CAMOUFLAGED ECONOMY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 61, 23 August 1940, Page 43

CAMOUFLAGED ECONOMY

of articles dealing with the preparation of tasty meals from materials produced mainly on the home-farm, we come to potatoes and cheese. Of course, cheese is not actually made at home (except the delicious " Cottage Cheese" made from left-over sour milk), but many dairy farms supply cheese factories, and it seems to come within the scope of our series. It is a fact that we eat surprisingly little cheese in New Zealand-not nearly as much as we should. I suppose it is because the early settlers found it easier to kill a sheep-there was so little time to spare in those pioneering days; and then the habit of meat-eating at least twice a day persisted, even after cheese factories became so numerous. Besides, times were hard, and cheese was a profitable export. It is time, however, that we began to realise the value of cheese in our regular diet, and to use it frequently in place of meat, not just as an addition to a meal already heavy with protein or milk. One pound of Cm our little series

cheese contains as much fat and protein as a whole gallon of milk; so you see how concentrated a food it is, and can understand how it should be eaten in small amounts, and in association with bulky foods such as vegetables, both green and root, cooked and raw, and also with fruit. Cheese and apple-pie is a very old combination; and slices of apple or pear spread with cheese make pleasant eating. Pineapple and cheese are delightful together, too-a plain water biscuit buttered lightly, and with a square of cheese upon it, and a cube of pineapple on top of that, makes a delicious snack. Whole milk cheese being very rich in fat, it is necessary to be very sparing in the use of other fats at the same meal. Try some of these recipes for luncheon or dinner: Cheese and Ham Toast Into a baking dish put the required number of fairly thick slices of buttered toast. Cover each with a thick slice of cheese, In the meantime, prepare the following sauce: Cook about a cupful of thinly sliced onions in 2 tablespoons of butter, but do not let it brown. To this add about half a cupful of chopped raw ham or bacon, and to this add a good cupful of rich white sauce made in the approved manner, which I have given two or three times lately-first melting the butter, then stirring in the flour, and letting it melt together, and then adding very gradually the milk. When mushrooms are in season, it is delicious to add half a cupful or so of chopped mushrooms to this combination. Pour this

beautiful mixture over the cheese-topped slices of toast in the baking dish. Sprinkle with a little more grated cheese, and just brown it in a hot oven. This dish should be served very hot with plenty of green salad. Savoury Roly-Poly (Baked) First make the cheese filling for this Roly-Poly. Mix together a cup and a-half of cheese (which is best put through the mincer) and also a small onion, likewise minced. Stir these together with a beaten egg, a few drops of Worcester sauce, and a shake of dry mustard, and salt. Mix this all well together with a good tablespoon of melted butter. Now make the pastry part with 2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 4 tablespoons of butter (or margarine if the dish is going to be eaten hot); a speck of mustard added to this makes a nice pastry. Mix to a dough with milk, roll out on a floured board, and pat it out to about half an inch in thickness, and oblong in shape. Spread with the savoury mixture, roll it up, and place it with the join underneath, in a greased baking dish. Brush over with a little milk, and bake in a hot oven, about 375°, or Regulo 6. It should take between half and threequarters of an hour. Serve this hot, with a good vegetable salad. Tomato sauce is nice with this.

Scalloped Cheese and Potato Peel and cut into cubes about 114 Ibs. of potatoes, and mince up a good sized onion. Boil these together with a little salt, for five minutes, and then strain. Put them in a greased baking dish, and cover with a rich cheese sauce-that is, a good white sauce to which has been added grated cheese. To a pint of white sauce, add a good cupful of cheese. Brown this mixture in a moderately hot oven; it will take about half an hour. Cauliflower or Brussels Sprouts with Cheese Boil a small cauliflower or a pound of Brussels Sprouts. Strain, and put into a buttered casserole or piedish. If cauliflower is used, break it into small sections. sprinkle over this a good cupful of grated cheese, and upon that sprinkle a cupful of brown bread crumbs. Now prepare a savoury custard with 114 cups of milk, 2 eggs, a shake of pepper and salt, and a. tiny dash of nutmeg. Pour this over the vegetable and cheese, dot with a few pieces of butter, and bake in a moderately hot oven till set and firm in the centre, like a custard. It is a good idea to place the casserole in an outside dish of boiling water, to prevent the custard from boiling. This is a nourishing main dish for a meal. Tenterden Apple Pie This is a traditional dish from Kent. Make the apple pie in the usual way, in a deep pie dish, putting first a good thick layer of sliced cooking apples, then

a sprinkling of sugar, then more apple slices, and a few cloves. Pour in about half a teacupful of water. Now, however, place some thin slices of cheese to form a covering for the apples, before putting on the pie crust. Also sprinkle with the merest suggestion of pepper, a shake of nutmeg and a slight sprinkling of castor sugar. Now have your good pastry ready (either short or puff), line the edge of the piedish first with a strip of pastry, then put on the cover. Decorate the edges with a fork or a knife, sprinkle a little more castor sugar lightly over the crust, and make in a good oven for approximately an hour. Short pastry is really the best for this. Cheese and Onion Tart Line a pie plate with pastry, par-boil some onions, strain, and cut them up fairly small. Fill the pastry lined plate with the onion and an equal quantity of grated cheese. Season with pepper and salt, cover with pastry, and bake in a hot oven. A very nice tea dish. Fish and Cheese Have ready some fillets of fish — flounder is especially nice for this, Rub

Ligon i. gee i, © each fillet over with a cut lemon, and squeeze a few drops of lemon juice on each. Spread. it with finely chopped onion, a good sprinkling of grated cheese, and season with pepper and salt. Roll each fillet up, and place in a wellbuttered casserole or piedish, cover over, and bake for 20 minutes or so. Take off the lid, pour a cupful of good white sauce over, sprinkle with more grated cheese, and replace in the oven to brown. Mock Crab This is a delightful ‘savoury, for spread« ing on buttered water biscuits. Mix together 2 hard-boiled eggs finely chopped, a tablespoon of butter, a breakfast cup of grated. cheese, a teaspoon of sugar, pepper and salt, and a little dry mustard to taste and about 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Another recipe for Mock Crab omits the eggs, and substitutes a little finely shredded onion. Bacon Rarebit Put through a mincer 4 or 5 slices of raw bacon, two slices of onion and about (Continued on next page)

(Continued from previous page)

half a pound of cheese. Mix this thoroughly together with about a tablespoonful. of mixed mustard. Now toast your slices of bread on one side, then spread the un-toasted side with the cheese mixture and put under the griller until the mixture is browned and cooked. This is an American recipe and seems worth trying. Cheese Soup This is an old English recipe. Fry 2 tablespoons of finely chopped onion in a little butter, without letting it brown. When it is soft, add about 4% pint of hot water, and continue cooking until the onion is quite done. Now add gradually a pint of milk, bring to the boil, and thicken with 2 tablespoons of flour, mixed smooth with a little milk. Season to taste, and simmer till it thickens. Just before serving, mix in three or four tablespoons of finely grated cheese. Cheese Pudding This is another traditional English dish, or rather Welsh dish, and was given to me in London. Grease a casserole or piedish and cover the bottom with slices of thin bread and butter. Sprinkle over them a layer of grated cheese. Repeat until the dish is full, having the buttered side of the top layer of bread on top. Make a custard with 2 eggs, 2 breakfast cups of milk, and a seasoning of pepper and salt. Pour this custard over the bread and leave it to stand for at least half an hour. Sprinkle with more grated cheese, and bake in a moderate oven till brown and crisp.