The Republican journal., 1913-03-13
EDIBLE FLOWERS.
Caulihower. Artichokes, Cloves and Capers
Most Familiar, but Cowsl.ps and Nastar-
f2nlme avo NoDd

Caulifower, Artich0kes, Cloves and Capers
Most Familiar, but Cowsl.ps and Nastar-
tiums are Good.
Among the many modern cults of diet
no one has hitherto had the temerity to
propagate flower food as the ultimate
desideratum of the simple life. And yet,
if proper attention be bestowed upon it,
there is a deal to be said for flower
diet, and our forbears knew something
anent the subject.
The cowslip and the primrose, by rea-
son of the delicate flavors which their
petals afford, while the colors are at
tractive, find frequent admission nova
days into salads at refined tables.
In old cookery books many recipes are
given for the preparation of flowers in
various ways, secundum artem. For in
stance, in 1.-THE Cooks and Confection-
ers' Dictionary" by John Mott (cook to
the Duke of Bolton, 1929, we find the
following:
ITO Candy Any Sort of Flowers
the best triple refined sugar, break it
into Jumps and dip it piece by piece in
water; put them into vessel of silver
and melt them over the fire; when 1t just
boils strain it, and set it on the fire again
and let it boil till it draws to hairs, which
you may perceive by holding up your
spoon, then put in your flowers and set
them in cups or glasses, and when it is
of hard candy break it in Jumps, and
lay it as high as you please, dry it in
stove or in the sun and it will look like
sugar candy"
Another recipe from the same COM
u.ol, oc foIloo,c. sGTo ,,,I,.
cowslip pudding: Take the flowers of
pound them in mortar, with four hand
fuls of Naples biscuits grated and three
pints of cream; boil them little; then
take them off the fire and beat up 16
eggs with a little cream; beat these
among them, and if it does not thicken,
set it ON the fire little, but take care it
does not curdle; then sweeten it with
sugar and rosewater; when it is cold but
ter dish, put it in, bake it, strew sugar
over it-and serve itup."
One does not perhaps realize that the
floral world covers quite a number of
common edibles The globe artichoke,
for instance, which Alfred de Musset
refers to as "the thistle which left the
donkey's jaws to be flooded with sauce
in bishops silver dish DIR. johnson,
too, no mean authority, called the cauIi-
flower 1.-The finest flower in the garden"
and the caulif1ower is, after all, nothing
more nor less than a Towering cabbage,
as are also the large tribe of brocolis.
Among other flowers and capers. and in
China there is d constant demand for
dried lily roots as an accompaniment to
roast pork (although Charles Lamb
makes no mention thereby
The roseleaf jam that comes from
Greece is made from special kind of
damask rose grown for the purpose
The rose leaves are stepped in sirup
and subsequently boiled in sugar, and
the result is a sort of jam or preserve
which certainly has the perfume of the
rose, and flavor of curious suggestion.
A very usual and delis htful form of
afternoon tea sandwich is made with
nasturtium buds, which have a pleasant
tartness; the leaves are good as an addi-
ton to lettuce or dandelion salad, and
the blossoms come in as an edible garnish
In the south of Germany the creamy
blossoms of elder are tied up in little
punches, dipped into batter, fried in hot
lard and plentifully sugared. In this
form they make an agreeable dessert.
In an 18th century cookery book d.
rections are given for the making of
flower cakes with hawthorne flowers,
roses, violets, carnations or ''any other
sweetly-scented flowers" This recipe
runs thus:
"Boil double refined sugar candy
high, and then strew in your flower petals
thickly, and let them boil up once. Then
with your hand lightly strew in little
double refined sugar sifted, and then, as
quick as may be, put it into your little
pans, made of card and pricked full of
holes at bottom. You must set the pans
on a pillow or cushion; when they are
cold, take them out.
These instructions do not err on the
side of over-clearness; and, be the re-
suit what it may, the idea is not without
a certain delicate fancy. -Country Life.