HERBS USED IN THE PRESENT TIME 25 



All kinds must, of course, be carefully blanched. Mrs 

 Roundell ^ reminds one that endive is a troublesome 

 vegetable to cook, as it is apt to be crowded with insects. 

 The leaves should be all detached from the stem and 

 carefully washed in two or three salted waters. She 

 also gives receipts for endive, dressed as spinach, made 

 into a puree or cooked alone. Parkinson said : " Endive 

 whited is much used in winter, as a sallet herbe with 

 great delighte." 



Succory, Chicory, or Wild Endive may be mentioned as 

 making an excellent salad when forced and blanched, 

 and it is popular in France, where it is called Barbe de 

 Capucin. Its great advantage is, as Loudon says, that 

 "when lettuce or garden-endive are scarce, chicory can 

 always be commanded by those who possess any of the 

 most ordinary means of forcing." He adds that it has 

 been much used as fodder for cattle, and that the roots, 

 dried and ground, are well known — only too well knoWn, 

 " partly along with, and partly as a substitute for 

 coffee." 



Fennel (Faniculum vulgare). 



Ophelia. There's fennel for you and columbines. 



Hamlet, iv. 5. 

 Fenel is for flatterers, 



An evil thing it is sure, 

 But I have alwaies meant truely 

 With constant heart most pure. 



A Handful! of Pleasant Delightes C. RoBINSON. 



Christopher, No, my good lord. 



Count. Your good lord/ Oh I how this smells of fennel ! 



The Case Altered, ii. i. — Ben Jonson. 



" Hast thou ought in thy purse? " quod he, 



" Any hote spices ? " 

 " I have peper, pionies," quod she, " and a pound garlike 

 A ferdyng worth of fenel-seed for fastyng dayes." 



Piers Plotuman. 



^ " Practical Cookery Book." 



