374 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ought to be excellent. If only people would try experiments in cookery, 

 the art might become a delightful pursuit. 



There is a vegetable which is never seen in this country, and probably, 

 if tried, it might be grown in the open as readily as Tomatos are grown, 

 especially in the south-west of England and in the south and west of 

 Ireland ; I mean the pods of Hibiscus csculentus, an annual. In Madras 

 this vegetable is called Bdndekai; in Upper India it is called Bhendi; 

 then in the West Indies, and in the Southern States of America, it is 

 called Qkra, written also Oclira, Okro, Ochro, and even Gumbo. I have 

 been told that in some parts of the Mediterranean it goes by the name 

 of Biimia. It must be a popular vegetable that is grown in so many 

 places, and bears such a variety of names. It ought to be tried in the 

 warmer parts of the British Isles,* and, as some may perhaps be tempted 

 to try to grow it, I give some recipes for cooking it. When cooked the 

 pods of this vegetable become very mucilaginous. 



Take a dozen or more pods about two inches long, slice them cross- 

 ways, and boil them in soup as one of the ingredients. 



Take a number of pods about 1\ inch long, wash them to remove 

 any dust, dry them, and then fry them in butter, either whole or sliced, till 

 they are nicely browned. To be eaten with meat dishes. If the pods of 

 this vegetable are too old, they will become hard and unpalatable ; on the 

 plant, they will grow to the size of 3 inches or more. 



Ochro an gratin. — Take a number of tender pods and let them be well 

 steamed ; drain and break them up with a fork, seeds and all ; mix in 

 -din.' grated Parmesan, a tablespoonful of cream or milk, a beaten yolk 

 of an egg, some pepper and salt ; mix the whole together, and fill a small 

 and well-buttered pudding-dish with it, dust the top well with Parmesan, 

 and bake till the surface is slightly browned. To be served as a second 

 course. 



In this country, dishes of stewed vegetables, with the addition of beef 

 or mutton or any other meat, are rarely made. It should be noted that 

 meat gives a most appetising flavour to vegetables when the two are 

 cooked together. The following is a fine recipe for such a dish, which 

 goes under the name of ' Haricot : ' — Take a sufficient quantity of sliced 

 Carrots, Turnips, and Onions ; fry each separately in lard; then fry the 

 required number of lamb cutlets. When this is done stew the whole in 

 some good stock, and use pepper and salt to taste. After the stew is 

 brought to a boil, it should simmer, at a boiling heat, till the vegetables 

 are quite done. If Peas and French Beans are in season, their addition to 

 tin- stew would improve it, as also would small new Potatos, and a hand- 

 ful of sultana raisins. When served piping hot this stew should have a 

 little gravy ; bo, when being cooked, the addition of a little more stock may 

 !»•■ needed. Such mixed stews of vegetables and meat of any kind are 

 common, and are the delight of country families on the Continent. 



A- i he show at which this paper will be read is to be one of vegetables 

 and fruit, 1 may perhaps add a recipe for cooking Bananas. Peel and 

 cut in halves lengthways some not quite ripe Bananas ; put them in a first- 

 class batter ; then lift them up one by one and fry them in lard as 



* s ' " l " f " »»iiv !><■ procured from the West Indies, under the name of Ochro; or 

 from Indm, under th<- name of Bh&ndt. 



