524 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



require longer and more careful cooking than is the case with the 

 ordinary smaller varieties of asparagus. 



Yet another variety is " Sprue," which is too thin to be served 

 as asparagus proper. Sprue, when cleaned, and cut into small 

 pieces or points, forms a useful vegetable by itself, as a garniture 

 for soups, entrees, &c., or as a filling for bouchees, omelets, &c. 



Asparagus contains a substance known as asparagin, which causes 

 this vegetable to possess aperient and diuretic properties. 



Fresh asparagus has the colour of the points violaceous, gradually 

 shading to green. Asparagus tips, which are generally cut from what 

 is known as ' ' green grass " (" grass "is the trade abbreviation of the word 

 " asparagus ") , are a favourite garnish in high-class cookery for entrees, 

 &c, and are also largely used cold in salads, &c. 



The orthodox, and no doubt the most popular, method of cooking 

 asparagus is that of boiling in salted water, and serving with melted or 

 oiled butter. The latter is well enough once or twice, but why the 

 English cooks almost always make it a practice to serve " beurre fondu " 

 with asparagus when there are several excellent sauces which are easily 

 made, are far less costly, and form an excellent accompaniment, it is 

 difficult to understand. 



The ideal way of serving this delicious vegetable is with Hollandaise 

 Sauce or Mousseline Sauce, or else with Vinaigrette. The last is 

 particularly good with cold asparagus. Mayonnaise sauce mixed with 

 a little whipped cream is also excellent served with cold asparagus. 



Asparagus Ice. — The latest novelty, made from asparagus puree, 

 cream and sugar, is a dainty ice souffle. A little sherry is added, 

 which is said to improve the flavour of this novel sweet to a 

 remarkable degree. 



Celery. — There is hardly any other vegetable of which every part 

 can be brought to such good account as celery. The trimmings can be 

 used for flavouring purposes, or for soups and broths, whilst the ends 

 are carefully preserved for similar uses, or to produce celery seed, which 

 in itself forms an ideal table condiment. Celery soup, celery cream, 

 celery sauce, and ordinary celery salad are amongst the more common 

 styles of preparing this vegetable, and there are dozens of other ways 

 of cooking and serving it, for celery is largely eaten raw also. Celery 

 possesses remarkable medicinal value, and is said to cure nervousness. 



Seakale is another example of the edible stem, very delicately 

 flavoured. It is said to possess the flavour of the cauliflower as well as 

 of asparagus. Forced seakale is excellent in midwinter. 



The leek is akin to the onion, but much milder in flavour. 

 Unlike the onion, only the blanched leaf stalks are used. Besides being 

 the national emblem of the Welsh, it is also grown in large quantities 

 throughout Great Britain, and in Scotland it forms, in connexion with 

 a kind of delicious broth — the popular and tasty dish known as " cock-a- 

 leekie." Leeks can be prepared and cooked in a variety of styles — 

 boiled, stewed, braised, fried, and baked. They make a most accept- 

 able winter vegetable, as well as an excellent soup. 



