Cucumbers

Cucumbers should be gathered while dew is yet on them, and put immediately into water. Half an hour before dinner, pare and slice them very thin, and let them lie in fresh water till dinner is ready; then drain them, lay them into a dish, sprinkle them with salt, pour on the vinegar, and add the pepper last.

Macaroni (to serve with roast beef, venison, and poultry).

Procure that which looks white and clean, and is free from insects. Break into pieces two inches long, enough macaroni to fill a pint bowl. Wash it, and put into a saucepan with a pint and a half of water and a teaspoonful of salt. Boil slowly half an hour; then add a cup of milk and a small piece of butter, and boil fifteen minutes more. Place it in a small pudding-dish, buttered. Half fill the dish, and scatter over cheese cut fine. Add the remainder of the macaroni, and upon the top put shavings of cheese and a few bits of butter. Brown in a quick oven. It will require about half an hour.

A simpler way is, to boil macaroni as above, stir in a bit of butter, also a little cheese, and then serve as a vegetable.

Parsnips

Those that have remained in the ground till March, are usually very nice. Boil them three quarters of an hour, and cook enough for two days. Scrape the outside, split them, and lay them on a dish with a little butter, salt, and pepper. Take those that are left the next day, and lay them on a hot griddle or spider, with a little butter, ham fat, or nice drippings, and brown them. These are better than on the first day. They will brown well when first boiled, but not so quickly.

Carrots

These are not considered by most people very good; but they are so in broth and soup. To eat with meat they should be boiled three quarters of an hour, if fresh from the garden; in the winter, an hour and a half. They make very good pies after the fashion of pumpkin or squash; but they must be boiled very tender, and in a good deal of water, else a strong taste will pervade the pies.

Beets

When they are washed the little fibres and ragged excres-cences should not be broken off, as the juices of the root will thus be lost. Young beets boil in an hour; but in the winter they require from two to three hours. When tender, put them for a minute or two into cold water, take them in your hands and slip the skins off. This is a much easier and better way than to remove the skin with a knife. Lay them into a dish, cut them several times through, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, add a little butter, and, if you choose, vinegar also. It is a very good way to cut up all that remain after dinner, put on salt and vinegar, and set them aside to be used cold another day.

Salsify, Or Oyster Plant

Wash and scrape it very thoroughly, and put it in boiling water with salt in it. When tender, cut it in slices and fry it in hot fat, in a batter made of an egg, milk, flour, and salt. It is very nice, also, dipped in bread-crumbs moistened with a beaten egg, and browned on a griddle.