Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-04-23
TO PREPARE AND
USE VEGETABLES
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT
EXPERTS GIVE RESULTS OF
STUDY AND EXPERIMENT.
USING FLOWERS AND FRUITS
Certain Species Are Eaten a. ve0e-
tables-Garden Flowers for Cook
Ing Purposes-Stale cueumbers
Are Bad for Digestion.

IL ID not generally realized that
there are certain flowers and fruits
that We prepare and eat as vege.
tables. One example is the portion OF
the caulilower we eat, namely the
flower head. and the globe arti'
choke (Quite a different plant from
the Jerusalem artichoke which yields
edible tubers) is another. Capers, cas-
sia buds and cloves are unexpanded
flower buds. Among the fruits that
we use az vegetables may be men,
toned the pumpkin, squash, cucum-
Der, peppers. okra, eggplant and to-
mato, and very often the banana and
more commonly the apple, for in
stance. in the old-fashioned fried ap-
pies often served with meat.
PIekIed NasturtIum Buds.
Some of our popular garden fow-
ers occasionally have been used for
cooking purposes. Nasturtium buds
are sometimes picked, and as their
flowers have flavor like water cress,
they are sometimes eaten in a salad.
Orange flowers are well-known, in
gradients Of cakes. creams and confec-
tionery, being added for the flavor
which they impart. Saffron and mari
gold petals once were considered i'm
portant adjuncts in cookery, chiefly
for the yellow color they impaired, and
are often mentioned in old recipes for
soups, etc. Saffron ID still q staple
article in use by professional cooks.
In southern Europe squash blossoms
and the tiny squash to which the
blossom Is attached are dipped in
batter and fried, and locust flowers
also are used for fritters in France. as
are elder blossoms in Germany.
Cooked squash flowers may be folded
in an omelet. But such things have
little food value in themselves, though
they help to give variety to the diet.
Sometimes rose petals, violets. and
mint leaves are candied. but are used
more for garniyhing than for food
purposes. Rose petals are used in
the Orient for making a very sweet
preserve.
violets are used in cookery for i'm
parting a purple color, while q num-
Der of other colors are made from
blossoms or leaves, the more common
being spinach Some highly-prized
flavoring extracts are made from
flowers; for instance. rose extract,
orange flower water, and sirup of vio-
lets. Nasturtium flowers are used like
tarragon favoring vinegar.
Valuable Vegetable Fruits.
The distinction between q fruit and
q vegetable is not always easily made.
On the borderland between the two
are Q number Of valuable food plants
which have appropriately been called
vegetable fruits" Members of the
gourd family have already been cited.
This family furnishes the largest
fruits of any known plants, some be-
ing over eight feet around and weigh
ing more than-two hundred pounds.
The squash, both winter and summer
varieties, vegetable marrow. cucum-
Der. and melons, belong to this family.
Careful cooking will make a great
deal of difference in modifying the
texture or flavor of squashes or pump
kins. The best of these are heavy in
proportion to their size, having thick
rather than thin flesh. Where the
fibers IRE coarse, long cooking and
straining will reduce them, and an
excess Of water may be evaporated.
Where the shells are hard, bake or
steam and. then scrape out and mash
the flesh. Baked in the pan with roast
beef, mutton or other meats they gain
an added flavor.
The cooked. strained pulp Of squash
or pumpkin. in addition to it's use for
pies, is sometimes combined with milk
or stock for soups, or is added to
doughs like those of corn bread or
OF maysbe cooked with sugar
and spices for marmalades.
The summer squash Is not always
fully appreciated because often allowed
to grow too large. Either variety, crook
neck or turban. should be so tender
that the seeds and skin are edible |
when cooked. Summer squashes may
be cut in slices and fried, though they |
are most commonly boiled When |
fully grown they may be used like
winter squash. skin and seeds being
removed.
Stale Cucumber Bad for Digestion.
Many people do not eat cucumbers,
because they fear they may cause indi-
gestion. This is often true if the Gu
cumber Is stale, wilted or overgrown.
fresh young specimen. thoroughly
peeled and left in cold water (some-
times saltedD before serving, loses its
bitter juices and is a palatable and
usually healthful relish.
The cucumber may be served as a
salad by itself or to accompany fish or
meats. or may be grated to add to
rich sauces. Cut in strips it may be
cooked, and served on toast like as
paragus. and cooked in many other
ways. The skin and seeds may be re-
moved and the Arm flesh used as a