Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-07-20
From the Rural Now Yorker.
Farmers Dinners.


Early summer is by far the most trying
season Of the year for getting up variety in
our dinners, and indeed for getting anything
wholesome, palatablc and refreshing. The
old vegetables are nearly all gone and the
new ones are yet scarce Many have not yet
acquired the habit Of canning vegetables, and
many who do can use them up in the winter
That, by the way | consider great mistake
In the winter we have still some fresh fruits
and much greater variety Of other food
while there is no season Of the year when we
need the resources Of canned vegetables, and
fruits, too, so much as in the spring and carly
summer. So | always keep by far the larger
proportion of my cans for that season, unless
indeed, | have all | want and to spare. The
latter is a very desirable state Of things to be
aimed at, and in the course Of years it may
be attained in most families by increasing in
some degree the number of cans every year
But what to have for dinner The men
folks are tired Of greens, and ! don't wonder
for they are worth little in themselves and
still less when boiled up IN essence Of pork.
" They will not have them any other way
Have you tried thcm2
BEET SALAD.
ate yesterday Of very palatablo dish Of
young bcets about as big as your finger tops
and ALL They were boiled tender, the water
drained of, then about an equal bulk Of sliced
pie-plant with two or three spoonslul Of wa
ter put into a kettle, (which was porcelain,
Of course,l the beet tops placed over them all
covered close, and cooked till the pe-plant
was done. All was then mixed intimately
and served. No other dressing was required.
You may call this beet salad but if you
call it greens, the old greasy taste will be ex-
pected, and you probably get your labor for
your pains. However, this is only one Of the
side dishes, and we propose to treat Of more
solid matters--ior example, the
POTATOES.
The old ones are grown, or withered or
green from careless exposure, and not very
desirable in any way and the new ones are
less so. know Of few things so unsatisty-
ing as an unripe potato. 1t is astonishing
with what persistent affection we cling to po-
tatoes, green or ripe, rotten or sound cheap
or dear, when there are so many better things
within our reach that we never cat at all.
For exampe, there is
! WHEAT
an article Of perfect nutrition, wholesome,
agreeable, and Of almost universal accessible
ty among farmers, and yet they seldom eat it
before grinding have seen RECOMMENDED
for stock suppose now we have some of the
good things for ourselves The best is none
TO good for us and for our children, so we
will take good, plump, white winter wheat, il
| NNaehtpr, mill tals, flu
most of the foreign matter; look over and
pick out the rest then put the wheat to boil
with five or six times its measure Of water
1t may be cooked slowly in a dish or kettle
on the stove or in hominy boiler or in a
covered dish in kettle of water the former
case requires more water than the others
} The amount required also varies some with
the varieties Of grain, and the time that they
require for cooking-irom five to eight hours
In any case the juice, when DONE should bare
} y fill the grain and be thick and geatinous
or, rather, starchy, when cool This make
an excellent dinner dish, with meats of any
kind, or without meats. Place on the tabl,
cream and sweets, or fruit juices if you hay,
/ them, so that those who prefer can eat tn,
wheat without the
SALT MEATS,
which are all that some farmers have at thi
, time of the year. | should have other meats
or rather ! should try to. Fats and fat meat
are Of very little dietetc value at any time
and often they are worse than nothing in ho
weather. Farmers relish their ham and ba
con more for their pungeacy Of taste than ioi
any other reason. No doubt they are Otter
missed for few days when first laid aside
so the topper misses his dram and the smoker
, his pipe, but that does not prove that the,
are beneficial to him.
, FRESH MEATS.
! The little meat we really need in summc
D could in many cases be readily provided fresl
G by little iorethought A sheep for eac
/ family in a small neighborhood, and exchange
k made bullock by one or more, the time @
3, Strengthening and the amounts to be dispose
n of to each family being previously agree
c upon A bit of corned beef now and then
r and good supply Of fowls, will meet all othc
occasions. And to accompany the fowls, ie'
= dishes are more agreeable than the Souther
N HoMINy OR CRACKED CORN.
Perhaps it could be better called " hulle
= corn Tor hullng Is all the preparation
r really needs We have it in our market Ut
der the name Of " samp;" and the incest
!. that which is the least broken. There is Il
= reason why all our farmers might not get
= as readily as they get rice. 1t is cooke
precisely in the same way as the wheat
When first ate this, seasoned with salt an
pepper and butter and sauced with fowl gray,
= | thought it most delicious | have sine
>, found it more delicate and more easily d
y gested with less seasoning. 1t goes well wit
y any kind of meats and with eggs (see RWa
!, May 2lst, as also with squashes, beets, cal
bage aud sweet potatoes. OF course the sei
,r son is too early for the latter unless you hay
- them dried-a very desirable article
N are far too wholesome and agreeable to be
IS much neglected as they are Dried peas
y all kinds, and especially of the choice kind
J. are very desirable cooked until tender, yer
IS much after the fashion of the wheat abo,
O. mentioned Now is the time to secure
lie supply for next winter and spring