A quart of small white haricot beans
Four ounces of fresh butter
One tablespoonful of white wine vinegar
One tablespoonful of balm-mint
Salt and pepper

For coating
Yolk of an egg
Grated bread-crumbs
Butter

"Put a quart of small white haricot beans to soak in tepid water all night long ; dry, put them in cold water, and boil over a slow fire for about an hour. Drain and dry them again, and put into boiling water for another hour. Pass them through a sieve and put them in a sauce-pan with

four ounces of fresh butter, one tablespoonful of white wine vinegar, one of balm-mint, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well together, cook, and let cool. Then roll up into balls (or croquets), dip them into the yolk of an egg, cover them with finely grated bread-crumbs, and fry with good fresh butter. Serve up very hot."

This recipe was taken from "Leaves from our Tuscan Kitchen or, How to Cook Vegetables" by Ann Janet Ross. The book was published by JM Dent & Co. in 1900 (London). For the complete cookbook see www.archive.org. A variety of recipes can also be found on this website.... Photo: Mary Melfi.

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