14 Marketing and Meal Planning

Root Vegetables (other than potatoes)—Carrots, parsnips, turnips are
our cheapest and most valuable winter vegetables.

Unless you have proper storage facilities, it is better to buy them in
moderate quantities. For the average family, a basketful of roots (mixed
perhaps) at a time is practical, if they can be kept in a cool part of the cellar
covered with a bit of sacking and sprinkled once a day (lightly, lest they be
encouraged to sprout).

In their harvest season the new and freshly-dug roots are sold by the
bunch chiefly; as are forced and imported. vegetables in winter. These
may be more tender and more delicate in flavour, but at a price; proper
storing and cooking, with variety to help, will make the cheap stored roots
very satisfactory.

: Salad Greens—Lettuce—firm and solid heads, without tinge of rust;
or young, smallish and tender leaf lettuce.

Endive—the French type—has smooth thick white stalks, close-furled,
deepening to green at the ends; they may be separated or quartered for
serving. The curly endive or escarole shades from pale to deep green in its
loosely held head; the outer leaves may be cooked. |

Romaine—long narrow in-curled leaves, to be separated or the head cut
in sections.

Cress—bunches should not be too spindly for good appearance, a large
part of the value of cress. Peppercress is small and troublesome to prepare
unless clean and fresh looking.

All the salad greens must be fresh; slight moisture and moving air keep
them in best condition.

Greens should be cleaned and put to crisp as soon as delivered. Cut core
out of iceberg lettuce, run cold water sharply into cavity—and leaves will
separate without tearing. Leave only moisture that clings after washing,
place in a container with a not-too-close-fitting cover and put in refriger-
ator or cold place to crisp.

String Beans—Pods brittle, without too definite outline of the beans—
which would indicate a maturity opposed to tenderness. ‘Green’ and
“golden wax’”’ beans. Sold by pound or berry-box—a pound serving 5 or 6.

Swiss Chard—Used as spinach, but must be young and fresh-cut to
be tender and of good flavour. Select clean, unwilted greens, free from

roots, yellowed leaves—and consequent extra work in preparation.
: Sold by pound or peck—about three pounds to the peck, and three cups
(cooked) to the pound.

Spinach—Select for same characteristics as chard.

A finer leaf, spinach “‘boils down’”’ more, a pound producing only about
half as much cooked vegetable.