The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-08-01
Some Unfamiliar Vegetables.
Several May Become Agreeable Additions
to the Menu. :. =. :.
to the Menu.

4HeTe are a great many vegetables
which are unfamiliar to the average
American housewife. Some Of them
make delicious additions to the me-
nu, while others are interesting mere
ly because of their eccentricity.
Hamburg parsley is not often seen.
The top of this plant is similar to,
though not so curly as, the common
parsley grown in every American
garden. The Hamburg variety, how
ever, has thick edible root the size
of small parsnip. One who has
cultivated it says that it is well worth
growing in kitchen gardens where
variety is liked. 1t is advertised in
some American seed catalogues The
roots are boiled like celeriac and SIM
liar vegetables, and served with a
cream sauce.
Celeraic, or turnip rooted celery,
can hardly be considered a strange
vegetable, though it is still unfami-
liar to many outside of New York
and some of the larger cities.
A curious new turnip from France
suitable for American gardens has a
long thick root like a parsnip instead
of the ordinary round shape 1t is
said to be very tender, delicate in fla
vor and free from stringiness.
The Japanese grow a variety of
horseradish, known as wasabi, that
is pale green and has the proper
amount of sharpness. 1t seems to
have been successfully raised in
America, though not extensively as
yet.
To think of that lovely American
flower, the evening primrose, as a
vegetable seems almost sacrilegious
The coarse roots, however, and not
too ethereal blossoms are the part
used in cooking. This plant is not
grown in England and America for
such practical purpose, but on the
Continent, especially in Germany, the
roots are cooked in a variety of
ways. The roots are thick, resem-
bling carrots, usually red in color and
quite tender. They are cooked like
the familiar oyster plant, or, if pre-
ferred, like cheevil. They may also
be used in salad like potatoes and
celeriac.
The cheevil just mentioned IS not
the ordinary garden cheevil, but a
plant know as vegetable cheevil'
which has a root something similar
to parsnip. It is native of South
ern Europe, but Is grown to some ex-
tent in England and is recommended
highly. The flavor of this vegetable
has an individuality of it's own, be-
Ing rather sweet, but not disagree
able, though it is of more floury
consistency than the parsnip. 1t is
sometimes fried. Wash and clean
the roots, but do not cut into them.
Simmer in enough water to cover for
about an hour, then cut them into
strips as you would parsnips and toss
them in butter over hot fire.
The pear shaped roots Of the gly-
cine are unfamiliar in this country
as a dinner vegetable. 1t is not,
however, unfamiliar in other coun-
tries. 1t is a favorite in France,
where it is cooked like potatoes.
Here in America, where it grows
wild, it is often known as ground
nut by wild flower enthusiasts be-
cause of it's edible tubers. Like so
many edible plants, it makes a pretty
ornament in the flower garden.
The pretty oXalis, that home low
ing women enjoy planting in their
window gardens, has a near cousin
whose roots are edible-Oxalis Gre
nata. In fact, there are several va
rietieS of the oxalis that have edible
roots. The one just mentioned and
oxalis tuberosa are natives of Peru
and Bolivia, where they are great
faverites. The tubers when cooked
become mealy, like white potatoes.
They are yellow in color and about
the size and shape Of little pota-
toes-not bigger than a large Eng
lish walnut. Great care is needed in
cooking the roots, as they possess
strong acid favor, which must be
removed. To 90 this change the wa
ter while cooking them, putting them
on the stove again in fresh water
when they are partly done. In South
America these tubers are often
cooked by steam. In Bolivia they
are exposed to the strong sunshine
for some time. This removes a great
deal of their acidity and they acquire
a flavor and consistency like dried
figs. Though Oxalis crenata has been
growing for years in Northern gar
dens, it is still thought merely
curiosity because it is really too
tender in temperate climates to form
a growth abundant enough for an
ordinary dinner vegetable Another
form of oxalis-Oxalis depths
Mexican plant, with a root rather
similar to that of the small parsnip.
1t is not SO acid as the other and
seems to thrive well in the southern
parts of England. 1t is said to make
a good food for fnvalids, as it is
easy to digest.
If oXalis roots have been exposed
to the strong sunlight for some weeks
they need not be cooked at all. If
they have been lying in the sun
n.