Woman's Institute Library of Cookery Volume II Part 14

TABLE I

COMPOSITION AND FOOD VALUE OF VEGETABLES

Food Value Vegetable Water Protein Fat Carbo- Ash per Pound hydrate Calories ---------------------------------------------------------------- Asparagus .......... 94.0 1.8 .2 3.3 .7 105 Beans Dried ............ 12.6 22.5 1.8 59.6 3.5 1,750 Lima ............. 68.5 7.1 .7 22.0 1.7 570 Sh.e.l.led .......... 58.9 9.4 .6 29.1 2.0 740 String ........... 89.2 2.3 .3 7.4 .8 195 Beets .............. 87.5 1.6 .1 9.7 1.1 215 Brussels sprouts ... 88.2 4.7 1.1 4.3 1.7 215 Cabbage ............ 91.5 1.6 .3 5.6 1.0 145 Carrots ............ 88.2 1.1 .4 9.3 1.0 210 Cauliflower ........ 92.3 1.8 .5 4.7 .7 140 Celery ............. 94.5 1.1 .1 3.3 1.0 85 Corn ............... 75.4 3.1 1.1 19.7 .7 470 Cuc.u.mbers .......... 95.4 .8 .2 3.1 .5 80 Eggplant ........... 92.9 1.2 .3 5.1 .5 130 French artichokes .. 92.5 .8 .2 5.0 1.5 110 Greens Dandelion ........ 81.4 2.4 1.0 10.6 4.6 285 Endive ........... 94.7 1.2 .3 2.9 .9 90 Spinach .......... 92.3 2.1 .3 3.2 2.1 110 Swiss chard ...... 92.3 2.1 .3 3.2 2.1 110 Lettuce .......... 94.7 1.2 .3 2.9 .9 90 Watercress ....... 94.7 1.2 .3 2.9 .9 90 Jerusalem artichokes 79.5 2.6 2.0 16.7 1.0 365 Kohlrabi ........... 91.1 2.0 .1 5.5 1.3 145 Lentils, dried ..... 8.4 25.7 1.0 59.2 5.7 1,620 Mushrooms .......... 88.1 3.5 .4 6.8 1.2 210 Okra ............... 90.2 1.6 .2 7.4 .6 175 Onions ............. 87.6 1.6 .3 9.9 .6 225 Parsnips ........... 83.0 1.6 .5 13.5 1.4 300 Peas Dried ............ 9.5 24.6 1.0 62.0 2.9 1,655 Green ............ 74.6 7.0 .5 16.9 1.0 465 Peppers ............ 92.9 1.2 .3 5.1 .5 130 Potatoes Irish ............ 78.3 2.2 .1 18.4 1.0 385 Sweet ............ 69.0 1.8 .7 27.4 1.1 570 Radishes ........... 91.8 1.3 .1 5.8 1.0 135 Salsify ............ 88.2 1.1 .4 9.3 1.0 210 Squash Summer ........... 95.4 .8 .2 3.1 .5 80 Winter ........... 88.3 1.4 .5 9.0 .8 215 Tomatoes ........... 94.3 .9 .4 3.9 .5 105 Turnips ............ 89.6 1.3 .2 8.1 .8 185 ----------------------------------------------------------------

PURCHASE AND CARE OF VEGETABLES

PURCHASE OF VEGETABLES

20. As in the case of other foods, the purchase of vegetables in the market requires special knowledge and attention in order that the best value may be obtained for the money expended. The housewife who has a limited amount of money to spend for food does not buy wisely when she purchases vegetables out of season or those which must be s.h.i.+pped long distances. On the other hand, it will be found that vegetables bought in season as well as those which are plentiful in the particular locality in which they are sold, especially if they are perishable vegetables, are lowest in price and are in the best condition for food. Therefore, whether the income is limited or not, it is wisdom on the part of the housewife to buy vegetables that grow in the neighboring region and to purchase them when they are in season.

21. A very important point for the housewife to keep in mind regarding the purchase of vegetables is that their price is determined not by their value as food, but by their scarcity and the demand for them.

Take, for example, the case of mushrooms. As shown in Table I, this vegetable is low in food value, containing only 210 calories to the pound, but, if purchased, they are always an expensive food. The high price asked for mushrooms is entirely dependent on their scarcity. If there is much demand in a certain community for a food that is not plentiful in the market, the price of that food always goes up. As in the case of mushrooms, many expensive foods add practically nothing in the way of nourishment, their only value being in the variety of flavor they supply.

22. Furthermore, in order to provide wisely, the person who purchases vegetables for the family should be able to judge whether she is getting full value in food for the money she invests. She cannot always do this with each particular vegetable purchased, but she can buy in such a way that what she purchases will average correctly in this respect. The perishable vegetables should be bought as fresh as possible. No difficulty will be experienced in determining this, for they will soon wither or rot if they are not fresh, but the point is to find out their condition before they are bought. The housewife should be ever on the alert and should examine carefully the vegetables she buys before they are accepted from the grocer or taken from the market. In the case of certain vegetables, it is possible to conceal the fact that they are stale. For instance, the outside leaves of a head of lettuce or endive are sometimes removed and only the bleached center is offered for sale; but this always indicates that the outside leaves were either withered or spoiled or they would not have been taken off.

23. Much of the spoiling of vegetables can be avoided if proper attention is given to them in the market. Food of this kind should be so displayed that it is not exposed to the dirt and dust of the street, nor to flies and other destructive vermin. The practice of displaying vegetables on a stand in front of a store is gradually losing favor with the housewife who understands the sanitary precautions that should be taken with foods. On the other hand, housewives owe it to the merchant not to handle the foods they are going to buy, for the handling of them not only injures them so that they will not keep well, but renders them unfit to be accepted by the next purchaser.

24. The manner in which vegetables are sold should also receive consideration. It has been the custom to sell them by measure, but both housewives and merchants have come to realize that it is fairer to sell them by weight. Experience has shown that a pound is much more likely to be always uniform than is a quart or a peck. This is due to the fact that no two dealers are likely to measure in exactly the same way, even though the measures they use are up to the standard in size. Then, too, especially in the case of vegetables that are of various sizes and shapes, it is impossible to fill a measure properly because of the shape of the vegetables, and so either the housewife often receives short measure or the merchant gives more than the measure requires. All difficulty of this kind is entirely overcome when vegetables are weighed.

CARE OF VEGETABLES

25. PERISHABLE VEGETABLES, that is, those which spoil quickly, are usually bought in small quant.i.ties, and so are used up quickly. However, if they are kept on hand for only a day or so, they require a definite amount of care in order to insure the most satisfactory results in their use. To prevent them from spoiling or withering, they should be kept in a cool, damp place until they are needed. The most effective and convenient way in which to accomplish this is to store them in a refrigerator or other similar device. If ice cannot be obtained, the cellar should be utilized. Before vegetables of this kind are put away after being delivered from the market, they should be looked over carefully, and any that are spoiled should be discarded in order to prevent others that they might touch from becoming tainted. As little handling as possible, however, is advantageous, because when such foods become bruised and are then allowed to stand they are likely to spoil very quickly.

26. The less perishable vegetables, commonly called WINTER VEGETABLES because they may be kept through the winter, may be bought in quant.i.ty, provided proper storage facilities to prevent them from spoiling are available. Potatoes, in particular, are usually purchased in this way, for, as a rule, they may be obtained at a better price than when bought in small quant.i.ties, and then, too, they are a vegetable that most families use nearly every day. If they are bought in quant.i.ty, they should first be thoroughly tested, for often a potato looks very well on the outside while its texture and flavor may not be at all in accordance with its appearance. Great care should also be exercised to see that this vegetable, as well as carrots, turnips, parsnips, etc., has not been frosted, for frost ruins them as to texture and keeping qualities.

All such vegetables as these, provided they must be stored for any length of time, keep best in a cold, fairly dry atmosphere. To prevent them from sprouting, the storage room should, if possible, be kept dark, but in case they do sprout, the sprouts should be removed as soon as they are discovered. The best receptacles for the storage of these winter vegetables are bins, a convenient type of which is shown in _Essentials of Cookery_, Part 2, and the most satisfactory place in which to put such bins is a cellar that has a dirt floor rather than a board or a cement floor.

CLa.s.sIFICATION OF VEGETABLES

27. Because of their difference in physical structure, both as plants or parts of plants, and their variation in chemical composition, it is a rather difficult matter to cla.s.sify vegetables. The vegetables that are discussed throughout these Sections are therefore not included in any cla.s.ses, but are arranged alphabetically, a plan that the housewife will find very convenient. However, there are a few general cla.s.ses whose names and characteristics should be known by the housewife, for an understanding of them will enable her to make a more intelligent use of this food. These cla.s.ses, together with a brief description of the features that characterize them and the names by which the princ.i.p.al varieties are known, are here given.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 1]

28. SUCCULENT VEGETABLES are those which are generally eaten for their appetizing effect and their value as a source of mineral salts and bulk.

These vegetables, which get their name from the fact that they are juicy in texture, include the greens, such as spinach, Swiss chard, dandelion, lettuce, etc., also celery, asparagus, cabbage, and all other plants whose green leaves and stems are edible. Succulent vegetables may be cooked, but they are often used as cold relishes or in the making of salads.

29. ROOT, TUBER, and BULB VEGETABLES form another cla.s.s. Examples of several well-known roots are shown in Fig. 1, which from left to right are salsify, carrots, turnips, and parsnips. The varieties included in this cla.s.s are closely related as to food value, and on the whole average much higher in this characteristic than do the succulent vegetables. Irish potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes are examples of tubers; sweet potatoes, beets, radishes, etc., in addition to the vegetables shown in Fig. 1, belong to the roots; and onions and all the vegetables related to the onion, such as garlic, shallots, and leeks, are ill.u.s.trations of bulbs or enlarged underground stems.

30. FRUIT and FLOWER VEGETABLES form a third cla.s.s. They present great variety in appearance, structure, and composition. To this cla.s.s belong cuc.u.mbers, eggplant, winter and summer squash, vegetable marrow, tomatoes, peppers, and okra, which are in reality fruits but are used as vegetables. Flower vegetables include California, or French, artichokes, and cauliflower, all of which are in reality the buds of flowers or plants and are eaten for food.

31. LEGUMES form a fourth cla.s.s of vegetables, and they include all the varieties of beans, peas, and lentils. When these foods are mature and dried, they have the highest food value of all the vegetables. Among the beans are Lima beans, kidney beans, navy, or soup, beans, soy beans, and many others. The peas include the various garden varieties that have been allowed to mature, cow-peas, and many others, some of which are not suitable for human consumption. The lentils occur in numerous varieties, too, but those commonly used are the red, yellow, and black ones. To legumes also belong peanuts, but as they are seldom used as vegetables in cookery, no further mention is made of them in this Section.

VARIETIES OF VEGETABLES AND THEIR PREPARATION

GENERAL METHODS OF PREPARATION AND COOKING

32. PREPARING VEGETABLES FOR COOKING.--Before many vegetables can be cooked, they require a certain amount of preparation, such as was.h.i.+ng, soaking, peeling, cutting up into suitable sizes, etc. When they must be peeled, great care should be taken not to remove too much of the vegetable with the skin. Whenever it is possible to do so, vegetables should be cooked in their skins, as there is much less waste of edible material if the skins are removed after cooking. Potatoes that are to be fried, hashed brown, or used for salad and other similar dishes may be boiled in their skins and peeled afterwards just as conveniently as to be peeled first and then boiled. Indeed, this plan is strongly recommended, for it not only saves material that is removed in the peeling but also conserves the mineral salts and the soluble food material, much of which is lost in the water during the cooking.

33. If it is desired to remove the peeling before cooking, it will be found more economical to put the vegetables in water and then sc.r.a.pe off the skins than to cut them off with a knife. This method is especially satisfactory with new potatoes and with such vegetables as carrots, parsnips, salsify, and turnips. The sc.r.a.ping can be accomplished more easily if the vegetables are first plunged into boiling water for a few minutes and then dipped into cold water.

When entire heads of such vegetables as cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, etc. are to be cooked, they should be soaked, head down, for at least 1/2 hour in salted water made by adding 1 teaspoon-full of salt to 1 quart of water. This is done in order to remove any bugs or worms that may be lodged in the head. The correct proportion of salt is an important detail of this process, for if salt water that is too strong is used, it will kill the bugs or worms and they will remain in the head. 34. METHODS OF COOKING APPLIED TO VEGETABLES.--The usual methods of cooking applied to vegetables are boiling, steaming, baking, stewing, frying, sauteing, broiling, and roasting. Which one of these to select depends, of course, on the particular kind of vegetable that is to be cooked and the result that is desired, but, if possible, an effort should be made to select an economical method. Starchy vegetables, such as Irish and sweet potatoes, beans, etc., develop a more delicious flavor when they are baked than when they are cooked by any other method of preparation. Steaming is an excellent means of preparing vegetables that must be cooked by moist heat, especially when it is desired that no soluble material be lost, as is often the case in boiling. Frying and sauteing, when applied to vegetables, usually produce a delicious flavor, but often render the vegetables decidedly indigestible. For this reason, vegetables so prepared should seldom if ever be served to children and to persons whose digestion is not good.

35. EFFECT OF COOKING ON VEGETABLES.--The various ways in which cooking affects vegetables should be thoroughly understood by the housewife. In the first place, some methods conserve the food material whereas others waste it. For instance, boiling in water, which is probably one of the most common ways of cooking vegetables, is decidedly advantageous in some respects, but the water dissolves much of the soluble material, such as mineral salts, sugar, etc., found in the vegetables, so that unless some use is made of this water in the cooking of other foods, considerable waste results. On the other hand, steaming and baking permit no loss of food material, and so they should be applied to vegetables whenever it is desired to conserve food substances.

36. The flavors of vegetables are greatly changed during the process of cooking, being increased in some cases and decreased in others. In the case of such strongly flavored vegetables as cabbage, cauliflower, onions, etc., it is advisable to dissipate part of the flavor. Therefore such vegetables should be cooked in an open vessel in order that the flavor may be decreased by evaporation. Vegetables mild in flavor, however, are improved by being cooked in a closed vessel, for all their flavor should be retained. The overcooking of vegetables is sometimes responsible for an increase of a disagreeable flavor. 37. Another feature of vegetables often changed by cooking is their color. For instance, green vegetables do not, upon cooking, always remain green. In many cases, the color may be improved by adding a very small quant.i.ty of soda to the water in which the vegetables are cooked. Attention should also be given to the length of time vegetables are subjected to heat, for the overboiling of some vegetables is liable to develop an unattractive color in them. This is particularly the case with cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, which develop not only a strong, disagreeable flavor but also a reddish color when cooked too long.

38. The application of heat to vegetables also has a definite effect on them. By sufficient cooking, the cellulose of vegetables is softened to the extent that it is less irritating and much more likely to be partly digested than that of raw vegetables. The acids of fruits increase upon cooking, and so the acidity of vegetables is increased to a certain extent. Vegetables that contain starch are rendered digestible in no other way than by cooking. On the other hand, the protein material of this food is coagulated by the application of heat, just as the white of an egg or the tissue of meat is coagulated and hardened. However, cooking is the only means of softening the cellulose that surrounds this material.

Still, high-protein foods, such as beans, peas, and lentils, can be much improved if they are cooked in water that is not very hard. The lime in hard water has a tendency to harden them to the extent that they require a much longer time to cook than when soft water is used. These vegetables may be still further softened by the addition of a small quant.i.ty of soda to the water in which they are cooked, but care should be taken not to use too much soda, as it will injure the flavor. When soda is used, the vegetable should be parboiled for 10 or 15 minutes in the soda water and then drained and cooked in fresh water. This method, of course, does not apply to vegetables that are cooked in soda water to retain their color.

39. Salt is always added in the cooking of vegetables to season them. In the use of salt, two important points must be borne in mind: first, that it has the effect of hardening the tissues of the vegetable in much the same manner as it hardens the tissues of meat; and, secondly, that it helps to draw out the flavor of the vegetables. These two facts determine largely the time for adding the salt. If an old, tough, winter vegetable is to be prepared, it should be cooked until nearly soft in water that contains no salt, and the salt should be added just before the cooking is finished. When it is desired to draw out the flavor, as, for instance, when vegetables are cooked for soup or stews, the salt should be supplied when the vegetables are put on to cook.

Young tender vegetables may be cooked in salt water, but as such water extracts a certain amount of flavor, an effort should be made to use it in the preparation of stews, sauces, and soups.

SAUCES FOR VEGETABLES

40. Vegetables may, of course, be served plain, but they are greatly improved in flavor, nutritive value, and often in appearance by the addition of a well-seasoned sauce. Numerous sauces are used for this purpose, the one to select depending somewhat on the vegetable, the method of cooking employed, and the flavor that is desired. Recipes for the sauces found to be most satisfactory are here given. It will be well to practice the making of these, so as to become familiar with them and thus know just what sauce is meant when reference is made to a particular sauce in the recipes for vegetables. The quant.i.ties given in the recipes for sauces will make sufficient sauce to dress the vegetables required for four to six persons. White sauce, which is probably the one that is used oftenest, may be made in various thicknesses, as has been explained previously. However, the medium white sauce has been found to be the one most nearly correct for vegetables and consequently the one most preferred.

MEDIUM WHITE SAUCE

2 Tb. b.u.t.ter 2 Tb. flour 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 1 c. milk

Melt the b.u.t.ter and add the flour, salt, and pepper. Pour into this the milk, which has been previously heated, and cook together until the flour thickens completely. Pour over the vegetable, from which the water has been previously drained, and serve.

VEGETABLE SAUCE

2 Tb. b.u.t.ter 2 Tb. flour 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 1/2 c. milk 1/2 c. water in which vegetable was cooked

Melt the b.u.t.ter, add the flour, salt, and pepper, and pour into this the heated liquids. Cook until the mixture thickens. Pour over the drained vegetable and serve hot.

DRAWN-b.u.t.tER SAUCE

1/4 c. b.u.t.ter 2 Tb. flour 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 1 c. hot water

Melt the b.u.t.ter, add the flour, salt, and pepper, and pour into this the hot water. Boil for a few minutes and serve.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

1/3 c. b.u.t.ter 1 Tb. flour 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 c. boiling water 1 egg yolk 2 Tb. vinegar or lemon juice

Melt the b.u.t.ter, add the flour, salt, and water, and cook until the mixture thickens. While still hot, pour over the slightly beaten egg yolk, beating constantly to prevent curding. Add the vinegar or lemon juice. Serve with vegetables that have been boiled in salt water.