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Vegetables

In selecting food, vegetables and fruits should have first place as being most conducive to health.

Vegetables, especially the green leaf varieties, are very important; they furnish the necessary vitamins and alkaline elements, also the cellulose that the body requires.

Eat a dish of raw salad and at least two cooked succulent vegetables and some fresh fruit every day.

All green leaf vegetables must be well looked over and carefully washed in many waters as worms and insects are apt to be lodged between the leaves. Never let vegetables of any kind soak in water before cooking.

To preserve the flavor and nutritive value of vegetables, they should be cooked in very little water-just enough to keep from burning-and never drained, but serve what liquor there is left with the vegetables. A very good way is to cook vegetables in the heavy aluminum waterless cooking kettles. Then all of the health-building properties are retained. The flavor of cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts is made more delicate by adding just a little water even when using the waterless aluminum ware.

Many vegetables, particularly the starchy ones, have a delicious flavor when baked. By this method the nutritive value is retained.

Salt hardens the fiber and tends to draw out the flavor; therefore it should not be added until the vegetables are about done.

Much of the mineral matter in vegetables lies near the skin; if not practical to cook the vegetables in their skins, scrape or pare very thin. Never cook vegetables with meat or fat; when cooked and ready to serve, butter or cream and seasoning may be added.

A few recipes for cooking vegetables are added.