SC - Period Beet Recipes (was: summer feast)

[Cindy Renfrow]

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.

Regards,


Cindy Renfrow/Sincgiefu
cindy at thousandeggs.com
Author & Publisher of "Take a Thousand Eggs or More, A Collection of 15th
Century Recipes" and "A Sip Through Time, A Collection of Old Brewing
Recipes"
http://www.thousandeggs.com -- please come visit my new web site!


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