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LETTUCE WITH PEAS

       4 small lettuce.

       1/2 gill shelled peas.

       Bouquet of herbs (tied in muslin).

       1/2 gill stock.

       1 teaspoon of chopped parsley.

       11/2–2 oz. dripping or cooking fat.

       Salt, pepper.

       2–3 spring onions chopped.

      Wash and prepare the lettuces, breaking up the large leaves, then place them in a saucepan in which the dripping has been melted and heated. Allow to sauté in the fat with the chopped onion for a few minutes, then add the stock, seasoning of salt and a little pepper, with the shelled peas.

      Cover, allow the stock to come to the boil, and continue the cooking for about half an hour, with the pan tightly covered.

      Just before the dish is to be served, add a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley.

      STUFFED LETTUCE

       2–3 good-sized lettuces (Cos).

       1 oz. margarine.

       3/4 oz. flour.

       1/2 pint stock or vegetable boilings, milk and water, etc.

       Seasoning.

      Wash the lettuces, and cook gently in the liquid for 5 minutes. Lift them out, halve lengthwise, and remove some of the hearts.

      Fill the cavities with the stuffing below, tie the halves together with thread, and replace in the stewpan or casserole to complete the cooking. When tender, thicken the liquid with a binding of fat and flour, loosened by the hot stock, and boil for three minutes. Serve round the dish with the lettuces.

      STUFFING.—3 oz. medium oatmeal; 1 heaped teaspoon chopped parsley; salt; pepper; 1 dessertspoon melted dripping; 2 oz. breadcrumbs; 1 heaped teaspoon minced onion; 1 good teaspoon vegetable extract; pinch of mace.

      Toast the oatmeal beforehand, under the grill or in a cooling oven, till crisp and nutty. Dissolve the vegetable extract in ¹/₂ pint of boiling water, then sprinkle in the oatmeal and cook, stirring, till thick and allowing to simmer for half an hour.

      Then mix in with the other ingredients, binding with a little melted dripping. Season well, and use to stuff the hollowed lettuce. (Any lettuce hearts removed from the centre are useful additions to soup or vegetable casseroles.)

      STUFFED MARROW

      Cut a medium-sized marrow in two lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Fill with stuffing made of a breakfastcupful of wheatmeal breadcrumbs (use any left-over pieces of bread for this), 2 tablespoonfuls minced fat bacon, 2 spring onions chopped, sprinkling of mixed herbs, pepper and salt, bound with a little milk.

      Put the halves together, tie round with tape or string, put in a baking tin with about 1 oz. dripping and bake until tender (about 1 hour) basting frequently.

      MARROW AU GRATIN

       1 medium-sized marrow.

       1–2 spoonfuls milk.

       1 oz. fat bacon (rasher).

       Toasted oatmeal.

       Mushroom sauce—made from 2 oz. chopped mushroom stalks, 11/2 gills stock or water, 3/4 oz. flour.

      Peel the marrow, remove the seeds and cut it into small pieces. Place in a saucepan with just enough water to prevent it catching, add a pinch of salt, and “steam” until all the water has evaporated.

      Next add the chopped fat bacon and sauté a short time for the flavour to be absorbed, then season well, and sprinkle with a little toasted oatmeal.

      Make the mushroom sauce, then turn the marrow and chopped bacon mixture into a greased dish, pour on the sauce, and sprinkle with toasted oatmeal to form a crisp cap. Brown off quickly in the oven (or under a grill) and serve hot.

      MUSHROOMS

      When they are in season, field or downland mushrooms make delightful flavouring for vegetable dishes, as well as attractive stuffings to make meat meals go further.

      Although cultivated mushrooms are available throughout the year, the price is rather too high for most people in war-time. Often, however, it is possible to buy the trimmed stalks from greengrocers at a few pence the pound, and these are worth consideration for their flavour alone, especially in casseroles, soups, and savoury toasts.

      For whole mushrooms, the simplest ways of cooking are best. Grill them if you can. Wash them first, then peel the caps, cut off the stalks (which go into hotpot stew, or, chopped fine, into soups or sauces) and dry lightly.

      Brush the caps and underside with melted margarine or oil, sprinkle with salt, and lay on the grid. Turn with a couple of spoons or tongs during cooking, but be careful not to leave them too long under the strong heat. Serve on squares of toast as a savoury snack or supper serving.

      Mushrooms are also good fried in a very little fat, or stewed gently with a little stock or milk and water. Remember to season them well, and thicken the stock with a little blended flour just before serving.

      NETTLES

      Used instead of spinach, nettles are excellent food. Rich in the two vitamins A and C, the young leaves are especially good. They should be gathered early in spring.

      Wash them well, and allow a good panful, as you would for spinach. Cook in their own juices, with a very little water.

      When young and tender, they will take about ten minutes, after which they can be drained, the water put aside for soup, and the vegetable chopped finely and reheated in a little fat if you can spare it. Margarine is best for flavour, when butter cannot be spared. Add seasoning, a grate of nutmeg, heat through, and serve.

      NETTLE CHAMP

      Nettles are an excellent ingredient for the Irish recipe with potatoes. See page 53, POTATOES, for the foundation method.

      The Irish way of eating “champ” is for each person to make a hole in the centre of his helping in which a pat of margarine is gradually melted by the heat of the potato. As he eats from the outer rim of the helping, he dips each spoonful into the melted fat.

      ONIONS

      When onions are plentiful, remember that they are delicious parboiled and stuffed or made into an ovenbake.

      BRAISED ONIONS

       4–6 onions.

       1 oz. dripping.

       Seasoning.

      Prepare the onions, peeling them and splitting into halves or quarters. Melt the dripping in a fireproof dish, by placing it in the oven, then arrange the onions in it, seasoning well.

      Pour in about a teacupful of water. Simmer the onions, basting every few minutes, until they have become a good colour, then allow to simmer for a further half-hour to forty minutes, according to the size and type of onion.

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