CULINARY HERBS
By Mistress Rosemounde of Mercia (copyright Micaela Burnham)
I. Definitions
A. Modern: Modern designation of herbs is leafy plant material used as flavoring ingredients. The seeds, berries, and bark are spices. (Exception is saffron, crocus stamens, are considered a spice.)
B. Medieval designation is much broader. Herbs were part of “worts.” This is edible plant materials such as leaves, flowers and occasionally roots that are used in any fashion. Green leafy vegetable such as lettuce were worts, as were everything in the onion family and horseradish. Spices were, again seeds, buds, berries, and bark, but these were sometimes included in herbs as well. There was no real differentiation between herbs, spices, and vegetables. In general, an herb was something you could grow in your own garden (which included saffron) and a spice was something you had to import. This class will deal with herbs, rather than the imported spices.
C. In an amusing parable, Charlemagne was supposedly asked, “What is an herb?” He answered, “The friend of physicians and the praise of cooks.”
II. Use of herbs in Middle-ages and Renaissance
A. Use extensively in period as they were easily grown in the kitchen garden are were far less expensive that spices, which had to be imported to most of Europe (except for mustard and juniper berries). Used by people of all classes. Healthful properties known, though not for the reasons we have today.
B. In a 15th century treatise on herbs by Master Ion Gardener, he mentions seventy herbs.
C. In general, herbs were considered “lowly food,” as opposed to the “noble foods,” meats and sweets. Regardless of this, they were often found in various forms on the feast table, and to flavor the “noble” dishes as well. For everyday meals, herbs and vegetables were common, and along with bread, the staple foods.
D. Cultivation of herbs began during the Republic of Rome. During the period of migrations (dark ages) the practice was kept alive in monasteries and royal gardens, and during the middle ages and Renaissance, kitchen gardens with herbs and vegetables existed behind even the lowliest homes.
E. Plants were studied by monks, the first botanists, throughout the SCA periods, and several hybrid vegetables were developed.
F. By the late Renaissance, gardening for pleasure was done by the upper classes, and plants began to be appreciated for their beauty as well as their usefulness.
III. How used in period
A. As a major ingredients in a dish such as pottages, salads, broths (pot liquor), and other dishes.
B. In sauces and condiments
C. As a flavoring ingredients in foods and beverages
D. As garnish and in soltelties (though less so than now)
IV. Categories of herbs
A. Savory
1. Basil--used for flavoring food, especially in pickled foods
2. Bay--Used for flavoring soups, aspics, wines, and fruits
3. Celery seed--grown as food and flavoring
4. Coriander--seed used in wines, preserves, soups and meats
5. Dill--seed was used mostly medicinally until the 16th century. The greens were a common pot herb.
6. Fennel--used as a cooking spice in the 16th century and medicinally before. The seeds were used for sweets, sauces for fish, sausages and soups. Leaves were used as a salad green.
7. Marjoram--used as a food only in the 16th century, before as a medicine. Used to flavor soups, meat dishes, omelets, pickles and as a salad green.
8. Oregano--not used for cooking until the 16th century, then used prodigiously
9. Saffron--used extensivley, about 1/3 of all medieval recipes include it.
10. Sage--used in pottages, sauces, salads, poultry stuffings, meat pies, omelettes, and flavoring beverages.
11. Savories--(could also be considered peppery) used in stuffings, and poultry sauces
12. Tarragon--cooked with vegetables and used to flavor beverages. Also used in salads, sauces for fish, and to flavor vingars and salad dressings.
13. Thymes--used in pottages, flavoring wines and other beverages.
B. Bitter
1. Borage--used as a salad green
2. Hyssop--used in soups, pickles, meat pies and poultry stuffings.
3. Marigold--dried flowers are used to flavor soups and drinks
4. Dittany of Crete--used in sauces and herb mixtures for eggs
5. Parsley--used in pottages, to stuff roast chickens, soup, fritters, and as a salad herb.
6. Rose--used as a salad herb, pot herb, and for puddings
7. Rue--as a seasoning for salads, omelettes, and sauces for fish. It was also used to flavor vinegars, wines, and beers.
C. Peppery
1. Horseradish--the greens were used for salads and the root as a condiment
2. Mustard--seed used to make the commonly known condiment; leaves used as salad herb.
3. Onions
a. onions--eaten as a vegetable, usually cooked
b. chives--used as seasoning as a salad herb
c. garlic--used as a flavoring ingredients for any food that could handle its strong flavor
D. Mints
1. Spearmint--used in countless recipes for meats, eggs and salads.
2. Peppermint--did not exist until 1696
3. Hybrid mints--20th century inventions
4. Rosemary--a common seasoning for salted meats
E. “Sweet”
1. Anise-used for flavoring foods, especially aspics
2. Caraway--used in desserts and candies
3. Poppy seed--used in breads and desserts
V. Recipes (hand-out)
VI. Sources (hand-out)
RECIPES
These recipes will serve about six to eight people unless other wise stated.
HERBS AS THE MAJOR INGREDIENT
Salad
adapted from To the King’s Taste
Take a handful each of:
parsley, sage, borage, mint, fennel greens, and watercress
Take 3 large springs each of:
rosemary and rue (this optional)
Tear them into eating sized pieces and add:
1 sliced onion and 2 sliced leeks (white part only)
Rub the inside of your serving bowl with a cut clove of garlic. Put in the salad and toss with:
2 Tablespoons olive oil until well coated.
Serve with a salad dressing of wine vinegar or tarragon vinegar and salt.
Green Almond Soup
adapted from Pleyn Delit
1 ½ cup raw spinach (tightly packed)
½ cup watercress, sorrel, spring greens or other bland leafy green
4 scallions or green onions, cleaned and sliced
3 sprigs parsley
6 cups water
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
8 ounces ground almonds
Boil water; add salt. Put in spinach, greens, and scallions and boil 4 minutes. Add parsley, boil a few more seconds, then remove from heat. Drain, reserving the water. Chop greens fine in a food processor with the ground almonds and a little of the water. Return to the pot with the water; add the sugar and stir well. Simmer, stirring until slightly thickened. May be served hot or cold.
Bouillon
adapted from Savoring the Past
2 pounds boneless chuck
1 small boiling chicken (2-3 pounds)
1 pound lamb with the bone (a shank is good)
3 stalks of parsley
2 scallions
2 sprigs of thyme
2 whole cloves
Tie the herbs in a bundle in cheesecloth. Put meats in a large pot; cover with water and bring slowly to a simmer. Skim off foam as it forms. After it stops foaming, add the bundle of herbs and simmer for 4 hours. Strain the liquid into a bowl and refrigerate. The fat will collect on top and solidify. When it is hard, remove the fat layer and discard (or use it as you fat base when making soap). Use the meats for other dishes. The bouillon may be frozen and used as needed as stock or as a soup by itself.
Spinach Fritters
adapted from Dining with William Shakespeare
1 pound fresh spinach with parsley, fennel, and/or dill weed
2 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon powdered ginger
3 Tablespoons grated bread crumbs
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Wash spinach and herbs well to remove dirt and sand. Snap off the stems. Place in a skillet with a tight fitting lid; cover and cook over low heat about 5 minutes, just until spinach wilts. Drain and puree. Add eggs, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and bread crumbs. Mix well and set aside for half an hour to let it thicken. Preheat a griddle and melt butter. Drop heaping Tablespoons of spinach mixture onto griddle about 2 inches apart. Flatten with the back of a wooden spoon. Brown, then turn and brown on the other side. Place in warmed serving dish and keep warm. Sprinkle with brown sugar just before serving.
HERBS AS SAUCES AND CONDIMENTS
Green Sauce
adapted from The Original Mediterranean Cuisine
1 sprig fresh sage
5 sprigs fresh mint
6 sprigs fresh marjoram
12 stalks fresh flat leaf parsley
1 slice of baguette bread. ½ inch thick
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, peeled
4 walnut halves
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Strip the herb leaves off of the stems. Soak the bread in the vinegar. In a food processor, blend the herbs, bread, walnuts, salt, and garlic, gradually adding the olive oil. Serve at room temperature with fried fish, boiled meats, roasted meats, and poached eggs. The garlic may be omitted if desired.
Tarragon Vinegar
an original recipe by Mistress Rosemounde
2 cups white vinegar
1 large handful fresh tarragon
Pack the tarragon loosely in a clear glass jar and pour in the vinegar to cover completely. Set the jar in a sunny window for 4 to 6 weeks. Strain out the vinegar. Put one sprig of fresh tarragon in a one pint bottle, put in the strained vinegar, and seal. Store in a cool, dry place, but do not refrigerate.
HERBS AS A FLAVORING
Methaglin (Herbed Mead)
adapted from Dining with William Shakespeare
4 quarts filtered water
2 large sprigs fresh rosemary
2 large sprigs thyme
2 large sprigs fennel weed
2 large sprigs spearmint
1 quart raw honey
1 2 inch stick of cinnamon
1 slice fresh ginger root
16 whole cloves
½ Tablespoon mead or champagne yeast
Put herbs and water in a large pot. Boil, then simmer for half an hour. Strain out the herbs through a clean white cloth into a large crock. When it is lukewarm stir in the honey until it dissolves completely; add the spices and stir. Sprinkle the yeast over the top, cover with a clean cloth and set in a cool dark place for 10 to 14 days, stirring every other day. Strain through a clean white cloth into clean glass jugs or a carboy. Fit the top(s) with fermentation locks that have been filled with water to the marked line. Set aside in a cool dark place for several days; until no more bubble appear in the fermentation locks. Remove the locks and replace with caps or corks. Leave it for 2 months, uncorking weekly to allow any residual gasses to escape. After 2 months, carefully siphon off the clear liquid, being careful not to disturb the sediment at the bottom, using a sterilized plastic tube and clean glass jugs. Set aside these new jugs for another 2 months, uncorking at the end of one month. After 2 months, siphon again, then bottle.
Mixed Pickles
adapted from The Medieval Cookbook
½ pound carrots, peeled and sliced thin
½ pound radishes, peeled and sliced thin
½ pound turnips, peeled and sliced thin
½ pound fennel root, peeled and sliced thin
1 pound white cabbage, cored and shredded
1 pound hard pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1 inch chunks
6 Tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
½ teaspoon saffron
2 cups white wine vinegar
2 ounces currants
2 ½ cups fruity white wine
6 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoons mustard powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon anise seed
1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
2 ounces white sugar
Put vegetables into a large pot and cover with water. Bring it slowly to a boil, then add the pears. Cook until pears have softened slightly. Drain. Spread the vegetables and pears in a shallow, non-metallic pan in a 2 inch thick layer. Mix the salt, ginger, and saffron; sprinkle this over the layer vegetables and pears. Then sprinkle with 4 Tablespoons of the vinegar. Cover, and let it set for 12 hours. Then rinse well and stir in the currants. Pack into sterilized canning jars, leaving at least 1 inch of head room. Put the wine and honey in a pan and heat to simmer. Skim away any foam or skin. Add the rest of the vinegar and all the remaining ingredients. Reduce heat and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Boil, then pour over the vegetable mixture, covering with at least ½ inch of liquid. Seal with vinegar proof seals.
Omelette with Sage
adapted from A Handbook of Anglo-Saxon Food
6 eggs
1 Tablespoon fresh sage, leaves stripped from the stalk and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 Tablespoon walnut oil or clarified butter
Beat the eggs well; add sage, salt, and pepper and stir well. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Quickly pour in the egg mixture and whisk with one hand while gently shaking the skillet with the other. Continue until eggs have set completely. Using a flexible spatula, fold omelette in half. Serve immediately. (This is good with green sauce on the side.)
Mackerel with Mint
adapted from Seven Centuries of English Cooking
2 whole mackerel, cleaned and gutted
1 pint water
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup fresh spearmint, roughly chopped
Place the water and salt in a large skillet and boil. Cover the bottom of this pan with about half of the mint. Place the fish on top and cook until the fish flakes easily. Remove the fish to a warm serving platter. Stuff the fish with the remaining mint. Remove the skin on top and serve with green sauce.
Chicken with Pine Nuts
adapted from Seven Centuries of English Cooking
4 cups milk
5 sprigs fresh parsley
1 sprig fresh sage
1 sprig fresh hyssop
2 sprigs fresh summer savory
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 large chicken or capon
2 Tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon saffron
½ cup honey
2 egg yolks
Put the milk and herbs in a saucepan and simmer until the milk is reduced by half. Meanwhile, cut up the chicken into serving pieces. Grill or broil until browned and partially cooked. Pour the milk mixture into a large pot. Boil, then add the chicken pieces, pine nuts, saffron and, honey. Simmer until chicken is tender. Before serving, remove ½ cup of milk from pot; whisk in to the eggs yolks, then return to the pot and stir well. Continue to cook a few minutes until sauce is thickened, but do not boil.
Beef Soup
adapted from Savoring the Past
2 pounds beef chuck roast
2 quarts water
4 cups beef stock
½ cup dried bread crumbs
ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon saffron
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cup ground Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh marjoram
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh spearmint
salt to taste
Boil the beef in the water for 10 minutes; remove and discard water. Cut the meat into small pieces and place in a clean pot with stock, bread crumbs, pepper and saffron. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Sir in the eggs, grated cheese, vinegar, and herbs. Salt to taste. Return to simmer; serve.
Sausage with Sage and Egg Sauce
adapted from Pleyn Delit
1 ½ pounds smoked sausage
1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
8 eggs
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon lard or oleo
Slice sausage into chunks and brown in cooking fat. Drain off all but 2 Tablespoons of fat. Stir in eggs and sage. Cook and stir until eggs are set, but soft. Add spices and serve at once.
Shrewsbury Seed Cakes
adapted from Dining with William Shakespeare
1/4 cup sugar
½ cup butter
1 cup sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg
½ teaspoon rosewater
2 teaspoons caraway seed
Cream the sugar and butter together. Add the rosewater and mix. Sift in the flour and the nutmeg. Stir until just mixed. Do not over work the dough. Stir in the caraway seed and mix gently. Chill the dough for 10 minutes. Sprinkle work surface with flour. Form dough into a ball, then roll out 1/4 inch thick. Cut out 3 inch circles and place on an ungreased cookie sheet at least 1 inch apart. Bake at 350' for 12 to 15 minutes until slightly brown on the edges. Cool on a wire rack and store in an air tight container.
HERBS USED AS GARNISH OR SOTELTIES
Decorated Meatballs
adapted from The Medieval Cookbook
2 pounds lean pork with bone, fat and skin removed
5 cups beef stock, fat skimmed
4 ounces ground almonds
1 Tablespoon rice flour
1 Tablespoon currants
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
salt and pepper to taste
oil for greasing
............................................
white sugar
ground mace
finely chopped fresh parsley
small fresh flowers
Cook the pork in the stock until just done, then drain, reserving the stock. Put the ground almonds in a bowl and pour over 1 1/4 cups of the reserved stock. Stir well then allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain through a sieve; then stir in the rice flour and a pinch of salt. Mix well until smooth. Set aside, with the rest of the stock, to cool. Cut the pork in small pieces, and grind in a food processor with the currants and spices, including salt and pepper to taste. Form the mixture into 1 ½ inch diameter meatballs (about 18). Cook in the oil until lightly browned, then cool. Thin down the almond milk with a little stock, and coat each meatball. Half of them in white sugar and half of them in the parsley. Sprinkle all with more ground mace. Garnish roast poulty or game meat with the meatball and flowers.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
To the King’s Taste, adapted by Lorna J Sass from The Forme of Cury, a collection of manuscript recipes circa 1390 C.E.
Pleyn Delit, by Constance B. Hieatt and Sharon Butler
The Medieval Cookbook, by Maggie Black
Dining with William Shakespeare, by Madge Lorwin
A Handbook of Anglo-Saxon Food, by Ann Hagen
The Magic of Herbs, by David Conway
Seven Centuries of English Cooking, by Maxime de la Falaise
Savoring the Past, by Barbara Ketcham Wheaton
The Original Mediterranean Cuisine, by Barbara Santich
SCA Sources:
“The Green Book,” by Kathrin Chadwick (privately published in October 1993)
The Compleat Anachronist, number 16, “A Compleat Herbal,: by Dame Tsivia bas Tamara v’Amberview, Lord James Fitzgibbon, and Lady Rosanore of Redthorn
By Mistress Rosemounde of Mercia (copyright Micaela Burnham)
I. Definitions
A. Modern: Modern designation of herbs is leafy plant material used as flavoring ingredients. The seeds, berries, and bark are spices. (Exception is saffron, crocus stamens, are considered a spice.)
B. Medieval designation is much broader. Herbs were part of “worts.” This is edible plant materials such as leaves, flowers and occasionally roots that are used in any fashion. Green leafy vegetable such as lettuce were worts, as were everything in the onion family and horseradish. Spices were, again seeds, buds, berries, and bark, but these were sometimes included in herbs as well. There was no real differentiation between herbs, spices, and vegetables. In general, an herb was something you could grow in your own garden (which included saffron) and a spice was something you had to import. This class will deal with herbs, rather than the imported spices.
C. In an amusing parable, Charlemagne was supposedly asked, “What is an herb?” He answered, “The friend of physicians and the praise of cooks.”
II. Use of herbs in Middle-ages and Renaissance
A. Use extensively in period as they were easily grown in the kitchen garden are were far less expensive that spices, which had to be imported to most of Europe (except for mustard and juniper berries). Used by people of all classes. Healthful properties known, though not for the reasons we have today.
B. In a 15th century treatise on herbs by Master Ion Gardener, he mentions seventy herbs.
C. In general, herbs were considered “lowly food,” as opposed to the “noble foods,” meats and sweets. Regardless of this, they were often found in various forms on the feast table, and to flavor the “noble” dishes as well. For everyday meals, herbs and vegetables were common, and along with bread, the staple foods.
D. Cultivation of herbs began during the Republic of Rome. During the period of migrations (dark ages) the practice was kept alive in monasteries and royal gardens, and during the middle ages and Renaissance, kitchen gardens with herbs and vegetables existed behind even the lowliest homes.
E. Plants were studied by monks, the first botanists, throughout the SCA periods, and several hybrid vegetables were developed.
F. By the late Renaissance, gardening for pleasure was done by the upper classes, and plants began to be appreciated for their beauty as well as their usefulness.
III. How used in period
A. As a major ingredients in a dish such as pottages, salads, broths (pot liquor), and other dishes.
B. In sauces and condiments
C. As a flavoring ingredients in foods and beverages
D. As garnish and in soltelties (though less so than now)
IV. Categories of herbs
A. Savory
1. Basil--used for flavoring food, especially in pickled foods
2. Bay--Used for flavoring soups, aspics, wines, and fruits
3. Celery seed--grown as food and flavoring
4. Coriander--seed used in wines, preserves, soups and meats
5. Dill--seed was used mostly medicinally until the 16th century. The greens were a common pot herb.
6. Fennel--used as a cooking spice in the 16th century and medicinally before. The seeds were used for sweets, sauces for fish, sausages and soups. Leaves were used as a salad green.
7. Marjoram--used as a food only in the 16th century, before as a medicine. Used to flavor soups, meat dishes, omelets, pickles and as a salad green.
8. Oregano--not used for cooking until the 16th century, then used prodigiously
9. Saffron--used extensivley, about 1/3 of all medieval recipes include it.
10. Sage--used in pottages, sauces, salads, poultry stuffings, meat pies, omelettes, and flavoring beverages.
11. Savories--(could also be considered peppery) used in stuffings, and poultry sauces
12. Tarragon--cooked with vegetables and used to flavor beverages. Also used in salads, sauces for fish, and to flavor vingars and salad dressings.
13. Thymes--used in pottages, flavoring wines and other beverages.
B. Bitter
1. Borage--used as a salad green
2. Hyssop--used in soups, pickles, meat pies and poultry stuffings.
3. Marigold--dried flowers are used to flavor soups and drinks
4. Dittany of Crete--used in sauces and herb mixtures for eggs
5. Parsley--used in pottages, to stuff roast chickens, soup, fritters, and as a salad herb.
6. Rose--used as a salad herb, pot herb, and for puddings
7. Rue--as a seasoning for salads, omelettes, and sauces for fish. It was also used to flavor vinegars, wines, and beers.
C. Peppery
1. Horseradish--the greens were used for salads and the root as a condiment
2. Mustard--seed used to make the commonly known condiment; leaves used as salad herb.
3. Onions
a. onions--eaten as a vegetable, usually cooked
b. chives--used as seasoning as a salad herb
c. garlic--used as a flavoring ingredients for any food that could handle its strong flavor
D. Mints
1. Spearmint--used in countless recipes for meats, eggs and salads.
2. Peppermint--did not exist until 1696
3. Hybrid mints--20th century inventions
4. Rosemary--a common seasoning for salted meats
E. “Sweet”
1. Anise-used for flavoring foods, especially aspics
2. Caraway--used in desserts and candies
3. Poppy seed--used in breads and desserts
V. Recipes (hand-out)
VI. Sources (hand-out)
RECIPES
These recipes will serve about six to eight people unless other wise stated.
HERBS AS THE MAJOR INGREDIENT
Salad
adapted from To the King’s Taste
Take a handful each of:
parsley, sage, borage, mint, fennel greens, and watercress
Take 3 large springs each of:
rosemary and rue (this optional)
Tear them into eating sized pieces and add:
1 sliced onion and 2 sliced leeks (white part only)
Rub the inside of your serving bowl with a cut clove of garlic. Put in the salad and toss with:
2 Tablespoons olive oil until well coated.
Serve with a salad dressing of wine vinegar or tarragon vinegar and salt.
Green Almond Soup
adapted from Pleyn Delit
1 ½ cup raw spinach (tightly packed)
½ cup watercress, sorrel, spring greens or other bland leafy green
4 scallions or green onions, cleaned and sliced
3 sprigs parsley
6 cups water
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
8 ounces ground almonds
Boil water; add salt. Put in spinach, greens, and scallions and boil 4 minutes. Add parsley, boil a few more seconds, then remove from heat. Drain, reserving the water. Chop greens fine in a food processor with the ground almonds and a little of the water. Return to the pot with the water; add the sugar and stir well. Simmer, stirring until slightly thickened. May be served hot or cold.
Bouillon
adapted from Savoring the Past
2 pounds boneless chuck
1 small boiling chicken (2-3 pounds)
1 pound lamb with the bone (a shank is good)
3 stalks of parsley
2 scallions
2 sprigs of thyme
2 whole cloves
Tie the herbs in a bundle in cheesecloth. Put meats in a large pot; cover with water and bring slowly to a simmer. Skim off foam as it forms. After it stops foaming, add the bundle of herbs and simmer for 4 hours. Strain the liquid into a bowl and refrigerate. The fat will collect on top and solidify. When it is hard, remove the fat layer and discard (or use it as you fat base when making soap). Use the meats for other dishes. The bouillon may be frozen and used as needed as stock or as a soup by itself.
Spinach Fritters
adapted from Dining with William Shakespeare
1 pound fresh spinach with parsley, fennel, and/or dill weed
2 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon powdered ginger
3 Tablespoons grated bread crumbs
4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Wash spinach and herbs well to remove dirt and sand. Snap off the stems. Place in a skillet with a tight fitting lid; cover and cook over low heat about 5 minutes, just until spinach wilts. Drain and puree. Add eggs, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and bread crumbs. Mix well and set aside for half an hour to let it thicken. Preheat a griddle and melt butter. Drop heaping Tablespoons of spinach mixture onto griddle about 2 inches apart. Flatten with the back of a wooden spoon. Brown, then turn and brown on the other side. Place in warmed serving dish and keep warm. Sprinkle with brown sugar just before serving.
HERBS AS SAUCES AND CONDIMENTS
Green Sauce
adapted from The Original Mediterranean Cuisine
1 sprig fresh sage
5 sprigs fresh mint
6 sprigs fresh marjoram
12 stalks fresh flat leaf parsley
1 slice of baguette bread. ½ inch thick
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, peeled
4 walnut halves
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Strip the herb leaves off of the stems. Soak the bread in the vinegar. In a food processor, blend the herbs, bread, walnuts, salt, and garlic, gradually adding the olive oil. Serve at room temperature with fried fish, boiled meats, roasted meats, and poached eggs. The garlic may be omitted if desired.
Tarragon Vinegar
an original recipe by Mistress Rosemounde
2 cups white vinegar
1 large handful fresh tarragon
Pack the tarragon loosely in a clear glass jar and pour in the vinegar to cover completely. Set the jar in a sunny window for 4 to 6 weeks. Strain out the vinegar. Put one sprig of fresh tarragon in a one pint bottle, put in the strained vinegar, and seal. Store in a cool, dry place, but do not refrigerate.
HERBS AS A FLAVORING
Methaglin (Herbed Mead)
adapted from Dining with William Shakespeare
4 quarts filtered water
2 large sprigs fresh rosemary
2 large sprigs thyme
2 large sprigs fennel weed
2 large sprigs spearmint
1 quart raw honey
1 2 inch stick of cinnamon
1 slice fresh ginger root
16 whole cloves
½ Tablespoon mead or champagne yeast
Put herbs and water in a large pot. Boil, then simmer for half an hour. Strain out the herbs through a clean white cloth into a large crock. When it is lukewarm stir in the honey until it dissolves completely; add the spices and stir. Sprinkle the yeast over the top, cover with a clean cloth and set in a cool dark place for 10 to 14 days, stirring every other day. Strain through a clean white cloth into clean glass jugs or a carboy. Fit the top(s) with fermentation locks that have been filled with water to the marked line. Set aside in a cool dark place for several days; until no more bubble appear in the fermentation locks. Remove the locks and replace with caps or corks. Leave it for 2 months, uncorking weekly to allow any residual gasses to escape. After 2 months, carefully siphon off the clear liquid, being careful not to disturb the sediment at the bottom, using a sterilized plastic tube and clean glass jugs. Set aside these new jugs for another 2 months, uncorking at the end of one month. After 2 months, siphon again, then bottle.
Mixed Pickles
adapted from The Medieval Cookbook
½ pound carrots, peeled and sliced thin
½ pound radishes, peeled and sliced thin
½ pound turnips, peeled and sliced thin
½ pound fennel root, peeled and sliced thin
1 pound white cabbage, cored and shredded
1 pound hard pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1 inch chunks
6 Tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
½ teaspoon saffron
2 cups white wine vinegar
2 ounces currants
2 ½ cups fruity white wine
6 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoons mustard powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon anise seed
1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
2 ounces white sugar
Put vegetables into a large pot and cover with water. Bring it slowly to a boil, then add the pears. Cook until pears have softened slightly. Drain. Spread the vegetables and pears in a shallow, non-metallic pan in a 2 inch thick layer. Mix the salt, ginger, and saffron; sprinkle this over the layer vegetables and pears. Then sprinkle with 4 Tablespoons of the vinegar. Cover, and let it set for 12 hours. Then rinse well and stir in the currants. Pack into sterilized canning jars, leaving at least 1 inch of head room. Put the wine and honey in a pan and heat to simmer. Skim away any foam or skin. Add the rest of the vinegar and all the remaining ingredients. Reduce heat and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Boil, then pour over the vegetable mixture, covering with at least ½ inch of liquid. Seal with vinegar proof seals.
Omelette with Sage
adapted from A Handbook of Anglo-Saxon Food
6 eggs
1 Tablespoon fresh sage, leaves stripped from the stalk and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 Tablespoon walnut oil or clarified butter
Beat the eggs well; add sage, salt, and pepper and stir well. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Quickly pour in the egg mixture and whisk with one hand while gently shaking the skillet with the other. Continue until eggs have set completely. Using a flexible spatula, fold omelette in half. Serve immediately. (This is good with green sauce on the side.)
Mackerel with Mint
adapted from Seven Centuries of English Cooking
2 whole mackerel, cleaned and gutted
1 pint water
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup fresh spearmint, roughly chopped
Place the water and salt in a large skillet and boil. Cover the bottom of this pan with about half of the mint. Place the fish on top and cook until the fish flakes easily. Remove the fish to a warm serving platter. Stuff the fish with the remaining mint. Remove the skin on top and serve with green sauce.
Chicken with Pine Nuts
adapted from Seven Centuries of English Cooking
4 cups milk
5 sprigs fresh parsley
1 sprig fresh sage
1 sprig fresh hyssop
2 sprigs fresh summer savory
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 large chicken or capon
2 Tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon saffron
½ cup honey
2 egg yolks
Put the milk and herbs in a saucepan and simmer until the milk is reduced by half. Meanwhile, cut up the chicken into serving pieces. Grill or broil until browned and partially cooked. Pour the milk mixture into a large pot. Boil, then add the chicken pieces, pine nuts, saffron and, honey. Simmer until chicken is tender. Before serving, remove ½ cup of milk from pot; whisk in to the eggs yolks, then return to the pot and stir well. Continue to cook a few minutes until sauce is thickened, but do not boil.
Beef Soup
adapted from Savoring the Past
2 pounds beef chuck roast
2 quarts water
4 cups beef stock
½ cup dried bread crumbs
ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon saffron
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cup ground Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh marjoram
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh spearmint
salt to taste
Boil the beef in the water for 10 minutes; remove and discard water. Cut the meat into small pieces and place in a clean pot with stock, bread crumbs, pepper and saffron. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Sir in the eggs, grated cheese, vinegar, and herbs. Salt to taste. Return to simmer; serve.
Sausage with Sage and Egg Sauce
adapted from Pleyn Delit
1 ½ pounds smoked sausage
1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
8 eggs
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon lard or oleo
Slice sausage into chunks and brown in cooking fat. Drain off all but 2 Tablespoons of fat. Stir in eggs and sage. Cook and stir until eggs are set, but soft. Add spices and serve at once.
Shrewsbury Seed Cakes
adapted from Dining with William Shakespeare
1/4 cup sugar
½ cup butter
1 cup sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg
½ teaspoon rosewater
2 teaspoons caraway seed
Cream the sugar and butter together. Add the rosewater and mix. Sift in the flour and the nutmeg. Stir until just mixed. Do not over work the dough. Stir in the caraway seed and mix gently. Chill the dough for 10 minutes. Sprinkle work surface with flour. Form dough into a ball, then roll out 1/4 inch thick. Cut out 3 inch circles and place on an ungreased cookie sheet at least 1 inch apart. Bake at 350' for 12 to 15 minutes until slightly brown on the edges. Cool on a wire rack and store in an air tight container.
HERBS USED AS GARNISH OR SOTELTIES
Decorated Meatballs
adapted from The Medieval Cookbook
2 pounds lean pork with bone, fat and skin removed
5 cups beef stock, fat skimmed
4 ounces ground almonds
1 Tablespoon rice flour
1 Tablespoon currants
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
salt and pepper to taste
oil for greasing
............................................
white sugar
ground mace
finely chopped fresh parsley
small fresh flowers
Cook the pork in the stock until just done, then drain, reserving the stock. Put the ground almonds in a bowl and pour over 1 1/4 cups of the reserved stock. Stir well then allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain through a sieve; then stir in the rice flour and a pinch of salt. Mix well until smooth. Set aside, with the rest of the stock, to cool. Cut the pork in small pieces, and grind in a food processor with the currants and spices, including salt and pepper to taste. Form the mixture into 1 ½ inch diameter meatballs (about 18). Cook in the oil until lightly browned, then cool. Thin down the almond milk with a little stock, and coat each meatball. Half of them in white sugar and half of them in the parsley. Sprinkle all with more ground mace. Garnish roast poulty or game meat with the meatball and flowers.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
To the King’s Taste, adapted by Lorna J Sass from The Forme of Cury, a collection of manuscript recipes circa 1390 C.E.
Pleyn Delit, by Constance B. Hieatt and Sharon Butler
The Medieval Cookbook, by Maggie Black
Dining with William Shakespeare, by Madge Lorwin
A Handbook of Anglo-Saxon Food, by Ann Hagen
The Magic of Herbs, by David Conway
Seven Centuries of English Cooking, by Maxime de la Falaise
Savoring the Past, by Barbara Ketcham Wheaton
The Original Mediterranean Cuisine, by Barbara Santich
SCA Sources:
“The Green Book,” by Kathrin Chadwick (privately published in October 1993)
The Compleat Anachronist, number 16, “A Compleat Herbal,: by Dame Tsivia bas Tamara v’Amberview, Lord James Fitzgibbon, and Lady Rosanore of Redthorn
