36 THE BOOK OF RARER VEGETABLES 



easily grown. There is also a very good variety, the 

 improved broad-leaved ; this is even better than the 

 French, as it does not run to seed so quickly, but as the 

 plant for use as a vegetable is not needed for summer 

 supplies its seeding is not important. The plants are 

 best raised from seed sown in April in rows 18 inches 

 apart, 9 inches between the plants in the row. It likes a 

 moist soil and should be sown very thinly and thinned 

 early. The plants left in their growing quarters will last 

 for years, but much finer leafage is secured by sowing 

 annually, not allowing the old plants to seed. 



To COOK DANDELION LEAVES 



An excellent dish may be made by taking equal 

 quantities of young Dandelion leaves and Sorrel leaves, 

 cutting them into slices, placing the Dandelion leaves in 

 a stewpan with a minimum of boiling water and stewing 

 them till tender, then adding the Sorrel leaves and boiling 

 till the whole of the water is absorbed or evaporated, 

 the vegetables being quite soft, stirring in some butter, 

 pepper and salt, mixing all well together, and serving it 

 either alone or with poached eggs. 



Or the Dandelion leaves, having been boiled for about 

 half an hour, may be lifted out in a strainer, plunged into 

 cold water, gently pressed till fairly dry, and then 

 chopped fine. The chopped leaves should next be placed 

 in a pan containing an ounce of butter, a dessert-spoonful 

 of flour, a tablespoonful of stock, and a little pepper and 

 salt, well blended together. This mixture should be 

 heated and stirred for about ten minutes, when a table- 

 spoonful of cream or rich sauce should be added and the 

 whole served. 



