In May and June we shared recipes from Eliza Soane's copy of the popular The London Art of Cookery, by John Farley. Published in 1783, the year before Eliza and John Soanes' marriage, the book recommends a variety of dishes for each month, using foods that were in season at the time. Today, we post two July recipes from this fascinating cookbook

Ox Palates

Stew them until they be tender, which must be done by putting them into cold water, and letting them stew softly over a gentle fire, till they be as tender as you wish. Then take off the two skins, cut them in pieces, and put them into either your made dish or soup, with cocks-combs and artichoke bottoms cut small. Garnish your dishes with lemon, sweatbreads stewed, and cut into little pieces.

Ragoo of Endive

Lay three heads of fine white endive in salt and water for two or three hours. Then take a hundred of asparagus, and cut off the green heads; then chop the rest small, as far as it be tender, and lay it in salt and water. Take a bunch of celery, wash it and scrape it clean, and cut it in pieces about three inches long. Put it into a saucepan with a pint of water, three or four blades of mace, and some white pepper tied in a rag. Let it stew till it be quite tender, then put in the asparagus, shake the saucepan, and let it simmer till the grass [a common term for asparagus] be enough. Take the endive out of the water, drain it, and leave one large head whole. Take the other leaf by leaf, put it into the stewpan, and put to it a pint of white wine. Cover the pan close, and let it boil till the endive be just enough. Then put in a quarter pound of butter rolled in flour, cover the pan close, and keep it shaking. When the endive be enough, take it up, and lay the whole head in the middle: then with a spoon take out the celery and grass, and lay them round it, and the other part of the endive over that. Then pour the liquor out of the saucepan into the stewpan, stir it together and season it with salt. Have ready the yolks of two eggs beat up with a quarter a pint of cream, and half a nutmeg grated in. Mix this with the sauce, keep it stirring one way till it be thick, and then pour it over your ragoo.

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