The hearthstone; or, Life at home

Boiled Cabbage. — To each half-gallon of water allow one heaped tablespoonful of salt, a very small piece of soda. Pick off all the dead outside leaves, cut off as much of the stalk as possible, and cut the cabbages twice across the stalk end ; if they should be very large, quarter them. Wash them well in cold water, place them in a colander, and drain ; then put them into plenty of fast-boiling water, to which have been added salt and soda in the above proportions. Stir them down once or twice in the water, keep the pan uncovered, and let them boil quickly until tender. The instant they are done take them up into a colander, place a plate over them, let them thoroughly drain, dish and serve. Cook large cabbages, or Savoys, one-half to three-quarters of an hour; young summer cabbage, ten to twelve minutes, after the water boils. Boiled Carrots. — To each half-gallon of water allow one heaped tablespoonful of salt. Cut off the green tops, wash and scrape the carrots, and, should there be any black specks, remove them. If very large, cut them in halves, divide them lengthwise into four pieces, and put them into boiling water, salted in the above proportion ; let them boil until tender, which may be ascertained by thrusting a fork into them ; dish, and serve very hot. This vegetable is an indispensable accompaniment to boiled beef. When thus served it is usually boiled with the beef. A few carrots are placed round the dish as a garnish, and the remainder sent to table in a vegetable-dish. Young carrots do not require nearly so much boiling, nor should they be divided. These make a nice addition to stewed veal, etc. Large carrots should cook one hour and three-quarters to two hours and •a quarter; young ones, about half an hour. White Beans. — Beans are deliciously prepared, without grease of any kind, as follows : Boil slowly in soft water, in a covered vessel, two or three hours, or until the beans begin to fall to pieces, and the water (which should barely fill the beans when done, and not stand above them) is viscid and jelly-like. Add a very little salt, and nothing else, unless you have chosen at the proper time to put in a few pared potatoes to eat with them. Lima Beans. — They should be gathered young. Shell them, lay them in a pan of cold water, and then boil them about two hours, till they are quite soft. Drain them well, and add to them some butter. Note. — Never use strong or rancid butter in seasoning vegetables. Chartreuse of Vegetables. — Line a plain mould or a two-quart tin basin with very thin slices of raw bacon; have prepared some half-boiled string-beans, carrots and turnips. Cut the latter into small slices, and scatter them all around the edges and bottom of the pan, about an inch thick; fill up the middle with some chopped veal, or with mixed chopped potatoes and cabbage, or cauliflower. Put a plate over the top of the mould, tie a cloth over that, and put it into a steamer for an hour and a half Turn out upon a platter, and serv^e with cream or white sauce.