Mrs. Roundell's Practical cookery book

The herbs must be gathered in the early afternoon of a fine dry day. The leaves should be picked from the stalks and left to dry on white paper. It is better to put each sort into a wide-mouthed bottle labelled with the name of the herb it contains. Herbs when hung up in bundles according to the old-fashioned plan get dusty and lose much of their flavour. Besides the separate bottles of dried herbs, Herb Powder for flavouring should always be kept. A good English recipe for this is : A quarter of a pound of parsley, of lemon thyme, of sweet marjoram, of winter savory, and two ounces of sweet basil, all weighed before they are dried. Add two ounces of dried lemon peel, six bay leaves, and a quarter of an ounce of celery seed. Pound the lemon peel and celery seed separately, and then the herbs. Mix all together, pass through a fine sieve, and bottle the powder. It should be securely corked. Gouffe’s French recipe for Herb Seasoning , as adapted by Wyvern, is also excellent, and the spice can be omitted if desired. HERBS Three ounces of dried thyme and of dried bay leaves, one ounce and a half of dried marjoram and of rosemary, three ounces of nutmeg or mace, three ounces of Paprika pepper, an ounce and a half of -whole black pepper, and half an ounce of Nepaul pepper. Pound all thoroughly in a mortar, and when ground to powder pass it through a fine sieve. Bottle it and cork it down securely. Be careful that no bits of stalk are left among the herbs. Gouffe’s Spiced Salt is made by mixing one ounce of his Herb Seasoning or Spiced Pepper with four ounces of salt. Herb Vinegars are very useful in salads, and are easily made. For Tarragon Vinegar gather a good bunch, say two handfuls, of fresh green tarragon, pick the leaves from the stalks, and let the leaves soak in a quart of French white- winevinegar for three weeks. It should be kept in a warm place. Then filter it through clean white blotting-paper, and bottle it for use. Celery Vinegar can be made in the same way, soaking a gill and a half of celery-seed in a quart of white- winevinegar. It is well to put these vinegars into half-pint bottles, so that only a small quantity should be used at a time. Cucumber parings make a delicate flavour for vinegar. For another vinegar bruise a teaspoonful of the seed of celery, of parsley, and of garden-cress, in half a pint of red- wine-vinegar, and add two small capsicums finely minced. Fried Parsley, so useful as a garnish, is often spoilt by being carelessly cooked. It ought to be quite crisp, and to look as green as when freshly gathered. Choose the nicest leaves, and pick off the little sprigs, being careful not to use the thick centre stalk. Do not wash the Parsley unless it is absolutely necessary, but if it must be washed shake each sprig till it is dry, and on no account rub or squeeze it. Fry the Parsley crisp in butter which is nearly, but not quite, at the boil. If the butter is too hot the Parsley will lose colour ; if not hot enough the Parsley will be limp and sodden instead of crisp. In France Chervil, which is more hardy than Parsley, is often used as a garnish for cold meat. Herbs make the Fourniture of French Salads, and of Salads as they ought to be eaten here. Chives form an important part of all French Salads. Chives are a form of Garlic, but 3&4 HERBS