Excellent also is Spinach a la Crenie. After melting a small lump of butter in the stewpan, and putting in the spinach to simmer, stir in the beaten yolk of an egg, twopennyworth of cream, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Let it nearly boil, then pour into a rather deep dish, and place fingers of toasted bread round the edge. This is one of the daintiest dishes known. It has been mentioned before that French cooks often make a " fond '^ or foundation to a dish of meat with a puree of spinach or sorrel ; but it must be remembered that no cream or eggs should be used then, and less butter, sub- stituting the gravy from the meat instead. SOME LITTLE USED VEGETABLES. 137 Among tlie lesser known vegetables we may also place watercress. It may sound paradoxical to say that no people consume watercress more largely tlian do Londoners^ and yet to call it a little known vegetable ; yet apart from eating it in its natu- ral state, its capabilities are almost unknown. Watercress Soup is undreamt of by many people, but it is simple and nourishing, and meets with the approbation of all who try it. As a salad, too, it is much appreciated, either alone or with lettuce, and as a sauce to accom- pany roast mutton it is frequently used in French houses. Chopped small and laid be- tween thin slices of bread and butter for sand- wiches, it is getting to be much favoured at the afternoon tea-table. Be it remembered, however, that although watercress is most valuable as a medicine, beingr a gentle stimulant, and strengthening to the nerves, yet from the nature of its growth it requires most careful cleansing, or we may imbibe more harmful properties than we gain good from eating it. The expressed juice of fresh watercress taken by a teaspoonful at a time, has been found in- valuable in cases of throat disease. The Ger- 138 SOME LITTLE USED VEGETABLES. man pliysiciau, Haller, said tliat he liad seen patients in deep decline cured by Hying almost entirely on tliis plant. The best specimens are those with the bronzed leaves. During the winter and early spring is perhaps the best season for water- cress, but they are good and acceptable all the year round. Full directions for making the watercress soup will be found at the end of this chapter. Watercress sauce is made by stewing chopped watercress in butter for ten minutes^ then add- ing a pinch of salt, the same of pepper, the same also of mustard, and a spoonful of vin- egar. Beat till quite smooth with a wooden spoon, then add the gravy from the roasting joint. This is served in a sauce-tureen, and is a pleasant change from ordinary gravy. Almost all the dishes mentioned might come under the category of kitchen-physic, — for one of the first essentials in sickroom diet is to please the eye as well as the palate. Sorrel Soup {Potage a VOseille), Having carefully washed two large handfuls of sorrel, dry it, then chop it finely. Chop also a medium-sized spring onion. Melt an SOME LITTLE USED VEGETABLES. 139 ✪ Sorrel Soup (Potage a l'Oseille)

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Excellent also is Spinach a la Crenie. After melting a small lump of butter in the stewpan, and putting in the spinach to simmer, stir in the beaten yolk of an egg, two-pennyworth of cream, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Let it nearly boil, then pour into a rather deep dish, and place fingers of toasted bread round the edge. This is one of the daintiest dishes known. It has been mentioned before that French cooks often make a " fond '^ or foundation to a dish of meat with a puree of spinach or sorrel ; but it must be remembered that no cream or eggs should be used then, and less butter, substituting the gravy from the meat instead. Among tlie lesser known vegetables we may also place watercress. It may sound paradoxical to say that no people consume watercress more largely than do Londoners and yet to call it a little known vegetable ; yet apart from eating it in its natural state, its capabilities are almost unknown. Watercress Soup is undreamt of by many people, but it is simple and nourishing, and meets with the approbation of all who try it. As a salad, too, it is much appreciated, either alone or with lettuce, and as a sauce to accompany roast mutton it is frequently used in French houses. Chopped small and laid between thin slices of bread and butter for sandwiches, it is getting to be much favoured at the afternoon tea-table. Be it remembered, however, that although watercress is most valuable as a medicine, being a gentle stimulant, and strengthening to the nerves, yet from the nature of its growth it requires most careful cleansing, or we may imbibe more harmful properties than we gain good from eating it. The expressed juice of fresh watercress taken by a teaspoonful at a time, has been found invaluable in cases of throat disease. The Ger- man physician, Haller, said tliat he liad seen patients in deep decline cured by Hying almost entirely on this plant. The best specimens are those with the bronzed leaves. During the winter and early spring is perhaps the best season for watercress, but they are good and acceptable all the year round. Full directions for making the watercress soup will be found at the end of this chapter. Watercress sauce is made by stewing chopped watercress in butter for ten minutes, then adding a pinch of salt, the same of pepper, the same also of mustard, and a spoonful of vinegar. Beat till quite smooth with a wooden spoon, then add the gravy from the roasting joint. This is served in a sauce-tureen, and is a pleasant change from ordinary gravy. Almost all the dishes mentioned might come under the category of kitchen-physic, — for one of the first essentials in sickroom diet is to please the eye as well as the palate. Sorrel Soup {Potage a VOseille), Having carefully washed two large handfuls of sorrel, dry it, then chop it finely. Chop also a medium-sized spring onion. Melt an

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