Carefully wash any earth off the beets, but every care is needed to avoid breaking the skin, roots or crown; if this is done much of their color will be lost, and they will be a dull pink.  Lay them in plenty of boiling water, with a little vinegar; boil them steadily, keeping them well covered with water for about one and one-half to two hours for small beets and two to three and one-half hours for large ones.  If they are to be served hot, cut off the roots and crown and rub off the skin directly, but if to be served cold, leave them until they have become cold and then cut into thin slices and sprinkle with salt and pepper and pour some vinegar over them.  If to be eaten hot, cut them into thin slices, arrange them on a hot vegetable dish and pour over white sauce or melted butter, or hand these separately.

BAKED BEETS

Boil large beetroot about two hours, being careful not to pierce it.  When cold mash very smooth, add a little drippings, pepper, salt and stock.  Place in a greased pan and bake one hour.

SOUR BUTTERED BEETS

Wash as many beets as required and cook in bailing water until tender.  Drain and turn into cold water for peeling.  Remove the skins, slice and sprinkle with as much salt as desired.  Melt one-half cup of butter in a large frying-pan and add two tablespoons of strained lemon juice.  Stir the butter and lemon juice until blended, keeping the fire low.  Now turn the beets into this sauce, cover the pan and shake and toss until the sauce has been well distributed.  Serve hot at once.

CELERIAC

This vegetable is also known as “knot celery” and “turnip-rooted celery.”  The roots, which are about the size of a white turnip, and not the stalks are eaten.  They are more often used as a vegetable than as a salad.

Pare the celeriac, cut in thin, narrow slices, and put into cold water.  Drain from this water and drop into boiling water and boil thirty minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  The celeriac is now ready to be prepared and served the same as celery.

PUREE OF CELERIAC

Boil as directed above and press through a sieve.  To one quart take two tablespoons of butter blended with two tablespoons flour and cooked until smooth and frothy, add the strained celeriac and cook five minutes, stirring frequently.  Add one teaspoon of salt and a half cup of cream, cook five minutes longer and serve hot on toast or fried bread.

CAULIFLOWER

Trim off the outside leaves and cut the stalk even with the flower.  Let it stand upside down in cold salted water for twenty minutes.  Put it into a generous quantity of rapidly boiling salted water and cook it uncovered about twenty minutes or until tender, but not so soft as to fall to pieces.  Remove any scum from the water before lifting out the cauliflower.  If not perfectly white, rub a little white sauce over it.  Serve with it a white, a Bechamel, or a Hollandaise sauce; or it may be served as a garnish to chicken, sweetbreads, etc., the little bunches being broken off and mixed with the sauce.