White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1933-05-11
JUST WHAT GOES
INTO POTLIKKER
Has Real Food Value if the
Rules Are Followed.
By EDITH M. BARBER

Controversies ragged in the press
while ago about the proper way to
eat-or shall we say drink ?"-"pot-
likker," that of southern fame. Shall
the corn bread be crumbled in it or
shall it be ''dunked" in it? Many
papers Joined in the dispute and inter
viewed governors and majors, and
Northerners as well as Southerners,
who have had experience.
Perhaps there may still be among
the readers of this column some who
do not know exactly what potlikker
is. For their benefit | will say that
1t is the liquid remaining in the pot
after greens and meat, usually pork,
have been cooked. And just to he on
the safe side will mention that to
''dunk" is to dip.
The really important point about
potlikker did not enter into the dis
cussion at all. The essential is ac-
tually, not have you taken potlikker
but that you do take 1t. In that
liquor remain valuable salts and
vitamins which are necessary to the
health of the body, and in the poorer
districts OF the South, the lives of
many babies and the health of many
have been saved by the custom of Civ
ing infants this form of nourshment
very early in life. The green's may
be one of many kinds. There are, In
fact, any number of wild greens which
are eatable but which are little known.
The bureau of plant industry in Wash
ington has recently prepared some ma
terial in regard to these greens which
are often considered common weeds"
A recent article in the press called
these vegetable foods to be had at
Natures Free Lunch Counter
OF course you know the humble dan
delion which has furnished us in the
spring for so many years our first
taste of spring. Perhaps you have
even dug the young roots from the
lawn (for price,, thus satisfying the
annual favorite craving for them and
at the same time identifying the lawn.
1t is almost shock to find that now
the dandelion is cultivated and plucked
like any other green for market, where
you can order it in the same way be-
ginning in late February.
Young beet greens-sometimes la
beled sanitary" are also to be bought,
brushed and ready for cooking.
Bunched beets in market this week
had young tender tops worthy of prep.
aration for the table. Swiss chard
while not in season all the year. has
delicate flavor which some people
like better than that of spinach. Car
rot tops and turnip tops are used to
some, extent. The tender green tops
of young onions are also delicious. Try
them with white sauce. Kale and
broccoli greens are also delicious.
To get the most food value and the
best flavor, these green's must be
cooked with little or no water and for
the least possible time. Overlooking
destroys their delicacy of flavor and
color as we'll. They differ in the
amounts of minerals and vitamins in
the first place, but they are all sup
piled with a large enough quantity to
make them count in the diet. These
are preserved by the proper method
of cooking They must first be thor
oughly cleaned Warm water, which
willis the leaves, also makes it easier
to remove the sand from leafy vegeta-
bles. They should then be drained and
cooked in the water which remains on
the leaves. like to use heavy uten
sils and to keep them covered tightly.
A ten-minute cooking is usually long
enough for spinach-other greens may
take slightly longer. They should be
served as soon as possible after cook.
ing.
Genuine potlikker, as we know 1t In
the South, is not prepared by these
rules and regulations, but dare to
say that it would be the better for it
as far as food value is concerned
do not dare express any opinion as to
the Improvement in flavor.
Nodded Greens With Dreamed
Mushrooms.
A cups cooked greens
1-3 cup butter
"a teaspoon salt
2 cups creamed mushrooms
8 hard-cooked eggs
Drain green's thoroughly. Chop fine
l.,Ak sole