DECEMBER 149 



EECEIPTS 



A kind friend sent me to-night half a pumpkin a real 

 French pumpkin. (See Vilmorin's ' Vegetable Garden,' 

 Potiron .jaune gros.) It was grown near here, and had 

 kept perfectly. It was moist, and a beautiful apricot 

 colour inside. I wonder always why the only pumpkin 

 grown in England is the vegetable marrow. Button 

 feebly recommends others in his book, but hardly makes 

 enough of them as useful winter vegetables. Here is a 

 true French receipt for Pumpkin Soup. Cut up the 

 slices of pumpkin (say, about half a large one), and boil 

 them in water. When well cooked, strain off the water 

 and pass the pulp through a sieve. Boil half a pint of 

 milk, add a piece of butter, very little salt, and a good 

 tablespoonful of castor sugar. Pour this boiling milk on 

 to the pumpkin pulp. Let it boil a few minutes. The 

 soup must be thick, and small fried crusts should be sent 

 up with it. This receipt is enough for two people. 

 Dried vegetable marrow is not supposed to be so good, 

 but I had some soup to-night prepared exactly in the 

 same way from a large dried vegetable marrow, and it 

 was excellent, though it had not quite so much flavour. 



All through the last month my salads have been nearly 

 as good as in summer, from tarragon and chive tops being 

 forced in the greenhouse. Parsley and chervil are still 

 good out of doors. When once one has become used to 

 the herbs in salad, it does seem so tasteless without them. 



Lentil Toast. Four to six ounces of lentils, one 

 ounce of butter, water, and slices of buttered toast. Look 

 over and thoroughly rinse the lentils, and put them into 

 a small saucepan with enough water to well cover them. 

 Cook slowly till they are tender and the water all absorbed 

 (ten to twenty minutes). Add butter, pepper, and salt ; 

 spread thickly on the hot buttered toast, and serve with 

 mint sauce. Suitable as a supper or breakfast dish. 



