[Sca-cooks] New compost recipe (long)

[johnna holloway]

Actually OED lists it as:

compost compost ko.mpost, sb.1 Also (sense 3)
6 compest. [a. OFr. compost, cumpost:-L. compositum
later compostum) neuter of pa. pple.: see compost pa. pple. ]

1. A composition, combination, compound.

b. A literary composition, compendium.

2. Cookery. = compote. Obs.
a. A stew of various ingredients.
C. 1420 Liber Cocorum (1862) 18 For
to make a compost [with chickens, herbs, spices, etc.].
b. spec. A preparation of fruit or spice preserved in
wine, sugar, vinegar, or the like.
C. 1430 Two Cookery-bks. (1888) 59 Le ij cours,
 Compost, Brode canelle, Potage.
C. 1450 Two Cookery-bks. 87 Peris in compost,
 take pere Wardones..pare hem, and seth hem..and
cast hem to the Syryppe..And then pare clene
rasinges of ginger..and caste hem to the peres in composte.
1513 Bk. Keruynge in Babees Bk. (1868)
 268 Loke your composte be fayre and clene.
1601 Holland Pliny II. 159 White oliues..before
 they be put vp in their compost or pickle.

3. A mixture of various ingredients for
 fertilizing or enriching land, a prepared manure or mould.

MED (Middle English Dictionary) lists:
compost(e (n.)

[OF; cp. F compote.]

(a) A mixture of stewed fruit and/or vegetables;
 a preserve; in compost, stewed or preserved; (b) a stew.

(a)  (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)   p.49:  Compost.
 Take rote of persel, pasternak..rapes & caboches.
c1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(2) (Hrl 4016)   87:  Peris in compost.
 Take Wyne, canell, Sugur..dates..pere Wardones..cast hem
 to the Syryppe..with Gynger..ley hem in clarefied hony.
a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)   79:  Aftur mete
..blawnderelles, pepyns, careawey in comfyte, Compostes
 ar like to þese.  c1475 Gregory's Chron.(Eg 1995)  141:  Datys in
composte.

(b)  a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)
   59:  Le ij cours: Compost..Codlyng.
a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)   p.18:
  For to make a compost. Take þo chekyns and
 hew hom..chekyns þou put þerto, And þen of þe herbz
..And tendurly seyth hit.
?a1475 Noble Bk.Cook.(Hlk 674)
  111:  To mak composte tak chekins and..saige,
 parsly, lekes..and boille it.
a1486(c1429) Menu Banquet Hen.VI in Archaeol.57 (Mrg M 775)
58:  Le iij Course: Compost..Venison rost, Egrettz.

Johnnae llyn Lewis  Johnna Holloway


Nicolas Steenhout wrote:
> Compost:  An organic material used in gardening, made of all kind of rotten
> materials.>
> Compote:  Usualy fruits cooked slowly with a sweetener added.  (though it
> can be done with onions and such :-) )>
> Though Vincente did make a good point on the likely origin of both words.
> Muiredach mac Loloig