Fruits

THEIR PREPARATION AND USE

Fruit was the natural food of primitive man. The history of the anthropoidal race shows that the highest specimens of physical life were de­veloped on a diet consisting largely of nuts and fruits. Aside from the value of fruit as a food it occupies an important place as an ornament and an article of deco­ration for the table.

A pyramid of luscious ripe fruit in the center of a table makes the American Beauty rose look stale and out of place.

Fruit is Nature's great remedial or curative agent. While there is some nourishment in all fruit, yet it might be divided into two general classes.

First, Nutritive and second, Curative. Such articles as apricots, peaches, plums, strawber­ries, grapes, apples, oranges, grape fruit, figs, prunes and nectarines are Nature's best laxative.

Such articles as cherries, blackberries, raspberries, dewberries, quinces, pomegranates and pears act as as­tringents and the juices are excellent in cases of chronic dysentery or diarrhoea.

The following group of fruits possess very nutritive and highly necessary food properties: Bananas, pears, dates, figs, raisins, grapes, apples and the black Cali­fornia cherry.

Pineapple juice is decidedly germicidal and is espe­cially recommended in cases of diphtheria or any of the so-called germ diseases.

The banana while classed by nearly all authorities as a fruit, is in reality a vegetable.

SNOW FRUIT

Cut in bits, apples, oranges, Malaga grapes and ba­nanas. Scatter between each layer, fresh grated cocoa-nut or protoid nuts and sugar. Serve with whipped cream or fruit juice.

This recipe can be varied or changed according to fruit or berries in season, exercising care, however, to use only one kind of highly aciduous fruit.

FRUIT AND NUT MEDLEY

Slice very ripe bananas, cut in small pieces, sweet apple and orange. Put a layer of each in dish until filled. Sprinkle between each layer grated protoid nuts and sugar. This can be served with cream or fruit juices.

APPLES—OLIVE OIL

Apples eaten with pure olive oil are not only delicious but extremely nutritious and digestible. The acid of the apple aiding in the emulsification or digestion of the oil and the oil augmenting the digestibility of the apple pulp.
This is especially recommended for a breakfast dish.

BROSIA

Cut in small bits, and put in layers, oranges, malaga grapes and figs. Over this sliced banana, grated fresh pineapple and cocoanut. Cover the top well with cocoa-nut and decorate with nut meats.

Sugar should be sprinkled between each layer.

HOW TO SERVE PINEAPPLES

Secure a large, extremely ripe pineapple. Peel and remove the eyes. Grate, sweeten to taste and serve. Note.—Prepared in this way pineapple can be used with green salads as a relish or sauce and makes a de­licious fruit dessert.

BANANAS

Bananas are delicious eaten with heavy cream, dates, cream cheese, or nut-butter. Bananas should not be eaten until they are very ripe or until black spots appear on the skins.

APPLE FLOAT

Grate a medium sized apple, whip in two egg whites beaten stiff, and serve with cream.
PERSIMMONS

The persimmon is one of the most splendid fruits known to the science of food chemistry. It contains no acid, but is exceedingly rich in fruit sugar. It is easily digested, readily soluble and one of the most de­licious of all dessert fruits. The persimmon with cream is a whole breakfast in point of nutrition or an excellent dessert taken at the close of a dinner.

DEHYDRATED OR EVAPORATED FRUIT

Taking the water from fruit by evaporation is the best method of preservation. Dehydration is a natural process; when fruit is exposed to the air and sunshine Nature takes up the surplus moisture leaving enough native fruit sugar to preserve them indefinitely.

In preparing evaporated fruit for table use, it is only necessary to restore this moisture, which can be done by soaking them in pure water a few hours or over night. This process reveals the green and faulty pieces which can be discarded, while cooking conceals the faulty and inferior parts and takes from the fruit its delicious freshness and natural flavor.

STUFFED DATES

With a damp cloth, cleanse thoroughly firm black dates. Make a cut the entire length of the date, remove the stone and fill the cavity with Pecan meats, protoid Brazil nuts or cream cheese. Shape in original form, roll in grated nuts or granulated sugar.

Pulled figs are very delicious stuffed and prepared as above recipe.

FIG MARMALADE

Select and grind one-half pound figs, thoroughly mix into them one cake of cream cheese, (Philadelphia brand). This is delicious eaten with very ripe bananas, or whole wheat, or unfired crackers.

DATE BUTTER

Remove stones and mash one-half pound of black dates. Add one or two tablespoons boiling water to soften, and reduce to a pulp with potato masher. Add one-quarter pound of peanut butter ("Beech-Nut" pre­ferred) and one-half cake of cream cheese; mix thor­oughly.

This is delicious with bananas and all kinds of sand­wiches. This will keep several days in a cool place.

SOAKED PRUNES

Cleanse thoroughly and place the quantity desired in a deep vessel, add enough water to barely cover. After standing over night if the water or juice be poured off and brought to a boil and poured over them again, it will add much to the flavor and taste of the fruit.

Thus prepared and served whole with a little cream, prunes are exceedingly nourishing and much superior to the cooked product.

All evaporated or dehydrated fruits can be prepared according to the above recipe, especially evaporated apricots and peaches. Apricots, prunes or raisins soaked together about half and half, thus uniting the acid of the apricots with the sweet of the prunes or raisins make a most nourishing and delicious combina­tion.

Peaches to be prepared according to the above method should be the large unpeeled variety.

SOAKED FIGS

Select of large pulled figs, the quantity desired and place in a deep vessel. Cover with hot water, allow to stand six or eight hours or over night. Remove the water and boil it down to a thin syrup. Pour this over the figs again and serve with cream.

STEAMED FIGS

Cleanse thbroughly and place the quantity of figs de­sired in vessel and steam until soft. Any fig can be used, but the large pulled variety are much preferable. Serve with cream or "Christian's" salad dressing.

This is especially recommended as a winter dessert.

CHEESE—RAISINS

Raisins, fresh cream cheese and nuts eaten together make a most nourishing and well balanced combination.

The raisins supply the natural carbohydrate. Cheese supplies a concentrated form of protein1 while the nut gives a natural fat. It would be difficult to find a com­bination of three articles that would yield to the body more heat and energy than this.

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