Asparagus.

Wash well in cold water and scrape the stalks white.  Tie in small bundles and stand in fast boiling salted water till the stalks are tender—­about twenty minutes.  Drain, and serve like celery.

Salsify,

or vegetable oyster, is another vegetable which would find great favour were it not so scarce and dear.  Scrape the roots and throw into cold water.  Cut in 2-inch pieces and simmer gently for an hour or till tender in stock with a slice of lemon, or in milk and water.  Lift out the salsify and place on toast.  Thicken the liquor with butter and flour and pour over.

All vegetables which are served with white sauce or melted butter can be acceptably served

Au Gratin,

and a dish of carrots, turnips, and the like served in this way is quite a delicacy.  Young tender vegetables are of course always to be preferred, but even when rather old are better this way than any other.  Cook till quite tender, but not in the least broken.  Lay in a pie dish, cover with sauce, coat thickly with crumbs or cheese and crumbs.  Dot over with butter, and bake a light brown.

Spinach.

Soak in cold water and rinse very well to remove all grit, &c.  Trim away stalks and tough fibre at the back of the leaf.  Shake the water well off, and put in dry saucepan with lid on, to cook for about 10 minutes.  Drain, chop finely, and return to saucepan with some butter, salt and pepper, to get quite hot.  Dish neatly in a flat, round, or oval shape, with poached eggs on top, and croutons of toast or fried bread round.

Cauliflower—­Dutch Way.

(Mr VAN TROMP.)

Boil cauliflower in usual way, drain, and put in vegetable dish.  Coat with this sauce:—­Make a cream with 2 spoonfuls potato flour, add a little sugar, and stir over fire till it thickens.

SALADS.

“Cucumbers,—­Peel the cucumber, slice it, pepper it, put vinegar to it, then throw it out of the window."_—­Dr Abernethy._

One does not need to be a vegetarian to appreciate salads, and many who find cooked vegetables difficult of digestion, will find that they can take them, with impunity, raw, but it is inadvisable to take raw and cooked fruit or vegetables at the same meal.

Raw Cabbage,

for example, digests in little over an hour, while cooked it takes 3 to 4-1/2 hours.  Needless to say, only young, tender, freshly pulled cabbage can be used in this way.  Shred finely, removing all stalks and stringy pieces, and cover with the usual salad dressing.  This may now be had ready for use in the shape of

Florence Cream,

but if wanted to be made at home, take equal quantities of finest salad oil and either lemon juice or vinegar and mix together gradually by a few drops at a time.  A little cream or yolk of egg beat up is an improvement, and ketchup, made mustard, &c., may be added to taste.  The dressing may be prepared beforehand, but should be put on just before sending to table.