Asparagus

Set a pan of cold water upon the table, and a stewpan with plenty of water in it on the fire; sprinkle a handful of salt into it, and while it is heating prepare your asparagus. Scrape all the stalks till they are perfectly clean, throw them into the pan of cold water as you scrape them; when they are all done, tie them up in little bundles, with bass if you can get it, or tape; string cuts them to pieces: cut off the stalks at the bottom that they may be all of a length, leaving just enough to serve as a handle for the green part; put them on when the water boils; when they are tender at the stalk, which will be in about ten minutes, they are done enough. Great care must be taken to watch the exact time of their becoming tender, and take them up just at that instant, and they will have their true flavour and colour, but a minute or two more boiling destroys both.

While the asparagus are boiling, toast a round of a quartern loaf about half an inch thick, brown it delicately on both sides, dip it lightly in the liquor of the asparagus, and lay it in the middle of a dish; melt some butter, then lay in the asparagus upon the toast all round the dish, with the ends of the stalks outwards. Pour no butter over them, but send it up in a boat. To the common melted butter, you may add a little pepper and salt, a teaspoonful of vinegar, and the yolk of a couple of eggs, beat up, and carefully mixed to keep them from curdling.

Sea Kail

Is tied up in bundles, and dressed exactly in the same way as asparagus.

Cauliflower

Choose those that are close and white, trim off the outside leaves, cut the stalk off flat at the bottom, let them lie in salt and water an hour before you boil them, put them into boiling water with a handful of salt in it, and let it boil slowly till done, which a small one will be in fifteen, a very large one in twenty minutes, and take them up carefully with a slice.

Brocoli

The great art in dressing brocoli is, that it be not overboiled, and yet boiled enough. Set a pan of clean cold water on the table, and a saucepan on the fire with plenty of water, and a handful of salt in it: the brocoli is prepared by stripping off all the side shoots, leaving the top: peel off the skin of the stalk with a knife, cut it off at the bottom, and put them into the pan of cold water: when the water in the stewpan boils, and all the brocoli is ready, put it in, let it boil briskly till the stalks feel tender, and take it up with a slice, that you may not break it; let it drain, and serve up: if some of the heads of brocoli are much bigger than the others, put them on to boil first, so that they may get all done together.

Observations

It makes a nice supper dish served upon a toast, like asparagus.

Red Beet Roots

Are not so much used as they deserve; they are boiled exactly in the same way as parsnips: a large root will take an hour and a half boiling; to be sent to table with salt fish, boiled beef, etc.

Parsnips

Are to be done just in the same manner as carrots, only give them as much water as you can; they require more or less time according to their size, and you must try them by thrusting a fork into them as they are in the water; when that goes easily through, they are done enough: an hour and a quarter will boil a large parsnip.

Observations

Parsnips are sometimes sent up mashed in the same way as turnips.