The Laurel Health Cookery: A Collection of Practical Suggestions and Recipes for the Preparation of Non-Flesh Foods in Palatable and Attractive Ways

the mineral elements. One writer says, “Nearly all vegetables are blood purifiers; they dissolve other food and greatly assist digestion.” Suggestions Vegetables should be used soon after gathering, as they begin to ferment and lose their wholesomeness as well as flavors very shortly. As a rule put vegetables to cooking in boiling water, and bring to the boiling point again as quickly as possible. Cook green vegetables in salted water to preserve their shape and color. A lump of white sugar in the saucepan is said to preserve the color also, or a few drops of lemon juice, or charcoal tied in muslin. Onions and cabbage should be cooked in salted water. Cook roots and tubers in unsalted, and if possible soft water until tender or nearly so; then add the salt and let them boil up well. If roots have become withered soak them in water as nearly ice cold as possible, for three or four hours or over night, before cooking. Soak cauliflower and loose heads of cabbage in cold (not salted) water for an hour or more. Drain and shake gently to dislodge insects, if any. Pare all vegetables except turnips, as thin as possible. Turnips should be pared inside the dark line encircling them, or they will have a strong taste. Parboiling leeks, onions, cabbage and old carrots renders them more digestible and more agreeable to some. All vegetables will require longer cooking at great altitude. Milk or cream of raw or steamed (not roasted) nut butter may be substituted for dairy milk or cream with nearly all vegetables. Many vegetables are delightful to the cultivated taste served plain with Brazil or other nuts. Thus we get the benefit of the fine delicate flavors in the different foods instead of covering them up with sauces and dressings. More elaborate dishes of vegetables are given among entrées. =Artichokes--Globe= Soak artichokes for several hours or over night, drain, cut stalks close, trim away the bottom leaves, clip the sharp points from the leaves or cut off the tops straight across. Boil in salted water, if possible with charcoal