ABOUT FKUITS, FLOWERS AND FARMING. 179 



and cabbage, dandelions, lamb's quqgjters, red-rooted 

 plantain, cowslip, wild pepper-grass, purslain, young beet- 

 tops, lettuce, and spinage the best of all greens. 



In gathering plantain, care must be taken to select only 

 the red-rooted, the white being thought poisonous. With 

 the exception of spinage, all these should be boiled in salted 

 water, or in water with a piece of salt pork, for half an hour, 

 then taken out, drained, and served up with butter gravy. 



Spinage is boiled, as above, for half an hour, then taken 

 out, thoroughly drained, put into a skillet with cream, butter 

 and pepper, and if need be, a little more salt. Place it over 

 the fire and stir it up with a knife all the time it simmers, 

 until it becomes a paste. About five minutes are enough 

 for this last process then dish and serve it. 



2. ASPARAGUS. Asparagus should never be cut below the 

 surface of the ground, although books and papers, almost 

 universally, direct to the contrary. The white part of the 

 stem is always tough and inedible. Let it; spring up about 

 six or eight inches and then cut it at the surface of the 

 ground. Lay it in the pan or kettle in which it is to be 

 cooked, and sprinkle salt over it. Pour boiling water over 

 it, until it is just covered ; boil from fifteen to twenty-five 

 minutes, according to the age of the asparagus. Have two 

 or three nicely toasted slices of bread in the dish which is 

 to go to the table ; lay the asparagus upon the toast, putting 

 first sweet butter and pepper upon it according to your 

 taste ; lastly pour over it the liquor in which it was boiled. 

 Many throw away the water in which it was cooked and 

 substitute cream and butter, but thereby the finest flavor 

 of the vegetable is thrown away and lost. 



3. BEETS. While young, beets may be boiled tops and 

 all ; as the tops get tough the root alone is boiled in salted 

 water until tender, viz. from three-quarters of an hour to 

 an hour and a half, according to the size of the beet. 

 Quarter or slice them if large, and add fresh sweet butter 

 and pepper. 



