FLOWERS FOR FOOD

New Zealand Mail, 29 January 1902, Page 20

FLOWERS FOR FOOD

An English writer has been m l some interesting investigations^ use of various flowers for foor „ “ t£j much more common, it appears m P L 4cti <* days than in modern times M heol * manual for housekeepers is ref JtL ol * which contains recipes for svriinW^ 1 t«. syrup of peach blossoms, *3 clove-gilifloAvers. It is hard « that when we are bidden to take Ar T| pounds of damask rose leaves” u • re « the purpose of preparing food tol 18 fot gross humanity; it seems more fit}- met| a midsummer night’s dream bantmii 8 fot the product is to be put into boHii : yet are told, and stored for use as tb S ’> were the prosaic pickle or marina]^ ll There is another method of nreco *’ roses AA-hich is AA-orth quotino“Take rosebuds, or any othe? flow^ pick them, cut off the Avhite partTnm^ 4 red, and put the red floAvX c » through a sieve to take out the oni* then Aveigli them, and to every flowers take two pounds and a Llf nn °! sugar; beat the flowers pretty fiL ;° af stone mortar, and by degrees Z u 8 sugar to them, and beat them till a ■ Avell incorporated together; then nut L' 9 gallipots, congruous to a recipe whin}, ! at the commencement to keen » 8 years.” There is something so fully incongruous m a receipt Avhich ft the commencement so Herriekan h 3iSS?!eSr nP “ Ce ‘ ~ “ i; *S

Koses ivero apparently a article of food m the time of our errat grandmothers, for Ave also find a recin. for making a “conserve of roses boiled” and in this too, great stress is laid upon removing all the white ; in the directions for pudding making also rosewater is ! frequent flavouring. Next to roses the most popular flower seems to have the cowslip. Here is a description 0 f “cowslip pudding,” intended primarily for a fast dinner, but included among % number of good dishes, Avhich yon mav make use of for a table at any other time.” Having got the flowers of a pe<* of coAvslips, cut them small and pound them smaller, vvitfi -jib. of Naples biscuits grated, and 3 pints of cream. Boil them a little, then take them off the fire, and beat up 16 eggs Avith a little cream and a little rosGAvater. SAveeten to your palate (this is a fine variation of the modern “SAveeten to your taste”). Mix it Avell together, butter the dish, and pour it in, Bake it, and Avhen it is done, throw fins sugar over and serve it v;p.”

In this, as in the “coAvslip or clary Avine,” Ave have a floral diet much dis. guised. Was it, one is tempted to ask, that the coAvslips had some subtle flavour distinguishable amid the cream and eggs and Naples biscuits, or Avere they added as a delightful affectation, to giveariam! AA-hich might appeal to the poetic sensibility of the guests, Aviiile their grosser tastes were satisfied bv the other ingredients? This is a problem that, if.it ii to be solved at all, must be solved experimentally; but, the test may be unfair, for, perhaps, the modern cook miid'l hand has lost its cunning in thepifyi/ation of such delicacies, and Ave ngifor the taste of them in vain.