ef of which are the potash salts, so necessary to keep the blood in
a healthy condition.

Care should be taken in cooking vegetables not to lose the salts.
Steaming is preferable to boiling, by preserving the juices, though it
does not tend to improve the color of green vegetables. A little lemon
juice added to the water in which new potatoes are boiling improves
their color. Mint is sometimes cooked with new potatoes. To secure a
good color in vegetables when cooked, careful cleaning and preparation
before cooking is essential. Earthy roots, such as potatoes, turnips,
and carrots, must be both well scrubbed and thoroughly rinsed in clean
water before peeling. From all vegetables, coarse or discolored leaves
and any dark or decayed spots should be carefully removed before
cooking.

Potatoes should be peeled thinly, or, if new, merely brushed or rubbed
with a coarse cloth to get the skin off. Turnips should be thickly
peeled, as the rind in these is hard and woody. Carrots and salsify,
unless very old, need scraping only. After the removal of the skin,
all root vegetables (except those of the onion kind) should be put in
cold water till wanted. Potatoes, artichokes, and salsify especially,
must not remain a moment out of water after peeling, or they will turn
a dark color, and to the water used for the two last, a little salt
and lemon juice should be added in order to keep them white.

Root vegetables should be boiled with the lid of the pan on, green
vegetables should be boiled with the lid of the pan off, for the
preservation of the color.

Baked Parsnips

1/2 cupful Crisco
5 parsnips
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and wash parsnips and cut into two lengthwise, and steam for one
hour. Remove from fire, lay in greased baking pan, sprinkle with salt
and pepper, spread Crisco over top and bake slowly till tender. Serve
hot.

Brussels Sprouts with Crisco

1/2 cupful Crisco
2 baskets brussels sprouts
1/2 cupful grated cheese

Trim sprouts and cook them in boiling salted water till tender, drain
and dry on clean cloth. Heat Crisco hot, then add sprouts, and fry
until very hot. Turn them into hot vegetable dish, sprinkle cheese
over them and serve immediately.

Sufficient for one dish.

Colcannon

3 tablespoonfuls Crisco
1/2 lb. cold cooked potatoes
1/2 lb. cold cooked cabbage
1 onion
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop onion and cabbage and mash potatoes. Put into frying