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The Country Gentlewoman 



RECIPES FOR COOKING SPINACH. 



PICK the Spinach carefully, seeing that 

 no weeds or stalks are mixed with it, 

 and wash it thoroughly through several waters. 

 About fourteen quarts of Spinach will be 

 sufficient for five or six persons. Put this 

 quantity into a very large saucepan, with 

 about half-a-pint of boiling water and three 

 heaped table-spoonfuls of salt. Press it down 

 frequently with a large spoon, that it may be 

 clone equally. In about ten minutes it will 

 be perfectly tender, when drain through a 

 colander, pressing until quite dry, and chop 

 it finely. Put now into a small saucepan 

 with an ounce of butter and a seasoning of 

 pepper; stir the whole over the fire until 

 quite hot ; then put on a hot dish, and 

 garnish with «ippets of toasted bread or sHces 

 of hard-boiled eggs. Poached eggs are also 

 frequently served with Spinach, when they 

 should be laid on the top. Lemon-juice or 

 white vinegar is considered an improvement. 



BEET-ROOT SPINACH. 



The tops of young Beets, if treated in the 

 same way as Spinach, but boiling them for 

 half an hour instead of ten minutes, will be 

 found very similar to Spinach and quite as 

 good. This dish should be garnished with 

 slices cut from the roots of larger red and 

 white beets, and seasoned plentifully with 

 pepper. 



FRENCH METHOD. 



Either of these may be dressed with cream 

 after the French fashion. Thus, after the 

 Spinach or the Beet-tops have been chopped 

 and returned to the fire in a small saucepan 

 with a little melted butter, add half a pint 

 of cream, which has been previously boiled 

 to prevent curdling, and simmer for five 

 minutes; just before removing from the 

 fire, add a small teaspoonful of powdered 

 sugar and a very little grated nutmeg. 



