Evening star., 1934-11-16

~ ulC11U always lIlCiuOcS SeIl-
~ erous number of vegetables
4 a The best solution to serving
them lies in single platter
service. Select three or four vege-
tables which will group nicely to-
gether from the flavor. color and tex
ture standpoints. The center mound
may be of snowy-white mashed pota-
toes garniShed with bits Of pimiento
cut in fanciful forms. Surrounding
this may be timbales of spinach, inter-
Spersed with Creamed white onions
and tiny buttered beets. Arrange two
platters of this sort and appoint one
of the guests on either side Of the
table as the vegetable server.
The silver for the serving may be
arranged at the beginning of the
meal or placed when the platter is
brought in. In the latter case. 1t
should be at hand on the buffet or
serving table. There should be no
cropping in drawers for needed utensils.
BY this arrangement. the carver passes
a plate containing turkey stuffng and
a candied sweet potato first to one side
and then to the other side. The re-
spective vegetable server then adds
the other vegetables. The relishes
should be passed by those to whom
they are nearest, avoiding confusion
by not passing across the table. Thus
the hostess is left free after she has
placed the platters of turkey and vege-
tables to see that every ones desires
are cared for.
With the necessary variety of green,
vitamin-rich foods before her, the
housekeeper has only to select those
vegetables that will best balance her
Thanksgiving dinner and will COM
ply with her plan of cookery. In
doing so, she considers their color in
connection with the general color
scheme. For instance, she would not
want to serve both sweet potatoes and
carrots, but would seek contrast of
color, as represented in carrots and
broccoli, or sweet potatoes and cauli-
flower, or beets and onions. Luckily,
a contrast of color means contrast
of the mineral nutrients. according
to the kindly provision of Nature, so
that the housekeeper who seeks an
attractive table is balancing her meal
at the same time.
When the home-maker selects those
vegetables that will best fit in with
her plan of cookery, she considers
first, perhaps, how she will cook the
vegetables, and second, how much
time she will need to spend in their
preparation. For example, she Will
not want to bake large squash or a
dozen big onions if her oven is to
pe filled by the roaster. On the other
hand, she may plan to have the
roaster out of the oven about 80
minutes before dinner. ample time
in which to brown stuffed onions or
to reheat mashed squash or kershaw
In the shell. and If she must consider
time, that slips away so fast on fes-
tive occasions, she is certainly en-
titled to purchase delicate Brussels
sprouts or tender string beans in
cans. Again, to save time on the very
day of the dinner, she is wise to
select vegetables that she can pre-
pare, in large part, the day before.
Sweet Potatoes.
Sweet potatoes differ from white
potatoes in more ways than just in
color and sweetness. They are true
roots, while white potatoes are tubers.
They have more fat as well as more
sugar than the white potato, but less
salts and less protein. Sweet
potatoes are often used as desserts in
puddings, pies and puffs, role which
the white potato wisely never at
tempts. Whether the rich, moist, So
called "yams" or the more starchy,
drier types are used, there are in
Vulnerable ways of serving them. Pre-
pared in one form or another, they
may be served In almost any course
in the menu. In general, the mealy
varieties are better to take the place
of white potatoes or to combine with
leftover meats, while the sweeter.
moister kind give better results in
candying or in desserts, such as
sweet potato pudding or pie. It is
possible, however, to use either kind
baking them, the heat should not be
too great. Medium sized sweet pota-
toes require about an hour In a hot
oven. or until the skin separates from
the pulp.
The three general methods Of cook
ing sweet potatoes-baking, boiling
and frying-may be varied almost
endlessly by combinations with diff
ferent seasonings, or with other foods.
In the North, sweet potatoes are for