SPRING VEGETABLES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 9, Issue 225, 15 October 1943, Page 19

SPRING VEGETABLES

REEN peas, young carrots and even asparagus are all making their welcome appearance now. Here are some suggestions for making the best use of them. Cooking Green Peas (1) Put the shelled peas into boiling water, adding a few of the washed pods, which help to give flavour. When half cooked, add a few sprigs of mint, a little sugar and salt. Drain when cooked, add a good knob of butter, and shake gently over low heat until the peas are coated with butter. (2) Take several outside leaves of lettuce, wash them well and lay in bottom of saucepan, with water clinging to them. Put the young peas on top, and gradually bring to the boil, No water need be added, as the juice from the lettuce leaves provides moisture enough. Cook over a slow heat, and serve with a knob of butter melted on top. Peas cooked in this way have a delicious flavour. Young Carrots and Peas Wash the young carrots, leaving them whole, unless large, when they may be split down lengthwise. Put them into a saucepan with sufficient boiling, salted water to cover well, and allow to cook steadily. When nearly tender, add the peas, a sprig or two of mint, a dash of sugar and a walnut of butter, and simmer till both vegetables are cooked. Then strain, and thicken the liquid with cornflour mixed with milk, adding chopped parsley before pouring it over the dished carrots and peas. In this way the mineral salts in the water are not wasted. Eaten with small, new potatoes, wholemeal bread and butter and cheese, this is a really delicious meal, Candied Mint Carrots These are delicious. It is a Californian recipe. Parboil sufficient washed and scraped carrots for 10 minutes in boil; ing, salted water. Split them down lengthwise unless very small and young. Arrange in a casserole, sprinkle with brown sugar, and finely-chopped mint. Dot with generous knobs of butter. Bake in a hot oven for half an hour. Asparagus Asparagus is a "course" by itself, and most people prefer it served that way, especially when it first comes in, Cut the stalks to a convenient and uniform

length, tie in bundles and stand upright in saucepan in boiling water (with heads out of the water), and put lid on. The heads thus cook in steam. When not very young, the bundles may be immersed in the water after 15 minutes of this steaming, and the cooking finished that way. Drain carefully, and serve on unbuttered toast, which absorbs the moisture. Pour hot melted butter over when serving. Very nice with thin bread and butter. Grilled Asparagus Half cook asparagus tips in the usual way. Take out, dust with pepper and salt, roll in fine breadcrumbs mixed with melted butter. Put them in already heated grilling pan, and grill about eight minutes, turning them so that they brown all over. Sprinkle with grated cheese, and serve at once, Asparagus and Eggs on Toast Butter toast and put on a hot plate, Beat 4 eggs and cook in pan with 3 tablespoons of butter. When set, spread on toast. Cook asparagus as usual, drain, and lay on top of egg. Pour over them a little hot butter. Mince Pudding with Spring Vegetables Mince ilb. lean topside finely, mix with 1-8thlb. flour, seasoning to taste, Valb. shredded suet, and an egg to bind, Line a basin with this, then fill the centre with finely-diced spring vege-tables-carrots, turnips, beans, peas, etc. Cover with white sauce, put on ‘mincemeat mixture lid, cover with greased paper, and steam 114 to 2 hours. Turn on to dish, serve with melted butter.