CHAPTER XXV. BOILED ARTICHOKES.

INGREDIENTS.To each 1/2 gallon of water, allow 1 heaped tablespoonful of salt, a piece of soda the size of a shilling; artichokes.

[Illustration: ARTICHOKES.]

Wash the artichokes well in several waters; see that no insects remain about them, and trim away the leaves at the bottom.

INGREDIENTS.5 or 6 artichokes, salt and water: for the batter,1/4 lb. of flour, a little salt, the yolk of 1 egg, milk.

Trim and boil the artichokes by recipe No. 1080, and rub them over with lemon-juice, to keep them white.

Time.20 minutes to boil the artichokes, 5 to 7 minutes to fry them.

A FRENCH MODE OF COOKING ARTICHOKES.

Cut the ends of the leaves, as also the stems; put the artichokes into boiling water, with the above proportion of salt, pepper, herbs, and butter; let them boil quickly until tender, keeping the lid of the saucepan off, and when the leaves come out easily, they are cooked enough.

INGREDIENTS.4 or 6 artichokes, salt and butter, about 1/2 pint of good gravy.

Trim and cut the artichokes into quarters, and boil them until tender in water mixed with a little salt and butter.

INGREDIENTS.To each 1 gallon of water allow 1 heaped tablespoonful of salt; artichokes.

Mode.Wash, peel, and shape the artichokes in a round or oval form, and put them into a saucepan with sufficient cold water to cover them, salted in the above proportion.

INGREDIENTS.To each 1 gallon of water allow 1 oz. of salt; 15 or 16 artichokes, 1 oz. butter, pepper and salt to taste.

When thoroughly mashed and free from lumps, put them into a saucepan with the butter and a seasoning of white pepper and salt; keep stirring over the fire until the artichokes are quite hot, and serve.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES WITH WHITE SAUCE.

Peel and cut the artichokes in the shape of a pear; cut a piece off the bottom of each, that they may stand upright in the dish, and boil them in salt and water until tender.

Have ready 1/2 pint of white sauce, made by recipe No. 538; dish the artichokes, pour over them the sauce, and place between each a fine Brussels sprout: these should be boiled separately, and not with the artichokes.

Serve with boiled potatoes, brown gravy, and any vegetable in season, except spinach or artichokes. 11.

1 carrot, 1 turnip, 1 potato, 1 parsnip, 2 Jerusalem artichokes, 2 onions, 2 tomatoes, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, nutter size of small walnut.

Scrub and scrape the carrot, turnip, parsnip and artichokes.

Cut the carrot and parsnip and potato into quarters, the artichokes into halves, and put into the stew-pan with the onions.

The best curry, according to an Indian authority, is one made of potatoes, artichokes, carrots, pumpkin and tomatoes.

He adds, that if one filament be touched after it is separated from the floret, that it will contract like the muscular fibres of animal bodies, his experiments were tried on the Centauréa Calcitrapoides, and on artichokes, and globe-thistles.

A statute of Charlemagne, in which the useful plants which the emperor desired should be cultivated in his domains are detailed, shows us that at that period the greater part of our cooking vegetables were in use, for we find mentioned in it, fennel, garlic, parsley, shallot, onions, watercress, endive, lettuce, beetroot, cabbage, leeks, carrots, artichokes; besides long-beans, broad-beans, peas or Italian vetches, and lentils.