The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-02-13
The Home Circle
By Celia Hord Kenny
Lesuminous Vegetables.

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Lesuminous Vegetables.
Richest of all the vegetables in nitro.
genous materials are the legumes-
the pod-bearing plants. The proper.
ton of heterogeneous constituents also
exceeds that of lean beef Besides
the proteids, or heterogeneous material,
they also contain considerable starch
and valuable mineral salts. Their
proportion of fat is small, and for that
reason fat in some form should be
added to them.
Food Value.
The legumes have a considerable
amount of indigestible substance
cellulose-which makes them insult
able for persons of delicate digestive
powers. Their proportion of nitro
genous constituents is also in excess
of the needs of persons who live a
sedentary life. But for those who live
an active life they are of great value.
They are fully as nutritious as meat
and are very much cheaper, and are a
boon to the laboring man and his
family. That they may be probably
used by the man who engages In in
tellectual instead of merely physical
tasks seems to be conclusively demon
strated by the very universal use of
the favorite article of diet of intel.
lectual Boston-the savory dish of
baked beans.
Variety Of Legumes.
Those most used in this country are
the pea and the bean, which are eaten
either green or dried. In France the
lentil is much used, but is seldom
found on American tables. Lentils are
little, fiat disks about the size of very
small green peas, and are used when
dried to make purees and also in a
dish very similar to baked beans.
When green, a delicious salad is made
from them by the addition of very
sour French dressing with rather q
strong flavor of garlic.
To Improve the Digestibility Of Dried
Peas and Beans.
The covering to each pea or bean
should be split SO that the digestive
juices can readily act upon them. If
the food be thoroughly masticated this
end will be accomplished. When dried
beans are made into strained purees
much of the indigestible portion is
removed. Vinegar is frequently added
to the dried beans, as the acid is sup.
posed to have some effect toward soft
ening the cellulose.
Green Peas and Beans.
Fresh young peas or beans are much
more digestible than dried ones on &C.
count of the cellulose being softer, but
they do not contain as much nourish-
ment. The flavor depends upon their
freshness. Never buy green. peas or
beans, or fresh vegetables of any
kind, that are the least bit withered
or wrinkled. Cook them in boiling
sailed water in an uncovered sauce.
pan, so as to preserve their color; as
the salt has tendency to tougher
them, do not add it when the vegeta-
bles are first put on, but when about
half done. Green vegetables must not
cook after they have become tender
or they will begin to turn dark and
strong in flavor. When done, the ad-
dition of little cream to lima or any
other shelled beans and also to string
beans, will be found great improve
ment. Young and tender pea pods are
sweet and have a delicious flavor of
their own; they may be boiled first to
extract their flavor, in the water In
which the peas are to be cooked, and
removed before the peas are put in.
Peas, either fresh or canned, should
have nearly all the water drained from
them when done, and a little butter
with seasoning of salt and pepper
added.
Split Peas.
These are very cheap and most nu-
,tritious. They require long soaking in
cold water before cooking, to soften.
They may be boiled and then baked
like beans, or they may first be boiled
and then made into PURGE. Below we
give recipe for split pea soup
which is favorite dish of the French
Canadian "Habitant."
Canadian Pea Soup.
Soak over night one cup of split
peas in cold water. Put to boil in
three pints of fresh water and sim
mer until very soft. Keep adding
water as it boils away to keep the
amount of liquid up to three pints.
After the peas have been cooking for
some time add quarter of pound
of salt pork which has been slightly
freshened. When the peas are soft
press them through sieve and add