Part 18

Sow, then, leeks in a box in the hotbed early in March, or they may be sown out of doors in a shallow drill as early in spring as genial weather gives opportunity, even in February, but we prefer the hotbed as being more certain. The plants are somewhat slow in their growth, but as soon as they are a moderate size they must go into the cold frame for a few nights to harden off, and in April they should be pricked out in rows, the rows four inches apart, and the plants two inches in the rows.

In May, when the late peas are sown, it is a good practice to put the rows at least four feet apart, even for peas of moderate height as “Continuity,” and between these rows to prepare a strip of ground for the leeks. This is done by digging in an eighteen-inch strip a heavy dressing of really fat manure. Down this strip draw two deep furrows with the hoe, nine inches apart, and in these furrows dib out the leeks, as deeply as their first leaf, nine inches apart in the row. These furrows are an aid to watering, and in September, say the fourteenth, the earth can be hoed over, levelling and filling in the furrows, and thus blanching a few further inches of the leeks.

This is a crop that may remain in the ground all the winter and be dug as needed. In showery weather it is advantageous to give dressings of nitrate, or waterings of weak liquid manure during the growing season.

LEEK DISHES.

=To Boil Leeks.=--Prepare the leeks by cutting off the roots, the green ends, and the outer leaves, cut the stalks into six-inch lengths, put a tablespoonful of vinegar and one dessertspoonful of salt into a saucepan of boiling water, tie the leeks into bundles and boil them gently till they are perfectly tender--three-quarters of an hour or longer if they are very large--drain them well, and serve on toast with white sauce poured over them.

=Leeks with Parmesan Cheese.=--Take fifteen leeks, cut them into two-inch lengths, and put them into cold water, boil them in boiling salted water, when cooked put them into cold water again, drain and dry them, fry in butter over a hot fire, add five tablespoonfuls of white or cream sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and the yolk of a hard-boiled egg. Mix well together, and put into a baking dish, brown them in the oven, and serve hot.

=Leek Omelette.=--Make a cheese omelette in the usual way, and when ready to roll, put in two leeks previously trimmed, and cut up and stewed in brown sauce.

LENTILS (Ervum Lens. Leguminosæ).

Though lentils are not grown in England I give a few dishes, as every grocer can supply them at a reasonable price.

=To Boil Lentils.=--Soak a breakfast-cupful of lentils overnight; pick out and throw away those that float, put into two quarts of boiling salted water, and simmer slowly for an hour and a half. Drain and serve on toast, putting a little butter on the top of the lentils. The water in which the lentils were boiled can be used as stock with the addition of onions, carrots, parsley, and celery.

=Baked Lentils with Nuts.=--Mix a cupful of boiled lentils with half a cupful of Brazil nuts chopped finely. Season with salt and grated onion.

Put into a buttered baking dish with half a cupful of water. Make a pastry of two cupfuls flour, and two tablespoonfuls of peanut butter. Moisten with ice water and roll out into a crust to cover the baking dish.

Cover and bake for one hour. Serve in the same dish with cream sauce, drawn butter or tomato sauce.

=Curried Lentils.=--(1) Chop finely three large onions, three green peppers, one clove of garlic. Brown half a pound of washed lentils in butter; add the chopped mixture and cold salted water to cover; boil until tender. Drain and add two sliced onions fried brown, two tablespoonfuls of butter, and one tablespoonful of curry powder. Serve with a border of boiled rice.

=Potted Lentil Savoury.=--Take a half pint of cooked lentils, three ounces of mashed potatoes, two ounces of bread-crumbs, one beaten egg, a little chopped parsley, a little onion juice, salt and pepper, and one ounce of butter.

Put all in a pan, and mix well together, with two ounces of grated cheese, stirring all the time. When cooked turn into a mortar, pound well, and put into potting dishes, covering the tops with melted butter. This makes excellent sandwiches with a little mustard spread on.

=Lentil Gruel.=--A useful and highly nutritious food for invalids is lentil gruel or broth.

To make the gruel, take a dessertspoonful of lentil flour, mix smooth with some cold milk, and add nearly one pint of milk which has been brought to the boil. Boil for fifteen minutes and flavour with a little cinnamon or vanilla. Serve with toast, and sugar to taste.

Lentil flour costs threepence a pound and is similar to Revalenta Arabica.

=Lentil Porridge.=--Put three ounces of lentil flour, a little salt and pepper, into half a pint of cold water, stir, and add another half pint of boiling water, put it on the fire, and boil for twenty minutes, stir in an ounce of butter before serving, some may like a little barley meal; it is better for invalids.

=Lentil Croquettes.=--Soak overnight three cupfuls of lentils; drain, and cook slowly for an hour in boiling water to cover, drain, press through a sieve, season with salt and pepper, add a spoonful of minced parsley, two spoonfuls of cream, a teaspoonful of onion juice, and a dash of grated nutmeg, cool, shape into croquettes, dip in egg and crumbs, and fry in deep fat; serve with tomato sauce.

=Lentil à l’Egyptien.=--Soak two cupfuls of lentils overnight, drain and cook until soft in boiling water to cover, boil an equal quantity of rice. Cook together a can of tomatoes, a chopped onion, a bay leaf, and a blade of mace, simmer slowly until it has the consistency of a thick sauce, drain the lentils, mix with the rice and one or two pounded cardamom seeds. Press the tomatoes through a sieve, add a heaped tablespoonful of butter, pour over the lentils, and serve.

=Lentil Omelette.=--Make an omelette in the usual way; put on a tablespoonful of cooked and drained lentils, which have been tossed in butter; fold the omelette over; serve with tomato sauce.

=An Italian Dish.=--Soak a pint of lentils in cold water for twelve hours, strain them, put them into hot water, bring to the boiling point quickly, then simmer slowly for an hour; after draining, cook them in boiling water till quite soft, pass them through a sieve, add two ounces of butter, a very little onion juice, salt and pepper, and stir the whole for a quarter of an hour over the fire, and add two tablespoonfuls of cream before serving.

=Lentil Toast.=--Thoroughly rinse five ounces of lentils, put into a small saucepan with enough water to well cover them, cook slowly till tender and the water is all absorbed--ten to twenty minutes--add butter, pepper, salt, spread the mixture thickly on hot buttered toast, and serve with mint sauce; suitable as a supper or breakfast dish.--Mrs. C. W. Earle’s recipe.

=Lentil Soup.=--Put a quarter of a pound of brown German lentils to soak in cold water the day before they are wanted; boil them over a hot fire, being careful to cover them, and only put enough water to soak them, draw to one side and simmer slowly, keep adding a little water, removing from the surface any scum or skins, fry an onion until brown in butter, add a tablespoonful of flour, and pour into the lentil soup gradually, stirring well all the time; add hot water if necessary and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusts of fried bread.--Mrs. C. W. Earle’s recipe.

LETTUCE (Lactuca sativa. Ord. Compositæ).

The first sowing should be made early in March, some such early cabbage variety as “Tom Thumb” or “Commodore Nutt” being selected. This sowing should be made in a box in the hotbed, and at the same time a sowing both of early and later sorts may go into the cold frame or warm border for succession. As soon as the seedlings are up the box must go into the cold frame to harden the plants off, and early in April they may be pricked out in a warm bed, six inches apart. Any surplus seedlings here or in the cold frame should go into the salad bowl. Indeed these lettuce thinnings are so useful, that it is almost worth while to grow them like mustard and cress for cutting when the leaves are but three inches long.