Crocket

“ Gradually it deepened. Crockett led the way, with a pole in his hand. Cautiously he sounded the depth before him, lest they should fall into any slough. A dense growth of young trees covered the inundated bottom over which they were wading. Occasionally they came to a deep but narrow gully. Crockett, with his hatchet, would cut down a small tree, and by its aid would cross. ”

“ A large pinnacle, richly decorated, like the others, with crockets and finials, finishes the compartment.
Between each stall is a small buttress beginning at the capital and finishing somewhat beneath the top of the large pinnacle. These buttresses have, alternately, a pedestal with a canopy above; and a pedestal supporting a small flying-buttress terminating in a pinnacle enriched with small crockets.
Prior Haithwaite is said to have added the tabernacle-work after the year 1430. ”

“ The crag, all discolored in rust-red streaks by the dripping of the mineral water through its interstices, towered above their heads; the ferns, exquisite and of subtle fragrance, tufted the niches; the trees were close about them, and below, on the precipitous slope; sometimes the lush green boughs parted, revealing a distant landscape of azure ranges, far stretching against a sky as blue, and in the valley of the foreground long bars of golden hue, where fields, denuded of the harvested wheat, took the sun. ”

“ Let us stand beneath this low-branched elder.
"We cannot see what flowers are at our feet,"
but that there is violet in abundance we have the testimony of a sense which the darkness does not affect, the same which informed us of the presence of the garlic. Over the hedge the sheep are cropping the clover with short, sharp bites—one, two, three, four, five bites—then three or four shiftings of the short black legs, and again "crop, crop." So the woolly backs are bent all the night, the soft ears not erected as by day, but laid back against the shoulders. Sheep sleep little. ”

“ Clover, corn, cotton, wheat, and barley thrive in the same inclosure; the peach, the apple, the apricot, and the Siberian crab in the same orchard. Herds and flocks graze ten months every year in the meadows over which winter is but a passing breath, and in which spring and autumn meet in summer’s heart. Sugar-cane and oats, rice and potatoes, are extremes that come together under our skies. ”

“ For though we had scholars up to the age of twenty, most of these were at work during the summer and came only in the winter season—though in the interval betwixt sowing and hay-harvest and between that again and the ripening of the corn we would receive stray visits from them, especially in the long wet spells of weather. ”

“ The first compartment is plain, and was probably the ante-chapel: the second is ornamented with a double niche, richly decorated with small columns, pinnacles, crockets, &c.; in the lower niche the wall is pierced for a small window; the upper one probably contained a figure: the third and fourth compartments have long pointed windows, separated into two lights by a mullion. The east end has ornamented niches in the angles, it projects a little beyond the compartments, forming a recess, in which is the large window, divided into five lights, with elaborate tracery. ”

“ A similar feeling sends the sparrow with a larger crumb than the others into the seclusion of his nest among the ivy.
Nevertheless the bread and jam, the raisins, and the sheep's-head-pie disappeared 'like snow off a dyke.' The wonder of the thimbleful cups, continually replenished, grew more and more surprising; and, winking slyly at each other the Smoutchies passed them in with a touch of their caps to be filled and refilled again and again. Prissy kept the kettle beside her, out of which she poured the water brought by Timothy Tracy as she wanted it. ”

“ And thus passed the seasons of the year until the harvest came. And he went to look at one of his crofts, and behold it was ripe. “I will reap this to-morrow,” said he. And that night he went back to Narberth, and on the morrow in the grey dawn he went to reap the croft, and when he came there he found nothing but the bare straw. Every one of the ears of the wheat was cut from off the stalk, and all the ears carried entirely away, and nothing but the straw left. ”

“ Croquettes.—Take some remnants of boiled turbot, brill, haddock, or salmon; pick out the flesh carefully, and mince not too finely. Melt a piece of butter in a saucepan, add a little flour and some hot milk. Stir on the fire until the mixture thickens, add pepper and salt, a little grated nutmeg, some chopped parsley, lastly the fish; as soon as the mixture is quite hot, turn out on a dish to get cold. Shape like corks, roll in beaten-up egg, and then in baked breadcrumbs ”

“ What he lingered upon was the wide pleasant valley beneath him, with a burn running and lurking among twinkling birches, interspersed with alders, many finely drained fields with the cows feeding belly-deep with twitching tails, and the sweep of the ripening crops which ran off to either side over knolls carefully planed down—and so back and back to the shelter of dark fir woods. ”

“ Just what the cork does for the bottle, the sheets of cork wrapping round the branches do for the plant. They prevent it from being dried up by cold winds, and they keep out the heavy rains of winter which would injure it. Roots have a cork coating also when they get old. As you may remember, it is only the tip of the root which can absorb water for the plant, so that in the young part of the root a cork layer would be very much out of place, and you will never find it there. ”

“ Oyster Croquettes.—Parboil one pint of oysters, drain and chop, moisten with a thick cream sauce and the oyster liquor, add one teaspoon chopped parsley and bread or cracker crumbs sufficient to make the mixture firm enough to shape, season with salt, pepper and a little onion juice. Let the mixture get cold, then shape into croquettes and fry in hot fat in a frying basket if you have it, drain and serve on a hot napkin. ”

“ Cultivation: Thorough drainage is essential, and a compost of half peat, the other half made up of fibrous loam, leaf soil, and sand, in equal quantities. They cannot have too much light and air, and may be grown to almost any size by shifting from one pot to a size larger. In repotting, the whole of the crocks should be taken away from the base of the ball of soil and roots, and the top should also be removed till the fine roots are reached. ”

“ At 500 feet above sea-level, and 200 above the river, we pass the highest farm house, and very soon the corn fields cease, and we climb through a meadow along the bank of the streamlet which flows down from the hill to the Coquet, a tiny brook overshadowed by ash-trees and bushes of bird-cherry, hazel, and blackthorn, with Crepis paludosa growing amongst them, and a beautiful form of Rosa tomentosa, with pure white petals just tinged towards the edge with red. ”

“ You may find it advisable to use a little flour in working the rice paste, but be careful not to get it too stiff, [84] in which event the croquette, of whatever composed, ceases to be a delicacy. Roll in flour, then in the beaten egg, lastly in the powdered cracker, and fry, a few at a time, in sweet lard or butter.
Rice croquettes are sometimes eaten, with powdered sugar sprinkled thickly over them, as a dessert, or sweet sauce is served with them. They are delicious when properly mixed and cooked. ”

“ For the second potting a suitable soil is a mixture of well-rotted cow-dung or old hotbed mould with leaf-mould and sandy peat, and to promote drainage a little peat-moss may be placed immediately over the crocks in the lower part of the pot. Weak liquid manure greatly promotes the advance of the plants, and should be regularly supplied twice or thrice a week during the flowering season. ”

“ In preparing the pots place three or four moderate-sized crocks in the bottom: then fill with prepared soil, and prick out the plants at equal distances apart round the outside. Each pot should be filled with plants that will produce flowers of the same colour, otherwise the effect will be far from satisfactory when they are in bloom. After they are all pricked off, plunge them in a bed of leaf mould, or partly decayed manure in the borders. In either case the pots must stand upon a hard bottom to prevent the worms getting into the pots. ”

“ When cold, shape into rolls about three inches long and 1 inch in diameter, roll in fine toasted bread or cracker crumbs, dip in beaten egg and roll again in crumbs. Bake in quick oven 10 m., or until croquettes begin to crack a little and are a delicate brown. If baked too long, or if they stand long after baking they will lose their shape. Serve plain, or with mushroom sauce, or jelly, or jellied cranberries, or with peas creamed, or seasoned with butter and salt only. Well made croquettes require no sauce. I sometimes plan to have creamed potatoes with trumese croquettes. ”

“ Croquettes are made from a soft creamy mixture chilled on ice till firm enough to mould, then simply dipped into egg and crumbs and fried in very hot fat.
Cutlets are the same (of course fancy cutlets are meant, not the French chops, so called) , only they are shaped to imitate a real cutlet, with a little bone inserted; or, in the case of lobster cutlets, a small claw is used to simulate the chop bone. Many only stick a sprig of parsley where the bone should be, to keep up the fiction. ”

“ To make croquettes add a beaten egg to the purée, form it into small croquettes, roll them in egg and crumbs, and fry in hot fat.
BEETS
Wash beets well, but do not break the skin, or they will lose their color in boiling. Cook for one hour if young, for two to three hours if old. When done throw them into cold water, and remove the skins. Season with butter, salt, and pepper. Serve them whole if small; cut into slices if large. ”

“ The light-sulphur-coloured charlock is scattered everywhere—out among the corn, too, for no cleaning seems capable of eradicating this plant; the seeds will linger in the earth and retain their germinating power for a length of time, till the plough brings them near enough to the surface, when they are sure to shoot up unless the pigeons find them. Here also may be found the wild garlic, which sometimes gets among the wheat and lends an onion-like flavour to the bread. ”

“ Just at present, the great cow stalls stood empty, and high on the grassy hill-side, the ten dun cows were grazing under laden apple trees—for Les Plans was a combination of fruit orchard and dairy farm—their sturdy calves were learning life and independence, and a yearling bull, impeded by a log, swaggered about, with an air of grotesque importance. Each animal wore its bell, and the musical clanging of these, the hint of clear mountain air, and the verdure of the exquisite green [263] background, made an impression on Letty that she never forgot. ”

“ Then add milk, stir lightly with a fork, cover, and steam until rice is soft. Remove from fire, add egg yolks and butter; spread on a shallow plate to cool. Shape in balls, roll in crumbs, fry then shape in form of nests. Dip in egg, again in crumbs, fry in deep fat, and drain. Put a cube of jelly in each croquette. Arrange on a folded napkin, and garnish with parsley, or serve around game.
Sweet Rice Croquettes To rice croquette mixture add two tablespoons powdered sugar and grated rind one-half lemon. Shape in cylinder forms, dip in crumbs, egg, and crumbs again, fry in deep fat, and drain. ”

“ As soon as the fertile flowers have begun to set their seed, by the kind aid of the bees, the whole stem bends downward, automatically, of its own accord; the little corkscrews then worm their way into the turf beneath; and the pods ripen and mature in the actual soil itself, where no prying ewe can poke an inquisitive nose to grub them up and devour them. ”

“ Place some of the roughest soil next the crocks, and gradually fill the pots with the finer material, well working the same amongst the roots; finally press the soil moderately firm. Do not water for a few days after potting, but syringe every evening, especially if the weather be fine; a little extra heat may be given after potting, to excite new, healthy growth. It will not be necessary every year to repot specimens in large vessels. A good top-dressing, with an occasional dose of weak liquid manure, is all they will require for several seasons. ”

“ When all the grain of this most fertile tract is harvested, and the sugar-cane brakes have been cut and carried away on bullock-carts, when the linseed is pressed, and the sugar sold, and the wheat threshed and ground, it is the hot weather; no sowing or ploughing can be done. People must wait for the first burst of the rains, to soften the stone-like ground. ”

“ A more delicate croquette is made by using simply the white meat, and adding a set of calf's brains which have been boiled in salted water. A cupful of boiled rice mashed fine is sometimes substituted for the brains. Use same seasoning as above, adding quarter of a saltspoonful of cayenne, omitting the wine, and using instead half a cup of cream or milk. Fry as directed. Veal croquettes can hardly be distinguished from those of chicken. ”

“ Whether the fish has been boiled, steamed, baked, fried, sautéd, or prepared in any other way, it may always be made into croquettes. When used for this purpose, all the bones should be carefully removed. These may be easily taken out after the fish has become cold. If the fish has been stuffed and part of the stuffing remains, it may be broken into pieces and used with the flesh of the fish. A recipe for croquettes in which fish is combined with rice follows. ”