RECIPES 



1811 



one generous tablespoonful butter, one 

 level teaspoonful salt. 



String the beans if necessary and cut 

 into two-inch lengths. Blanch them as 

 directed. Drain and put in the saucepan 

 with the water, salt, and butter. Cook 

 for ten minutes over a hot fire, turning 

 the contents of the saucepan from time 

 to time. Serve very hot. If the beans 

 are not tender it may take fifteen minutes 

 to cook them, but under all circumstances 

 be careful not to overcook, as this ruins 

 the flavor. If overcooked, green beans 

 become yellow or brown. 



Stewed Slielled Beans 



One quart shelled beans, one-fourth 

 pound salt pork, one onion, one-half tea- 

 spoonful pepper, one tablespoonful flour, 

 one quart boiling water, salt to taste. 



Cut the pork in slices and fry it slowly 

 ten minutes in a stewpan. Add the onion, 

 cut fine, and cook twenty minutes very 

 slowly. Cover the beans with boiling 

 water and boil ten minutes. Drain off 

 the water. Put the beans and flour in 

 the stewpan with the pork and onion, 

 and stir over the fire for five minutes. 

 Add the quart of boiling water and the 

 pepper. Place the saucepan where its 

 contents will simmer for two hours. Taste 

 to see if salt enough; if not, add salt. 



This method of cooking new shelled 

 beans gives a savory and substantial 

 dish. 



Green Lima Beans 



Cover one quart of the shelled beans 

 with boiling water. Place on the fire 

 where they will boil up quickly, then 

 draw back where they will just simmer 

 until done. When tender pour off a part 

 of the water. Season the beans with a 

 teaspoonful of salt and two heaping table- 

 spoonsfuls of butter. 



Or drain the water from the beans. 

 Put the butter in a saucepan with one 

 tablespoonful of flour. Stir over the fire 

 until smooth and frothy, then add the 

 beans and stir over the fire for five min- 

 utes. Draw back and add half a pint of 

 water, meat stock, or milk. Simmer ten 

 minutes. If liked, a tespoonful of fine 

 herbs may be added a few minutes before 



serving. It will take from forty-five to 



sixty minutes to boil the beans sufficiently. 



Dried Beans 



All dried beans require the same pre- 

 liminary treatment, no matter how they 

 are to be finally cooked and served. Look 

 them over carefully to remove all dirt 

 and pebbles, then wash clean. Soak them 

 overnight in plenty of cold water. In 

 the morning pour off the water and put 

 them in a stewpan with cold water 

 enough to cover them generously. Let 

 them come to the boiling point in this 

 water, then drain. If the beans are old 

 and hard, for each quart put a piece of 

 soda about the size of a large bean in 

 the water in which they are soaked over- 

 night, also in the first water in which 

 they are boiled. 



The scalded and drained beans should 

 be put back in the stewpan and covered 

 generously with boiling water. Add one 

 tablespoonful of salt for one quart of 

 beans. They should now cook slowly, 

 with the cover partially off the stewpan 

 until they have reached the required de- 

 gree of tenderness. For stewed and baked 

 beans the cooking must stop when the 

 skins begin to crack. For beans served 

 with a sauce they should cook until per- 

 fectly tender, but they must not be broken 

 or mushy. For puree and soups they 

 should be cooked until very soft. 



Puree of Dried Beans 



Cook one quart of beans in water until 

 very soft, then drain well (saving the 

 water) and rub through a puree sieve. 

 Put one pint of the strained beans in a 

 stewpan with two tablespoonfuls of 

 butter or savory drippings, one teaspoon- 

 ful of sugar, one teaspoonful of salt, one- 

 fourth of a teaspoonful of pepper, and hot 

 milk enough to make the puree like thick 

 mush. About half a pint of milk will be 

 right. Cook in the double boiler for one 

 hour, stirring often and adding more 

 milk if too dry. Heap the puree in the 

 center of a hot platter. Garnish with 

 a circle of fried sausages, pork chous. 

 mutton chops, or any fat meat. The puree 

 may be served as a vegetable, with any 

 kind of meat. A soup may be made with 



