186 Memoirs of the Caledonian Horticultural Society. 



them in a stewpan full of gravy over the fire, and boil them 

 slowly for half an hour. Put in a few dice of toasted bread, 

 and you will find this an excellent dish. 



Another useful Dish with Gourd Tops. — Collect enough to 

 make your dish ; give them a half blanch ; then put them in 

 a sieve or drainer, with a sprinkling of salt. After the first 

 course goes up, lay them in a good batter, fry them in hog's 

 lard, and serve them up. 



A good Dish with newly-set Gourds. — Gather a dozen of 

 very young gourds when thoroughly set ; take out the pulp 

 from one end with the turnip-cutter ; give them a parboil ; fill 

 the shells with good forced-meat, such as you would put in 

 pates ; take two ounces of fresh butter and a little flour in a 

 stewpan, and dissolve them on the fire ; then add some gravy, 

 and make pretty thick with the yolks of two eggs, and a little 

 Harvey sauce. This will form as fine a corner dish as can be 

 produced at table. 



To preserve any hind of Gourd. — Cut off the top and bot- 

 tom of the gourd ; then cut it in rings, and pare off the skin, 

 and, in thin slices, cut the rings longitudinally ; dry them in 

 the kitchen, on sticks, or on the skreen : when dry, they will 

 keep for years. When you wish to use them, steep in milk- 

 warm water for three or four hours ; then dry them on a 

 cloth : when dry, put them in a sieve or drainer, and sprinkle 

 some flour over them ; sift out the flour ; then fry them in hot 

 hog's lard. This makes an admirable second-course dish. 



To dress young Gourds; another of the same. — Take young 

 gourds, the size of cucumbers; cut them longitudinally in 

 four ; clear them of any pulp ; if very tender, give only a 

 parboil, and, if hard, blanch them with a little salt : then take 

 2 oz. of fresh butter, and a tablespoonful of flour, which 

 brown in a stewpan, and pour on good gravy until pretty 

 thick. Put the gourds in this mixture; season them with 

 white pepper, and a little salt, and serve up. This makes an 

 excellent centre or corner dish for the second course. 



Take young gourds, as above, and likewise butter and flour 

 as above ; dissolve the butter in a stewpan, but do not brown 

 it ; then take three yolks of eggs, mixed well with half a 

 mutchkin of cream and half a mutchkin of sweet milk. Stir 

 this before the fire until it becomes thick as custard : if not 

 thick enough, add one or two yolks of eggs more ; season it 

 well with pepper and nutmeg. Then put it neatly on the 

 dish, with all the sauce ; strew over it a handful of grated 

 Parmesan cheese ; then put it in the oven to brown, or sala- 

 mander it. This dish is one of the best of vegetable luxuries, 



