The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1910-08-18

with any degree OF precision to per-
sons not imbued with the Pennsyl-
wanna German culinary instinct.
!, Pennsylvania German cooks ri
born and not made, and they do not
reduce their art to cold mathematical
formulas. In explaining a certain con-
Goction to one deemed worthy OF their
confidence they say: II take me as,
much salt as will go on the end of a
knife-so," or You just take not quite,
p cup Of -four" or Gust pour q little
molasses into it and mix it until 1t is,
ready-so."
It seems, so far as an outsider may.
penetrate the secret, that the usual,
way Of preparing the dandelion is to
Gut of all roots and wash the leaves
thoroughly, then place them in q sauce
pan full Of boiling water, permitting
1t to boil for an hour, after which the
aeaves are drained and placed in a
trying pan with butter, salt and pep
per, and the mixture Is stirred until,
thoroughly heated. It is then served;
with an & Or with sliced hard boiled.
eggs.
Another method Ia to beat one egg:
until light, add halt a cupfulo OF cream
stir this over the fire Until 1t thickens,
then add a small piece Of butter, two!
tablespoonfuls Of vinegar and salt and
pepper. The dandelion leaves are!
washed and cut up. after which thej
hot dressing is poured over them, thel
mixture being stirred over the ire uni
I'll the leaves are wilted. :
As a salad dandelion usually is pref
pared like lettuce, though instead of
the mayonnaise dressing popular else-
where a dressing Of. hot bacon fat isl
sometimes preferred. |
Dandelion is also made into wine,I
which is held to be a remedy for a
variety of ills. A firm belief exists
among the Pennsylvania Germans that
the %dandelion possesses great value
hs a tonic. and many a farmer would
mot feel himself At for his comingl
summers work without partaking of
dandelion at least once a day for a
month or more. Its chief worth no.
doubt is that it constitutes. a whole
some variation in the diet of the coun-j
try people, who for months have sub
sisted largely upon pork, mince pies
and similar food.
So long as the leaves are young and
succulent the dandelion is In daily
demand, but when the plant begins to
Eiower the leaves become tough and
bitter and It Is held to be a nuisance.
Some rural churches with large burial
grounds set apart q day in June when
all the members Join in warfare upon
the dandelions growing upon the
church property.
Though the dandelion grows in al
most any place where vegetation can
Subsist there r indications that even
Its abundance may not a " It entire
ny from the spirit of commercialism.
Several experiments have been made
I'm the Pennsylvania German country
lin the cultivation Of the plant for
market.
A man living at Rittersville, Lehigh
county, has laid out several large beds
lon the slope Of q hill. The dandelion
patch evidently is az enticing to Ger.
tain Pennsylvania Germans as the
watermelon patch is to certain indi.
fviduals Of q duskier race. for this
spring the owner Of the Rittersville
plantation had q man arrested on 9
charge Of surreptitiously digging ur
two bagfuls Of the greens and selling
them for So.
Hotbeds are used to force the crop
Just as with other salad greens. IL
keep the leaves In marketable condi
Iton all the year every bud is nipped
OF and the leaves are blanched By
punching them and heaping eartt
over them or covering them with
|pot. After the leaves of the plant
have given fun service the roots NAL
also be sold, being used in the druf
trade under the name Of taraxacum.
No doubt the Pennsylvania Ger
mans inherit their liking for the dan
Edelion, along with other economical
traits, from their ~forefathers who de,
from the Rhine country = century AM
half ago.
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