Economical Vegetable Pottage Recipe

In France, and also in many parts of Europe, the poorer classes but very

seldom taste meat in any form; the chief part of their scanty food

consists of bread, vegetables, and more especially of their soup, which

is mostly, if not entirely, made of vegetables, or, as is customary on

the southern coasts of France, Italy, and Spain, more generally of

fish, for making which kinds of soup see Nos. 4, 6, 118, etc.



The most common as well as the easiest method for making a good mess of

cheap and nutritious soup is the following:--If you are five or six in

family, put a three-gallon pot on the fire rather more than half full of

water, add four ounces of butter, pepper and salt, and small sprigs of

winter savory, thyme, and parsley; and when this has boiled, throw in

any portion or quantity, as may best suit your convenience, of such of

the following vegetables as your garden can afford:--Any kind of

cabbages cleaned and split, carrots, turnips, parsnips, broad beans,

French beans, peas, broccoli, red cabbages, vegetable marrow, young

potatoes, a few lettuce, some chervil, and a few sprigs of mint. Allow

all this to simmer by the side of the hob for about two hours, and then,

after taking up the more considerable portion of the whole vegetables on

to a dish, eat one half, or as much as you may require, of the soup with

bread in it, and make up your dinner with the whole vegetables and more

bread. The remainder will serve for the next day. Let me persuade you,

my friends, to try and persevere in adopting this very desirable kind of

food, when in your power, for your ordinary fare. I, of course, intend

this remark more particularly for the consideration of such of my

readers as are or may be located in the country, and who may have a

little garden of their own.

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