The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1918-06-21
Housewife Should Make Most Of
Vegetable While It Is Avail
able for Use.
EXPERTS GIVE GOOD ADVICE
Numerous Ways Of Serving, All Of
Which Are Excellent - Stand In
Pitcher Of Cold Water to Re-
move All Bits Of Sand.

The only bad thing about asparagus
Is that 1t doesn't last long enough.
Therefore, make the most Of this de-
ucious vegetable while it Is here.
Serve 1t as often as possible in your
put up a few Jars for winter use.
There are numerous ways Of serving
asparagus-all Of them good. New,
tender, Juicy stalks of uniform size
are very attractive served whole. A
good way to remove the bits Of sand
which collect under the scales Is to
stand the bunch Of asparagus tips
down in a pitcher Of cold water for
an hour. Wash each stalk carefully,
then tie in a bundle with all of the
tips in the same direction. Cook In a
deep pan, the stalk ends down as they
are tougher. Cover with boiling salted
water and cook for about 20 to 80
minutes. Remove from the water just
az soon as tender, take of the string,
butter, and serve on a platter.
II the asparagus is not Of uniform
length or size it is better to cut it
into pieces before cooking. Cook un-
til tender and serve with a white
sauce. Asparagus served in this way
resembles green peas In favor and is
sometimes called asparagus peas"
A popular way of cooking asparagus
in the past has been to cut 1t in pieces,
boil it in water and serve with butter
or cream sauce on toast. This re-
quires bread, however, which we are
trying to save. The following is a
good substitute method and by 1t every
portion Of both rice and asparagus Is
used.
Asparagus With Rice.
To each pound of asparagus allow
one-half cupful Of uncooked rice. one
level teaspoonful Of salt, one and one
half cupfuls Of water and a rounded
tablespoonful of fat. Use "A double
boiler. Cut the harder portions Of the
asparagus, which has been washed
carefully to remove sand,' into one
Quarter-inch pieces and cook them in
salted water twenty minutes in the
top Of the double boiler directly on the
stove, not over hot water. Add the
remainder Of the asparagus cut into
inch pieces and the rice. Cook over
hot water until both asparagus and
rice are soft. Add the butter. II the
rice IL lifted carefully when there is
need Of stirring. the asparagus keeps
its form, and in spite of being cooked
with a cereal retains Its freshness and
5uiciness. This is a simple yet very
palatable dish.
Any leftover portion may be served
cold on lettuce with a French dress
ing for salad.
Don't neglect to serve your family
with cream Of asparagus soup several
times during the asparagus season.
To make 1t, grind several stalks Of
raw asparagus through the food chop
Der, taking care to save all the juice.
Put half cupful Of the ground pulp
into the top Of a double boiler and
heat over boiling water. Add quart
Of skim milk and thicken with five
teaspoonfuls Of cornstarch mixed with
4 tablespoonful Of melted fat. Season
with salt and pepper.
Why not utilize the asparagus in Its
esason to lend flavor to substitute
dishes9 When combined with milk
and eggs 1t makes a very nutritious a.
well n palatable dish suitable for the
main dish Of a meal.
Asparagus soutsse.
Cook q bunch Of asparagus cut into
pieces In boiling salted water until
soft. Mash to pulp or grind through
i. er<A rhopror MAKE n Whit. aaure