Boiled Cauliflower

Remove the outer green leaves, cut off the stem close to the flower, and wash well. Put the cauliflower head downward in cold water, and let it soak for an hour, to draw out any insects that may be there and to freshen the flowers. Unless very large, do not cut it; but if it must be cut, quarter it neatly. Tie it in a piece of coarse tarleton or cheese-cloth to prevent breaking, and place it in a granite-ware stew-pan or a porcelain-lined kettle, with plenty of slightly salted, boiling water. Cover, and simmer half an hour, if the vegetable is of moderate size. When done, remove any scum that may have arisen, lift the cauliflower carefully from the water, drain well, take it from the cloth, and place it stem downward in the serving dish. Pour over it a sauce made of

Two table-spoonfuls of butter. One table-spoonful of flour. One-half tea-spoonful of salt. One scanty pint of milk.

Beat the butter and flour to a cream, and pour over them the boiling milk. Add the salt, and boil for five minutes, stirring all the time. Sprinkle half a tea-spoonful of salt over the cauliflower before pouring on the sauce.

Baked Cauliflower

Boil the vegetable tender as directed in the preceding recipe, drain well, remove it from the cloth, and tear the clusters or flowers from the stem. Place a layer of these clusters in a baking dish. Have ready a sauce made of

Two table-spoonfuls of butter. One table-spoonful of flour. One pint of milk. Salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the butter, add the flour, and when the mixture froths and is smooth, add the milk and seasoning. Moisten the layer of cauliflower in the baking-dish with a few spoonfuls of this sauce, and sprinkle over it some grated cheese, using the latter according to taste. Then arrange another layer of the cauliflower, add the rest of the sauce, and sprinkle thickly with cheese and bread crumbs. The dish will require about half a pint of crumbs and two table-spoonfuls of cheese, or more, if a strong flavor is desired. Bake twenty minutes, and serve in the same dish.