Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-22
Table aid Kitchen.
Nothing but Leaves, and Yet Are
Nourishing.

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When studying the common chemistry
| of our daily food we must not overlook
| That very important part played by the
| product of the vegetable kingdom, which
| we are apt to consider nothing but
leaves, winch serve only subsidiary pur-
| pose In connection with our diet.
we recognize that the natural heritage
| is ornamental to our landscape and nee
essary to animal life. but do we under
| stand how these plants feed us, or that
they are as essential in our dietary as any
other forms of food? The main object of
| every plant, as well as every other sub
| servient thing, is to serve man in some
| way. To understand just what relation
each class of vegetable foods have to the
| needs of man and of what chemical sub
| stances these different forms are composed; ;
| why we choose to mix these forms of veg
etable foods we consume, leads to a host
of chemical inquiries.
The Salad Plants.
THESE comprise a group which may be
| arranged under the head of acetarious
| plants. Some have long been known as
| common vegetables and cooked and served
as such, while others have been regarded
simply as weeds by most of the native
| Americans
The salad plants contain no appreciab BILE
| amount or nutrient, and are not esteemed
| 1or this reason by those who recognize
their value and deem their crispness and
cooling properties Indispensable part of
the ideal dinner. The nature of their COM
ponent parts, along with the oil, acids and
condiments used to dress them. make them
most useful aids to the digestion.
Inc custom of serving the green, fresh
leaves of plants with oil and vinegar is a
very Old one, The thittpr hprhS' of
Paschal feast of the early Jews was a COM
olnatlon salad of lettuce, dandelion tansy,
mint calomile, etc great many green
herbs, or so-called weeds. which were once
used for salads have gone out of use and
peen forgotten. Some of these might be
again introduced with advantage.
Inc chlef value and advantage Of salad
pants Is derived from their saline mat
ters In these they comparatively rich,
especially In potash salts Cooking gener-
ally extracts these from vegetables and
consequently such vegetables can be eaten
IN an uncooked state present these UNI
changed and in most agreeable form in the
crisp, cool and succulent leaves, which
also serve to introduce a large amount of
water into the system
The law of the early Romans which COM
PEELED the people to make free use of green
vegetables and combine them with their
meats, taught them to use the salad plants
extensively.
The Soothing Leaves of the Lettuce.
Chief of the salad leaves is the lettuce
There are two varieties, the head or cab
bage shaped and the curly, broad-leaved
variety known as cas- lettuce.
OF all the salad plants this leaf is the
most priced for it's delicacy, beauty and
dainty freshness of color
The mineral salts contained in lettuce it's
refreshing, cooling properties and it's easy
digestion make it most wholesome addi-
ton to the more solid. foods. The ancients
used this plant at the end of the meal, be-
lieVing that Its cooling properties would
counterfeit the heating effects of the wine
which they INDUCED in so freely. To this
day we follow this custom of serving the
crisp salad of lettuce without perhaps a
thought as to it's original purpose.
The Pungent Crosses.
OF these we have two varieties The
water cress grows freely in wet places, es-
pecially in shallow streams, near springs
and always under water, is one Of our most
common as well popular salad greens.
1t belongs to the mustard family and owes
it's biting, pungent oil to an essential oil,
like the mustard.
The dietetic value, of course Is not de-
pendent on the proportion or amount of or
ganic nutrients present, but mainly upon
the aromatic oil, sulphur and other mineral
matters present. The cultivated cress usu-
ally found in our markets is much larger
and more tender than the wild- while it
contains all the aromatic pungency of the
latter.
grass possesses an even greater pungency
of flavor. Cress is used more for garnish-
ing than in salads.
Indian Cress.
This excellent salad plant which is erro-
neously known as nasturtium, and cult
waited in this country for decorative pur-
poses on account of it's brilliant flowers,
imparts a pungent and appetizing flavor to
salads. Leaf, stem, flower and seed may all
be eaten, the latter generally being sailed
and picked first
Endive.
This belongs to the dandelion family as
does the lettuce proper. Endive is known
to many as the winter lettuce. It's leaves
are blanched before it is sent to market,
thus rendering them tender, white and
crisp. They have a decidedly bitter flavor,
like the chicory and dandelion, to which
they are closely allied. 1t is excellent for
use in salads in the winter and spring.
Corn Salad.
This, like chicory and endive, is an excel
lent substitute for the lettuce salad in win
ter and early spring. This plant is also
known as fictitious or lambs lettuce.
According to an old English custom, it is
proper to serve a dish of corn salad with
rasher of bacon or smoked herring at Eas-
ter.
Spinach or Spanish Plant.
This plant derived it's name from the Span
ish monks, who first used it during fast
days. 1t belongs to the beet family and is
generally served vegetable, although
it makes a very delicate and appetizing
salad. In the spring, when mint is fresh
and green, few leaves added to the spin
ach will improve the flavor whether it is
served as a vegetable or salad.
The list of salad plants is so varied one
cannot fail to find some available green