beets-msg – 7/19/09
Period beet roots and beet greens. Recipes.
NOTE: See also the files: vegetables-msg, greens-msg, sugar-msg, root-veg-msg, salads-msg, cabbages-msg, root-veg-msg.
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Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 10:31:59 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Christina M. Krupp" <ckrupp at zoo.uvm.edu>
Subject: SC - Re: Pickled egg recipes -- BEETS?
I've been observing this flurry of pickled-egg recipes with interest. Most
of the recipes offered recently include beet root or beet juice.
My understanding is that beet greens were eaten in period, but the root of
the period beet was an unremarkable thing. The glorious ruby root that we
are all familiar with, and the sugar-beet root which is a different
variant, were post-period developments.
Beet juice makes an excellent food-coloring agent, giving shades of dark
red that are unavailable from other natural sources. If beets were
available in the Middle Ages, wouldn't we see beet juice listed among
other medieval food colorings such as saunders, saffron, and parlsey
juice? It seems notable in its absence.
I am very fond of cooked beet-roots and I'd love to be able to use them at
feasts with a clear conscience. Can anybody offer evidence of their use in
medieval recipes?
- -- Marieke
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 17:52:37 -0400
From: John and Barbara Enloe <jbenloe at mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Re: Pickled egg recipes -- BEETS?
I think that the sugar beet is actually period. There is a European Castle
that I saw on A&E that was from the 1400's that has sugar beets as part of
the Device of the owners, a baron something or other. I will try to find
the particulars.
Lord Jonathus Fitche d'Abercrombie
Date: Mon, 1 Dec 1997 21:09:42 -0500
From: dangilsp at intrepid.net (Dan Gillespie)
Subject: SC - beets
Elizabeth wrote: "(Did people eat beetroot?).
As far as I can tell, no. Every time I find a reference to beets, it seems
to mean greens. Maybe beetroot got developed into something big enough to
be useful after our period?"
There is a mention of both white & red, or Roman beets, clearly as a root
vegetable in the 1633 edition of Gerard's Herbal; he says they're boiled &
eaten with oil, vinegar & pepper. I haven't had a chance to look at the
earlier 1598 edition to see if this entry was included there as well. His
description makes it sound like eating beet roots was not yet a strongly
established practice at the time the information was published. They are
likely very late period at best.
Hope this helps,
Antoine de Bayonne
Dan Gillespie
dangilsp at intrepid.net
Dan_Gillespie at usgs.gov
Martinsburg, West Virginia, USA
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 1997 18:04:33 -0500 (EST)
From: LrdRas at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - beets
<< There is a mention of both white & red, or Roman beets, clearly as a root
vegetable in the 1633 edition of Gerard's Herbal; he says they're boiled &
eaten with oil, vinegar & pepper. >>
Does he SPECIFICALLY mention bulbs or roots? Swiss Chard is the much older
form of beets dating back to pre-Roman times. It comes in a white stalked and
a red stalked variety. And, surprisingly, bears the exact same scientific
name as bulbous beets.
I have always used chard when beets are called for in early recipes and was
under the impression that these are what is meant by the word "betas". If the
use of bulbous beets before 1500 can be documented as consumed by humans, it
would be great. I would then have several redactions that I could rework and
a source for another relatively inexpensive vegetable.
Ras
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 1997 18:52:28 EST
From: melc2newton at juno.com (Michael P Newton)
Subject: Re: SC - beets
>Elizabeth wrote: "(Did people eat beetroot?).
According to _Medieval English Gardens_ byn Teresa McLean (one of my
current library books, you all need to check this one out - its got lots
of stuff on who grew what for what reason. it is however a very bad spoon
tease! ANYWAYS) In the chapter on the vegatable patch, McLean states that
most vegatables were grown for the 'porray' pot and mostly the leaves
were used. In fact, she states that root vegetables weren't grown unless
its leaves were useful in the pot as well. The one root she claims was
popular was the radish - all of the others were just to bland!
Lady Beatrix
(wondering now just how period borsht really is?)
Date: Wed, 3 Dec 1997 11:51:56 -0500 (EST)
From: DianaFiona at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - beets
<<
Does he SPECIFICALLY mention bulbs or roots? Swiss Chard is the much older
form of beets dating back to pre-Roman times. It comes in a white stalked and
a red stalked variety. And, surprisingly, bears the exact same scientific
name as bulbous beets.
>>
Yes, he does! Both red roots and perhaps white, but the quote that you
were replying to seems to refer to the leaves to me, since after suggesting
serving the boiled red beets with oil, vinegar, and pepper as a salad, he
says:
"....but what might be made of the red and beautifull root (which is to
be preferred before the leaves, as well in beautie as in goodnesse) I refer
unto the curious and cunning cooke, who no doubt when hee had the view
thereof, and is assured that it is both good and wholesome, will make thereof
many and divers dishes, both faire and good."
He also says, if I understand him right, that this red variety was given
to him from "beyond the seas" by a merchant, and that it grew for him in 1596
to a height of 8 cubits.(!!! Isn't a cubit about 18 inches? That's HUGE!)
That it sounds like the red beets were not common in England at the time,
although if we could discover where the seeds Gerard was given came from we
could reasonably assume that they were used in that country. However, when
discussing the white beets, he doesn't specifically say that the roots were
eaten, but refers to them as "thicke, hard and great.", which sounds to me
like they might be large enough to eat. So it might be possible that the
*white* roots were consumed in England--they seemed to eat just about
anything else that wasn't posionous! ;-)
Ldy Diana, who also wants to find documentation for a veggie she really
likes!
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 08:01:05 EDT
From: Balano1 at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - beets & cabbage (= polish borsch)
As far as I know, Borsch is Russian-Polish in nature. Quite yummy though!
Have 2 recipes:
Simple Borsch
Wash, peel and coarsely grate 8 young beets. Simmer the beets in 4 cups water
for 20 minutes or until they are tender. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and add
sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Continue to cook for 5 minutes longer and
either strain and remove the beets or process them in (for a more textured
borsch). Chill and serve with a dollop od sour cream.
Polish Borsch
Simmer 2 quarts good beef bouillion with 1 large onion, chopped, for 2 hours.
Strain the stock and remove any fat. Wash, chop and soak in hot water, 4
large dried mushrooms, add them to the hot soup and boil for 15 minutes.
Toss 1 teaspoon sugar with 3 cups grated beets, 1 cup diced carrots, 1
teaspoon chopped parsley, and 2 cups shredded cabbage. Let stand until the
sugar is dissolved. Add the mixture to the soup and continue to cook for 15
to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Strain out (or process in)
the vegetables and add 1 cup sour cream and 1 teaspoon lemon juice to the
soup. Reheat without boiling and add salt if needed. Serve with a mealy,
fresh boiled potato in each soup plate.
- - Sister Mary Endoline
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 14:02:15 -0400
From: renfrow at skylands.net (Cindy Renfrow)
Subject: Re: SC - beets & cabbage
Gerard (1633 ed. of the 1597 work) writes of beets in his Herball, pages
318-319: "Beta alba. White Beets....the white Beete is a cold and moist
pot-herbe...Being eaten when it is boyled, it quickly descendeth...
especially being taken with the broth wherein it is sodden...
Beta rubra, Beta rubra Romana. Red Beets, Red Roman Beets.
...The great and beautiful Beet last described may be vsed in winter for a
salad herbe, with vinegar, oyle, and salt, and is not onely pleasant to the
taste, but also delightfull to the eye.
The greater red Beet or Roman Beet, boyled and eaten with oyle, vineger and
pepper, is a most excellent and delicate sallad: but what might be made of
the red and beautifull root (which is to be preferred before the leaues, as
well in beauty as in goodnesse) I refer vnto the curious and cunning cooke,
who no doubt when he hath had the view thereof, and is assured that it is
both good and wholesome, will make thereof many and diuers dishes, both
faire and good."
His illustration of the Red Roman Beet shows a plant with a skinny taproot.
That bit about "who no doubt when he hath had the view thereof, and is
assured that it is both good and wholesome, will make thereof many and
diuers dishes, both faire and good" suggests that the red beet was not well
known in England at that time.
Waverly Root, in his book "Food", p. 30, says that early Romans ate only
the greens, but by the beginning of the Christian era they were eating the
leaves & roots. He says root beet appears in Charlemagne's garden list, but
that the root beet had to be re-introduced into Renaissance France.
Parkinson, "Paradisi in Sole...", p. 490, says "The great red Beete that
Master Lete a Merchant of London gaue vnto Master Gerard, as he setteth it
downe in his Herball, seemeth to bee the red kind of the last remembred
Beete [Red Roman Beet], whose great ribbes as he saith, are as great as the
middle ribbe of the Cabbage leafe, and as good to bee eaten, whose stalke
rose with him to the height of eight cubits, and bore plenty of seede...
The roote of the common red Beete with some, but more especially the Romane
red Beete, is of much vse among Cookes to trimme or set out their dishes of
meate, being cut out into diuers formes and fashions, and is grown of late
dayes into a great custome of seruice, both for fish and flesh.
The rootes of the Romane red Beete being boyled, are eaten of diuers while
they are hot with a little oyle and vinegar, and is accounted a delicate
sallet for the winter; and being cold they are so vsed and eaten likewise."
(Note: The beet grown in Gerard's garden must have caused quite a
sensation at the time. 8 cubits tall! What's the tallest beet you've ever
grown?)
<snip> is borscht appropriate for 12th c ireland?
<snip>
>===
> Conchobar Mac Muirchertaig
Based on the above, my guess is 'no'.
Cindy Renfrow/Sincgiefu
renfrow at skylands.net
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 17:15:16 EDT
From: melc2newton at juno.com
Subject: Re: SC - beets & cabbage
Here is the Ukrainian Borsch I used at my Russian inn last winter (no, it
has no documentation to it, sorry :(
Pisnyi Borsch
2 lbs. beets
1 carrot
1 parsnip
1 turnip
2 celery ribs
2 medium onions
1 bay leaf
3-4 peppercorns
3 dried boletus or 1\2 chopped mushrooms
Liquid from mushrooms (optional)
1 teaspoon sour salt
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper or to taste
2 teaspoons fresh chopped dill
Soak boletus overnight. Cook in a little water until tender. Cool,
reserve liquid, and chop fine. Scrub beets and cut into quarters. Cover
with water and cook over low heat until tender, about 1 to 2 hours. Cool,
pour off and reserve liquid. Slip off peels. This may be done a day in
advance. Peel and cut up the other vegetables, Add bay leaf, peppercorns,
and mushrooms to vegetables, with enough water to cover and cook in a
large non-aluminum pot over low heat until tender. Strain beets liquid
into vegetables. Shred beets in a processor or on a medium frater, and
add.Simmer for ten minutes, and strain into a large pot. To keep broth
clear, do not press vegetables. Add sour salt , mushroom liquid, pepper
and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then turn heat on low. Taste, the
flavor should be tart mellow, and full. For more tartness, add fresh
lemon juice or sour salt. Keeps well in refrigerator. Reheat gently; do
not overcook, or the color will turn brown.
To serve pour over 3-4 small potato dumpling (to which if you want the
recipe, I'll dig the book out of the public library) in soup plates, and
garnish with chopped dill.
The reason I didn't copy the dumpling recipe is that I was going to serve
it in cups so people could walk around without spilling any.
It may be more complicated than the other recipes you've gotten, but the
taste is unbelievably good!
Beatrix
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 10:30:19 -0800
From: david friedman <ddfr at best.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Spinach Tarte from Menagier-Recipe to follow later
At 11:25 AM -0400 9/11/98, Nick Sasso wrote:
>I do apologize for sucha 'spoon-teaseism'. I will, with much haste post
>said recipe for all. I am at work, and may not have access until later in
>the weekend, but it will be pposted in its original and redacted entirety.
While you're waiting, here's our redaction (and the original) from the
Miscellany:
- --
Spinach Tart
Goodman p. 278/23 -"A Tart" (GOOD)
To make a tart, take four handfuls of beet leaves, two handfuls of parsley,
a handful of chervil, a sprig of fennel and two handful of spinach, and
pick them over and wash them in cold water, then cut them up very small;
then bray with two sorts of cheese, to wit a hard and a medium, and then
add eggs thereto, yolks and whites, and bray them in the cheese; then put
the herbs into the mortar and bray all together and also put therein some
fine powder. Or instead of this have ready brayed in the mortar two heads
of ginger and onto this bray your cheese, eggs and herbs and then cast old
cheese scraped or grated onto the herbs and take it to the oven and then
have your tart made and eat it hot.
1/3 lb spinach and/or beet greens, chopped 2 T dried or 1/4 c fresh
chervil 1/2 t ginger
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped 5 eggs 1/2 t salt
1 or 2 leaves fresh fennel, or 6 oz mozzarella cheese 9" pie crust
1 t fennel seed, ground in a mortar 6 oz cheddar
Chop or grate greens and cheese and mix filling in a bowl. Make pie crust
and bake at 400¡ for about 10 minutes. Put filling in crust and bake about
40 minutes at 350¡. We usually substitute spinach for beet leaves, dried
chervil for fresh, and fennel seed for fresh fennel leaves because of
availability.
David/Cariadoc
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 14:27:57 +0000
From: Erin Kenny <Erin.Kenny at sofkin.ca>
Subject: Re: SC - Spinach Tarte from Menagier-
Cariadoc wrote:
> While you're waiting, here's our redaction (and the original) from the
> Miscellany:
> --
> Spinach Tart
> Goodman p. 278/23 -"A Tart" (GOOD)
<snip>
> We usually substitute spinach for beet leaves, dried
> chervil for fresh, and fennel seed for fresh fennel leaves because of
> availability.
GO FOR THE BEET GREENS!!! (not a criticism -- I understand the
difficulties in procuring them) Beet greens have a much milder
flavour than spinach, and usually you can get them for a song at a
market (I have yet to pay for any of mine -- the farmers just ask if
I have any rabbits and then scratch their heads).
Claricia
not a great spinach fan
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 21:58:55 EDT
From: LrdRas at aol.com
Subject: SC - Beets- A recipe
Erin.Kenny at sofkin.ca writes:
<< GO FOR THE BEET GREENS!!! (not a criticism -- I understand the
difficulties in procuring them) Beet greens have a much milder
flavor than spinach, >>
Agreed. However, I use Swiss chard in this recipe. Swiss chard has the same
scientific name as beets and is in fact a bulbless beet. Swiss chard is
readily available at most supermarkets year around. It is easily grown in the
home garden. The stalks can be used in any recipe that calls for asparagus.
It also has the amazing property of not going all mushy when you can it.
(<sigh> 15 quarts today and twice that many to can on Sunday)!
Since there is some confusion about the exact time beets with bulbs were
introduced in period, I almost always use Swiss chard when redacting most of
the beet recipes from period cookery manuals. They are one of my favorite
foods. :-)
Betes (A Recipe for Swiss Chard)
(Period-like)
Copyright L. J. Spencer, Jr.
2 pounds Swiss Chard
1/2 cup liquid (your choice of water, beef or chicken broth)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cubebs
A pinch of ground ginger
2 strips bacon, fried crisp
Red wine, Cider or balsamic vinegar
Cut stalks of chard into 1 inch pieces. Slice chard leaves into 1 inch wide
strips crosswise.
Bring liquid to a boil in a medium saucepan. Drop Swiss chard stalks and
leaves into boiling liquid. Add salt, sugar, cubebs and ginger. Cover.
Reduce heat to a simmer. Continue cooking for 15 mins. Remove from heat and
drain.
Place chard on a serving dish. Sprinkle with bacon then sprinkle a small
amount of vinegar over the top. Serves 4.
Ras
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 13:08:02 -0800
From: david friedman <ddfr at best.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Spinach Tarte from Menagier-
Cariadoc sent our version of Menagier's spinach and other greens tart,
including the comment:
>> We usually substitute spinach for beet leaves, dried
>> chervil for fresh, and fennel seed for fresh fennel leaves because of
>> availability.
and Claricia/Erin Kenny wrote:
>GO FOR THE BEET GREENS!!! (not a criticism -- I understand the
>difficulties in procuring them) Beet greens have a much milder
>flavour than spinach, and usually you can get them for a song at a
>market (I have yet to pay for any of mine -- the farmers just ask if
>I have any rabbits and then scratch their heads).
We have done it with the mixture of beet greens, spinach and other herbs
called for in the original; by the time you have all the other greens,
seasonings, and the cheese in there, it doesn't make a large difference in
taste whether you have just spinach or both spinach and beet greens. Part
of the reason we use spinach as a substitute is that Menagier considers
spinach to be one sort of beet greens.
Elizabeth/Betty Cook
From: <LrdRas at aol.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: beets and sugar...
niadro at yahoo.com writes:
<< Can anyone familiar with these roots confirm or go
into detail what to look for in a beet? I'm deprived
of practical information....maybe because I've lived
in the central-midwest US all my life. >>
The beet you described is ideal. Young, with leaves that are fresh and
turgid with little wilting.
This advice is also good for any vegetable whether it be beets, carrots,
parsnips, peas or anyother sort. Buy then as young as possible. Young
vegetables contain more sugars than older ones and freshly harvested more
than those even a couple of hours old.
If you cannot get fresh and young, the addition of 1 scant tsp of sugar to
every 2 cups of vegetable at the beginning of the cooking process will
'freshen' them somewhat. This holds true for most foods that can't be cooked
immediately after purchase/harvest. We have evidence of this practise
throughout the the corpus of medieval recipes where sugar is a common
ingredient. When we think 'sugar' in the current middle ages, we seem to
think 'sweet' rather than 'mellow'. This is a mistake, IMO. If sugar is used
in spice quantites rather than dessert quantities if becomes a wonderful
flavor enhancer easily on a par with MSG or any of the other equally
obnoxious modern ingredients used for that purpose.
Many people who redact recipes automatically dump masses of sugar into any
period recipe that calls for it. This is an error. Think of sugar like we now
think of salt and pepper and your period recipes will then take on more depth
and become automatically tastier. :-)
Ras
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 1999 08:17:20 EDT
From: <LrdRas at aol.com>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: beets
jkrissw at earthling.net writes:
<< Must be one of those
different-sides-of-the-Atlantic things. :-) Are those given to animals
over there, or are we talking about two different plants? >>
The term beetroot is generically applied to any bulbous like root of the Beta
sp. It is specifically used in the cattle industry to mean the root of the
sugar beet and is most often marketed as 'beet pulp' (e.g. by product of
sugar production) in the Northeast USA. Sugar beets were known and grown in
the middle ages and only used for animal feed. Red beets were also known and
grown but the root was long and rather small so the tops would not have been
discarded. The nice round red beets we are familiar with were not created
until very , very late in period (or possibly the Italian Renaissance). Swiss
chard and red beets were not differentiated in any period beet recipes that I
have seen and work better with tops than bottoms. You can buy seed that
produces cylindrical beets but for the space, Swiss Chard would be a better
choice.
Ras
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 1999 20:58:23 -0700
From: "Tracy Ryan" <caireach at idmail.com>
To: <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Re: beets
Beets (tops and roots) are used in many traditional recipes in Eastern
Europe. I can place the use of beet in dishes around the 14th century
there. Ukrainian/Slavic cookbooks like to give the history of their
traditional dishes. I've even discovered, in a Russian cookbook, that
cheesecake is period.
Caireach
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1999 09:19:39 EDT
From: WOLFMOMSCA at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - Period Beet Recipes (was: summer feast)
>From the Good Huswives Handmaid, 1588
How to make Lumbardy Tarts
Take beets, chop them small, and to them put grated bread and cheese, and
mingle them wel in the chopping. Take a few corrans, and a dishe of sweet
butter, and melt it. Then stir al these in the butter, together with three
yolkes of egges, sinamon, ginger, and sugar, and make your tart as large as
you will, and fill it with the stuffe, bake it, and serve it in.
I tried this once with canned beets and it was, well, not so good. There was
a bitter after taste from the canned beets. I haven't got around to trying
it with fresh beets, but it might taste better with them. Good luck.
Wolfmother
Date: Sun, 17 Oct 1999 18:19:50 -0400
From: renfrow at skylands.net (Cindy Renfrow)
Subject: Re: SC - Period Beet Recipes (was: summer feast)
From Robert May, The Accomplisht Cook, or the Art and Mystery of Cookery.
Printed by N. Brooke for T. Archer, 1660:
A Grand Sallet of Beets, Currants and Greens
Take the youngest and smallest leaves of spinage, the smallest also of
sorrel, well washed currans, and red beets round the center being finely
carved, oyl and vinegar, and the dish garnished with lemon and beets.
Cindy Renfrow/Sincgiefu
cindy at thousandeggs.com
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 08:41:11 -0400
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Period Beet Recipes (was: summer feast)
LrdRas at aol.com wrote:
> stefan at texas.net writes:
> << Is there any particular reason you think this is to be done with beet roots
> instead of beet leaves? >>
>
> This is the same question I asked myself. So off to the kitchen I went. The
> resulting product is definitely more tasty using greens instead of beetroot.
> This doesn't mean that greens were used but it does mean that my version of
> this recipe will specify the greens. :-)
>
> Ras
The 15th-century Rouen Tacuinum has an illustration for "bletes" or
beets, showing a lady cutting the greens off close to the ground and
gathering them in a basket. This may not have been universal practice,
but it at least indicates pretty clearly that it was done.
Adamantius
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 09:12:23 EDT
From: WOLFMOMSCA at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - Period Beet Recipes (was: summer feast)
stefan at texas.net writes:
<< Is there any particular reason you think this is to be done with beet roots
instead of beet leaves? This sounds very much like some of the tarts I think
I've seen that were done with various herbs.
>>
Actually, there are a couple of reasons I think this is done with the root,
not the greenery. It's really late period, for one. If it was from an
earlier period, say 15th, as opposed to 16th century, then it would fit with
the greenery tart theory. But by Elizabethan times, folks were using the
root as well. Another reason comes from Gerard. Gerard's Herbal, admittedly
published in 1597, but obviously a work which did not spring full-blown from
John Gerard's forehead in that year, mentions the root part of the red beet
as being both good and wholesome, and left it up to "cunning" cooks to devise
"many and divers dishes". He states the "red and beautifull root (which is
preferred before the leaves, as well in beautie as in goodnesses). The Roman
beet is different from the white & green beets previously grown as potherbs.
Having made up some of these, the visual effect is actually quite stunning.
It makes a pretty tart. Fresh beets are a winter crop here in Florida, so
I'll grab some fresh ones later in the season and try it again. The dish is
actually a bit on the sweet side, and the bitter back-bite of the canned
beets was more than I liked. Others may find the startling change of taste
from the front of the mouth to the back very piquant and pleasing, but I
didn't. It's probably just my own taste biases which made this less than
appealing as a feast food for me, but it is quite in keeping with Elizabethan
tastes for opposing tastes in the same dish.
Wolfmother
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 09:53:36 -0400
From: renfrow at skylands.net (Cindy Renfrow)
Subject: Re: SC - Period Beet Recipes (was: summer feast)
Actually, what Gerard said was:
"Beta alba. White Beets.
...the white Beete is a cold and moist pot-herbe...Being eaten when it is
boyled, it quickly descendeth... especially being taken
with the broth wherein it is sodden...
Beta rubra, Beta rubra Romana. Red Beets, Red Roman Beets...
...The great and beautiful Beet last described may be vsed in winter for a
salad herbe, with vinegar, oyle, and salt, and is not
onely pleasant to the taste, but also delightfull to the eye.
The greater red Beet or Roman Beet, boyled and eaten with oyle, vineger and
pepper, is a most excellent and delicate sallad: but
what might be made of the red and beautifull root (which is to be preferred
before the leaues, as well in beauty as in goodnesse)
I refer vnto the curious and cunning cooke, who no doubt when he hath had
the view thereof, and is assured that it is both good
and wholesome, will make thereof many and diuers dishes, both faire and good."
In other words, in England, they were well acquainted with using the beet
greens as pot herbs or salad, but the variety with the big red root was
fairly new, & not yet well known by cooks. Hence the need to assure them
that it is good & wholesome to eat. By the time Robert May wrote his CB,
the red beet root had been accepted.
Cindy Renfrow/Sincgiefu
cindy at thousandeggs.com
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 10:05:20 -0500
From: "Decker, Terry D." <TerryD at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: RE: SC - Period Beet Recipes (was: summer feast)
> hey all from Anne-Marie
> isnt there a German medieval recipe for beets ("ein condimente" comes to
> mind)?
George Fugger's recipe for smoked tongue found in Sabina Welserin uses red
beet root as part of the pickling process, before smoking the tongue. So it
wouldn't surprise me to find it used in other late German recipes.
Bear
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 17:15:07 -0700 (PDT)
From: Huette von Ahrens <ahrenshav at yahoo.com>
Subject: SC - Period Beet Recipe & period quote about beets
- --- LrdRas at aol.com wrote:
> stefan at texas.net writes:
> << Is there any particular reason you think this is
> to be done with beet roots instead of beet leaves? >>
>
> This is the same question I asked myself. So off to the kitchen I went. The
> resulting product is definitely more tasty using greens instead of beetroot.
> This doesn't mean that greens were used but it does mean that my version of
> this recipe will specify the greens. :-)
>
> Ras
However, here is Madge Lorwin's version of this
recipe, from Dining With William Shakespeare, pg.
238-239.
I have made this recipe many times and have had lots
of good comments from both SCA friends and from my
mundane family.
1 lb. fresh yound beets
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. grated bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated mild Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup currants, parboiled
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
3 egg yolks
4 tbsp. butter melted.
Peel the beets--this is best done with a potato
peeler--and grate them into a mixing bowl. Add the
sugar and stir until it melts. Mix in the bread
crumbs, grated cheese, currants, spices, and egg
yolks. Then stir in melted butter. [Using your
favorite pie crust recipe] spread the filling evenly
[over bottom pie crust] and cover it with the top
crust. Seal the edges with the tines of a wet fork
and trim off the surplus pastry. Punch fork holes in
the crust and brush it with egg white. Bake at 450
degrees for twenty min., then lower the heat to 350
degrees and bake 25 min. longer. Serve slightly warm.
I eliminated the pastry recipe, due to time
constraints.
Ms. Lorwin goes on to quote John Gerard in his
"Herball" [1597] which talks about eating both the
greens and the beet root. However, John Gerard says
this, "But what might be made of the red and beautiful
root (which is prefered before the leaves, as well in
beautie as in goodnesse) I refer unto the curious and
cunning cooke, who no doubt when hee had the view
there, and is assured that it is both good and
wholesome, will make thereof many and divers dishes,
both faire and good." This, to my mind, kind of tells
me, as it did to Ms. Lorwin, that the beet root was
prefered.
Huette
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 06:18:05 -0700
From: varmstro at zipcon.net (Valoise Armstrong)
Subject: Re: SC - Period Beet Recipes (was: summer feast)
>hey all from Anne-Marie
>isnt there a German medieval recipe for beets ("ein condimente" comes to
>mind)?
>
>Oh, German Girl, are you listening? :)
Well, here's one German Girl replying for another <g>. Gwen-Kat has her
translation and redaction from Rumpolt for pickled beets on her web page.
Here it is.
Valoise
*******
From Marx Rumpolt, Ein New Kochbuch, the chapter on accompaniments to
fried meat
3.Rote Ruben eyngemacht mit klein geschnittenen Merrettich/ Aniss/
Coriander/ und ein wenig Kuemel/ sonderlich wenn die Ruben geschnitten/
gesotten mit halb Wein und halb Essig.
My translation:
Red beets preserved with small cut horseradish/ anise/ coriander/ and a
little caraway/ special if the beets are cut/ marinated in half wine and
half vinegar.
My version:
3 cans (16 oz) small whole beets, cut into chunks
1 cup wine
1 cup vinegar
1 1/2' long piece of fresh horseradish root, peeled and cut into slivers
1/2 t anise seed
1 t coriander seed
1/2 t caraway seed
Combine all ingredients except beets in a pot. Bring to a boil, simmer 5
minutes, add the beets and heat through. Place in jar or crock and let
mellow for at least 24 hours. The vinegar will preserve your beets; in
period they would have been stored in the cellar. In modern times I
would suggest the fridge or canning in a sterilized container.
Comments:
I used canned beets for the convenience and lower cost. This recipe was
very well received, it will become part of my regular repertoire.
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 13:42:47 EDT
From: ChannonM at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - Period Beet Recipes (was: summer feast)
varmstro at zipcon.net writes:
<< In modern times I
would suggest the fridge or canning in a sterilized container. >>
This is an excellent example of a "cannable" recipe. Start with fresh beets,
boil in water until the skin begins to peel back a little. You can test this
by taking one out (use a hotmit ) and just rub the beet with your thumb, if
it's ready the skin will just give way. Cut off the hard stem bump and if
small enough just set it aside if the beets are larger than 2" I suggest
quatering them or slicing even (up to cook, but be careful not to overdo the
step with the liquid and spices, you may have beet mush if the pieces are too
small). Make your liquid ingredient, add beets to it bring to a boil. Spoon
beets into sterilized jars, pour juice over and seal. The seals will pop down
to show the escape of air and the seal being complete, often this is a loud
pop and has been known to scare people who weren't expecting it, sometimes
you don't even notice. Always use sterilized lids and new seals. They will
most likely keep 2 years. If any colour changes occur, any mold, if the seal
pops or is not flat discard the contents in the garbage, do not throw into
the toilet or down the sink. I have chosen to toss the whole jar as a
precaution. I was taught by my grandmother to dig up a section of your back
yard to dispose of "bad" can's but feel this may jeopardize animals or ground
water.
Hauviette
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 14:18:18 -0400
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Period Beet Recipe & period quote about beets
Huette von Ahrens wrote:
> --- LrdRas at aol.com wrote:
> > ahrenshav at yahoo.com writes:
> > << This, to my mind, kind of tells me, as it did to Ms. Lorwin, that the
> > beet root was prefered.
> >
> > Huette >>
> >
> > Possibly. It merely tells me that Gerard himself was partial to beetroots.
I'm with Ras on this one. Lorwin quotes Gerard as saying (caps are mine,
for emphasis), "But what might be made of the red and beautiful root
(which is to be preferred before the leaves, as well in beautie as in
goodnesse) I refer unto the CURIOUS and cunning cooke, WHO NO DOUBT WHEN
HE HAD THE VIEW THERE, AND IS ASSURED THAT IT IS BOTH GOOD AND
WHOLESOME, will make thereof many and divers dishes, both faire and
good." This kind of phrasing is right out of Schwabe's "Unmentionable
Cuisine": through education and an open mind, people all over the world
will begin to understand and fully utilize the delectable culinary
possibilities of the garden slug. Or whatever. The implication seems to
be that Gerard knows they're good, and is waiting for the adventurous
and skilled cooks of the world to catch up to him. They seem,
eventually, to have done so, but _perhaps_ not until after 1589.
Adamantius
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 12:36:46 EDT
From: ChannonM at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - Period Beet Recipes (was: summer feast)
WOLFMOMSCA at aol.com writes:
<< bitter back-bite of the canned beets >>
I find this is true using beets canned in aluminum. If you can get your hands
on glass canned beets you might have a winner. Or you could can them yourself
and have them at other times of the year! :)
Hauviette
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 14:39:47 -0400
From: "Nick Sasso" <njs at mccalla.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Period Beet Recipes (was: summer feast)
In a message dated 10/19/99, Hauviette writes:
<<<SNIP>>> The seals will pop down to show the escape of air and the seal being complete, often this is a loud pop and has been known to scare people who weren't expecting it, sometimes you don't even notice. Always use sterilized lids and new seals. They will most likely keep 2 years. If any colour changes occur, any mold, if the seal pops or is not flat discard the contents in the garbage, do not throw into the toilet or down the sink. I have chosen to toss the whole jar as a precaution. I was taught by my grandmother to dig up a section of your back yard to dispose of "bad" can's but feel this may jeopardize animals or ground water.
Greetings and many thanks for sharing the beet preservation techniques here. I just wanted to add two things for your and anyone else's use:
1) The pop is from the hot air cooling and contracting, creating a vacuum to pull the dome lid down. If air ran in, it would add spoiling agents to the yummies inside. The 'whoosh' you here when you open the canned food is the rush of air inside to fill the now vacuum sealed jar.
2) I'm thinking that spoiled food put in the yard will not harm water and our fauna so much as you might first think. 'Food' rots all the time in the environs and makes nutrients for other species like muchrooms and plants 9agter becoming humous. . not hummus). Also, those bacteria harmful to our digestiuve tract are not always so to other critters who may happen upon your discarded stash. Dump the food and let nature take it's course as long as you are using ingredients relatively close to their original state, e.g. no preservative chemicals or things like dioxins.
niccolo difrancesco
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 19:36:24 EDT
From: ChannonM at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - summer feast
I'm sorry that I missed this email, I don't know how but I skipped it. The
recipe is for beet roots and it originates from Apicius. Here is some
background and the recipe;
The recipe I chose to create is based on two recipes from Apicius: this is
from Flower's & Rosenbaums edition.
Book III Section II-4
Beetroot, another method, from Varro. Varro writes:Ó Take beetroot, rub clean
and cook in mulsum with a little salt and oil, or boil in water and oil with
salt; make a broth, and drink it. It is even better if a chicken has been
cooked in it first.Ó
and
Section XI-2
Boiled beets, another method- They are good served with a dressing of
mustard, al little oil and vinegar.
I chose to preserve the beets using a modern pickling method in order to take
advantage of the early preparation and availability of fresh beets at a good
price. To make the recipe without canning, simply leave out the last step.
Some variation was used in the recipe presented, for example ; honey was
used in place of mulsum in the preserving process. Honey is one of the chief
ingredients in mulsum according to Flower & Rosenbaum.
Adapted Recipe
My recipe is based on the ingredients of the Apicius recipes and the pickling
recipes that my grandmother used.
1 * lbs fresh beets
1 * cups white vinegar
* cup water
* cup honey
1 TB mustard seed
Boil the beets until the skins begin to fall off. Rinse and remove skins.
Chop into quarters or leave whole if small enough.
Combine remaining ingredients and boil for 5 minutes. Add beets and heat
through. In prepared canning jars spoon beets to shoulder of the jar, pour
over juice to within * inch of lip and seal.
Makes 2-3 pints
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 19:36:22 EDT
From: ChannonM at aol.com
Subject: SC - canning beets
"If any colour changes occur, any mold, if the seal pops or is not flat
discard the contents in the garbage"
clarification:IF THE SEAL POPS UP, it indicates air going in and that's not
good. If this happens prior to opening the jar, then I would discard it.
Hauviette
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 17:18:30 -0700
From: varmstro at zipcon.net (Valoise Armstrong)
Subject: Re: SC - Period Beet Recipes (was: summer feast)
A couple of months ago I found a copy of Hildegard von Bingen's Naturkunde
translated into modern German by Peter Riethe. He doesn't give the
original, only his translations of her natural history work. I checked to
see of there was an entry for beets and this is what I found (English
translation is mine):
De Ruba. Die Wei§e RŸbe ist mehr als kalt, liegt zwar etwas schwer im
Magen, ist aber leicht verdaulich. Vor dem Genusse werde sie geschŠlt; roh
ist sie weniger zutrŠglich als gekocht.
De Ruba. The white Beet is more than cold, lays somewhat hard in the
stomach; it is however easy to digest. Before consumption it should be
peeled; raw is less beneficial than cooked.
This is 12th century stuff here. Until I read this I was convinced that
until very late in period the leaves and not the roots were what was eaten.
But peeling before eating sort of implies using the roots.
Valoise
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1999 09:28:05 -0400
From: "Nick Sasso" <njs at mccalla.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Period Beet Recipes (was: summer feast)
Remember that Hildegart was somewhat of a fringist in her time. Her practices were, by no means, universally accepted, though not exactly banished by the Church either. Her practices of singing sacred music, herbal/natural healing, reading gospels alound in public and some Sophiaistic teachings were all rather radical at the time. . . if not borderline 'heretical' or pagan. I suggest that her description of beets as foodstuff would not imply that beets were commonly eaten, but that they could be eaten in some fashion . . . similar to Master Adamantius' assertion about Gerard on beets in the herbal.
Even that fact that a woman wrote about health (or anything for that matter) in the 12th century is radical and inspiring to women today.
niccolo difrancesco
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 08:03:15 -0600 (MDT)
From: grasse at mscd.edu (Martina Grasse)
Subject: SC - Digest 1696
Sorry, have been on digest, and the last missive I sent never posted. I
have webbed a pickled beet root recipe from Rumpolt. (the transliteration
may not be totaly up to snuff (I have learned some things since writing
this, but have not had the time to update and insert the characters I have
been taught.) but the translation is accurate.
The pickled beets are quite good, and yes I really did use that much
horseradish... it adds a nice zip to things.
http://clem.mscd.edu/~grasse/GK_ASsp99_beet.htm
Gwen Catrin von Berlin
Caerthe
Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1999 02:51:38 +0100
From: Thomas Gloning <Thomas.Gloning at germanistik.uni-giessen.de>
Subject: SC - period beet recipes (?)
I am not a native speaker of English, so translating and identifying
plant names is quite dangerous for me. Anyway: Here are two recipes from
the "Rheinfraenkisches Kochbuch" (about 1445), that might have something
to do with beets. Both the leaves and the roots are used here. This in a
somewhat simplified transcription:
||30|| Wiltu einen behenden guden kappus machen so grab mangolt usz mit
den worczelen vnd wesche daz gar suberlich vnde sude isz •n gesalczem
wasser in eime kessel bisz daz isz genuch sij So czuge isz usz vnd lege
isz von ein ander uff ein schone bret adir duch vnd lasz isz wol kalten
So du yme die ubirhut abe vnd lege isz dan in eine geschiere vnd du
senff eszig honig vnd saffran darczu so hastu einen guden kappusz
||31|| den selben kappus magistu auch machen mit suszem puluer vnd vigen
da in sieden vnd win eszig vnd winber vnd mandelkerne dar uff strauwen
vnd du magist auch mispelen beren vnd allerhande dar in dune beide ruben
snydde vnd kappusz
***
Lady Allison Poinvillars de Tours/Lyn Parkinson sent me an English
translation of these two recipes several weeks ago.
Cheers,
Thomas
Date: Thu, 18 Nov 1999 22:04:07 MST
To: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" <rsve60 at email.sps.mot.com>
From: LYN M PARKINSON <allilyn at juno.com>
Subject: Re: Thomas' beets
30. Willst du ein wohlschmeckendes und gutes Kraut zubereiten, dann
grabe Mangold samt den Wurzeln aus und reinige alles sauber, siede es in
gesalzenem Wasser in einem Kessel, bis es genug gekocht hat. Dann ziehe
die einzelnen Blätter heraus und lege sie gesondert auf ein sauberes
Brett oder Tuch und la? es völlig erkalten. Entferne ihm dann die
äu?eren Blätter und lege is dann in eine Schüssel. Mache es mit Senf,
Essig, Honig und Safran an, dann wird es ein wohlschmeckendes Kraut.
If you wish to prepare a savory and good cabbage, then dig beets together
with the roots and wash all clean, simmer it in salted water in a kettle,
until it is cooked enough. Then take the individual leaves out and lay
them separately on a clean board or cloth and let them cool completely.
Remove from it the outer leaves and lay it then in a bowl. Make it with
mustard, vinegar, honey and saffron, then it is a savory cabbage.
31. Dasselbe Kraut kannst du auch zubereiten, indem du es mit sü?em
Gewürzpulver und Feigen im Kochwasser siedest. Gib danach Weinessig
hinzu und streue Rosinen und Mandelkerne darüber. Du kannst auch
Mispeln, Birnen und allerlei andere Zutaten mit hinein tun und nicht nur
das Mangold-Kraut, sondern auch Schnitze von der Runkelrübe verwenden
(von welcher Mangold der Blatt-Teil ist).
The same cabbage you can also prepare, when you cook it with sweet herb
powder and figs in simmering water. Add wine vinegar to it and strew
raisins and almond kernels over it. You can also use medlars, pears, and
all other similar ingredients with it and not only the beet greens,
separate also slices of the beet root (from which beet the leaf is).
In number 30, I believe only the beet leaves are used, whereas both root
and leaf are used in #31.
Allison
allilyn at juno.com, Barony Marche of the Debatable Lands, Pittsburgh, PA
Kingdom of Aethelmearc
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1999 03:52:14 GMT
From: kerric at pobox.alaska.net (Kerri Canepa)
Subject: Re: SC - Period Beet Recipes (was: summer feast)
>The only recipe I've seen with beets (and even then it isn't clear if the root
>or the leaves are used) is Hare in Wortys where the beets are part of the
>sauce.
And now that I've taken a closer look at it, I've changed my mind. I think the
greens were used in the sauce as everything else in it includes greens and other
plant matter. Worts, after all, do mean greens.
Drat. I think I'm going to have to use a modern recipe (grit teeth) that simply
prepares the beets. A modern Burgundian beet salad is just roasted, diced beets,
wine vinegar, olive oil, and a bit of sugar. Mix the last three ingredients
together, pour over the warm beets, and let marinate for an hour or so. Can't
get much easier than that.
Kerri
Cedrin Etainnighean, OL
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1999 11:09:29 +0100From: Christina Nevin <cnevin at caci.co.uk>Subject: RE: SC - Another Chard Name The answer to the Latin name question from my father (Mr Green Thumb himself- - a trait I unfortunately didn't inherit);===================================Dear TinaSurely you knew that no matter what the colour of the stems of Silver Beet(Swiss Chard) its real name is :--Beta Vulgaris var CiclaBeet root on the other hand is :--Beta Vulgaris.5930 BEET - (RED STEMS) (Bie) [A]Beta vulgaris var cicla 1.2.3.Rhubarb Chard, Swiss Chard, or Silver Beet, is a member of the beet family andwithstands heat and droughts better than most other greens,The leaves are rich in vitamins and can be served raw, boiled or steamed.The leaf stems can be cut into Lengths and used as a substitute forAsparagus and also for Celery.Harvest by using the outer leaves and it will continue to produce.Adds some much needed colour to the vegetable patch, or is even worthyof a place in the flower garden. Approximately 55 days to maturity.5945 BEET - BRIGHT LIGHTS (Bie) [B]Beta vulgaris var cicla 1.2.3.Bright Lights, a vibrant new Swiss Chard - 1998 All American Winner.Distinguished by stems of many different colours, it is dazzlinglyattractive in all stages of growth.Vigorous and widely adopted, "Bright Lights" will be the star in any garden.The stems vary greatly in colour, the main colours are yellow gold, pinkand crimson with secondary colours including pink and white stripped,orange, scarlet, purple, white and green with intermediate pastels.Each colour is present in subtle variation.Maturity in 3-5 weeks, for young salad greens, 7-10 weeks for mature sizeplants.Note we suggest brief cooking, since the colour fades with lengthy cooking.Beginning in 1977 with the parent plants, a red one and a yellow one andafter crossing these to the standard green and white 5946 BEET - FIVE COLOUR MIX (Bie) [B]Beta vulgaris var cicla 1.2.3.An Australian developed mix of coloured Silver Beet or Chard in amixture of many colour variations from the basic red, yellow, orange,cream or white.Next you will want to know how to cook it. Try it sprinkled with celeryseeds===================================(paternal joke - I don't much care for silverbeet, but absolutely loathecelery)Al Vostro e al Servizio del SognoLucretzia++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Lady Lucrezia-Isabella di Freccia | mka Tina NevinThamesreach Shire, The Isles, Drachenwald | London, UK
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1999 10:18:34 -0000
From: "=?iso-8859-1?Q?Nanna_R=F6gnvaldard=F3ttir?=" <nannar at isholf.is>
Subject: Re: SC - Nanna's Danish Cookbook
Huette wrote:
> If you
>have any information about the eating of beetroots
>during period, whether or not they were eaten, I
>would love to see what you have. Thanks.
Here is the recipe from the Koge Bog, with my translation.
R¿de Beder at indsalte. F¿rst skal leggis i en Brendevijnspande 2.
Tegelsteene paa Kanten / der paa lagt nogle stycker Tr¾ / oc siden gufuis
vand paa / dog saa at det icke naer tr¾erne: Offuen paa samme tr¾er skulle
Bederne leggis / oc siden Hielmen paas¾t. Leg der under en god ild / saa
bederne aff jemen kunde kogis / dog icke forbl¿de. Naar de saa er s¿dne /
reengiorde oc kolde / skulle de sk¾ris vdi t¿nde skiffuer / der til Peberrod
vdi smaa stycker (som hacket speck) oc skal aff forn¾ffnde skaarne Beder
f¿rst et law vdi en ny glasseret Potte nedleggis: Derpaa str¿es aff samme
Peberrod / Danske Kommen / smaa st¿tte Peber /oc ringe salt: Siden leggis
huert andet law Beder / oc huert andet forn¾ffnde Vrter str¿es der offuer.
Siden giffues offuer god ¯ledicke / eller helten ¯ledicke / oc helten
Vijnedicke / saa megit Bedin kand bet¾cke. Siden leggis et Log offuer med et
reent tyngsel / oc offuerbindis med et reent Kl¾de /oc hens¾ttis paa en
bequemme sted.Nogle faa Dage der effter kunde de brugis: Dog r¿r icke der i
met bare Fingre.
How to pickle beetrots. First take a distilling pan an place two bricks in
it. Then arrange some wooden sticks on top of them and add water to the pan,
but not so much that it reaches the sticks. Arrange the beetrots on top of
the sticks and place the lid on top of the pan. Put on a good fire so the
beetrots will be cooked in the steam, but without bleeding. When they are
cooked, cleaned and cold, they should be cut into thin slices, and some
horseradish should be cut into small pieces (as when lardons are chopped
up). Take an new glazed jar and first place a layer of the aforementioned
sliced beetrots in it; then sprinkle some horseradish, caraway, finely
crushed pepper and a small amount of salt over this. Add more layers of
beetrots and the aforementioned spices. Then good ale vinegar is poured
over, or half ale vinegar, half wine vinegar, as much as needed to cover the
beetrots. Then place a lid with a clean weight on top on the jar, tie a
clean cloth over it and store in a convenient place. The beetrots can be
used in a few days; but do not stir them with bare fingers.
Nanna
Date: Sat, 23 Oct 1999 07:52:11 EDT
From: ChannonM at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - Nanna's Danish Cookbook-beets again? :)
We had this discussion on the Apicius list, here are some exerpts, I
apologize ahead for posting info from another list, but I thought this would
be helpful. I posted my Roman beet recipe a while back, the Rosenbaum
translation indicates roots used (yes this is at the latest 4thC but it is in
period)
Discussion;
Q> For all of those who have used beets, which part of the vegetable do you
> use. The book where I was able to find the original Latin and direct
> translation along with the adaptation recipe suggested that maybe the
> 'greens' were the main part used. Any ideas?
A>>Anthimus (writing a bit later, in the 6th century, but fairly clearly in
the same culinary tradition) includes beets in a list with mallows and
leeks as "suitable both in summer and winter". The winter use strongly
suggests roots, although that doesn't preclude the summer use as including
greens. Heather Rose Jones
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1999 01:34:00 EDT
From: LrdRas at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - Beets redux...
Since this beet discussion has come up, I have been doing a little reading
and have revised my opinion about whether beetroots were used in the MA's. I
now think they were used BUT were still not all that commonly. Platina does
mention beets as a root in the third chapter of De Honesta but the only
recipe he has using beets is in the sixth chapter where it is included as am
ingredient in 'Green Sauce.' That example clearly indicates the leaves and/or
stems are meant by the term 'beta' since the use or the red beetroot would
result in a brown sauce and not a green sauce.
Other than the isolated case of the possible use of the root in the late
period recipe for the tarts posted earlier this week, I found no tart recipes
including beets as an ingredient that would suggest an interpretation of
their use in tarts in a form other than greens.
There are several isolated recipes which might be interpreted as the root but
they were rare and in some cases very ambiguous. A phone call to a
horticuluralist that I know is interested in historical horticulture offered
the intriguing opinion that medieval beets were rounded at the top and then
tapered to a point resembling an over sized squat carrot rather than the
ball-like form we normally associate a beet with in the current middle ages.
He has promised to try to find me the source of this info if he can.
If he is accurate in his interpretation and you have garden space or access
to a good green grocer, the variety Cylindra would be a good modern
substitute for beetroots in period recipe when their use clearly indicated,
IMO.
Ras
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 10:32:35 -0000
From: nanna at idunn.is (Nanna Rognvaldardottir)
Subject: Re: SC - re: chard, AGAIN
Kylie wrote:
>I recieved a copy of "The New Oxford Book of Food
>Plants" last Friday (feel free everyone to tell me if this is known to be a
>dodgy reference; I've not come across it before) and it has this to say:
>SEAKALE-BEET or CHARD (Beta Vulgaris). This is very closely aligned to
>spinach-beet and is used in the same way. It differs mainly in having a
>broad, white leaf-stalk, up to several centimetres across, which is often
>eaten as a seperate vegetable, while the green blade is used like spinach.
>Some cultivars have reddish-purple leaf-stalks and blades.
And I received a copy of Alan Davidson«s long awaited The Oxford Companion
to Food just this morning (and shall be buried deep in it for weeks to come,
it is simply immense, I«m just thankful it wasn«t published a few years
earlier, or I would never have written my own book) - anyway, here is most
of the chard entry. But no mention of silverbeet here either - that seems to
be purely an Australian term.
"Chard. Beta vulgaris ssp circla. Also called Swiss chard, leaf beet,
seakale beet, white beet, and spinach beet. It is related to sugar beet, but
it produces large leaves and fleshy stalks, rather than a bulbous root. Its
leaves taste something like spinach, but are coarser. The stalks may be a
pale celadon colour or vivid scarlet (rhubarb or ruby chard). The stalks and
leaves are generally cooked separately in different ways.
The history of chard has been tracked back to the famous hanging gardens of
ancient Babylonia, and the vegetable evidently has a long history in the
Arab world. From the Arabic name silq came the Spanish acelga. However, the
name "chard" derives from the Latin and French words for thistle, although
chard is not related to the thistle, and eventually came to mean the stalk
or ribs of some vegetables such as chard or cardoon which is related to the
thistle. By the 19th century seed catalogues were adding "Swiss" to the
name. This was presumably to distinguish it from cardoon, but it is not
clear why the term "Swiss" was chosen, although Jane Grigson (1978)
evidently believed that the epithet originated in Dutch. Evelyn (1699) had
not used it; he referred to the "Rib of the White Beet (by the French call«d
the Chard)" with approval and made the interesting comment that it "melts,
and eats like Marrow".
The circla in the vegetable«s scientific name derives from sicula, which
refers to Sicily, one of the places where chard first grew. Chard is popular
around the Mediterranean especially in Provence and Nice, and in Catalonia,
including the Balearic Islands, where the leaves are often prepared with
pine nuts and raisins, a dish with Arabic origins."
Nanna
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999 13:09:33 -0000
From: nanna at idunn.is (Nanna Rognvaldardottir)
Subject: Re: SC - Beets redux...
Ras wrote:
>A phone call to a
>horticuluralist that I know is interested in historical horticulture offered
>the intriguing opinion that medieval beets were rounded at the top and then
>tapered to a point resembling an over sized squat carrot rather than the
>ball-like form we normally associate a beet with in the current middle ages.
>He has promised to try to find me the source of this info if he can.
To quote Davidson«s Oxford Companion to Food again:
"Red beet, known as Roman beet, and yellow-rooted varieties spread through
Europe and Asia in succeeding centuries.
In Europe a yellow kind developed into fodder beet. In Germany it was known
as Mangoldwurzel (beet root), which was corrupted to Mangelwurzel (root for
time of need) because it would only be eaten when nothing else was
available.
However, until well after medieval times, beet roots remained long and
relatively thin. The first mention of a swollen root seems to have been in a
botanical work of the 1550s and what is recognized as the prototype of the
modern beetroot, the "Beta Roman" of Daleschamp, dates back only to 1587.
In Britain the common beets were originally all light in colour. The red
beet, when introduced in the 17th century, was described by Gerard (1633)
with some enthusiasm ..."
Nanna
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 21:57:19 EDT
From: LrdRas at aol.com
Subject: SC - Beets
raghead at liripipe.com writes:
<< I have one off subject question: re the "white beets", are these a member
of the beet family or some other vegetable? >>
Beets come in many forms. Gold, burgundy, red/white striped, orange and
white. There are also bulbless varieties such as Swiss Chard and varieties
that have long roots like a carrot or radish. Some beets get grossly huge
roots such as sugar beets and those grown to feed livestock.
I would assume that white beets are meant or possibly Swiss chard.
Ras
Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2001 09:53:01 -0400
From: Elaine Koogler <ekoogler at chesapeake.net>
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] beet juice dye (last)
Jennifer Thompson wrote:
> Anyone have any ideas on what to do with two cans worth of beets? Sans juice?
> The baby and I ate them all last time, so we are beeted out and the hubby
> won't touch them.
>
> Lann
Shred them, add cheese, and other goodies and make Lombardy tarts. These things
are so great that even folks who HATE beets like these. The recipe I use is a
redaction from "Dining with William Shakespeare":
Lumbardy Tarts
1 lb fresh young beets
2 tbsp. Brown sugar
1 tsp. grated bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated mild Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup currants, parboiled
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
3 egg yolks
4 tbsp. Butter, melted.
Peel the beets and grate them into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and stir until
it melts. Mix in the bread crumbs, grated cheese, currants, spices and egg
yolks. Then stir in the melted butter.
Spread the filling evenly in the dish and cover it with the top crust. Seal the
edges with the tines of a wet fork and trim off the surplus pastry. Punch fork
holes in the crust and brush it with egg white. Bake at 450=B0 for 20 minutes,
then lower the heat to 350=B0. Bake for 25 minutes longer. Serve slightly warm.
It's actually best served warm, but I usually take several to Pennsic where we
eat them cold, and they're still very good!
Kiri
Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2001 14:50:22 -0700 (PDT)
From: Huette von Ahrens <ahrenshav at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] beet juice dye (last)
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
I have made Lombardy tarts many times, but always
using fresh beets, never cooked beets. I am wondering
if cooked beets wouldn't be too mushy for this pie.
Also, don't use cheddar cheese. Even mild cheddar
cheese is too strong for the pie. Besides, cheddar
isn't period. I usually use mozzarella, with very
good results.
Huette
--- Elaine Koogler <ekoogler at chesapeake.net> wrote:
> Shred them, add cheese, and other goodies and make
> Lombardy tarts. These things
> are so great that even folks who HATE beets like
> these. The recipe I use is a
> redaction from "Dining with William Shakespeare":
>
> Lumbardy Tarts
>
> 1 lb fresh young beets
> 2 tbsp. Brown sugar
> 1 tsp. grated bread crumbs
> 3/4 cup grated mild Cheddar cheese
> 1/4 cup currants, parboiled
> 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
> 1/4 tsp. ginger
> 3 egg yolks
> 4 tbsp. Butter, melted.
Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2001 09:46:18 -0400
From: Elaine Koogler <ekoogler at chesapeake.net>
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] beet juice dye (last)
Interesting. I've been using canned beets for many years, as well as
cheddar cheese, and have had good success with both. I'll have to try
it as you suggest and see what the differences are. I began using
canned beets as the fresh were not available when I wanted to make the
pies.
Kiri
Huette von Ahrens wrote:
> I have made Lombardy tarts many times, but always
> using fresh beets, never cooked beets. I am wondering
> if cooked beets wouldn't be too mushy for this pie.
>
> Also, don't use cheddar cheese. Even mild cheddar
> cheese is too strong for the pie. Besides, cheddar
> isn't period. I usually use mozzarella, with very
> good results.
>
> Huette
From: Elaine Koogler <ekoogler at chesapeake.net>
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] beet juice dye (last)
Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2001 16:56:35 -0400
I suspect the trick may be that I drain them very thoroughly. And I
don't think that they are quite as "mushy" as they'd be if they were
cooked. Also, I don't try to grate them. I simply chop them fairly
finely.
Kiri (looking forward to trying the recipe with Mozzarella!!)
Huette von Ahrens wrote:
> It is good to know that canned beets are okay to use.
> I am lucky to live in Los Angeles and we usually
> always have fresh beets available, with grown here or
> from foreign parts. Just not a cheap as canned beets.
>
> Huette
From: "Olwen the Odd" <olwentheodd at hotmail.com>
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] pickled beets?
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 15:15:57 +0000
>Ok, I keep coming across references to pickled beets in German sources. I
>know that most SCA cooks believe that beet root was seldom eaten in
>period. Have people tried pickling beet greens? What do they taste like?
>
>-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa
I make the pickled beets and occasionally toss in the greens if I can get
nice fresh ones on the beets. They add to the colour as well as the texture
so it is very attractive in the bowl. The greens are somewhat bitter, which
I like, but not as bitey as mustard greens and not as tough as kale.
Olwen
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 10:58:48 -0700
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
From: lilinah at earthlink.net
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] pickled beets?
Jadwiga Zajaczkowa wrote:
>Ok, I keep coming across references to pickled beets in German sources.
>I know that most SCA cooks believe that beet root was seldom eaten in
>period.
There are German recipes for beets and for pickled beets and since
they are referred to as red roots i assume they actually ate the
roots :-)
I made pickled beets for the German feast at the Province of the
Mists Boar Hunt 2001.
The recipe and my redaction are on my website...
http://witch.drak.net/lilinah/2001Menu.html
but i guess i will post it here...
Marinated Beets with horseradish
Marx Rumpolt, Ein New Kochbuch, 1581
3. Rote Ruben eyngemacht mit klein geschnittenen Merrettich/ Aniss/
Coriander/ und ein wenig Kuemel/ sonderlich wenn die Ruben
geschnitten/ gesotten mit halb Wein und halb Essig.
3. Rote Ruben: Red beets preserved with small cut horseradish/ anise/
coriander/ and a little caraway/ special if the beets are cut/
marinated in half wine and half vinegar.
translation by M. Grasse at
http://clem.mscd.edu/~grasse/GK_ASsp99_beet.htm
makes about 1 gallon
10 large red beets, cut into medium-small chunks
2 cup red wine
2 cup red wine vinegar (white or cider will do)
1-1/2 feet of fresh horseradish root, peeled and cut into slivers
1-1/2 TB salt
1 tsp whole anise seed
1 tsp whole caraway seed
2 tsp whole coriander seed
1. Cut up beets.
2. Combine all ingredients except beets in a pot. Bring to a boil,
then lower heat and simmer 5 minutes
3. Add the beets and heat through.
4. Place in jar or crock and let mellow for at least 24 hours, up to
two weeks in a cook place.
NOTE: The horseradish wasn't strong enough for me. Next time i will
food process it.
I also noticed a salad recipe in Rumpolt that included "rote ruben".
I assume it uses the roots because it didn't mention the leaves and
it does mention cooking them, but i suppose it could be the greens,
too...
http://staff-www.uni-marburg.de/~gloning/rump_sal.htm
7. Gruen Salat/ der klein vnnd jung ist/ rote Ruben klein geschnitten/
vnd darueber geworffen/ wenn der Salat angemacht ist/ vnnd die rote
Ruben gesotten vnd kalt seyn.
> Have people tried pickling beet greens? What do they taste like?
Haven't done that. I like them "stir fried", though.
Anahita
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 13:10:44 -0700 (PDT)
From: Huette von Ahrens <ahrenshav at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] pickled beets?
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
--- jenne at fiedlerfamily.net wrote:
> Ok, I keep coming across references to pickled beets
> in German sources. I
> know that most SCA cooks believe that beet root was
> seldom eaten in
> period. Have people tried pickling beet greens? What
> do they taste like?
>
> -- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa
No, that is not entirely true. Beet roots were seldom
eaten before the 16th Century. By the 16th Century,
there are quite a few recipes in the English and
German cookbooks of that century and later that call
for red beet roots.
I have never tried pickling beet greens, but I suppose
it would be similar to Sauerkraut. Have you found a
recipe for pickled beet greens?
Huette
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 17:05:19 -0400
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] pickled beets?
I did this a month or so ago, in an extremely munitions-grade,
quick-and-dirty method: commercial beet horseradish mixed with
commercial pickled beets, drained and grated, with salt and the
spices added. It turned out surprisingly good after a maceration
period of about 8 hours (I bruised the seeds). And then there was the
fun of trying (and failing) to prevent the other cooks from making
beet-vinegar switchel for the unwary and thirsty... for some reason
people kept thinking it was some kind of wine...
Adamantius
Also sprach Olwen the Odd:
>>makes about 1 gallon
>>10 large red beets, cut into medium-small chunks
>>2 cup red wine
>>2 cup red wine vinegar (white or cider will do)
>>1-1/2 feet of fresh horseradish root, peeled and cut into slivers
>>1-1/2 TB salt
>>1 tsp whole anise seed
>>1 tsp whole caraway seed
>>2 tsp whole coriander seed
<snip>
>>NOTE: The horseradish wasn't strong enough for me. Next time i will
>>food process it.
>
>>Anahita
>
>This is the recipe I use too although I use prepared horseradish which gave
>it quite a nice bite. This is the recipe to which I was referring when I
>mentioned I also added the greens on occasion.
>Olwen
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2004 19:24:58 +0000
From: ekoogler1 at comcast.net
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Beets (was Eggplant)
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
I just found references to them in Apicius...there are several recipes
for beets including one that uses them as part of a stuffing for a
suckling pig. The index also references beetroot...but the listings
are the same as for beet, so I have to assume that it's the red root
veggie we all know and love. ;-)
So, given that, I have to assume that it was at least known on the
continent...in southern Europe. I found information about it in
Platina, among the recipes. I don't know how well it was known in
northern Europe.
Kiri
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2004 19:26:27 +0000
From: ekoogler1 at comcast.net
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Beets (was Eggplant)
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Just read the end of your message. The roots themelves are used...it
would be kind of hard to grate leaves...I think directions for that
would be to chop finely. No indication is given for the color of the
beet but, as red is what is available to me, I use red.
Kiri
> I was browsing the Florilegium and found this on beets:
> http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-VEGETABLES/vegetables-msg.html
>> Curiously the red beet with a bulbous
>> root was new to Gerard; common beets were white or
>> yellow and eaten as greens. (Even in the 16th, beets
>> often were called by their French name.)
>> Alysoun
>
> Were they just new to England, but known in France and
> elsewhere, or a new variety?
>
> Do Lumdardy tarts use red beets or white/yellow beets?
> It doesn't sound like it means to use the greens.
>
> Ranvaig
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 12:03:09 -0800
From: david friedman <ddfr at daviddfriedman.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Beets (was Eggplant)
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>Message-ID:
"I just checked the version in Madge Lorwin's book, and it also says
to "chop the beets". I have always made the pie using the roots, as
se indicates in her redaction. She bases hers on statements from
Gerard's "Herbal". The first part, which she quotes, acknowledges
the use of the leaves in salads, even giving a recipe for doing so.
Then she quotes him as saying, "But what might be made f the red and
beautiful root (which is to be preferred before the leaves, as well
in beautie as in goodness) I refer unto the curious and cunning
cooke, who no doubt when hee had the view there, and is assured that
it is both good and wholesome, will makethereof many and divers
dishes, both faire and good." Lorwin goes on to state, "And beets
were used in mnay ways by cooks, including beet-root salads, both hot
and cold.""
I would take the quote from Gerard as implying that people aren't
using the roots or not very much--it sounds as though he is saying
that they should be. "... who no doubt when ... will make thereof."
Gerard's Herbal was first published in 1597, with various later
editions; do you know which version that passage first appeared in?
Its in the 1633 edition--which at least suggests that eating the
root was still uncommon then, although it might have just been left
in through inertia.
Checking some webbed extracts from the 1633 edition, we have:
"Beta alba. White Beets.
...the white Bete is a cold and moist pot-herbe...Being eaten when
it is boyled, it quickly descendeth... especially being taken with
the broth wherein it is sodden..."
Beta rubra, Beta rubra Romana. Red Beets, Red Roman Beets.
...The great and beautiful Beet last desribed may be vsed in winter
for a salad herbe, with vinegar, oyle, and salt, and is not onely
pleasant to the taste, but also delightfull to the eye.
The greater red Beet or Roman Beet, boyled and eaten with oyle,
vineger and pepper, is a most excellent nd delicate sallad: but what
might be made of the red and beautifull root ...
I take this to mean that white beets were used exclusively as beet
greens, red beets primarily, and Gerard is urging that the root ought
to be eaten.
Is there any reason to assume the recipe is calling for red beets? It
looks from Anne Wilson's comments as though they were a novelty in
Elizabethan times--and she has a reference to Digby referring to
beets where they are pretty clearly the greens.
A web search turned up this--from the Floreligium:
Take Beets, chop them small, and put to them grated bread and cheese,
and mingle them wel in the chopping, take a few Corrans, and a dish of
sweet Butter, & melt it then stir al these in the Butter, together with
three yolks of Eggs, ynamon, ginger, and sugar, and make your Tart as
large as you will, and fill it with the stuff, bake it and serve it in.
--John Partridge, The good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin
That's from Dining with William Shakespeare, by Madge Lorwin.
Partridg is 1594--i.e. a little before the earliest edition of
Gerard. There is nothing there that implies the roots are being
used--and if the red beets are new, and Gerard is trying to persuade
people to use the roots forty years later, there should be if that'
what is intended.
The dangers of relying on secondary sources.
--
David/Cariadoc
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 16:16:34 -0800
From: david friedman <ddfr at daviddfriedman.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Beets and backfiles was Beets
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
>The 1658 edition of The French gardiner
>instructing how to cultivate all sorts of
>fruit-trees and herbs for the garden specifies---
>THE French Gardiner. > Section > SECT. IV.
> ... SECT. IV.: Of Roots. / THe Red
>Beet,[Roots. Parsenp.] or Roman Par|snep, as the
>greatest, sha ...
>THE French Gardiner. > Section > SECT. V.
> ... CT. V.: Of all sorts of Pot-hearbs. / WE
>will begin with the white Beet or Leeks as being
>the greatest of all the Pot-hearbs, ...
>... ore spent then of any of the
>rest.[Beet-leeks] / The white Beet or Beet-Card
>(for so some will call it in imitation of the
>Picards, ...
>... Spring, which will furnish you with Leeks
>very early. / There is a Red Beet[red Beets.] if
>you desire to have of them, for Curio ...
>SECT. V.
>... with Leeks very early. / There is a Red
>Beet[red Beets.] if you desire to have of them,
>for Curiosity rather ...
>... a second dry|ing, lest it become musty; for
>being of a spongy substance, as the Red Beets
>are, it will continue a long time moyst. /
> ... e a long time moyst. / There is another
>sort of Beets, which is called Oracke,[Orache.]
>very agree| ...
>
>
>Evelyn helped translate this from the French by the way.
>
>The 1653 Pharmacop|ia Londinensis, or, The London dispensatory says
>A CATALOGUE OF THE SIMPLES CONDUCING TO THE DISPENSATORY. > ROOTS.
>* ... nd red; as for black Beets I have no|thing
>to say, I doubt they are as rare as black Swans.
>The red Beet root boyled and preserved in
>Vinegar, makes a fine cool, pleasing, clensing,
>digesting sawce.
>The 1649 A physicall directory says the same.
...
>It appears that both are mentioned at least in the 1600's.
So far as the sources you give, the earliest cite
that is clearly about eating the root is in 1649.
There are references to red beet earlier than
that--but it's clear from Gerard that it was used
as a green too. Gerard, writing at the earliest
in 1597 and perhaps in 1633, is trying to
persuade cooks to try using the beet root.
So I don't see how one can argue that
...
>If a housewife in the 1590's encountered this recipe, my guess is that
>she might use either depending upon local customs and produce available.
So far as the evidence available to us is
concerned, a housewife in the very late 1590's
might perhaps have read Gerard and think of
eating beet roots as an interesting idea. But she
would take it for granted that a recipe which
simply specified "beets" referred to the
greens--because, in all the examples we have from
that early, that's what it appears to mean.
And this particular recipe is from several years before Gerard published.
It isn't as if the root and the greens are close
substitutes, so that one would naturally think of
using one instead of the other.
--
David/Cariadoc
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 2004 18:02:31 -0500
From: Johnna Holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Subject: [ca-cooks] Beets and backfiles was Beets
According to OED---Beet was
A plant or genus of plants (N.O. Chenopodiace¾), having, in cultivation,
a succulent root much used for food, and also for yielding sugar. There
are two species, the Common or Red Beet (Beta vulgaris), found wild on
the British coasts, and cultivated in several varieties, both as an
esculent, and as an ornamental foliage plant, and the White Beet (B.
cicla), chiefly used in the production of sugar. Formerly almost always
spoken of in plural `beets,' like beans, pease, greens, etc. Now usu. in
sing. form, but the pl. form is still current in the U.S.
* C. 1000 Sax. Leehd. II. 226 Þ‡s wyrta sindon.;Žað beeatra, bŽte
and mealwe;
* 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvii. xxii. (1495) 616 Men may graffe
on a bete stocke as men doon on a Caustocke.
* A. 1400 Cov. Myst. 22 Erbys and gresse, both beetes and rake.
* C. 1440 Promp. Parv, 34 Betys herbe, beta.
* 1551 Turner Herbal. (1568) F iij a, There are twoo kyndes of
Betes, the white bete whyche is called sicula, and blake betes.
------------
Nancy suggested: Your best bet might be to loo at other receipts in
that same cookbook, since if you see a list of "greens" (i.e. spinach,
sorrel) and beets, my assumption is that the beet greens are meant.
Sometimes the author will refer to "beetroots" specifically. But as
"beets" are listed by theselves, I think they could be interpreted
either way.
Nancy Kiel
I did a browse through the Stuart Press transcription of The Good
Huswifes Handmaide and didn't find any other mention of beets. So---
the text is no help.
So what do other texts say--
I dd some other searching-- and it is here that the full text version
of EEBO is proving valuable for one can search under just "beet" or
"beets" and find references such as this---
Estienne, Charles, 1504-ca. 1564. [The French original is 1560's.]
Title: Mison rustique, or The countrey farme 1616 lists "beet" in four
scattered places and "beets" under 30--- these include:
CHAP. XVIII.: Of Beets and Blites, white and red.: _BEets,[Beets.] as
well th ...
... CHAP. XVIII.: Of Beets and Blites, white andred.:
_BEets,[Beets.] as well the vvhite as the blacke and red, vvhich is c
...
... : in respect whereof, I could aduise the gardiner not gather any
seeds of the beets to sow, but such as the beet shall bring forth the
third for of such see ...
... hal bring forth the third for of such seed there grow verie faire
and goodly beets. / If you would make choyce of faire beets, chuse
rather the white than either the ...
... for of such seed there grow verie faire and goodly beets. / If you
would make choce of faire beets, chuse rather the white than either the
lacke or red, as being the fair ...
THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE COVNTRIE HOVSE. > OF GARDENS. > CHAP. XXIIII.
¥ ... h: and for the taking away of the same, you must eat a raw Beane
by and by after, orthe ribbe of a Beet rosted in ashes, or some
Smallage or greene Parsley: or which is better, if you loue Garlicke,
...
THE SEVENTH BOOKE OF THE COVNTRIE FARME. > Of Hawking. > CHAP. LVIII.
¥ ... day alwaies betwixt, that is to say, one day, and not theother.
Seeing to it, that you giue her a beet leafe, or some other, vpon the
day that you shall giue her pure water to drinke. The same remed ...
Evelyn, John, 1620-1706.
Title: Kalendarium hortense, 1666
speaks of in March---
Thyme, &c. / Sow in the begnning Endive, Succory, Leeks, Radish, Beets,
Chard-Beet, Scorzonera, Parsnips, Skirrets, Parsley, Sorrel, Bugloss,
Borrage, Chervil, Sellery, Smalladge ...
so one sees beets and Chard-beet.
The 1658 edition of The French gardiner instructing how to cultvate all
sorts of fruit-trees and herbs for the garden specifies---
THE French Gardiner. > Section > SECT. IV.
... SECT. IV.: Of Roots. / THe Red Beet,[Roots. Parsenp.] or Roman
Par|snep, as the greatest, sha ...
THE French Gardiner. > Section > SECT.V.
... CT. V.: Of all sorts of Pot-hearbs. / WE will begin with the white
Beet or Leeks as being the greatest of all the Pot-hearbs, ...
... ore spent then of any of the rest.[Beet-leeks] / The white Beet or
Beet-Card (for so some will call it in imittion of the Picards, ...
... Spring, which will furnish you with Leeks very early. / There is a
Red Beet[red Beets.] if you desire to have of them, for Curio ...
SECT. V.
... with Leeks very early. / There is a Red Beet[red Beets.] if you
desire to have f them, for Curiosity rather ...
... a second dry|ing, lest it become musty; for being of a spongy
substance, as the Red Beets are, it will continue a long time moyst. /
... e a long time moyst. / There is another sort of Beets, which is
called Oracke[Orache.] very agree| ...
Evelyn helped translate this from the French by the way.
The 1653 PharmacopÏia Londinensis, or, The London dispensatory says
A CATALOGUE OF THE SIMPLES CONDUCING TO THE DISPENSATORY. > ROOTS.
¥ ... nd red; as for black Beets Ihave no|thing to say, I doubt they
are as rare as black Swans. The red Beet root boyled and preserved in
Vinegar, makes a fine cool, pleasing, clensing, digesting sawce.
The 1649 A physicall directory says the same.
Woolley, Hannah, fl. 1670.
The quee-like closet; or, Rich cabinet of 1670
calls for beets in
CLVI. A Friday Pie with out Fish or Flesh.: Wash a good quantity of
green Beets, and pluck out the middle string, then chop them small; with
two or three ripe Apples well rel ...
and in CCXX. To mae boiled Sallads.
... n more Butter and a little Salt, so serve them to the Table, thus
you may do Lettuce or Spinage, or Beets. / ...
--------------------------
It appears that both are mentioned at least in the 1600's.
What's interesting is that this same discussion went on back in the mid-
late 1990's on the list and is set out in Stefan's files. I don't know
that we will ever reach a definative answer now any more than people did
then.
If a housewife in the 1590's encountered this recipe, my guess is that
she might use either depending upon local customs and produce available.
I see this as being a great project for an A&S entry for someone---
take the recipe and make it in a variety of ways perhaps in 4 inch tarts
with varying cheeses, using both the leaves or the roots.
Johnnae llyn Lewis
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 18:28:55 -0800 (PST)
From: Huette von Ahrens <ahrenshav at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Beets (was Eggplant)
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-coos at ansteorra.org>
Here is what Alan Davidson says about "beetroot"
in the Oxford Companion to Food:
Beetroot, one of four useful forms of the
verstile plant 'Beta vulgaris'. The two which
provide vegetables for human consumption are the
red, globular roots of the beetroot itself, and
its leaves, and the stalks and leaves of chard.
Mangelwurzel, treated with beetroot in this
entry, is also cultivatd for its edible root,
but used for animal fodder. The fourth form is
sugar beet, whose roots are an important source
of sugar.
All these cultivated forms are descended from the
sea beet, 'B. maritima', a wild seashore plant
growing around the Mediterraean and Atlantic
coasts of Europe and N. Africa. This has only a
small root, but its leaves and stems are
sometimes eaten. Early Greek writers such as
Theophrastus referred to the cultivation of this
plant. By about 300 BC, there were varieties
with edble roots.
Red beet, known as Roman beet, and yellow-rooted
varieties spread through Europe and Asia in
succeeding centuries.
In Europe, a yellow kind developed into fodder
beet. In Germany, it was known as Mangoldwurzel
(beet root), which was corrupte to Mangelwurzel
(root for time of need) because it would only be
eaten when nothing else was available.
However, until well after medieval times, beet
roots remained long and relatively thin. The
first mention of a swollen root seems to have
been in a otanical work of the 1550s and what is
recognized as the prototype of the modern
beetroot, the 'Beta Roman' of Daleschamp, dates
back only to 1587.
In Britain the common beets were originally all
light in colour. The red beet, when introduced
in the 17t century, was described by Gerard
(1633) with some enthusiasm ('a most excellent
and delicate sallad'). It soon found its way
into the recipe books. Evelyn (1699) declared
that cold slices of boiled red beetroot (such as
are still familiar to everyone i Britain) made
'a grateful winter Sallet', while adding that it
was 'by French and Italians contriv'd into
curious figures to adorn their Sallets". The
anonymous but authoritative authors of 'Adam's
Luxury and Eve's Cookery'(1744) gave two recipes,
one fr frying red beets as a garnish for carp
and other fish, and the other 'To make the
Crimson Biscuit of red Beet-roots'.
The scarlet colour of beetroot is due to the
combination of a purple pigment, betacyanin, and
a yellow one, betaxanthin. Yellow rootshave
little of the former. The pigments are much more
stable than most red plant colour, and are
sometimes extracted and used as edible food
colourings.
A cultivated beetroot may be as small as an
orange or as large as a grapefruit. Although
red, globuar varieties are dominant, there are
some with flattened tops, some with golden or
even white flesh, and some shaped like thick
carrots. Prolonged cooking makes the colour
fade. When whole beets are boiled, the skin is
left on to avoid damage to the cels and letting
the colour leak out.
Huette
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 17:01:51 -0800
From: david friedman <ddfr at daviddfriedman.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Beets (was Eggplant)
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Kiri asks:
>So are you saying that the pie should be made with white beet roots,
>red beet roots or white or red greens?
I am saying that I think it should be made with beet greens--white
more likely, red possible. As I read Gerard, using the root was a
novel idea at the time, so although a cook might possibly have done
it, a recipe that intended the root rather than the leaf would say
so. Clearly Gerard regards use of the greens, both white and red, as
a common practice. The red seem to be coming into England in the 16th
century, so I don't know how common they were at the end of it.
>I understand about the problems with secondary sources, but, at the
>time, it was all I had. Not making excuses, mind you, but you go
>with what you have.
Of course. My point isn't that you never use secondary sources, just
that you have to be aware of the risks of doing so. Moderns think of
"beet" as primarily meaning the root, so are likely to bias their
interpretation accordingly.
>According to the bibliography, Ms. Lorwin used the 1597 edition of the herbal.
Useful information. Then I think we can assume, absent further
information, that the passage is in the 1597 edition. The fact that
it was still in the 1633 edition suggests that using the beet root
was still a somewhat novel idea then--on the other hand, it might
just be a matter of not having bothered to change that particular
passage for the new edition.
>It is, I believe, reasonable to think that the red variety was
>certainly known when Partridge wrote his recipe.
Yes.
>And, if that's the case, even though it may not have been a common
>thing, if he meant to use the root, it may well have been that it
>was the red beet...since, as you point out, the part of the white
>that was most commonly used was the greens.
But we don't have any evidence that he meant to use the root, do we?
All he says is:
"Take Beets, chop them small, and ..."
That could be the greens as easily as the roots. Since we have no
evidence he intended the roots we have no reason to assume that he
meant red beets--although he could have.
>I'm not trying to keep the discussion going, but rather to make sure
>that the recipe I've used for years...and that folks here in
>Atlantia know and love, is accurate. So far, I've not seen anything
>that makes me think that the way I've been doing it is wrong...or
>out of period.
"Out of period" is tricky. My guess is that, by 1601, someone,
somewhere in Europe, had cooked red beet roots--probably earlier than
that. Gerard probably had--I wouldn't think he would recommend them
without trying them.
But the question isn't whether beet roots are period, it's whether
Lumbard Tarts using beet roots is a period recipe. I think the answer
to that question is "probably not." The recipe doesn't specify the
root, the use of the root seems to be an unusual practice at that
point, judging by Gerard's comment, so there is no reason to think
the root is intended and some reason to think it isn't.
I should add that I also think the Lorwin recipe is evidence that she
is not a very reliable secondary source--although, to her credit, she
did give the information on which she based her conclusion. She has
chosen to interpret the recipe as a modern cook would--and supported
that interpretation with evidence that, carefully read, has precisely
the opposite implication.
It would be interesting to know what the dates of her "And beets
were used in many ways by cooks, including beet-root salads, both hot
and cold" are. Does she say? If she actually has lots of recipes that
are clearly beet-root and refer to it as "beet" and are as early as
the 1590's, that would provide support for her position. On the other
hand, if those turn out to be recipes from the second half of the
17th century, it would be a further reason to distrust her. And,
despite the title of her book, I believe quite a lot of the recipes
are from mid-17th century sources.
--
David/Cariadoc
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/
Date: Tu, 3 Feb 2004 10:49:22 -0800
From: david friedman <ddfr at daviddfriedman.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Beets and backfiles was Beets
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Huette writes:
> david friedman <ddfr at daviddfriedman.com>
> wrote:
...
>>>> From Marx Rumpolt, 1581:
>>>
>>> 7. Green salad/ that is small and young/ red
>>> beets cut small/ and tossed thereover/ when the
>> salad is prepared/ and the red beets are
>>> cooked and cooled.
>
> I am of two minds over this recipe. It does say
> green salad. However, the last part talks about
> cooking and cooling the beets, which I don't
> think has to be done with the greens Why cook
> something that doesn't need cooking? To me,
> this indicates the root, which does need cooking.
C. Anne Wilson says "The Romans grew beet, mallow and orache for the
seek of their green leaves, which were boiled in pottages ... ." Le
Menager has "Take your cress and parboil it with a handful of
chopped beet leaves, and fry them in oil, " Al Baghdadi has cooked
beet leaves in Adasiya.
>>> 21. Take white beet (according to Hopf #378)
>>> stems/ peel and poach then in water/ prepare
>> it with oil/ vinegar and salt.
>
> Again, two minds. It says stems, but it also says to peel.
Perhaps the inner stems taste better? I would take it that "stem"
isn't quite the same thing as "greens"--it's just the rib part of the
greens.
>>> 29. Red bet salad/ when they are cooked/ so cut
>>> them small/ long or diced/ season it with oil/
>>> vinegar and salt/ may make it sweet or sour.
>
> This is more clearly the beet root, IMHO.
I think you would have to know how the word translated "diced" is used in other recipes. One could read that as "cut the leaves into
long portions or chop them to dice sized pieces."
>>> 39. Take sugar (sugar beet!)/ season it and
>>> scrape it/ so they turn white/ poach then
>>> in water/ and cool/ season it with vineer/ oil
>>> and salt. You can also serve them raw/ if they
>>> are clean and well peeled or scraped.
>
> To me, this indicates the root also.
Again, I don't think you can tell. Does anyone know if sugar beet
root is edible raw?
>>> 3. Red beets presrved with small cut
>>> horseradish/ anise/ coriander/ and a little
>>> caraway/ special if the beets are cut/ marinated
>>> in half wine and half vinegar.
>
> This is a very traditional German way of
> preserving beet roots. In reading this, I see
>the ancestor of the current modern German recipes
> for serving beet roots.
Certainly possible.
--
David/Cariadoc
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2004 14:21:32 -0800
From: "Lorenz Wieland" <lorenz_wieland at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Beets and backfiles was Beets
To: "Cooks within the CA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
david friedman wrote:
> Again, I don't think you can tell. Does anyone know if sugar beet
> root is edible raw?
It' edible raw, but not very appealing in either taste or texture.
-Lorenz
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2004 17:29:14 -0500
From: "Barbara Benson" <vox8 at mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Beets
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
I have a bit of a thought regarding this whole beet leaf/beet root
discussion. But unfortunately I cannot quote exactly what I want. A couple
of days ao I was at a friends house perusing her copy of The Domonstroi and
there was information on beets.
In the section on gardening where he is describing how to plant a garden he
begins with building a wall and then planting beets all along the perimeter
of the garden. He tells you to harvest the greens year round and give some
of them to the poor. At the end of the section he tells you to dig the beet
roots and pickle them along with your other veggies.
If anyone has a copy of The Domonstroi handy lease check up on me and see
if I remember correctly. If you are feeling rambunctious please post the
pertinent info to the list.
I believe that this implies that both the beet root and the beet leaves were
eaten, but that (at least in Eastern Europe they would not have eaten the
beet root until the end of the season when there were no more greens
forthcoming. So there is the possibility that both interpretations of the
recipe could be correct, but that the root would only be used if you were
peparing the tart late in the season. During the production time of the
year it would probably be the greens.
--Serena da Riva
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2004 10:45:05 -0500
From: "Phlip" <phlip at 99main.com>
Subject: Fw: [spca-wascaerfrig] Alexy, please- was Fw: [Sca-cooks]
Beets
To: "SCA-Cooks" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
OK, Alexy has straightened up some information about beets, greens vs roots,
in the Domestroi- see below. He's a Russian, in Moscow, with a great
interest in SCA and historical cookery- I've cited him before. With any
luck, we'll be bringing him to Pennsic ;-)
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the Domestroi is pretty late-
past most of our period- also, that roots tend to be eaten much more in
Northern areas than greens do.
He does, however, include a transliteration of the words for the greens
And the roots, so that in the Russian the two are quite distinct.
Saint Phlip,
CoDoLDS
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alexey Kiyaikin aka Posadnik"
To: <spca-wascaerfrig at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2004 10:28 AM
Subject: Re: [spca-wascaerfrig] Alexy, please- was Fw: [Sca-cooks] Beets
>> Any chance you could get access to a copy of the Domestroi in Russian, and
>> check it for its comments on beets? We're having a long conversation on
>> whether the beet root or the greens are referenced in various recipes, and a
>> closer look at the Domestroi might be of some help. If you can't find
>> a copy, we'll try to find you a copy.
The Domostroy really means beet. ROOT. Only root. But the thing with
"root-fruits" is that practically the edible part does not end at ground
level. When (those time "when" started with first roots in June and ended in
about september when all the roots were picked up so no need to economize)
there was the need to use all the edible part of the plant (say, early beet
was used in Borsch almost wholly), they added the stalk. Only the stalk, up
to the point where the leaf starts. The stalk has the same taste as the
root, and contains most of nutrition the root possesses. The "beet greens"
was NEVER considered food, though they have nothing disgusting in taste.
Just no special taste. Grass, that's all. Only Ukrainian Borsch with early
beets requires Botva (greens) of beets added, though several times I met the
reminder that only stalks are needed. My mom used the whole tops with
leaves, no special taste. but we are still alive. :-)
And when we look at other "root-fruits", we see a good example with
turnips. The stalk also tastes like the root, I used to add it to stews,
same thing - the down part tastes like the root, the upper part with leaves
taste empty.
Also, there's a very popular classical tale "A man and a Bear", in which
the bear in spring demanded to give him a half of all crops. So, the man
promised to give him the roots (i.e. the underground half), and sowed wheat.
The following year the bear came again and said he was no fool, and would
take tops that time. The man agreed and sowed beets, fooling the bear for
another time.
Ergo:
beets is really roots only. Only in hungry years (but for Russia that
meant about every second year or two years of the three) they could eat beet
stalks along with the root. That does not apply to Borsch that traditionally
required some tops along with the beet root. Though, other plants, having
same edible parts (radish and turnip stalks are recommended for spring
salads in modern cookbooks), were never used in traditional food other than
"hungry year dishes" along with nettle, goose-foot, etc. As Domostroy never
considered a poor family, it could not in the least mean beet "greens".
>>> So far as Domostroi is concerned, the passage doesn't specify beet
>>> root. The relevant bit is "Pickle cabbages, beets, and cucumbers in
>>> the fall." Cabbages are greens, so although it's certainly possible
>>> that what are being pickled are the roots of the beets, It could also
>>> be the last of the greens.
The Ukrainian dish - pickled beetROOTS - requires having beet roots, not
greens. This is traditionally the source of beet for Borsch, as many
cookbooks mention. If the beet is pickled, no vinegar to save the red colour
of the soup is needed. Only the roots are pickled. I read several recipes,
they were the same for at least the last several centuries.
>>> On the other hand, the text refers several times to "beet greens" but
>>> speaks of pickling beets. That might be a deliberate difference--it
>>> would be interesting to have someone who reads Russian check the
>>> original.
When the text speaks of greens, it speaks about greens. Botva, in Russian.
When the text means beetroot, it says beets, Svekla. All the time they mean
something other than the root, they directly say it, and never mean tops
using the general word "beet".
Though, I'll bring my copy of Domostroy to the computer while working and
answering my mail tomorrow, so you will have some citing from a Russian
edition.
Bye, Alex.
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 12:4:29 -0500
From: Johnna Holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] More on Beets and Beet Roots
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
More on Beets and Beet Roots From Johnnae llyn Lewis
As promised here is more material on the topic of beets and beetroots.
This has taken longer than expected but has proven rather interesting. I
will not make reference to the material already contained in the
Florilegium files on beets and what Gerald said about them in his
editions of his Herbal as well as what others have said in the past few
years on various lists. See the file
http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-VEGETABLES/beets-msg.rtf.
The question I set out to answer would be references to eating the roots
of beets prior to the publication of The Good Huswifes Handmaide for the
Kitchen and its recipe for ÒLumbardy tartes.Ó There were also questions
raised as to the colos of the beets being raised at that time. It
should be noted that while there are earlier English recipes for such
foods as Ôleche lombard,Õ ÔLombard stew,Õ ÔCrustard Lombard,Õ and
ÔFritters LombardÕ, I have not found an earlier English version of the
Òlubardy tartesÓ recipe as given in the GHwHm. It also does not appear
in any of the editions of Partridge that I have examined.
Beets are not mentioned in a number of the more common dietaries, so I
turned to a selection of the herbals, husbandry, and gardening books to
see what can be learned. It took a great deal of time to both identify
possible items to examine and once located to actually examine the works
online. Many of these works lack indexes or tables which made the
finding of relevant sections tie consuming. The actual downloading and
adjustment of the images for reading was also very laborious.
Earlier references than 1600 include—
1548
William Turner. The Names of Herbes in Greke, É..etc. from 1548. STC
(2nd ed.) / 24359
Writes of beets:
Bta
Beta named in greeke Seution a Teution (the Greek is hard to decipher
from the online copy)
Is called in Englishe a Bete, in Duche Mangolt, in French poree, ou
Jotte. It is called of Plenie and Theophrastus, Sicula. Betes growe in
England, as farre a I knowe in gardines only.
1562
William Turner. The Seconde Part of Vuilliam Turners Herball (STC (2nd
ed.) /24366) includes illustrations for Beta Nigra and Beta Candida. He
writes:
ÒThe brothe of the roote and leaves scoureth away scurse and scales ad
nittes out of the head.Ó He then continues to list a number of other
things that this brothe does.
Thomas Hill in the Mabey edition below gives the Greek as Sostion. This
is an early and small work of William Turner and dates from before the
first partof his ÔHerbalÕ of 1551. Turner is credited as being the
earliest of the English born botanists. A religious Noncomformist, his
books were banned and often burned during the reigns of both Henry VIII
and Mary I. Part two of his ÔHerbalÕ was published in 162 and part
three in 1568, shortly before his death.
A generation later in 1574 one finds:
Hill, Thomas. The GardenerÕs Labyrinth. 1577. 1652. [I own the hardcover
edition edited with introduction by Richard Mabey and published by
Oxford University Pres in 1987. Mabey used the 1652 edition which means
that I had to go back to EEBO to read the earliest editions. I then read
the hardcover edition to see about differences between the two. It was
published at least six times in the first 75 years. It was alo not the
first gardening book that Thomas Hill published. His A Most Briefe and
Pleasaunte Treatyse came out in 1563 followed by The Profitable Art of
Gardening in 1568.]
The 1577 edition STC (2nd ed.) / 13485 is very hard to read due to print
show throgh. The section on beets begins on page 13 of The Seconde
Parte of The GardenerÕs Labyrinth. On page 15 Hill writes: ÒThe roote of
the Beete boyled in water, andÓ ; the rest of the paragraph is
undecipherable.
The 1578 edition STC (2nd ed.)/ 13486 reveal that the rest of the
sentence above should read: three or foure droppes of the licoure
dropped into eares doth remove the rage and pain of theÕ. He also
mentions that ÒThe juice of the rawe Beete, anointed on any bald place
of the head, procureth the heae to growe, and killeth Lyse. The
decoction of the leaves and rootes, doe also clense the head off Nittes
and Dandrie.Ó [WouldnÕt the raw beet called for be the raw beet root?]
In the OUP edition, Mabey notes in the glossary that red beetroot was
just ariving in England from Italy at the time of HillÕs original
writings in the 1560Õs and 1570Õs. The white beetroot had been grown
from Anglo-Saxon times. One thing that strikes one about Hill and his
very complete and detailed account regarding the growing f beets is
that he was very certain that they require Ômuch dungÕ when growing. The
adage that ÒThe Beet rosted in embers, taketh away the stinking smell
and savour of Garlike eaten, if the same be eaten upon or after the
Garlike, as the Greek Menander hah noted.Ó is again repeated here. ItÕs
interesting to read who he thought commonly ate beets. He writes, ÒThe
Beete more often eaten at poor mens tables, ought to be bestowed in a
moist fat earth, and sowen at any seasonÉ.Ó MabeyÕs text is abridged, so
hedoes not give recipes nor does he cite much medical lore regarding
them. For that information, one must return to EEBO. One wonders would
the poor have ever required recipes telling them how to cook their
beetes or what parts to eat?
Heresbach, Conrad HeesbachÕs [1496-1576.] original work entitled Rei
rusticae libri quatuor was translated into English as:
Foure bookes of husbandry, collected by M. Conradus Heresbachius,
Nevvely Englished, and increased, by Barnabe Googe. It first appeared in
London in 157 [ STC (2nd ed.) / 13196 In 1578 it again appeared as:
Foure bookes of husbandry, É.Newely Englished, and increased, by Barnabe
Googe, Esquire, At London : Printed [by John Kingston] for Iohn VVight,
1578. [STC (2nd ed.) / 13197] This edition was by a diferent printer
and although some records indicate it was substantially longer at 893
pages, this is a misprint and the edition is still only 193 pages.
Heresbach says that one should sowe beetes at the same time as spinnage.
He calls them a Òcommon countey hearbeÓ and says that ÒNo Garden hearbe
hath greater leaves, so that with due ordering, it growth like a yound
tree. It is called Beta, because when it seedeth, it is (as Columella
affirmeth) to the likenesse of the Greeke letter B. There bee two sorte
of them, the white and the blackeÉÓ
Dodoens, Rembert, 1517-1585. [English edition of the Cruydenboeck.] A
Nievv herball, or historie of plantes
1578. STC (2nd ed.), 6984 Later editions are: 1586, 1595, 1600.
Dodoens was Flemish and never lived nor visted England, but his
Cruydenboeck of 1554 was translated by Henry Lyte from the French
edition and became one of the standard texts of the Elizabethan age.
Dodoens continued work on the Cruydenboeck, according to Frank J.
Anderson, and added and changed i in rather piecemeal fashion until it
Òeventually metamorphosed into the PemptadesÓ of 1583. (Although printed
in English, the 1578 edition of Dodoens was actually printed in Antwerp.
A number of the illustrations found in Dodoens, according to both
Anderon and Eleanor Rohde, are adapted from or printed from the same
woodblocks used to print the 1545 edition of Fuchs, so one finds similar
illustrations when comparing editions of Fuchs and Dodoens.)
On pp.549-551 the text of the 1578 English edition reads
Of Beetes. Ch. V
The Kindes. There be two sortes of Beetes, the white and red. Ind of the
red sorte are two kindes, the one having leaves and roote lyke to the
white Beete, the other hath a great thicke roote, and is a stranger
amongst us.
[the picturs then show and are labeled:
Beta candida. White Beete Beta nigra. Redde Beete.
On page 550: Beta nigra Romana. The Strange red Beete.]
Dodoens/Lyte goes onto describe both the white and red beetes and then
writes:
The strange red Beete is like to thecommon red Beete, in leaves,
stalkes, seede, proportion, & color, saving that his roote is much
thicker, and shorter, very well like to a Rape or Turnep, but very redde
within, and sweeter in tast then any of the other two sortes.
The Place. They sowe th Beete in gardens amongst pot herbes. The
strange redde Beete is to be founde planted in the gardens of
herboristes.
Dodoens/Lyte then includes much of the information that is given later
by Langham, except he does state that Òthe rootes of Beetes put a
suppositorie into the fundamentÓ which makes that clearer.
The section ends with: ÒThe Common red Beete boyled with Lentils, and
taken before meate, stoppeth the belly.
The roote of the Romaine or strange red Beete, is boyled and eaten with
oyle and vingar before other meates, and sometimes with pepper, as they
use to eate the common Parsenep.Ó
So is this final instruction not a recipe?
1597
Langham, William. The garden of healthÉ. 1597 STC (2nd ed.) / 15195 was
previously mentioned by Mistress Huettewho cited the OED.
Unfortunately, The OED entry saying Ò1579 Langham Gard. Health (1633) 66
Strake a little salt on a Beete roote, and put it into the fundamentÓ
under beet-root is wrong as Langham is 1597, not 1579 according to ESTC
records.
In any case n that work published in 1597, Under Beetes on pp. 66-67,
Langham writes:
3. Seeth white Beetes in water, and wash running sores therewith. Put
the juice of the roote into the nose to purge the head. 4. Roste the
roote in the embers and eate it, to take way the smell of Garlicke,
Onions, or Leekes.
6. Headache, megrim, swimming, put the juice of the barke of the roote
into the noseÉ
7. Belly hounde, strake a little salt on a Beete roote, and put it into
the fundamentÉ.
8. Head ache of murre or reume, ut the juice of a greene roote with a
tent into the nose, the white some being scommed off.
11. Use the hearbe but little inwardly, especially rawe, because it
breedeth evill humorsÉ.18. The ashes of the roote with hony, restoreth
haire, and keepeth the est from falling. 19. The roote of Black or red
Beetes put into the nose, being first bruised, cleanseth the braine. 20.
The broth of the roote and leaves skowyeth away skurse, skales and nits
of the head, and swageth the paine of kived heeles, and it heleth
freckles and spots, if they be first rubbed over with salt peter
naturall, and so it helpeth the falling of haire, it helpeth running
sores which spread abroade and waste by the fleshe as they goe.
The 1600 edition of Estienne, Charles and Jean LiŽbalt. Maison
rustique, or The countrie farme. Translated by Surflet, Richard, fl.
1600-1616. 1600. [Translation of: L'Agriculture et Maison Rustique.
Charles Estienne: 1504-ca. 1564; Jean LiŽbault, ca. 1535-1596;. Richard
Surflet, , fl. 1600-1616.
on pages 24-225: reads:
The eighteenth chapter. Of beetes and blites, white and red.
Beetes, as well the white as the blacke and red, which called Bette &
Iotte of the inhabitants of Tourraine, or Romane of the Picardes, are
sowen not only in lent, but at all ties, especially after December
until March, and in August, to the ende that there may always be in a
readiness both olde and young, and for to gather seed which may indure
good three yeeres.
Otherwise the advice regarding them repeats the admonition to us dung,
they take away garlick, etc.
Other Non-English mentions:
Leonhart Fuchs (1501-1566) New Kreuterbuch or The New Herbal of 1543.
(TaschenÕs reprint is 2001)
Colored plate CXX ÒRotrubenÓ depicts a red beet ÔBeta vulgarisÕ vr.
ÔRapaÕ complete with asubstantial red root. The given chapter is
LXXVII. The combination of German and the typeface used in the volume
make it difficult to transcribe and I will leave it to someone else to
decipher the text here. (and I do mean decipher.)
The digital version f Fuch's Botany of 1545 has been scanned by Richard
Siderits, M.D. and is online at:
http://www.med.yale.edu/library/historical/fuchs/
One must note that the 14th century Latin manuscript Tacuinum Sanitatus
in Medicina includes beetroot. The edition of tis published as The Four
Seasons of the House of Cerruti. [translation by Judith Spencer. NY:
Facts On File, 1984] On page 102 the text reads:
BEETROOT Blete .
There are white, black, and red varieties. The red ones are much
appreciated when thinly slice in salad, being first boiled in water or
cooked under hot embers, thinly sliced, and dressed with oil, vinegar,
and salt. The sweet white ones are the best. Their juice aufert furfures
capiti, removes dandruff from the scalp and loosens the belly. With
rgard to this last point, some recommend that the root be scraped with
a knife, and covered with honey and a little salt, to be used as a
suppository. The disadvantage of beetroot is that it hinders digestion,
because of its moisture and laxative nature, ad it heats the blood. It
is suited to the winter and to old people.
The edition published as Herbarium. Natural Remedies from a Medieval
Manuscript [Text by Pazzini and Pirani. NY: Rizzoli, 1980] uses the
Casanatense illustrations and from Òthose descripions and from notes
found in other late medieval herbariaÓ translates into English the
following about beets:
XXX Beet (Blete)
Beet is both hot and dry in the first degree, the best roots being those
that are sweet to the taste. Its juice removes scurf,but it should be
eaten in moderation as it dries the blood. This defect is prevented by
using vinegar and mustard.
ItÕs interesting to note that the illustration from the Taschenbucher
edition titled Das Hausbuch der Cerruti. [Nach der Handschrift in derOssterreichischen Nationalbiobliothek, 1979.] seems to show clearly that
both the leaves and roots of ÒbleteÓ are being gathered and placed in
the garden basket. This is a far better reproduction of the illustration
than that depicted in the Spencer Four easons of the House of Cerruti.
The Rizzoli edition from the variant manuscript appears to show only the
leaves.
It is worth noting that Mary Ella MilhamÕs edition of Platina includes
the old adage regarding garlic and beetroot. Given that Platina in prit
dates from the 1470Õs, it seems the advice on beetroots and garlic was
being circulated in even the earliest of printed texts. On page 185 of
Book III, she translates PlatinaÕs advice ÒOn Sharp Seasonings, and
First on Garlic.Ó
ÒThe more cloves garlic as, the sharper it is. It causes bad breath,
like onions, leek, shallot and all bulbs. They say, however, that beet
root roasted under coals and later eaten over garlic takes away its foul
odor.Ó
Some sidelines to this search are interesting to note: Seaching in LoC
revealed that there are hundreds of items on the thrip that eats the
modern sugar beet, but very little on the history. There are modern
journals on the growingÉ Biatas: the beet grower. One of the earliest
books just on beets is: An account f the culture and use of the mangel
wurzel, or root of scarcity which
was written by the Abbe de Commerell in French. It was translated and
published in London in 1787. Mangel wurzels are the beets that are
generally fed to cattle, but they also serve to rovide a form of modern
amusement. http://www.mangoldhurling.co.uk/html/rules.html lists the
rules of mangold hurling which is a sport akin to pumpkin tossing.
Tracing beets back to the Anglo-Saxon texts by using the MED, one finds
them mentioned as earl as c1150 Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B)
112.86/1: Nim þisse wyrte seaw, þat man persinacam & engle bete nemneð.
(a1398) Trev. Barth.(Add 27944)
217a/b: Beta is a comune herbe of Gardyns..and þer of is double kynde,
blak and white..me may graffe on a beete stok [ radicem] as me doþ on a
caule stok
For more about these works one might consult as I have: Rohde, Eleanor
Sinclair. The Old English Herbals. 1922, 1989 and Frank J Anderson. The
Illustrated History of the Herbals. 1977.
Johnnae llyn Lewis 02/17/04
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 13:03:23 -0800
From: david friedman <ddfr at daviddfriedman.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] More on Beets and Beet Roots (P.S.)
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
I checked a second version of Tacuinum Sanitatus, the one published
as "The Medieval Health Handbook" and containing pictures from a
variety of different copies. It has a picture for beets which, like
the one in "The Four Seasons of the House of Cerruti," is pretty
clearly showing the greens being harvested.
I should add that the book the picture is in is believed to be 14th
c. Italian, based on a 13th c. (I think) translation of an Arabic
original.
--
David/Cariadoc
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 16:55:31 -0600
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] More on Beets and Beet Roots
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
> Master Cariadoc comments about some of the period quotes on beets:
>>>>>
>> There are white, black, and red varieties. The red ones are much
>> appreciated when thinly sliced in salad, being first boiled in water
>> or cooked under hot embers, thinly sliced, and dressed with oil, vinegar,
>> and salt. The sweet white ones are the best.
>
> I think this could be a reference to either the leaves or the root,
> although specifying the red ones, which other sources suggest have a
> more edible root, at least suggests the latter.
I'm more of the opinion that they are referring to the beet root. You
might tear or chop beet leaf, but I doubt you "thinly slice" it. Swiss
chard (Beta vulgaris cicla) is specifically grown for the leaf and has
very little root.
Interestingly Columella refers to black and white beets, but makes no
mention of red. Modern taxonomy tends to B. vulgaris cicla for the chards,
B. vulgaris rubra for the red roots and B. vulgaris vulgaris for the white
or yellow roots. I haven't encountered black beets in the modern
literature, but I may have missed them. Or, it is possible, Columella was
referring to a dark red as black or to another plant entirely. I haven't
read Columella closely, so I may be in error.
> <<<<
> Why do you say this could suggest the leaves?
> I thought all the leaves would be green, but here they talk about the
> red ones being much appreciated when slice in a salad. And earlier about
white, black and red varieties. I admit they may be using the color of the
roots to indicate which type of beet, while still using only the leaves, but how
do you cook leaves under hot embers? On the otherhand, that is a pretty
straight forward thing to do with roots.
>
> Would/do the leaves of the various leaves vary in sweetness? Or taste at
all? Why specify sweet white ones, if you aren't eating the root? How would
anyone know they were sweet if they weren't eating the root?
>
> Stefan
Beet leaves tend to be a mixture of red and green, commonly green leaf
sometimes with red edging and red stalk. In some cases the leaf takes
on a reddish tint.
Beet leaves are usually eaten raw, boiled or steamed. They are not cooked
under embers, a method more suitable for roots or bulbs.
Sugar beets are derived from white varietals, which suggest that the white
beets are higher in sugar content. This may also apply to the leaves
if the sap contains a higher concentration of sugars.
Bear
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 16:43:14 -0400
From: Elaine Koogler <ekoogler1 at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Period or no?
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius wrote:
> Also sprach Elaine Koogler:
>
>> Then you need to try the Lomdardy Tarts from Dining with William
>> Shakespeare (yes, I know that a lot of you think that it should be
>> made with the greens rather than the root...we had this discussion
>> some time ago). I have fed that to dyed-in-the-wool beet haters who
>> tried it because I said it was good (kinda scarey, isn't it??). They
>> loved it!!
>>
>> Take Beets, chop them small, and put to them grated bread and cheese,
>> and mingle them wel in the chopping, take a few Corrans, and a dish
>> of sweet Butter, & melt it then stir al these in the Butter, together
>> with three yolks of Eggs, Synamon, ginger, and sugar, and make your
>> Tart as large as you will, and fill it with the stuff, bake it and
>> serve it in.
>
> Do you remember, in the short form ;-), what it is that makes the
> author of "Dining With William Shakespeare' believe beet roots are
> what the recipe calls for? Is there some reason other than the
> assumption moderns tend to make, and the fact that the author made it
> work that way, so the question just sort of never came up?
>
> I'm not dissing the author of the idea (I have that book here
> someplace; when I win the lottery I'll hire someone to catalogue my
> library), I'm just wondering if it was the result of a conscious
> decision or just a default that may or may not be justified -- to me,
> the big reason for thinking it would be greens is the lack of
> pre-cooking, or at least no specific mention of it. You can get away
> with that using the tender parts of the greens; but I imagine the
> roots would need to be pre-cooked: even with the breadcrumbs providing
> some stabilizing effect, that's going to be a long time to cook eggs.
>
> FWIW, most of the beet-haters of my acquaintance are also won over by
> the non-period but fun concept of beet frites, which are just raw
> beets peeled, julienned in a mandoline, dusted in a little cornstarch
> to dry their surface, and deep-fried like potatoes. A lurid pink they
> become, too... we were always afraid to take the next logical step and
> make beteraves gaufrettes a la mandoline...
>
> Adamantius
She states that beets came to Britain with the Romans, who first
developed the red beet. She references a statement from Gerard's Herbal
to the effect that the leaves made a good sallat when boiled and eaten
with oil, vinegar and pepper. According to Lorwin, she then continues
with information from Gerard, wherein he asks what could be done with
the "red and beautiful root (which is to be preferred before the leaves,
as well in beautie as in goodness) I refer unto the curious and cunning
cooke, who no doubt when hee had the view there, and is assured that it
is both good and wholesome, will make thereof many and divers dishes,
both faire and good. She goes on to state that beets were used in many
ways bo cooks, including beet-root salads, both hot and cold. She also
cites William Vaughan, who discusses white beets and says that they
should be boiled, and a reference to eating beet root after leeks or
garlic to take away their bad smells. All of this can be found on pp.
238 - 239 of /Dining with William Shakespeare.
Hope this helps. What you mention about the fried beets is similar to
what is often done with sweet potatoes...also the Terra Chips include
beet chips, which, IMHO, are delicious!
Kiri
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 20:52:43 -0400
From: "Phlip" <phlip at 99main.com>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Pickled beets, et al.
To: "SCA-Cooks" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
One of the recent recipes I "discovered" was the "agraz" in "Ein Buch von
Guter Spise", Alia Atlas' translation.
35. Ein agraz (An agraz )
Nim holtze epfele und peterlin und bezzin. und stoz ez zu sammene und drŸcke
uz. daz die petersilie ein wenic zuvar. daz heizzet auch agraz.
Take wood apples and parsley and turnips and pound it together and press it
out, that the parsley colors a little. That is also called Agraz.
Upon discussion with Adamantius, he had said that he'd thought that the
"turnips" was a mistranslation, and actually beetroot was meant. I wondered,
because it said to color it with parsley, so I shredded raw beets, chopped
apples, mixed them up, added cider vinegar (didn't have any verjuice at the
time- an earlier recipe says,
" 32*. Wilt du machen einen agraz (How you want to make an agraz)
Nim wintriubele und stoz sur ephele. diz tu zu sammene. menge ez mit wine. und
drŸches uz. dise salse ist gut zu scheffinem braten und zu hŸenren. und zu
vischen. und heizzet agraz.
Take grapes and pound sour apples. Add this together. Mix it with wine and
squeeze it out. This sauce is good for roasting sheep and hens and fish and is
called Agraz . (Agraz is a sour broth from immature fruit, often called
verjuice.). "
so I felt the addition of a sour substance like vinegar was appropriate,
both for flavor and for liquid content). I then took parsley and chopped
that, using it as a color contrast with the bright beets- tasted very, very
good, and really brightened up that course. Can see at least forty-eleven
variations that could be done, including using the turnips as Atlas
specified, but I like it this way.
Saint Phlip,
CoD
Date: Tue, 17 May 2005 16:13:51 -0500
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] swiss chard =/= beet greens?
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Am Dienstag, 17. Mai 2005 22:20 schrieb Carole Smith:
> Aren't the leaves of modern beets edible?
"They say , however, that beet root toasted under coals and later eaten
over garlic takes away its (garlic) foul odor."
Platina, III.14
The beets with mustard from Apicius has been translated to mean both
Beet root and beet greens.
Bear
Date: Tue, 17 May 2005 14:38:48 -0700
From: lilinah at earthlink.net
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] swiss chard =/= beet greens?
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Giano wrote:
> Am Dienstag, 17. Mai 2005 22:20 schrieb Carole Smith:
>> Aren't the leaves of modern beets edible?
>
> Well, I've eaten some and I'm still around. It's just not worth buying
> beets for the leaves.
{BG} That depends. While i do not dislike beets, i think their leaves
are much tastier. It's often difficult to find a bunch that hasn't
been topped (had the leaves cut off) in the US, though.
>> I have been told by cooks I thought knowledgeable that the roots of the
>> beet were not considered food in period, but that the leaves were. It
>> hasn't been on my hot list to verify this one.
>
> I doubt it. I guess it is possible that Apicius means beet greens served with
> mustard and vinegar, and that de Rontzier wants them pickled with anise, but
> both seem to jive much better with the root.
I think Apicius was probably going for the greens, but there's at
least one recipe in Rumpolt that calls for "rote ruben", but he's
quite late in "SCA-period". From what i can tell, leaves are
generally what is called for in 14th and 15th century cookbooks.
Marinated Beets with horseradish
Marx Rumpolt, Ein New Kochbuch, 1581
3. Rote Ruben eyngemacht mit klein geschnittenen Merrettich/ Aniss/
Coriander/ und ein wenig Kuemel/ sonderlich wenn die Ruben
geschnitten/ gesotten mit halb Wein und halb Essig
3. Red beets preserved with small cut horseradish/ anise/ coriander/
and a little caraway/ special if the beets are cut/ marinated in half
wine and half vinegar.
--
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita
Date: Sat, 11 Jun 2005 00:46:50 -0400
From: Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise <jenne at fiedlerfamily.net>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] another question... marinated beets
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Using Rumpolt's marinated beets recipe, should it be ok to do these a
week ahead of time? (Recipe below)
3. Rote Ruben eyngemacht mit klein geschnittenen Merrettich/ Aniss/
Coriander/ und ein wenig Kuemel/ sonderlich wenn die Ruben geschnitten/
gesotten mit halb Wein und halb Essig
Pickled Beets - 3. Red beets preserved with small cut
horseradish/ anise/ coriander/ and a little caraway/ especially if the
beets are cut/ marinated in half wine and half vinegar.
--
-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net
Date: Sat, 11 Jun 2005 23:08:21 +0200
From: Volker Bach <carlton_bach at yahoo.de>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] another question... marinated beets
To: jenne at fiedlerfamily.net, Cooks within the SCA
<sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Am Samstag, 11. Juni 2005 06:46 schrieb Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne
Heise:
> Using Rumpolt's marinated beets recipe, should it be ok to do these a
> week ahead of time? (Recipe below)
>
> 3. Rote Ruben eyngemacht mit klein geschnittenen Merrettich/ Aniss/
> Coriander/ und ein wenig Kuemel/ sonderlich wenn die Ruben geschnitten/
> gesotten mit halb Wein und halb Essig
>
> Pickled Beets - 3. Red beets preserved with small cut
> horseradish/ anise/ coriander/ and a little caraway/ especially if the
> beets are cut/ marinated in half wine and half vinegar.
Depends how thin you slice them. I made it last year and found it a bit
disappointing on first trying, though it improved with age.
From my experience: don't overdo the anise, and add salt. It really needs
salt. I would also recommend a strong vinegar, especially if you're only
resting it for a week.
Giano
Date: Sat, 11 Jun 2005 14:22:41 -0700
From: lilinah at earthlink.net
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] another question... marinated beets
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Jadwiga wrote:
> Using Rumpolt's marinated beets recipe, should it be ok to do these a
> week ahead of time? (Recipe below)
>
> 3. Rote Ruben eyngemacht mit klein geschnittenen Merrettich/ Aniss/
> Coriander/ und ein wenig Kuemel/ sonderlich wenn die Ruben geschnitten/
> gesotten mit halb Wein und halb Essig
>
> Pickled Beets - 3. Red beets preserved with small cut
> horseradish/ anise/ coriander/ and a little caraway/ especially if the
> beets are cut/ marinated in half wine and half vinegar.
I'd think so, as long as they are kept covered and cold. I made them
about 3 or 4 days before the feast at which i served them. Since the
horseradish mellows over time, you might want to add some more on the
day of serving, depending how zingy you like them.
--
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita
Date: Wed, 06 Sep 2006 23:57:39 -0400
From: Johnna Holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Lombardy Tarts was Speaking of beets...
To: hlaislinn at earthlink.net, Cooks within the SCA
<sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
For the sake of completeness,
I should add that the "*Lumdardy Tartes*
(John Partridge, _The good Huswife's Handmaide for the Kitchin_, 1594)"
as given in a posting on beets on 9/4/2006 10:41 PM
is incorrectly cited. John Partridge is not the author of title:
A Good Huswife's Handmaide for the Kitchin.
The author is not cited in the text so it should be
properly catalogued as by Anonymous.
The Running title reads: A new booke of cookerie.
The STC is 3298. The Bodleian Library's copy was filmed
twice and appears in the UMI collection of microfilms
and online through EEBO.
John Partridge is the credited author of other Elizabethan cookbooks,
but his name doesn't appear in this one.
Johnnae llyn Lewis
Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2006 01:37:08 -0700
From: lilinah at earthlink.net
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Speaking of beets...
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Stephanie Ross wrote:
> I was thinking of beets and Lombardy tarts today in the shower. I have made
> Lombardy tarts with beet roots and thought they were great! However, I
> can't recall another beet tart/pie recipe that specifies it is made with
> beet roots, even in Russian cuisine.
Marx Rumpolt, 1581
30. Nimb Ruben/ die gebraten seyn/ hack sie/ vnnd mach sie mit Butter an/
vnd versaltz es nicht/ so ist es ein gute Fu:ell in ein Turten.
30. Take roots (beets/turnips/carrots...)/ that have been fried/ chop
them/ and prepare them with butter/ and do not oversalt them/ so it
is a good filling for Turten.
Granted, the original does not specify which roots to use, but other
recipes in this cookbook call for "rot ruben" = "red root" which is
beet root, so i figure beets could be used in this dish.
--
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita
<the end>