Vegetables form a most important feature in the art of cooking; it is the roast of French cooks that we neither know the value, the taste, or the virtues of them unless they dress them for us, and to do them justice, they dress them in an infinite variety of ways, and also render them delicious to the palate. Much depends upon boiling greens, and the manner in which it is done; the water should be soft, a handful of salt should be thrown into the water, which should be made to boil before the greens are put in; it should then he made what cooks term " gallop," the saucepan should be kept uncovered, and when the greens sink they are done, take them out, and quickly too; it is the skill which French cooks exhibit in contriving and inventing made dishes, chiefly composed of vegetables, which has obtained for them the fame which it is in vain to deny they deserve, they make the nature of the substances upon which they employ their skill, their study, and present them to the consumer in such fashion as shall, while it pleases the palate, not offend the digestion; it would be as well if our cooks were to emulate their skill in a spirit of generous rivalry by improving upon their example, rather than run down their abilities with a sneer at the slight character of their courses, which, if composed of dishes " made out of nothing," or, " so disguised you cannot tell what you are eating," have at least the merit of gratifying the taste, and preventing the head from too plainly indicating that the stomach has received food of which it finds a difficulty in dispossessing itself.

Vegetables are a most useful accessory to our daily food, and should be made the object of a greater study than they are usually.

773. Chartreuse Of Vegetables

Line a plain mould with bacon; have ready half done carrots, turnips, French beans cut long with a French cutter all the same length, place them prettily round the mould until you get to the top, fill in the middle with mashed potatoes, cauliflower, or spinach, or some veal forcemeat; put it on to steam, turn it out, and put asparagus or mushroom sauce round it.

820. Cardoons

Are dressed in various ways.

Boil them until soft in salt and water, dry them, butter them, and fry a good colour, serve with melted butter.

They are boiled and worked up in a fricasee sauce, or they may be tied up and dressed as asparagus.

To stew them cut them in pieces, and stew in white or brown gravy, season with ketchup, salt, and cayenne, thicken with a small lump of butter rolled in flour.

825. Stewed Cucumbers

Take two or three straight cucumbers, cut off one end, then take out the seeds, lay them in vinegar and water, and pepper and salt, have some good farce and fill each cucumber with it, dry your cucumbers well out of the vinegar first, then dry them in a clean rubber, then fry them if for brown, if for white not, take them out of the butter and put them to stew in some good stock, one large onion, a faggot of herbs, a slice of lean ham, until tender, thicken the liquor and pass through a tammy; season with a little drop of vinegar, lemon juice, sugar and salt, and white pepper, glaze the cucumbers several times, to be a bright brown.

Ten or twelve heads of large celery, using the root and about three inches long, lay them in salt and water a few minutes, take them out and place them in a stewpan, with an onion, and a faggot of herbs, cover them with second stock, stew them gently until quite tender, reduce the stock, thicken it and pass it through a tammy; season with sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper. Dish them up as you do cutlets, either glaze them or pour the sauce over them.