SC - non-member submission - Prepare ahead feast food

[Michael F. Gunter]

I was looking for something simple to take to a
Pot-Luck that our Shire is having next month (in case
I get to go!  It is a work night for my husband
though) and I thought I would share it with the person
who is trying to find things that can be prepared
ahead of time that require little or no re-heating to
serve. This is in the florilegiem files under FOOD: by
region- Scottish.  This sounded good to me, and is
flexible with what is in season (as I presume it would
have been in medieval times as well - since not all
greens or flowers are available year round, just use
whatcha got).  Also, I am pregnant and never know if I
am going to have the energy to put forth a fancy dish
or not, this salad sounded simple enough.

- ---Begin quote---Herb and Flower Salad - (Scottish
Medieval - dated from 1390 AD)
A Book of Historical Recipes by Sara Paston-Williams
The National
Trust of Scotland, 1995 ISBN 0-7078-0240-7; Posted by
Paul Macgregor
Salat: "Take persel (parsley), sawge, grene garlec,
chibolles (spring onions), oynouns, leek, borage,
myntes, porrettes (a type of leek), fennel, and town
cressis, rew, rosemaye, purslayne; lave and wasche hem
clene. Pike hem. Pluk hem small with thyme hande, and
mingle hem wel with rawe oile; lay on vynegar and
salt, and serve it forth."
Historical note: This is the earliest salad recipe in
English.

Mixed herb and flower salads proved so popular that
they continued in fashion through to the 17th century.
The salad would change according to the season and
what grew in each cook's herb garden, so adapt and
experiment with the basic recipe as you wish, as long
as the result is colorful.

** British Measurements **
2 bn Watercress
1 packages Mustard greens & cress
2 oz Fresh parsley sprigs
1 Leek; finely sliced
6 Spring onions; chopped
1 oz Sorrel leaves; chopped
1 oz Dandelion leaves; chopped
1 Fennel bulb; sliced into match sticks
1 oz Daisy leaves; chopped
Red sage leaves
Mint leaves
1 Fresh rosemary sprig chopped
1 cl Garlic
1 TB Wine vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
6 TB Olive oil
Violets, primrose, blue borage flowers, dandelions &
alexander buds to decorate

Wash and dry all the salad greens and prepare it. Mix
together in a large bowl, which has been rubbed well
with a garlic clove, reserving the flowers. Place the
wine vinegar, seasonings and olive oil into a
screw-topped jar and shake well to blend. Pour over
the salad just before serving and mix again carefully.
Decorate with the flowers as you wish and serve
immediately.

- ---End Quote---