Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-16
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Twas st. Patrick himself sure that set It.
And a tear from his eye Outlines wet it.
1t grows through the bog. through the brake.
And they call 1t the dear little shamrock Of Ire
land. Old Song.
MENU suS Spksk NaRcH II. 1907.
Dreamed FIaP ss'. T Ess,; o.r. Watercres'.
DINNER
Irish Potato Bisq6e.
Boiled Salmon, Egg Sauce.
csssd rS's sssa Cheese e.ese2.
Ice Cream in Potato Molds with Chocolate Frosting
Emerald Cake.
SUFFER-
Lettuce Sandwiches. Ballyshannon Pickle
Fruit Jelly With Whipped Cream.
According to old Irish historians the
shamrock was a staple article Of food In
Ireland before the introduction of the po-
tatoes and its free use is responsible for
the strength and f1eetness Of foot that has
always distinguished the sons of that
Tight little ISLE" Campion in his His
torie of Ireland" dated 1911, says in speak
ing Of the food of the common people:
"Shamrotes, watercresses and other herbs
they feed upon; oatmeal and butter they
cram together" Lovbel the Flemish
botanist, who was the first botanist writer
to mention the plant. after enumerating the
various trefoils. purple and white. says of
the latter: THE Irish grind the flowers
and leaves into a meal, which they knead
with butter when vexed and maddened with
hunger" The nourishing qualities of the
plant are also gathered from the statement
of the Earl of Antrim during the siege of
Munster by the Duke of Argyle to the eff
feet that as long as shamrocks were avail
able there need be no apprehension regard
ing the food supply.
While authorities differ as to whether
the edible shamrock of those stirring times
was the wood sorrel. the watercress or the
little Irish shamrock, Trifolium repens or
~Trifolium minus, is immaterial. The fact
remains that something in the national diet
has contributed to give its women COM
plexions of roses and cream and its men
daring and strength.
The Wholesome Sorrel.
The wholesome wood sorrel. with its deli
cately acid juice, which grows abundantly
in Irish woodlands and is so freely used,
is also abundant here. though not so gen.
orally made use Of A similar. but larger
and more delicate variety, is now Guilt
waited in French and German gardens. Mix
ed with lettuce or cabbage and dressed
with oil and vinegar, sorrel makes a de-
lightful dinner salad. AS soup or PURGE
1t is one of the best Of the spring soups
while served as a sauce or vegetable it is
the approved accompaniment of veal
Sorrel PURGE.
Look over the sorrel, wash thoroughly
and boil in sailed water. changing the
water twice in the operation. When
cooked-and it does not take long-drain.
chop~and press through fine hair sieve
into a saucepan. Mix with it little milk
and cornstarch to thicken slightly Ia table
Of fba to mint of
milk, season with pepper and salt and
simmer twenty minutes Add a tablespoon
full Of butter, turn on to a hot dish and
garnish with slices of hard-boiled eggs.
Lean Sorrel.
This is one of Manager Oscars special
ties at the Waldorf where a fat pocket
book is needed to get even lean sorrel."
To make 1t, remove the stems from two
quarts of sorrei, wash thoroughly. drain
and chop with head of lettuce. Add at
the same time a half bunch of cherpil and
chop all together finely. Place in stew
nan stir on top of the stove for five min
utes. then set In the oven until the vege-
tables are tender. Add tablespoonful or
two of butter and stir on top of the stove
for ten minutes or until the sorrel Is re-
duced to a pulp. Season with salt and
pepper then pour into 1t half cup OF
cream into which the Well beaten yoiks OF
two eggs have been stirred. The heat IN
without allowing them to come to the boil
ing point. Stir well and serve.
Sour Dock.
BELONGING to the same family as the sor-
rel is the long curly-leaved dock which
grows in the woods and pastures all over
the northern, central and western part of
our country. 1t comes early. tends for it
self and when well cooked and daintily
served Is quite as acceptable to the palate
as any of our cultivated greens. 1t may
be cooked in a variety of ways, as a pot
herb with corned beef ham or salt pork.
or more dehcately with veal broth. as
mince creamed or even In crOustades.
Dock Croustades.
For the latter pick over the dock and
cook in plenty of boiling water. When
tender. drain. then put in cold water for
few moments. Press all the moisture out
of the dock, put in frying pan with
little butter and stir over the fire until
dry. Dredge little flour over the greens.
pour in a half cup hot cream, season with
salt a suspicion Of sugar and a few graf
ings of nutmeg. Have ready some oval or
heart-shaped croustades of bread that have
Drowned and fill with the creamed dock
Other Valuable Weeds.
What gardener does not hate purslane.
wide? Yet it makes a most delicious and
wholesome vegetable salad or sauce to serve
with stews or boiled corned beef. Thorau.
living in his hut on the edge of Waldron
Park. a rare exponent of the genuine simple
life, bore witness that pursiane boiled In
salted water, with little rice, made an
altogether satisfactory monday meal Wild
chicory, another plague of the farmer.
makes one of the, finest salads known.
piouant, tender and wholesome. The Ital-
ians are now raising it freely in their gar
dens here, and many American housewives
find il superior to lettuce and much cheaper.
Under the name of 'endive' it often ap-
pears in the high-class restaurant bills of
rare. and is cooked in this way: Clean
thoroughly three large heads of chicory,
washing thoroughly and cutting of the
green outer leaves. Drain, cover with boil
ing water sailed, and let them simmer
about ten minutes. Drain again, turn cold
water over them, then press to remove all
moisture Chop, place in a saucepan with
four tablespoonfuls of butter. and cook
about fifteen minutes. until quite dry. Now
add three-quarters of cup of cream or
milk. cook down until just creamy, season |
with salt and pepper and a little nutmeg.
and then turn on to hot dish. and serve
with q earnish of fried croutons.