluble
saline matter is extracted and wasted
This waste may be avoided by using
the water for soup, etc.
Often it is convenient and wise to
cook a double portion of vegetable
and serve part of it a second day in a
different form. This should not be at
tempted in warm weather unless a re-
frigerator is available, as the vege-
tables may spoil. Ordinarily vege-
table well sailed while cooking and
drained and cooled quickly and kept
covered in a cold place will keep "a
or 4S hours in cool weather.
Enough potatoes may be cooked to
serve as plain boiled or mashed to-
day, while the firmer ones can be re-
served to broil or grill in slices, fry,
or cream the next day. When gas is
the fuel this is worth while, for it
takes 80 minutes to boil pot of fresh
potatoes and only ten minutes to re-
heat them.
Most vegetables are lacking in fat,
so we add fat in the form of meat, but
ter oil or cream when preparing them
for the table, or we serve them with
fat meats, etc. AS far as the need
of the human body goes, it makes lit
tie difference whether this fat is in
cheap or in expensive form, whether
the vegetable is cooked with fat or
dressed with butter, cream or salad
oil. Good olive oil and thick cream
cost about the same, but the oil keeps
better, and hence always may be
available. Better results often are OBJ
tanned by combining cream with vege
tables than by using butter and milk
costing quite as much.
Whenever a vegetable dish, other
than dried beans, peas. or other
1egumes, cooked in some form. is to be
the principal part of a meal, it is easily
possible. as we'll as reasonable to in
crease its protein food value by the
addition of milk. cheese, or eggs
Skim milk may be heated uncovered
until considerable water has evapo
rated. then little or no thickening i,
needed for a soup or cream sauc,
made with it
Do Not Hesitate to Experiment Will
Combinations.
Though only a few are common OF
most tables, there are many comb
nations of vegetables which hav
proved satisfactory, and no one nee,
hesitate to experiment with others
In general, it is safe to combine
starchy vegetable with a succulen
one, or one lacking in flavor with ar
other that will give relish
For example, cooked celery
agreeable when mixed with, creame
potato
Green corn with potatoes and onion
with the addition of milk, etc, make
chowder which many consider q
good as fish
Potatoes boiled and cut in slices G
cubes may be used to extend NOR
expensive or more highly flavore
vegetables in salads. For instanc
out-of-season string beans or QUITO
season new celery
Potatoes with onions or white tn
nips make a more agreeable soup fl
some palates than the stronger veg
tables alone.
Carrots often are more palatab
cut in dice and blended with gree
peas than served alone
Large white beans may be serve
In tomato sauce with onion ar
green or red sweet peppers. or both.
Mint, parsley. sweet peppers, onion
etc, may be added in small portion
to many vegetables to give a ne
favor when the usual methods of ser
ing have become monotonous.
While overdone vegetables are n
desirable, underdone ones are ofte
even less appetizing: therefore it
wise to start cooking green vegetable