The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26

ever may be said Of the onions odoriferous
drawbacks, 1t Is a color study of beauty;
natures tints of sparkling white, rose pur-
pie, silver and golden brown enchant the
eye: and the artists choicest hues-"green,
which makes you think OF blue. and blue,
which makes you think of green"-make
onion tops in the garden a decorative note
not to be overlooked. Concerning the health
giving properties of the onion and its kin,
all doctors, medical books and cook books
are eloquent. Almost endless are the drug
formulas which include syrup of garlic and
squill-vinegar and honey of squill-to be
used in nervous disorders, fevers, for
coughs. Group, deafness, ear ache, and TAX
en-, as an old doctor book states, ''in any
size doses by any and everybody" Garlic
has long and interesting record, and the
leek is the national badge Of Wales. In GAO
the green blades of leek, worn in the cap.
enabled the British soldiers to distinguish
each other in battle. Chives is small and
mild species of leek
Fifty years ago the illustrious onion, al
though much used food, made no figure
whatever in the markets or in agricultural
reports. In Indiana reports of garden crops.
in 1S4S, the onion was not enumerated; but
n.
Martin received a prize of 81 on onions.
By 1869. however. the onion had arrived, as
public theme; and the Washington De-
partment of Agriculture took elaborate Off
cial cognizance of its Importance. Its culti-
walton was advised on high medical author
ity, ranking the onion with the pea and the
bean, in misunderstanding the appetite
and promoting Digestion A Rhode Island
onion farm entered record as having culti-
waited the onion, on one piece Of land, for
seventy-one years; and Scottish onion field
of one hundred years was cited. Wethers-
field, Conn.,, was, in the early days, head
quarters for onions to all Eastern markets.
The onion is now largely grown in all mar
ket-garden regions, and is listed In all gar
dener's catalogues. Old catalogues mention
only the red globe Wethersfeld onion and
the Danvers onion: but a varied list of dis
tinctive titles now Is given. such as White
Bunch. Early Flat Red, Southport Globe
White Portugal, Silver Skin, White, Red
and Yellow Globe. The Italian onions are a
separate chapter-Adriatic, Barletta. Red
and White Bermuda, Giant Silver King,
Giant Rocca, Mammoth Pompeii White
italian, Tripoli and Queen. Seventy years
ago the finest onions came from Spain and
Portugal. New Orleans now ships thousands
of barrels of onions North and West; and a
distinct kind, called Louisiana or Creole
onion, Is said to have been grown there for
century.
What cooks have done and still do with
onions. garlic. leek, eschallot and chives is
theme to be "fearsomely' entered upon.
Old English books give an onion omelette.
which would surely win laurels as night
mare excitant; it is composed of minced
onions, eggs and anchovies, and is to be
strewn with grated cheese. New England
chowder. of 1929. had layers of onion with
layers Of salt pork and fish, Ito be eaten
with ships biscuit Philadelphia pilot
bread, If you can get it." Four large onions
and bruised eschalot go into old Multi
gatawny soup; and "a tureen of hodge,
podge," IN old England contained beef
mutton, veal, steaks, poultry, pigeons
with "all vegetables the same to be fla
vored with onions, green shallots, garlic
cloves, parsley, laurel, thyme and basil, ito
be served on dish with the roots" MA
lay curry is seasoned with fried onions
and the milk and grated flesh of two cocoa
nuts. Soup without onion in it would indeed
be Hamlet without the Dane: and "chari-
table SOUP which is commended as 'fit for
any gentleman's table, calls for two
punches of leeks. half a peck of onions. to
ten stone of beef and two oxheads-a recipe
to make 100 quarts. "Cocky-leeky" soup.
of old Scotland, takes "a scrag of mutton"
with leeks, put in at twice." meaning two
punches, added an hour apart, as the broth
boils Scotch barley broth includes several
large onions; and the Queens ''bouillon Of
health" on a London morning of 1869, de-
mands ''half a great onion for one good
porringerful." To all sauces. except the
Queens sauce" and the parsons sauce"
was advised the illustrious onion. "Misers
sauce was all chopped onions. mixed with
verjuice or vinegar; sliced onion and garlic
seasoned the "Pontiffs sauce" also the
housewives sauce "admirars sauce"
generals sauce" and the sailors sauce"
Doctors sauce for "a delicious double
relish,' called for SLICED eschallottes.'' and
even nuns sauce was dramatically"
with it's 'clove of garlic" Garlic gravy
was a famous old Spanish dish. Old Vir-
ginia cooks used thirty button onions to a
roast neck of lamb, twenty blanched onions
to a brace Of cartridges, and fifty button
onions to "jugged hare" stewed In port
wine. In Western cookery, sucking pig"
-
roasted for "a harvest party or a log-roll-
ing" like the Cratchits' goose, was stuffed
with bread, sage and onions. Onions and po-
tatoes mashed together was an old dish;
and onion sliced with tomatoes, or 'love-
apple" still finds favor, as it did in 1929
Old-time Yankee sausage ignores onion; but
uses sage and plenty Of pepper. Most old
Yankee soups, however, begin with, Take
a large onion"
In the matter of onion and all it's kind in
Salads" wine does not serve. Eschallotte
wine-al ways of spelling 'shallot" seem to
be authorized-is quoted the most elegant
of onion extracts for soups; but the Glove of
garlic must merely touch the salad bowl,
land. scarce suspected, animate the whole"
Minced onion, in bowl by the bedside. will
induce sleep, 1t Is said. In 1S4S, a young
southern Indiana man arrived at San Fran
cisco after tiresome journey, spent his last