The encyclopædia of practical cookery

(3) Pick lib. of ripe strawberries as for No. 1 ; put them into a china bowl, sift |lb. of caster sugar over, baste with 2 or 3 table-spoonfuls of red wine, and leave for an hour or two, keeping the bowl covered. When the strawberries have stood sufficiently, pour in with them 1 bottle of Rhine wine and £ pint of red wine. Pour in at the last, when quite ready for serving, £ bottle of seltzer water, or, if preferred, a bottle of champagne. Cardinal of Sweet Oranges. — Peel the yellow rind very thinly off an orange, and put it into a jug ; pour in 2 pint bottles of wine, cover the jug, and let the peel infuse for an hour or two. Scrape off all the white pith of the oranges, cut them into thin slices, put them in a china bowl, cover plentifully with caster sugar, and leave until the peel is ready. Strain the wine from the peelings through a fine hair sieve over the fruit, add more sugar if required, pour in a bottle of sparkling moselle, and serve immediately. CARDOONS (Fr. Cardons). — This vegetable ( Cynara Cardunculus ) is not very well known in this country, although in France it is much used as a vegetable (see Fig. 332). It is a native of Canada, but not successfully cultivated in Great Britain, although, as M. Thoumire informs us, several attempts have been made to his knowledge to grow it in private gardens, the result being invariably unsatisfactory, as the Cardoons produced were green, tough, and uncookable, whereas the stalks should be white, crisp, and tender. In the south of France Cardoons are grown to perfection out of doors, but in the north the protection of a cellar is resorted to, and blanching ensured by packing the plants with straw. Some cooks claim great praise for the Cardoon as a tasty and nutritious food ; but chemists do not appear to place much value upon its nutritive qualities, ranking it generally as one of the lowest order. In France, some pleasing stews are made with the young inner leaves, and they are frequently chopped up and put into soups to thicken. Stewed with beef-marrow they are said to be excellent, and as they are fit for use from October to December, a time when vegetables are particularly scarce, it would be well to encourage their cultivation if possible. In the hope that British cooks may soon be making inquiries for Cardoons, several modes of preparing them, as recommended by Continental chefs de cuisine, are hereunder appended. Baked Cardoons with Breadcrumbs. — Blanch and boil the required number of Cardoons ; put them into a dish wellbuttered and sprinkled with grated bread, cover them with breadcrumbs, pour over sufficient warmed butter to moisten, and brown the surface either with a salamander or in the oven. Take out the Cardoons when done, and serve. A little grated cheese may also he sprinkled over with the breadcrumbs. Cardoons en Blanquette. — Cook some Cardoons in the same way as in Cardoons for Garnish, and when they are done cut them into lengths, mix them with hot German sauce, put this in a silver casserole, and garnish with croutons of bread fried in butter. Cardoons— continued.