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Herb-Vin-Oils-art - 11/23/18

"Herbed Vinegar Oils for Salad Dressing (or Meat Marinades)" by Countess Tessa of the Gardens, OP.

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NOTICE -

This article was added to this set of files, called Stefan's Florilegium, with the permission of the author.

These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

While the author will likely give permission for this work to be reprinted in SCA type publications, please check with the author first or check for any permissions granted at the end of this file.

Thank you,

Mark S. Harris...AKA:..Stefan li Rous

stefan at florilegium.org

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Herbed Vinegar Oils for Salad Dressing (or Meat Marinades)

by Countess Tessa of the Gardens, OP.

Artisans' Row Classes

War o/t Rams VII BAM 2018

Pictures in my kitchen.

Vinegar bottles 201807.1.jpg Caraway Comfit wood.jpg

Various Herbed Vinegar Oils Caraway Seeds with Cider Vinegar

Vernacular and Background: The Olive tree was/is considered highly important in Greek culture. The olive branch was a symbol of peace, used in many ways as a symbol of goodness, including a wreath of olive branches worn by a bride. The taste of extra virgin olive oil, skimmed off the top of fresh crushed olives, light and fruity, was/is prized by the Greeks. A less desirable but still very good oil is obtained from putting the skins in a heavy press.

The Greeks and Romans are credited with learning to salt vegetables and add vinegar and oil. Greeks claim to have first discovered the olive tree and using its delicious produce. Vinegar invented itself, by wines going bad when exposed to oxygen.

"Homez" in Hebrew, "Oxus" in Greek, vinegar is mentioned five times in the Old Testament and five times in the New Testament. It was used as a relish by the Jews with food being dipped into it before eating (Ru 2:14). Vinegar by itself was too pungent to drink, hence to give vinegar to drink was part of the punishment of a victim (Ps 69:21). It is supposed that the vinegar administered to The Christ on a sponge (Jn 20:29) was posca, a Roman soured wine, which is forbidden to the Nazarites (Numbers 6:3). Soldiers offered vinegar mixed with gall (Mt 27:24) Soldiers mocked by offering vinegar, sour wine (Lk 23:34).

Salad: Comes from the Latin herba salta or "salted herbs", so called because such greens were usually seasoned with dressings containing lots of salt.

Salad Days: Refers to a time of youthful inexperience, a term coined by Shakespeare, whose Cleopatra characterizes her long-ago romance with Julius Caesar as one occurring in "my salad days, when I was green in judgment…"

Vinegar: Produced as wine is exposed to oxygen. From the French vin aigre, "sour wine" results when an alcoholic liquid –wine, malted grain, cider, distilled alcohol- becomes sour, or is infected with bacteria that convert alcohol to acetic acid. Wine vinegars make a rich salad dressing when combined with oil. (Mother earth news)

Combining your available herbs with a vinegar of choice and a good oil results in a dressing pleasant for salads as well as a marinade fine for meats.

From 1st century Apicius. Translated by Vheling. Recipes are numbered.

[107] FIELD HERBS HERBAE RUSTICAE Field and forest herbs prepared [either raw] with stock, oil and vinegar [as a salad] or as a cooked dish by adding pepper, cumin, and mastic berries.

[108] NETTLES URTICAE The female nettles, when the sun is in the position of the Aries, is supposed to render valuable services against ailments of various kinds.

[109] ENDIVES AND LETTUCE INTUBA ET LACTUCAE Endives [are dressed] with brine. A little oil and chopped onion, instead of the real lettuce in winter time the endives are taken out of the pickle [and are dressed] with honey or vinegar.

[110] LETTUCE SALAD, FIELD SALAD AGRESTES LACTUCAE [Dress it] With vinegar dressing and a little brine stock; which helps digestion and is taken to counteract inflation.

[111] A HARMLESS SALAD NE LACTUCAE LAEDANT [And in order that the lettuce many not hurt you take 9with it or after it0 the following preparation] 2 ounces of ginger, 1 ounce of green rue, 1 ounce of meaty dates, 12 scruples of ground pepper, 1 ounce of good honey, and 8 ounces of either AEthiopian or Syrian cumin. Make an infusion of this in vinegar, the cumin crushed, and strain, of this liquor use a small spoonful. Mix it with stock and a little vinegar: you may take a small spoonful after the meal. …

[123] CARROTS ANOTHER WAY CAROTAE ALITER The carrots [are cooked] salted [and served] with pure oil and vinegar.

How to Make a Vinaigrette:

Use 2 - 3 parts of good oil, to 1 part vinegar

The most common additions are herbs of choice, and possibly mustard, shallots onions, or chives.

Sample Herb Vinegar and Oil preparations:

CARAWAY and CIDER VINEGAR from Flavored Oils and Vinegars

Especially good for all kinds of fresh and cooked cabbage dishes.

1 tspn caraway seeds

1 cup cider vinegar

In a dry pan, warm the caraway seeds for one to two minutes. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the vinegar until it starts go bubble. Add the toasted caraway seed to the vinegar, pour into a clean jar, cover, and store in a dark place.

WALNUT OIL from Flavored Oils and Vinegars

1/2 cup walnuts

1 cup canola oil

Break up the walnuts and dry roast the pieces in a pan over medium heat for 2 minutes or until a fragrant aroma is released. Slowly heat the oil in a separate pan. Combine 1/4 cup of walnuts with the heated oil and process in a blender, Combine with the remaining oil and pour into a clean dry jar. Cover it at room temperature for 2 days for the flavor to absorb, then refrigerate. Before using, strain out the nut pieces by pouring through cheese cloth if you wish.

Author Martha Barnette reminds us that salad dressings have a history dating back to ancient times. The Babylonians used oil and vinegar for dressing greens nearly 2,000 years ago. Egyptians served a salad dressed with oil, vinegar and Asian spices. Salads were favorites in the courts of European Monarchs. Their royal chefs often combined 35 or more ingredients in one enormous salad bowl, including exotic green ingredients such flower petals.

England's King Henry IV's favorite salad was a tossed mixture of boiled and diced new potatoes, sardines, and herb dressing.

Mary, Queen of Scots, preferred boiled celery root diced and tossed with lettuce, creamy mustard dressing, truffles, chervil and hard-cooked egg slices.

RESOURCES:

Apicius, Apicius, The Roman Cookery Book. 1^st Century,

Translated by Barbara Flower and Elisabeth Rosenbaum, London: George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd., 1958) (Now out of print. Collectible. Thought to be a preferred translation over Vehling's work of 1977.)

Apicius, Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome. Ancient 1^st Century book known as APICIUS De Re COQUINARIA, 1498 ed. (Milan) Vehling, Joseph Dommers, translator, 1936 (Dover, 1977 edtn.), ISBN 0-486-23563-7. Recipes are numbered.

Barnette, Martha. Ladyfingers & Nun's Tummies -- A Lighthearted Look at How Foods Got Their Names. ASJA Press iUniverse, Inc. Lincoln N, 1997, ISBN 0-595-34503-4

Holy Bible, Num 6:3; Ru 2:14; Ps 69:21; Mt 27:24; Lk 23:34; Jn 10:29.

Parragon Books, Flavored Oils and Vinegars. Parragon, Queen Street House, Bath, UK, 2007. ISBN 978-1-4054-9570-7

Shakespeare, William. Anthony and Cleopatra. Act 1, Scene 5, 73-74.

https://www.dressings-sauces.org/history-salad-dressings

https://www.kitchenproject.com/history/SaladDressing/Vinaigrette-History.htm

https://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/salad-dressing-recipes-zmaz88mjzgoe

https://www.ponti.com/en/in-ancient-times/

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Copyright 2018 by Liz Lee, Beaumont, TX. <tessa at gt.rr.com>. Permission is granted for republication in SCA-related publications, provided the author is credited. Addresses change, but a reasonable attempt should be made to ensure that the author is notified of the publication and if possible receives a copy.

If this article is reprinted in a publication, please place a notice in the publication that you found this article in the Florilegium. I would also appreciate an email to myself, so that I can track which articles are being reprinted. Thanks. -Stefan.