GREEN PEAS.

Shell the peas and wash in cold water.  Put in boiling water just enough to cover them well and keep them from burning; boil from twenty minutes to half an hour, when the liquor should be nearly boiled out; season with pepper and salt and a good allowance of butter; serve very hot.

This is a very much better way than cooking in a larger quantity of water and draining off the liquor, as that diminishes the sweetness, and much of the fine flavor of the peas is lost.  The salt should never be put in the peas before they are tender, unless very young, as it tends to harden them.

STEWED GREEN PEAS.

Into a saucepan of boiling water put two or three pints of young green peas and when nearly done and tender drain in a colander dry; then melt two ounces of butter in two of flour; stir well and boil five minutes longer; should the pods be quite clean and fresh boil them first in the water, remove and put in the peas.  The Germans prepare a very palatable dish of sweet young pods alone by simply stirring in a little butter with some savory herbs.

SQUASHES, OR CYMBLINGS.

The green or summer squash is best when the outside is beginning to turn yellow, as it is then less watery and insipid than when younger.  Wash them, cut them into pieces and take out the seeds.  Boil them about three-quarters of an hour, or till quite tender.  When done, drain and squeeze them well till you have pressed out all the water; mash them with a little butter, pepper and salt.  Then put the squash thus prepared into a stewpan, set it on hot coals and stir it very frequently till it becomes dry.  Take care not to let it burn.

Summer squash is very nice steamed, then prepared the same as boiled.

BOILED WINTER SQUASH.

This is much finer than the summer squash.  It is fit to eat in August, and, in a dry warm place, can be kept well all winter.  The color is a very bright yellow.  Pare it, take out the seeds, cut it in pieces, and stew it slowly till quite soft in a very little water.  Afterwards drain, squeeze and press it well; then mash it with a very little butter, pepper and salt.  They will boil in from twenty to forty minutes.

BAKED WINTER SQUASH.

Cut open the squash, take out the seeds and without paring cut it up into large pieces; put the pieces on tins or in a dripping-pan, place in a moderately hot oven and bake about an hour.  When done, peel and mash like mashed potatoes, or serve the pieces hot on a dish, to be eaten warm with butter like sweet potatoes.  It retains its sweetness much better baked this way than when boiled.

VEGETABLE HASH.