The Art of Living in Australia Part 53

TOMATO SAUCE

* 6 Tomatoes--2d.

* 1 oz. b.u.t.ter--1d.

* 1 1/2 oz. Flour *

* 1/2 spoonful Sugar *

* 1/2 spoonful Salt--1/2d.

* Total Cost--31/2 d.

* Time--5 Minutes.

If the tomatoes are ripe they need not be cooked; but if at all hard, boil them for five minutes. Then slice up and rub through a sieve. Put the b.u.t.ter into a small saucepan, and when it is dissolved stir in the flour and sugar; then pour in the tomato juice and stir until it boils; season with salt to taste. This is tomato sauce pure and simple; but it is often made with half stock and half tomato juice; it is suitable for chops, steaks, &c. If made thicker it is called a puree, and is served with braised and dressed meats.

WHITE SAUCE

* 1/2 pint Milk--1d.

* 1 oz. b.u.t.ter--1d.

* 1/2 oz. Flour *

* Salt and Pepper--1/2d.

* Total Cost--2 1/2 d.

* Time Minutes.

Put the b.u.t.ter into a small saucepan, and when it is dissolved put in the flour; mix well and pour on the cold milk and stir till it boils.

Let it boil for two minutes and it is ready. It may be served either as a sweet or savoury sauce, putting either sugar or pepper and salt, as required.

BROWN GRAVY

Brown gravy can be made from any kind of stock. If the stock is good, put it into a saucepan and thicken every pint with 1 oz of flour. If the stock is not very good, boil some vegetables in it with any tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs of meat and poultry available, and thicken with b.u.t.ter and flour; a few drops of lemon juice will bring up the flavour. It should be of a rich brown colour. It can be coloured with a little sugar burnt in a spoon, or with a few drops of caramel, a recipe for which will be found elsewhere.

BROWN SAUCE

* 1 pint Stock *

* 1 oz. b.u.t.ter *

* 1/2 oz. Flour--1 1/2d.

* 1/2 Stalk of Celery *

* 1 Carrot *

* 1 Onion *

* 1/2 Turnip *

* 1 doz. Peppercorns--1d.

* Total Cost--21/2 d.

* Time--One Hour.

Put the b.u.t.ter into a saucepan, and when it is quite hot, slice up the vegetables and put them in with the peppercorns, and fry a good colour.

Stir in the flour and brown that too, then pour in the stock and stir till it boils. Cover down and let it simmer slowly for an hour. Rub through a sieve, return to the saucepan; season with salt and lemon juice, boil up, and it is ready to serve.

CARAMEL

Put half a pound of sugar into a frying-pan and let it get very brown.

Pour over half a pint of water and stir till it boils; strain into a bottle. It will keep good a long time, and is very useful for colouring soup and gravies.

VEAL FORCEMEAT

* 2 oz. Suet (Beef)--1/2d.

* 3 oz. Bread Crumbs--1/2d.

* Pepper and Salt *

* 1 Egg *

* 1/2 teaspoonful Parsley *

* 1/2 teaspoonful Sweet Herbs *

* Half a Lemon--1 1/2d.

* Total Cost--21/2 d.

Shred the suet and mix it with the bread crumbs. Chop the parsley and sweet herbs very finely and stir them in, then the grated rind of half a lemon, and the pepper and salt; drop in the egg and bind into a paste, and it is ready to use. This forcemeat is suitable for fowls, turkeys, veal, and fish.

TO MAKE BROWN CRUMBS

Cut up some very stale bread and bake it in the oven till a nice colour. Put these pieces through a sausage machine and then rum them through a sieve; keep in a bottle for use. They are excellent for many savoury dishes, and it is good way of using up stale pieces of bread.

SALAD OF COLD VEGETABLES

Take any cold vegetables that there may be in the larder--such as potatoes, cauliflowers, peas, beans, haricots, &c. Slice up the potatoes, branch the cauliflower, and mix in the peas and beans; put all into a salad bowl. Take oil and vinegar in the proportion of one of oil to two of vinegar, blend them together and season with salt and pepper. Pour this over the vegetables, slice up one or two hard boiled eggs into very thin slices, and lay round as a garnish.