By LA MÉNAGERE.
September, the hunter’s moon, brings us such an abundance in our markets that it is difficult to say just what is peculiar to the month. Undoubtedly the most prominent feature is moor game, and now is the time when even moderate purses may safely indulge in this. Hares, rabbits, grouse, partridges, and wild duck give an excellent choice, and poultry also is prime and not dear.
Fresh-water fish come in this month, and are often most useful to country hostesses, as well as affording sport to her guests. The orchards are laden now with fast-ripening fruit, and if this harvest is a fairly plentiful one we may indeed be glad. Nuts will find an excuse for many delightful nutting parties among the children, and the storing of fruits and vegetables from the garden will keep the housekeeper busy. Damsons should be plentiful towards the end of this month, and will want making into jam and cheese, and we expect also to gather blackberries—another excuse for picnicking—nor must we leave mushrooms out of the list. Indeed, September is the harvest-month in many senses, for we have the wild crops ready for garnering, as well as the cultivated ones of garden and field.
The poorest country-dweller may make a profit now who has the wit and the energy to seek for nature’s bounty, as these wild things invariably meet with a ready sale in towns.
Besides these we have other things provided by a bountiful providence which we ought to appreciate better than we do. See the glorious colouring that the leaves of the hedgerow trees take on; note the rushes swaying in the brook, the berries of the mountain-ash, as well as of the dog-rose; all these are profitable to town florists, who will generally pay a fair price for such things. To the home decorator all these are very valuable—or will be in the days that will come all too soon, when no flowers are to be had for the table. If slightly dried and brushed over with a very weak solution of gum arabic, then dried again, these will keep for a long time without losing their colour. Some of the very prettiest table decorations ever seen have been made with coloured leaves and berries. For tall jars in the corners of rooms, purple thistles, white honesty, brown bulrushes, copper beech boughs, and scarlet ash-berries combined, make a truly lovely show.
In the garden we have dahlias and sunflowers defying the wane that seems to make everything else look dreary, and by and by we shall have chrysanthemums in all their brave glory to brighten house and greenhouse. What a glory do these give to the last days of the dying year.
But the year is far from ending in September; we have many things yet to enjoy, and possibly many guests to entertain, and always much to see to, as prudent housewives.
A plentiful crop of wild mushrooms proves a great help to us now, and we are glad to remind ourselves of different ways of using them. For instance, with bacon or eggs at breakfast, au gratin at dinner, on toast at all times, they are acceptable. With field mushrooms we have need to be very careful lest we inadvertently give ourselves some that are poisonous and unfit for food. Dr. Badham, author of the Esculent Funguses of England, enumerates no less than forty-eight species of edible fungi, all of which are good to eat. According to him the majority of fungi are harmless, but his account of the effects of the poisonous minority is enough to alarm the most trustful.
The easiest way to detect whether fungi are wholesome or not is to insert a silver spoon into the stew in which they are present, and if poisonous it will quickly turn black; a peeled onion will also turn blue or bluish-black, and is an even easier test. If either of these on being withdrawn shows their own natural colour, the mushrooms may be regarded as harmless.
Mushroom ketchup is regarded by all housewives as one of the treasures of the store-cupboard, and that which is home-made is generally better than any that can be bought.
It is best when made of the large flap mushrooms, fresh, but fully ripe. They must be gathered during very dry weather, if the ketchup is to keep properly. Do not wash or peel them but wipe them clean, and remove all decayed pieces and part of the stalks. Put them into a gallon stone jar, and strew salt liberally over them. Let them remain a night, and the next day stir them up, and repeat this for two or three days. At the end of the third day put the jar into the oven and let them stew a short time, then gently pour off the liquid, but do not squeeze them at all. To every quart put an ounce of Jamaica and black peppercorns, two or three pieces of rase ginger, and a blade of mace. Boil again for perhaps half an hour, let it stand aside until cold, then put into dry bottles, and cork it up tightly. It is well to use small bottles, so that when one has been opened it may be used up before it has time to lose its virtues.
Our menu this month might be one suited for a luncheon party, where the chief dishes would be required cold, with two or three hot ones as a set-off, and all others placed on the table at the same time. Luncheon parties are generally very common during this month in the country, and the guests who come to partake of them are not noted for their small appetites.
Salmi of Partridges.—Put the birds into the oven as for roasting, and partially cook them. When about half done cut them into neat pieces, and remove the skin and sinews, and place them in a clean saucepan. In another pan put a quarter of a pound of uncooked ham minced finely, with a good piece of butter; add a dozen small mushrooms, three or four minced shallots, a grated carrot, a spoonful of chopped parsley, a few sprigs of savoury herbs and some pepper and salt. Cover closely and let them cook on the top of the stove, shaking the pan to prevent burning; when cooked dredge a little flour over them, let it brown a little, and pour in about a pint of good brown stock. Add also a glassful of sherry. Stir until the gravy has thickened nicely, then put in the pieces of the birds, and let them slowly simmer, but not boil, for at least half an hour. Dish the game in a pile on a hot dish, strain the sauce, and see that it is well seasoned and of a nice brown colour, then pour over all. Garnish with fried sippets of bread.
Fillets of Beef with Mushrooms.—These should be cut from the undercut or fillet of beef, and be neatly shaped. Fry them quickly on both sides, but only enough to slightly brown them, then place in a stewpan and cover with peeled mushrooms, one or two shallots, some pepper and a glassful of red wine with also a small lump of butter. Stew these for quite an hour in a rather slow oven, then lift out the meat and the mushrooms, and thicken the gravy with fécule, also add salt and a tablespoonful of sharp sauce, then pour boiling hot over the dish.
Quince Jelly and Damson Cheese are both preserves that should be found in readiness in the store cupboard. For the first, take a quart of quince juice obtained by boiling the fruit with a very little water and then straining it through a bag; add a pound of lump sugar to every quart, and then an ounce of gum arabic previously soaked in water. Boil well for quite half an hour, then put into moulds.
Damson Cheese.—Put several pounds of freshly-gathered damsons into a stone jar with a very little water. Stand this on the top of the stove to stew gently for some hours, or until the fruit is perfectly soft. While still warm turn out the damsons into a wide-meshed sieve or colander, rub until nothing but skins and stones are left. Put half a pound of loaf sugar to every pound of pulp, and boil together into a stiff paste. Some of the stones should be cracked and the kernels taken out, as these give a very pleasant flavour to the cheese. Put into shallow dishes or moulds, and cover with brandied papers. This cheese is usually cut into fancy shapes and put into glass dishes to serve at dessert.