Leeks

Trim off roots and tough ends of the leaves, cut in three-inch sections. Boil until tender in salted water, and serve on buttered toast.

Lentils

Lentils should be soaked and cooked at least eight hours at a moderate temperature. When thus cooked they may be used for hash, croquettes, soup, and many other purposes.

Lettuce

Lettuce may usually be found at any season in our larger markets. The close, firm, solid heads are preferable, as they have more of crisp, cup-shaped inner leaves. Discard the outer wilted leaves and any bruised portions. Rinse each leaf separately in cold water, and let them stand half an hour under running water to chill them. Then drain, wipe each leaf dry, without breaking them. Lay them together, the large leaves at the bottom, then the next in size, wrap them in a wet napkin, and lay them in the ice chest until serving time.

Broiled Mushrooms.

Use the cups only; wash, drain, brush upper part with melted butter. Broil about five minutes; serve on buttered toast. The stems may be sliced or chopped fine to give flavor to a sauce or soup.

Mushroom Rolls.

Wipe, peel, and break the mushrooms into small pieces. Put them in a pan over the fire with butter sufficient to cover the pan. Cook quickly until the juice exudes, turning constantly; season with salt and pepper very sparingly, and when tender add cream enough to moisten well. When hot turn into roll crusts. Remove the soft inside from the rolls and dry the crusts slightly in the oven, replacing the top after filling with the mushroom mixture.

Stewed Okra

Use only the small green* pods, not more than two and one-half inches long. Wipe the pods and cut off the stems and the tips, if the latter be discolored. Put them into a granite saucepan with boiling salted water, and let them cook gently until tender, from twenty to thirty minutes. Drain off the water, add two tablespoons of butter, one tablespoon of vinegar, and a little pepper and salt. Let them merely simmer at the back of the range until the butter is absorbed, then turn out carefully so as not to break the pods, and serve hot.

Onions.

Much depends on the variety of onion. The Spanish may be fried or stewed in a little butter. Small white onions are better than those with a greenish tinge. After peeling scald with water in which a little soda is dissolved. After leaving for half an hour, drain and cook in fresh water. Change the water often if the onions are strong.