Creamed Cucumbers
Peel 3 or 4 large cucumbers and an them in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds, cut the cucumbers in pieces about an inch long, and parboil them in salted water for 5 to 8 minutes. Drain the cucumbers well, return them to the pan, and pour over them 2/3 cup cream. Cook the cucumbers for a few minutes until they are just tender and thicken the sauce with 1 tablespoon butter kneaded with the same amount of flour. Cook the sauce for a few minutes longer and add salt to taste and a little sugar. Serve the cucumbers hot. The cream may be thickened with ¼ cup cream sauce instead of with kneaded butter.
Concombres Marinés (Marinated Cucumbers)
Peel cucumbers, cut them in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and slice them very thin. Spread the slices on a plate, sprinkle them with salt, and let them stand about 1 hour. Drain the cucumbers, wrap them in a towel, and press out all the surplus moisture. Combine them with enough sauce vinaigrette to cover them well. Thinly sliced radishes, sliced tomatoes, and water cress may be mixed with the marinated cucumbers just before serving. Or use the marinated cucumbers to stuff small tomatoes for garnishing cold fish dishes prepared for the buffet. Sprinkle the tomatoes with finely chopped parsley.
Sauce Vinaigrette
Mix together½cup good vinegar —wine, cider, or malt—and ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper, the yolk of 1 hard-cooked egg, finely chopped, and 1 teaspoon each of green olives, capers, chives, parsley, and gherkins, all finely chopped. Stir well with a fork and add 1½cups olive oil. Beat with the fork until thick.
Concombres à la Dijonnaise
Peel 3 or 4 cucumbers, cut them in quarters lengthwise, remove the seeds, and cut each wedge in four pieces. Trim the pieces into olive shapes. Add salted water and the juice of a lemon to cover and cook the cucumbers for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain them, cover them with cold water, and drain them again. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons vinegar, and simmer the cucumbers for 10 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon each of salt and paprika. Cool, mix well with 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. and chill thoroughly. Serve as a relish with cold meat or fish.
Eggplant contains a large percentage of water, and this characteristic often creates trouble for the unwary cook. The water content is not obvious when the eggplant is cut or peeled, but it is there nevertheless, and can become a problem. If sliced eggplant is to be sautéed, the oil must be very, very hot, otherwise it is impossible to achieve a crisp surface. When the eggplant is browned, it should be quickly drained and served at once; even if the slices are deep fried and very crusty they become unpleasantly limp and soggy if they are allowed to stand. Some cooks sprinkle eggplant slices with salt, pile them up on a plate, and weight them down with a heavy plate to draw out some of the water.
Many of the best eggplant recipes include tomato, onion, garlic, and parsley. As a matter of record, I might add that eggplant orientale, which I originated at the old Ritz-Carlton, was as popular with our guests as another of my creations,vichyssoise, although it never was as widely publicized!
Probably the most popular ways to cook eggplant are deep frying and saucing: the crisp crust is a pleasant contrast to the melting tenderness of the vegetable.
Sautéed Eggplant
Peel an eggplant, cut it into slices 1/3 to ½ inch thick, and season it with salt. Dip the slices in milk and in Hour and sauté them in hot oil for 2 or 3 minutes, until they are golden brown on both sides. There should be enough oil almost to cover the eggplant and the oil must be very hot. Drain the slices well, put them in a serving dish, and sprinkle them generously with butter cooked to a hazel nut brown and with chopped parsley. A clove or two of garlic, crushed, may be added to the browned butter if desired.
French-Fried Eggplant
Peel an eggplant and cut it into finger-sized pieces. Dip the sticks in milk, drain them, and dip them in flour. Shake them to remove any surplus flour and brown them quickly in deep hot fat (390° F.). Drain the French-fried eggplant sticks on paper towels and sprinkle them with salt. Serve at once, on a heated platter.
Eggplant au Gratin
Cut an eggplant in quarters lengthwise and score the flesh well. Fry the quarters in deep hot far (390° F.) for 5 to 6 minutes and drain them on paper towels. Carefully scrape the pulp from the skin, chop it fine, and mix it with half its volume of duxelles. Season the mixture with salt and a little pepper and pile it into the reserved skins. Sprinkle the scuffed eggplant with fine bread crumbs and melted butter and brown the topping in a hot oven or under the broiler.
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