aside for a cold salad, with a final dressing of vinaigrette.
Prepare the vegetable by trimming the stalk, cutting away, but reserving the outer leaves, and washing all in plenty of cold water. Soak the head for 20 minutes in warm salted water to draw away the insects, divide into springs, then rinse and steam or boil in a very little salted water until tender.
After draining the sprigs, dip in browned breadcrumbs, or serve with a coating of plain, well-seasoned white sauce. Here are a few other ways of dealing with cauliflower for vegetable meals.
CURRIED CAULIFLOWER
1 cauliflower.
A few sultanas, if possible.
1 apple.
A little minced onion, if possible.
1 dessertspoon curry powder.
1 oz. flour.
Cook the cauliflower as described above, then drain and save the stock. Measure 1/2
Mix one dessertspoon of curry powder with an ounce of flour, then moisten with a little stock to a smooth cream. Add to the saucepan and stir until the mixture thickens, adding sufficient stock to bring to a pouring consistency. Then add the cauliflower sprigs to heat through, seasoning if necessary.
A little home-made jam or sweet pickle is an improvement with curry sauce, if you have some handy.
Serve the curry in the centre of a round dish, with a ring of mashed potato round it.
BAKED CAULIFLOWER
2 small cauliflowers.
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs (wheatmeal).
1 gill milk.
1 teaspoon of vegetable extract (yeast product) if liked.
1 oz. dripping or cooking fat.
11/2 oz. flour.
Cook the cauliflowers as described on page 19. Then drain carefully and reserve the liquid, using it for the sauce, in part measure with milk.
Grease a fireproof dish and arrange the cauliflower sprigs in it, keeping them hot while making the white sauce. For this use 11/2 oz. flour, 1 oz. fat and 1 gill milk. When boiled and smooth, add 2 gills of cauliflower stock in which the extract has been dissolved. Season well.
Pour the sauce over the cooked cauliflower, sprinkle with an even coating of browned breadcrumbs, and cook in a moderate oven till crisp. For a quick meal, brown beneath a heated grill until well coloured, and serve very hot.
CARROTS
The carrot is one of the most valuable of all root vegetables. It is a rich source of Carotene, which is converted into Vitamin A, and strengthens our resistance to infection.
Carrots also contain sugar, which is useful for war-time diet. Most children like raw carrots and should be allowed to eat them freely.
Two tablespoons of grated raw carrot daily is a good rule for both children and adults. This can be served in a salad, or taken in a wheatmeal bread sandwich. Here are some sandwich fillings to try.
(See page 60, SALADS).
SANDWICH FILLINGS.
RAW.
1. Add two parts of grated raw carrot to one part of finely shredded white heart of cabbage, and bind with finely chopped sweet pickle. Season to taste.
2. For children—use the filling without pickle, and spread the slice with a little dripping, or margarine mixed with a little vegetable extract. This increases the nourishment and adds to the vitamin value.
COOKED.
3. Prepare and cut the carrot into small cubes, cooking them in well-blended curry sauce. When perfectly tender and yielding to the knife, use as sandwich filling.
4. Chopped cooked carrot, mixed with cooked peas and a little mayonnaise or salad dressing, makes a good filling or salad.
UNCOOKED CARROT PUDDING
2 medium-sized carrots.
2 tablespoons of ground nuts (in season).
1/2 gill warm water, in which is dissolved 1 dessertspoon honey.
1 tablespoon browned crumbs.
1 tablespoon fresh milk.
1 teaspoon “top milk.”
1 teaspoon fruit juice (inseason).
I tablespoon rolled oats or toasted oatmeal.
Wash, scrape, and grate the carrots. Melt the honey in the warm water. Use the liquid to mix the milled nuts, grated carrot, oatmeal and crumbs.
Sharpen with the fruit juice, then add the milk and allow the sweet to stand a short time before serving it in small individual dishes. Use a little “top milk” as a substitute for cream.
CARROT CROQUETTES
6 good-sized carrots.
1 oz. cooking fat or dripping.
A little fat for frying.
1 gill milk and carrot boilings.
1 oz. flour.
Coarse oatmeal for coating.
1/4 teaspoon vegetable extract (if liked).
Slice the carrots and cook in a very little water until tender (see page 11). Drain well, saving the liquid, and mash with a fork until pureed. Season well with salt, add a grate of nutmeg and shake of pepper.
Make a thick sauce with the flour, liquid and fat (see page 115), and work the puree and vegetable extract into it. Set aside to cool.
When
