Page:The family kitchen gardener - containing plain and accurate descriptions of all the different species and varieties of culinary vegetables (IA familykitchengar56buis).pdf/122



plant is found growing on the sea-coasts of Europe, particularly in England, where it is cultivated to a very great extent in the gardens of the wealthy. It is closely related to the Cabbage, and professional men have observed that all the good qualities of that family are centred in the Sea-Kale. I suspect this opinion would be contested by lovers of “Corned Beef and Cabbage;” however, I have no doubt that a free use of this vegetable and Rhubarb, in the Spring, would contribute greatly to reduce the Doctor’s account. It can be obtained with very little trouble, the whole Winter, in its most perfect state; but the fact of its having to be attended to in these dreary months, retards its progress. The tillers and workers of the soil, independent of their nocturnal slumbers, very frequently slumber with nature, and are inert at any employment that requires their peculiar care at that period of the year.

The mode of dressing this vegetable for the table is as follows: Tie the stalks, or rather clusters of stalks, in bundles, and boil them with plenty of water, and a little salt, for twenty minutes, observing that the water is boiling before they are put in. Have a toast ready, dip it in the water, put it on the dish, and the Sea-Kale upon it, and pour a little white sauce over it, consisting of cream or milk, thickened with flour and butter; or simply cook it as Asparagus is done, which it much resembles.

.—We venture to assert that no culinary vegetable can be raised either naturally or artificially with less trouble or a greater certainty of success than the Sea-Kale, as in either case the plants will last many years; and in their periodical forcing they give the gardener no anxiety, as the desired result is certain. Sow the seed thinly, in drills one inch deer,