EXTENSION COURSE IN VEGETABLE FOODS. 23 



and press the fresh surface if more flavor is required. Sometimes with a fresh 

 onion the grater is unnecessary, as sufficient juice will follow gashes made with 

 a knife. When the onion is old there is little juice; the soft pulp which passes 

 through the holes of the grater may be used instead. 



Another way to secure onion flavor is to cook the chopped bulb in water, 

 milk, or soup stock. Slices from which some of the juice has been extracted 

 will again yield flavor if cooked in this way. 



A third method is to extract the juice in fat; and for this purpose sliced 

 onion is cooked in the fat until light golden brown, or sometimes until very 

 brown, thus securing a combination of caramel from the browned sugar and 

 the peculiar flavoring bodies of the onion, a flavor quite different from those 

 obtained by the other methods. The scraps of onion may be strained out and 

 the flavored fat added to sauce or soup, or they may all be used together. 



Force meat or stuffing may be flavored with onion in any one of these ways, 

 or chopped onion may be blanched or scalded in soda water and then added 

 directly to the forcemeat. 



A little chopped or finely cut onion may be prepared without soiling the 

 fingers by holding the onion on a fork, cutting off the outer skin, making a few 

 gashes in one end, and then slicing across the gashes. 



Let each student boil two varieties of onions or an onion and a leek and note 

 the time required and other points of difference between them. Save the water, 

 note color, compare flavor. 



Further exercises follow. 



SPANISH ONION. 



Cut an onion in two, reserve small portions of center for salad; parboil re- 

 mainder 10 minutes; save water. Cut onion small, put in saucepan with a 

 tablespoon of butter or dripping, a little salt and pepper, cover and cook slowly 

 until tender. 



Another method for preparing is as follows: Cut, reserve center, cook in 

 water until tender, drain, and add milk or white sauce. 



Make a cream soup from Spanish onion : Cook as before in a little water, 

 when soft rub onion with water through strainer, add milk, thicken slightly, and 

 season. Try with further addition of (a) egg, (b) cheese. 



ONION AND APPLE SALAD. 



Slice centers of Spanish onion very thin. Pile up slices and cut across to divide 

 still finer. Combine with twice as much sliced apple. Leave red skins on apple 

 as garnish. Add French dressing and chopped parsley or sweet pepper. 

 Mayonnaise or cooked dressing may also be used. 



ONION SOUP WITHOUT MEAT. 



This favorite French soup is easily and quickly made and very palatable. 

 Peel a good-sized onion, cut into small pieces, and cook slowly and carefully 

 until tender in a heaping tablespoonful of fat or of butter. Then move the sauce- 

 pan to a hotter part of the stove and cook the onion until well browned, stirring 

 all the time to prevent burning. Add a pint and a half of boiling water, or milk 

 and water, half and half. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil, and 

 serve poured over a piece of toasted bread, or serve small cubes of bread fried 

 in butter. If no milk is used it is a common custom to serve some grated, mild- 

 flavored cheese, such as Swiss cheese, with the soup. A garnish of fried onion 

 is often added to this soup. 



