SC - skirret, succession-houses and nettles

[Ian van Tets]

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).  I have two comments and a question.  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.  

Succession houses were used up to WW1 on the great estates.  They are 
greenhouses that are designed to produce fruit successively (say, one 
house per month comes into fruit, so you might need 6), and a well-
run garden should apparently be producing peaches from Christams 
until the end of the natural flowering season.

Now the question - I have come across references to the Celts' use of 
Lady's Bedstraw and Nettles in cheese-making.  Apparently they curdle 
the milk, which saves bumping off the calves.  I am told that Lady's 
Bedstraw also dyes red, and this is the reason for Red Leicester 
cheese being red - long memories on the part of the cheesemakers 
(blessed or otherwise).  OK - dried nettles do not work.  I tried 
that idea. I presume then that it's the juice of the fresh herb.  Has 
anyone any prior experience/knowledge/information on this?

Cairistiona nic Bhraonnaguinn

*****************************************************
Dr. Ian van Tets
Dept. of Zoology
University of Cape Town
Rondebosch 7701 RSA

ph: +27 +21 650 3641 (w), 650 3301 (fax), 47 5324 (H)
*****************************************************

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