G

GINGER.

Owing to its hot aromatic constituents ginger is frequently used as an addition to foods, medicines and beverages, to correct any tendency they may have to disturb the stomach and create colic. Ginger is obtainable as whole roots (green, dry, or in syrup), in powder form or as an essence in a liquid concentrated form. Ginger is preserved by the Chinese in a ripe form with sugar, and imported into Great Britain both in the familiar quaint jars and in a dry form. The latter is dry externally, but soft within, and much to be preferred to the made-up heavily sugared varieties sold in cubes and chips by confectioners.

Green Ginger Punch.

Teacupful of dry Chyloong ginger cut fine; 4 breakfastcupfuls of water. Boil 20 minutes, strain, add a teaspoonful of lemon juice, or 1 oz. of orange juice. Serve cold.

GOOSEBERRY.

The gooseberry is a common and relatively cheap spring and summer fruit, and is well adapted for the purpose of making beverages. The green gooseberry from its tartness is preferable. It is one of the first of the spring fruits to come in.

Gooseberry Drink.

2 lbs. green gooseberries; ¼ lb. malt extract or black treacle; ¼ pint water; cornflour to thicken. Trim and wash gooseberries; stew until soft; add more water as needed, but use as little as possible; sieve, and finally add the malt extract or treacle. Serve either quite cold or quite hot, according as circumstances render desirable.

GRAPES.

The value of the grape as a food is remarkable. This fruit is especially good in cases of anæmia, and as a restorative in severe illnesses. For this purpose the hot-house black grapes are the best.

Fresh Grape Juice.

By far the best juice is that which one gets from eating sound ripe grapes, or from drinking the recently extracted juice from fresh grapes. The many unfermented grape juice beverages on the market are not so good as the fresh juice, because they have been sterilised to enable them to keep. It is easy to extract the juice in its fresh state by means of the Fruit Juice Press and it is best to include the stalks when passing the fruit into the machine. If a press is not available the grapes can be mashed and pulped by putting them into an ordinary potato masher and collecting the juice as it runs from the wire meshes.

Grape Tea.

Add a wineglassful of either fresh or sterilised grape juice to a tumblerful of hot water. Add lemon and some form of cooked cereal (cornflour, oatmeal flour, etc.), if desired, for grape soup.

GRASS AND CLOVER.

In America there is a group of vegetarians who believe in grass-eating on the Nebuchadnezzar plan. If it is tender and young it is said to be by no means unpalatable. It makes an excellent addition to salads. The generality of mankind are, however, strongly averse to eating grass in any form although there is no reason why it should not, in common with other greenstuff, form a part of the daily diet. The analysis of grass shows that it is a very useful food. According to a recent analysis it consists of Proteins 3.5, fat 0.8, Carbohydrates 9.7, fibre 4.0, mineral salts 2.0, water 80.0.

Clover possesses valuable medicinal properties. There is a form of clover which exerts a marked effect in imparting fertility to the ground by restoring nitrogen to it after it has been depleted by wheat and other nitrogen using crops. The red, or meadow, clover has been used as a remedy for cancer.

Clover Tea.

Take a handful of clover, fresh clover by preference, or if this is not in season the dried clover must do instead; place it in a warmed teapot; pour a pint of boiling water over it; allow to stand until drawn, and take a teacupful at frequent intervals.

GUM.

Many of the edible gums known to commerce, such as gum arabic and gum tragacanth, are often found useful as additions to beverages to thicken them or to make them more soothing and demulcent.

Gum Water.

1 teaspoonful of best quality gum arabic; tumblerful of cold water; let stand until dissolved; then flavour with lemon, or any other fruit or vegetable juice.