Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-04-16
TO PREPARE AND
USE VEGETABLES
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT
EXPERTS GIVE RESULTS OF
STUDY AND EXPERIMENT.
ON CHOOSING AND CLEANING
Care Must Precede the Process OF
Cooklng-Try combInatlons-Some
Suggestions on the Proper
Way Of Serving.

prepared by the United States Depart
ment Of Agricultural
Careful choosing, sorting and clean
Ing of vegetables must precede any
process of cookery. Medium-sized vege
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 we'll favored.
The shorter the time and journey
between garden and table the better
for green plants. It 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 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. II
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 1t is convenient and wise to
cook double portion of vegetable
and serve part Of it second day in a
different form. This should not be at
tempted in warm weather unless re-
frigerator is available. as the vege-
tables may spoil. Ordinarily a vege-
table we'll sailed while cooking and
drained and cooled quickly and kept
covered in a cold place will keep "a
or 48 hours in cool weather.
Enough potatoes may be cooked to
serve as plain boiled or mashed to-
day, while the flrmer 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 vegetable dish, other
than dried beans, peas, or other
legumes. cooked in some form. is to be
the principal part OF meal, 1t 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 !s
needed for soup or cream sauce
made with 1t.
Do Not Hesitate to Experiment With
Combinations.
Though only a few are common on
most tables, there are many combi-
nations Of vegetables which have
proved satisfactory, and no one need
hesitate to experiment with others.
In general, it is safe to combine a
starchy vegetable with succulent
one, or one lacking in flavor with an
other that will give relish.
For example, cooked celery is
agreeable when mixed with creamed
potato.
Green corn with potatoes and onion,
with the addition OF milk, ETC., makes
a chowder which many consider as
good as fish.
Potatoes boiled and cut in slices or
cubes may be used to extend more
expensive or more highly favored
vegetables in salads. For instance,
out-of-season string beans or out-of.
season new celery.
Potatoes with onions or white tur.
nips make more agreeable soup for
some palates than the stronger vege.
tables alone.
Carrots often are more palatable
cut in dice and blended with green
peas than sefved alone.
Large white; beans may be served
III tomato sauce with onion and
green CT red sweet peppers, or both.
iJ:Et, parsley, sweet peppers, onions,
ETC., may be added in small portions
to many vegetables to give a new
flavor when the usual methods of serv-
ing have become monotonous,
While overdone vegeta bles are not
desirable, underdone ones are often
even less appetizing; therefore it is
wise to start cooking green Vegetables
in season and stop the process as
soon as the plant is tender, drain and
then reheat quickly with seasoning
Just before serving. Most time tables
in cook books do not take into con.
sideration the variations in time re.
CURED for the same kind of vegetables
at different ages. AS a general rule
the more mature or Older" the vege.
table the longer the necessary cooking
period.