194 KITCHEN GARDEN, 



from the size of a filbert to a walnut, go to the cook. The 

 mode of dressing for table is simple. The tubers, after 

 being cleaned, are boiled for about ten minutes, or till they 

 be slightly softened ; and they are then served up with 

 white sauce. Some persons merely put them into boiling 

 water for a few minutes ; then, pouring off the water, 

 transfer them to a covered saucepan ; and place the pan 

 upon hot cinders, drawing some of these to the lid ; in this 

 way the tubers are rendered more dry or mealy. They 

 have a pleasant flavor ; somewhat resembling a new potato^ 

 with the additional zest of a nut or kernel ; but also with 

 a certain degree of acidity. The oxalis comes from the 

 same country that afforded us the invaluable potato, and 

 has been extolled as likely to rival it ; but this it will 

 never do: a dish of oxalis may form an agreeable variety 

 and adjunct, but no more ; bearing to the potato such rela- 

 tion as sea-kale does to asparagus. It may be added r how- 

 ever, that the oxalis crenata is, in other respects, a useful 

 vegetable. The leaves may be used as salad, and they con- 

 stitute, indeed, the principal salad at Lima. The shoots 

 and young branches are found to make an agreeable puree,* 

 having the wood-sorrel flavor ; and the larger stems have 

 been used in tarts, in the manner of rhubarb stalks, and 

 been found more tender. The Oxalis Deppei tubers are 

 hardy, prolific, and excellent when properly cooked ; being 

 free of the acidity of that of 0. crenata. 



The tuberous roots of a lately introduced species of IN- 

 DIAN CRESS, Tropceolum tuberosum, were for some time in 

 vogue, being praised as having, when boiled, a " very deli- 

 cate flavor, resembling the richest asparagus." The plant 

 is readily multiplied by cuttings during the summer months; 

 and the young plants thus produced furnish a crop of tu- 

 * A French soup. 



