Sec. 24.] 



SUBSTITUTES FOR BREAD. 



389 



SECTION xxiv-sunsTiTriRS FOR v,]\v.\n, IX OREEX AND TmiKr* 



CORN, I'Or-CORX, IIO.MIXY, AXl) ■l"IJi;i'AUATlUXS OF WIIFAT 



OW tnily has hrcad liccn dcnoininatcd "tlic st.iff 

 5 of life!" For it tlicre is no suKi^titiite; tlioii^'li 

 Y^ some of the excellent ])rcparatious of food treated 

 ?^ of in this section may lie considered siihstitntes, 

 -^ hut they are only jiartially so ; yet they are 

 ^ worthy of our especial attention, because, as 

 articles of food, all over America, tliey hold a high 

 rank; and a notice of them seems fitting in connec- 

 tion with the bread question. Each one of the 

 articles named in this section furnishes wholesome 

 and economical food, and some of them should bo 

 better known in every farimr's family. 



400. Green Corn, or Uoastin:; Kars. — Iloasting the 

 ears, is the primitive way of using Indian corn. It 

 is the first use that the earlj' settlers of America made of it, because that was 

 the mode in whicii tiiey found tlie Indians preparing it. Tiie quality of tlu- 

 corn grown for eating while in its milky state, has been much improved 

 since Captain Smith took his first meal with Pocahontas, on the banks 

 of James River, in 1G07. Certainly there can be no richer vegetable 

 food than tlie best quality of sugar corn, such as every farmer should 

 grow, when simply boiled, or when made up in that Indian dish called suc- 

 co-tash. And if any fanner doubts the value of this green corn, as wintiT 

 food, whon carefully preserved by drying, or in sealed cans, we think lie 

 would be convinced, if he could dine at our table for a month in midwinter, 

 where he would find it was one of the regular dishes. AVe have just made 

 a hearty meal of this and another i)reparation of corn, directly lo be noticed. 

 It is almost a subslitute for bread and meat. It is \iseless to advise any 

 native American farmer's family to eat green corn, but it is not useless nor 

 improper to urge nine tenths of them to use a better variety. And we do 

 most earnestly ask every family to preserve enough by drying to give the 

 family a dish of it two or three times a week, cooked by boiling in i)Iuin 

 soft water two or three hours, and until nearly all the water is absi»rbe»i it 

 evaporated, and then season with salt and butter. If a little sideratus is 

 added at first, it will become tender with less boiling. Some like it dibhed 

 up with milk or cream. It is also excellent 8tew(d with beans (succotash), 

 seasoneil with a i)icce of meat, and if is very good in soups. 



407. How (0 Dry and Cook Swcft forn.— When tlic corn is in gcxnl condition 

 for eating, the grain.s being fully grown, boil a quantify of ears just enough 

 to cook the starch, and let them cool and dry a few hom-s, and then shell or 



