The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1910-09-24
1hE DENOEL!CN A Ot.iilTY.
Inhcri:od Recipes Ct the F2rreyIvs-
IA German iIo.ee.ll.ss.

itsI vi fttGli -
Notwithstanding the general in
crease in ,1c cost Of l.v.r3 tHe-c Isl
one dainty Waica the p .4-ay..y4I.42
Germans are enjo.ing now Just rs in
The sprinstime of rast years. That
dainty is the dandsliOn.
Pennsylvania German housewives
are famous no. alone for their skill as
cooks bat also for Producing savorE
dishes at the least possible cost.
Among them the preparation Of the
dandeion for the table IS a. arr.
Usually 1t is cooked like spinach or
eaten as salad.
Some OF the favCrite recipes have
been handed down as legacies from
mother TO daughter for many genera
lions. Like Nest recipes Of Pelnsyl-
yania German cookery, they are no,
written cut by those who invent
them, nor do the women who possess
them seem able to impart Their mys-
teries with any degree of precision
TO Iersons not imbued with the
Pennsylvania German culinary IL
stinct. Pennsylvania German cocks
are bern and rot made, and they do
not reduce their art 10 cold mathe-
matiea! formulas. n explaining a GER
tain corcoctiCn TO person deemed
worthy Of their confidence they say:
81 take me as much salt as will 20 On
the end OF a knife-so,' CT You jus,
take not quite a cup of -four Or
AUST POUR little molasse5 into il
and mix it-so.'
1t seems. so far as an outsider may
penetrate the secret, that the usual
way of preparing the dandelion is to
cut OH ali roots and wash the leaves
thoroughly, then place them IL
saucepan tull CT boiling water, per-
hitting L 70 boil for an hour. after
which the leaves are drained and
placed in trying pan with butter,
salt and pepper. and the mixture is
stirred until thoroughly heated. It
Is served with an egg or with sliced
hard boiled eggs.
Another method is to beat one egg
until light, add half a cuprul Of
cream, stir this over the fire until it
thickens, then add a small piece of
butter, two tab,espoonfuls OF vrnesa.
and sal; and pepper. The da2delion
leaves are washed and cut up, after
which the no. dressing is poured over
them. the mixture being stirred over
the fire until the leaves are wilted.
As salad dandelion usually is pre-
pared like lettuce, though instead OF
the mavonnaise dressing popular
elsewhere 4 dressing OF hot bacon fat
Is sometimes preferred.
Dandelion is also made into wine.
which IS ned to be a remedy Tor
variety q ills A frra belief ex SIS
among the Pennsylvania Germans
that the dandel:on possesses great
value as tonic, aid many a farmer
would 70. feel himself fit for his
coming summers work without par
taking OF dandelion at least once
day fer a month or more. is CHIEF
worth 10 doubt. is that it constitutes
a wholesome variation in the Giet OF
the couatry PEOPLE, who for months
have subsisted largely upon pork,
minee pies and similar food.
So long as the leaves are young aid
saccu,eIt the Gandelion is in daily
demand; but when the plant begins
to flower the leaves become tough
and Litter and il is held to be nui-
sanee. Some rural churches with large
burial grounds set apart day in
June when all the members join IN
warfare upon the dandelioas growing
upon the church property.
Though the dandelion grows in al
mos. any place where vegetation can
subsist there are indications that even
Its abundance may not save it entirely
from the spirit Of commercialism
Several experients have been EaGe in
the Pennsylvania German country in
the cultivation of the plant for the
market. 4 man living at RittersviHe.
Lehigh county. has laid out several
large beds OF the slope Of hill. The
dandelion patch evidently IS as en-
ticing to certain Pennsylvania Ger
mans as re watermelon patch is to
certain individuals of a duskier race.
Tor this spring the owner of the Rit-
tersyille plantation had man ar
rested On a charge of sarrer titicusly
digging up two bagfuls CT tie green's
and selling them for S..