Soups and Stews
 The best soups
are made with a blending of many flavors. Don't be afraid
of experimenting with them. Where you make one mistake you
will be surprised to find the number of successful
varieties you can produce. If you like a spicy flavor try
two or three cloves, or allspice, or bay leaves. All soups
are improved by a dash of onion, unless it is the white
soups, or purées from chicken, veal, fish, etc. In these
celery may be used. In nothing as well as soups can a
housekeeper be economical of the odds and ends of food
left from meals. One of the best cooks was in the habit of
saving everything, and announced one day, when her soup
was especially praised, that it contained the crumbs of
gingerbread from her cake box! Creamed onions left from a
dinner, or a little stewed corn, potatoes mashed, a few
baked beans--even a small dish of apple sauce have often
added to the flavor of soup. Of course, all good meat
gravies, or bones from roast or boiled meats, can be added
to your stock pot. A little butter is always needed in
tomato soup. In making stock, use a quart of water for
every pound of meat and bone. Cut the meat in pieces,
crack the bones, place all in the kettle, pour over it the
proper quantity of cold water; let it soak a while on the
back of the range before cooking. Let soup boil slowly,
never hard, (an hour for each pound of meat) strain
through a sieve or coarse cloth. Never let the fat remain
on your soup. Let get cold and lift it off, or skim it off
hot.
BARLEY SOUP
- 8 oz. of pearl barley,
- 2 onions,
- 4 potatoes,
- 1/2 a teaspoonful of thyme,
- 1 dessertspoonful of finely chopped parsley,
- 3-1/2 pints of water,
- 1/2 pint of milk,
- 1 oz. of butter.
Pick and wash the barley, chop up the onions, slice the
potatoes. Boil the whole gently for 4 hours with the water,
adding the butter, thyme, pepper and salt to taste. When the
barley is quite soft, add the milk and parsley, boil the soup
up, and serve.
BREAD SOUP
- 1/2 lb. of stale crusts of bread,
- 4 onions,
- 2turnips,
- 1 stick of celery,
- 1 oz. of butter,
- 1/2 oz. of finely choppedparsley,
- 8 pints of water,
- 1/2 pint of milk.
Soak the crusts in the water for 2 hours before they are put
over the fire. Cut up into small dice the vegetables; add them
to the bread with the butter and pepper and salt to taste.
Allow all to simmer gently for 1 hour, then rub the soup
through a sieve, return it to the saucepan, add the milk and
parsley, and, if the flavour is liked, a little grated nutmeg;
boil the soup up and serve at once. CARROT
SOUP
- 4 good-sized carrots,
- 1 head of celery,
- 1 onion,
- 3 oz. of breadwithout crust,
- 1 oz. of butter,
- pepper and salt,
- and 1 blade of mace.
Wash, scrape, and cut the carrots into dice. Prepare and cut
up the onions and celery. Set the vegetables over the fire with
3 pints of water, adding the mace and seasoning. Let all cook
until quite soft, which will probably be in 1-1/2 hours. If the
carrots are old, they will take longer cooking. When the
vegetables are tender, rub all through a sieve, return the soup
to the saucepan, add the butter, allow it to boil up, and serve
with sippets of toast.
LEEK SOUP
- 2 bunches of leeks,
- 1-1/2 pints of milk,
- 1 oz. of butter,
- 1 lb. of potatoes,
- pepper and salt to taste,
- and the juice of a lemon.
Cut off the coarse part of the green ends of the leeks, and
cut the leeks lengthways, so as to be able to brush out the
grit. Wash the leeks well, and see no grit remains, then cut
them in short pieces. Peel, wash, and cut up the potatoes, then
cook both vegetables with 2 pints of water. When the vegetables
are quite tender, rub them through a sieve. Return the mixture
to the saucepan, add the butter, milk, and seasoning, and boil
the soup up again. Before serving add the lemon juice; serve
with sippets of toast.
ONION SOUP
- 1/2 lb. onions,
- 3 oz. grated cheese,
- 2 oz. butter,
- some squares bread,
- pepper and salt to taste.
Peel and chop the onions, and fry them a nice brown in the
butter. When brown add to it the cheese and 3 pints of water.
Boil all up together and season to taste. Place the bread in
the tureen, pour the boiling soup over it, and serve.
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