root-veg-msg – 4/6/08
Medieval root vegetables. carrots. potatoes. onions, parsnips, sweet potatoes, Radishes.
NOTE: See also the files: turnips-msg, vegetables-msg, beets-msg, onions-msg, leeks-msg, potatoes-msg, veg-stuffed-msg, fennel-msg.
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This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.
This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.
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Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: dragon7777 at juno.com (Susan A Allen)
Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997 21:31:21 -0700
Subject: Re: sca-cooks Turnips
Rutabegas are not period, they are a turnip cabbage hybrid, created
for some reason that escapes me at the moment
Susan
>eaten raw. Also do not confuse turnips with rutabagas which are decidedly
>stronger in flavor. As a rule of thumb, turnips are small white at the
>bottom, with a light purple blush on top.
>
>Rutabagas are VERY large, usually coated with wax, yellowish flesh,
>dirty white bottom and a deep purple top.
>
>Lord Ras
From: Uduido at aol.com
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 11:54:02 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: SC - Carrots
<< I was taught that Queen Anne's Lace was poisonous. Of course, I never
checked it out -- not being a cat ;-> >>
The one you want is> Daucus carota (The cultivated carrot is D. carota var.
sativa). The Field Book of Natural History, pg. 268 says: Native of Asia, but
naturalized from Europe. Now commonly established as a weed in fields,
pastures, and waste places. Found from coast to coast in N. America but may
be commoner in the East. 25 species in genus. FROM THIS SPECIES HAS BEEN
DEVELOPED THE VALUABLE CULTIVATED CARROT.
There is reference to the remote possibility that handling the leaves MAY
cause dermititis in some people. This warning is also included in the
reference to cultivated carrots. No mention is made of it being poisonous but
like any other wild plant you should be familiar with it before you eat it.
:-) After all there is an extremely remote possibility that you may confuse
it with Poison Hemlock. However, since the growing environment are very
dissimilar the odds are you would not mistake it. Also they are very
different in appearance so far as root structure, flowers, and leaves are
concerned.
Lord Ras
From: nweders at mail.utexas.edu (Nancy Wederstrandt)
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 11:37:12 -0600
Subject: Re: SC - Carrots
Concerning wild carrots: I think caution is somewhat advised. Many of the
the wild relatives of the carrot are edible, but bear a very close look to
the more poisonous kin. Lord Ras is correct in that be sure before you
eat. Most of the poisonous relatives of the wild carrot are nasty
smelling, and usually have purplish blotches on the stalks. Here in
Ansteorra, wild carrot, wild parsley and hemlock can grow near enough to
each other to be confusing. Also here are vast quantities of wild onion,
which have a companion plant called crow bane that looks very similar. The
key is the smell. I was fortunate enough to mundanely worked with a man
who wild plant foraged and learned a great deal about them.(He used to be
Society Master of Sciences early one) He often ate things that I
personally wouldn't but were edible. We rapidly had three lists of
plants... inedible, edible and gwilym edible. His name in the SCA was
Master Gwilym the Smith.
Clare RSJ
From: Michael Newton <Michael Newton at postoffice at worldnet.att.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Parsnip reciepe
Date: 15 Jun 1997 20:11:15 GMT
What kind of Stout {brand names would be helpful} would one use in this
reciepe:
Parsnips Stewed in Dark Beer or Stout
1 lbs. parsnips peeled and cut in 2 in. chunks
1 cup dark beer or stout
A 1 in piece of stick cinnamon
2 large blades of mace
3 whole cloves
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
place all ingredients in a heavy, medium size saucepan and simmer,
covered, 30 to 35 minutes until you can pierce patsnips easily with a
fork. Turn heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 10 to 15 min. longer until
the beer or stout has thickened into a glaze. Remove spices and serve
parsnips hot as an accompaniment to roast fowl, ham, or pork.
From Recipes from America's Restored Villages
Chapter on Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth, Mass.
by Jean Anderson
I was thinking about making this receipe for a period potluck our shire
is having next month.
Lady Beatrix of Thanet
From: "Sharon L. Harrett" <afn24101 at afn.org>
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 14:32:33 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: SC - Re: turnips
On Tue, 17 Jun 1997, Mark Schuldenfrei wrote:
> Kohlrabi. Yummm. I would think it a bit too zesty... but worth
> considering. (My mother used to be *astonished* at the quantity of raw
> kohlrabi I would consume at one sitting. And not a tiny bit upset: that
> stuff cost money.)
>
> For those of you unfamiliar with kohlrabi, it is a root vegetable, rather
> ball shaped, and with several stalks arising from various places on the top
> hemisphere of the root. It is a vaguely "institutional green", and we used
> to peel and slice it into salads. Taste and texture similar to radishes
> that are slightly sharp.
>
> I have no idea if it is period. I do know it is delicious.
>
> Tibor
I think it is.
From what I can find in Gerard's Herbal, there is a "round Rape Cole" listed
and pictured, that looks exactly like a kohlrabi. He says that they grow in
Italy, Spain and Germany, from where he recieved his seeds. They are
accounted as daintie meats, contending with the Cabbage in taste.
Ceridwen
From: Uduido at aol.com
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 19:07:21 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: SC - Re: turnips
<< For those of you unfamiliar with kohlrabi, it is a root vegetable >>
Order Papaverales
Family Cruciferae
Brassica caulorapa
Native of Europe. Some people consider it variety (var. gongylodes) of
Broccoli (B. oleracea).
From: Uduido at aol.com
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 09:16:36 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: SC - Kohlrabi
<< I can see how you might describe it as radish-like. I wonder if that is
caused by different growing conditions? >>
This is ideed the case. Kohlrabi must be grown with plenty of moisture and
cool temperatures rather quickly and eaten when fairly young. If not, the
tuber becomes woody and strong tasting.
Lord Ras
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 1997 17:30:01 -0700
From: ladymari at GILA.NET (Mary Hysong)
Subject: SC - SKIRRETS
Hello, well, finally made it to the library after the skirret info. and
here it is:
"The World Encyclopedia of Food"
copyright 1982 L. Patrick Coyle
ISBN 0-87196-417-1
(BTW really yummy book.. :-) ...once a herald, always a herald... :-)
Page 612
I didn't copy word for word, this is the gist of the entry...
Skirret, also Chervin, the roots of Sium sisarum; originated in Eastern
Asai, but cultivated in Europe since Roman times. Supposed to have a
sweet taste, with a woody core which is removed before cooking [rather
like parsnips, I think] The taste is compared to sweet potates. Also
dried and ground for a coffee substitute.
This is a huge book that has probably *almost* everything ever known to
have been eaten for food in the world. If anyone spots a source for
it, I would love to get a copy! to keep at home and read.
Well, good cooking and happy feasting everyone.
Mairi
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 1997 14:03:03 -0700
From: kat <kat at kagan.com>
Subject: SC - parsnips!
Juana Teresa entertained us with:
> Lady Katerine is SO right about the "underratedness" of parsnips.
> yea, parsnips....yea, parsnips...gimme a "P", gimme an "A"....
> sorry; I'll go quietly now.
> Juana Teresa
Go not, milady; I agree with you entirely!
I am always amazed and confuzzled by people who consider parsnips =
"yucky" or "bitter." My father taught me his method of making parsnips; =
which are soooo lovely I've even served them at feasts (and cursed =
myself for not saving any for ME; they were vacuumed instantly...)
Would this be considered a "period" method of serving this very period =
veggie? (..she asks, over a year since she already did it <blush>)
Glenn's Minnesota Parsnips
2-3 peeled parsnips, cut into sticks
Butter
White pepper
Cut parsnips to size of veggie-tray carrot sticks (about 2-3" long; =
about 1/2 to 3/4" thick. Parboil them till tender but NOT mushy (about =
10-20 minutes). Throw them in a saucepan and fry them in butter, =
seasoned to taste with white pepper, till edges are golden-brown. =20
The end result is sweet as candy (just as sweet, in my opinion, as the =
brown-sugar-glazed carrots I serve them with every Thanksgiving) and =
absolutely delightful. Please, let's not talk about cholesterol, =
though.... <grin>
What other parsnip recipes are out there? Can someone give me a more =
period recipe?
Always curious,
- kat
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 1997 16:20:29 -0500
From: gfrose at cotton.vislab.olemiss.edu (Terry Nutter)
Subject: Re: SC - parsnips! (was re: chicken on string)
Hi, Katerine here. kat asks whether parboiled parsnips fried lightly
in butter are period. I haven't seen a recipe for that, but vegetables
are relatively lightly represented in the corpus, at least partly
because they were simply prepared (Taillevent even says so).
The recipes I know of call for boiling (there's a lovely soup of boiled
parsnips or turnips or skirrets in beef broth with sweet spices, for
instance).
- -- Katerine/Terry
Date: Tue, 05 Aug 1997 19:00:45 -0700
From: ladymari at GILA.NET (Mary Hysong)
Subject: Re: Re- SC - chicken on string
Melissa Hicks wrote:
[snipped a good bit]
> In all my modern herb books I cannot find 'skirrets' except one...which
> describes a herb with an edible root which was highly prized by the
> Romans and which has the botanical name:
> Sium Sisarum. Any ideas anyone?
>
> Drake Morgan,
> Politarchopolis.
Aha!!Gardening--something I know lots about! I have a reference to
skirrets, just a minute.....Sorry that took so long <cough cough, the
dust on that bookcase is choking me...>
Here it is:
"Gardening for Good Eating"
Helen Morgenthau Fox
Collier Books, New York
Copyright 1943 by The Macmillan Company, renewed 1971 by the author
!st edition Collier Books, 1973
2nd printing 1974
these two are the paperback editions.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 72-12964
And I quote the entire passage, pages54 &55:
=================================================================
In the sixteenth century, skirrets, Sium sisarum, were brought to Europe
from Siberia and Persia, where they grew wild. The plant is a hard
perennial and has fleshy twisted roots, clustered like dahlia tubers.
Formerly these roots were a highly esteemed vegetable. Skirrets were
grown in Mobile, Alabama, in 1775 and are now obtinable from several
nurseries in the United States. The plants make thick lush growth about
2 feet high. The stems and divided leaves are a fresh yellow-green, and
the white flowers, in umbels, are somewhat weedy. The shoots and stems
have been blanched and eaten as a spring salad. They have a pleasant,
slightly camphoracieous taste, and the roots, too, have a pleasant
flavor.
To increase the supply of plants, they can readily be grown from
see, or the roots can be divided in autumn, wintered over in a sandy bed
and set out again in the garden in spring. They are hardy enough to
endure the winter outdoors, but this method of wintering over perennials
in the North has been found highly satisfactory. It does away with the
danger of plants being heaved out of the earth through thawing and
freezing.
The roots can be washed, scraped, and then steamed or boiled and
served like any root vegetables. To keep them from darkening after
peeling, they are dropped in water with lemon in it. This is Mrs.
Glasse's recipe to fricassee skirrets:
Wash the roots very well, boil them till they are tender; the thin
skin of the roots must be removed and the roots are cut in slices--have
ready a little cream, a piece of butter rolled in flour, the yolk of an
egg beaten, a little nutmeg, 2 to 3 spoonfuls of white wine, a little
salt and stir all together. Your roots being in a dish pour the sauce
over them.
to this might be added, put the whole dish in the oven to brown.
Rosemary can be substituted for nutmeg.
===========================
Hope this helps you out, tho I don't know who might have seeds or
plants,you could check sead saver exchanges or rare seed companies.
Mairi
- --
Mary Hysong <Lady Mairi Broder, Atenveldt Kingdom Scribe> and Curtis
Edenfield <The C-Man>
Date: Wed, 6 Aug 1997 12:57:16 SAST-2
From: "Ian van Tets" <IVANTETS at botzoo.uct.ac.za>
Subject: SC - skirret, succession-houses and nettles
Dear all and sundry,
This is my first message to the list. I am another Adamastorian
(Cape Town, South Africa), formerly of Lochac (Hi to any Stormholders
out there.
First, that skirret
is alive and well and can be got via some seed merchants. Mine in
Australia was Phoenix Seeds in Tasmania, who also give
historical provenance, level of organic production of seed, and
culinary/medicinal uses. Incidentally, I found a period poem -oh,
years ago - from Scotland about the glories of wild carrot.
Something about honey underground between St. Andrew's Day and
Christmas.
<snip>
Cairistiona nic Bhraonnaguinn
Dr. Ian van Tets
Dept. of Zoology
University of Cape Town
Rondebosch 7701 RSA
Date: Thu, 2 Oct 1997 15:24:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: Stephen Bloch <sbloch at adl15.adelphi.edu>
Subject: Re: SC - help-Queen Ann's Lace
Brid wrote:
> > << I thought Queen Ann's Lace was poisonous?
Ras replied:
> > Say what? Queen's Anne Lace is the wild carrot. If you take the seed palnt
> > it, grow it, dig it up and pick put the biggest roots, replant it, plant the
> > next years seed and repeat the process for at least 3-5 years you will have
> > in your garden a 'period' white or red carrot. :-)
Ciorstan continued:
> This, Lord Ras, is true-- however it is very easy for the new scavenger
> to mistake hemlock for Queen Anne's Lace out in the wild, with very
> unhappy results.
>
> If memory serves, there's also a water parsnip variety (remember the
> thread on skirrets a while back?) that is highly toxic as well.
From my old, scorched, stained copy of _Peterson's Field Guide
to Edible Wild Plants_:
Wild carrot, Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota)
A widespread _hairy-stemmed_ biennial. Flower clusters flat-topped,
lacy; often with a singule _purple_ flower in center. Old clusters
resemble _birds' nests_. Bracts _stiff, 3-forked_. Root white, smells
of carrot. 2-3 ft.... Prepare the first-year roots like garden
carrots. CAUTION: Early leaves resemble Poison Hemlock (below) but
stalks _hairy_.
Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum)
A tall, much-branched biennial. Stems stout, hollow, grooved, _spotted
with purple_. Ill-scented when bruised, unpleasant to taste. Root
white, carrotlike. 2-6 ft.... WARNING: small amounts may cause
paralysis and death. Similar to Wild Carrot (above) but leafstalks
_hairless_.
Water-hemlock, Spotted Cowbane (Cicuta maculata)
Tall, branching, with numerous flower clusters. Stem smooth, _streaked
with purple_, chambered. Leaves twice- or thrice-compound, often
reddish-tinged. Root with fat tuberlike branches, white. 3-6 ft....
WARNING: Our deadliest species. A single mouthful can kill.
Water parsnip (Sium sauve)
Similar to Water-hemlock (above), but stems _strongly ridged_ and leaves
_once-compound_ with 3-7 pairs of lance-shaped leaflets. Basal leaves
very finely cut, often submerged. Roots slender. 2-6 ft.... USE: roots
as cooked vegetable. Boil until tender. CAUTION: Because of its close
similarity to Water-hemlock (above), Water-parsnip is best ignored as a
possible food plant.
Does that make everything crystal clear?
mar-Joshua ibn-Eleazar ha-Shalib