[Sca-cooks] More on Beets and Beet Roots

[James Prescott]

At 19:59 -0800 2004-02-18, david friedman wrote:
> But the question vis a vis the recipe is whether the normal use was eating the greens or the roots--hence how the recipe would be interpreted if it didn't specify. The idea that it could be either strikes me as implausible, since they are very different things. We seem to have lots of references to eating the green, few to eating the root, so my guess is still that the recipe intends the greens.


Of some interest in this connection, though not specific enough to draw
any definite conclusions, is from Ouverture (1604 French) in which in 
a long list of ingredients that are essential for the kitchen we find
some roots

"
Roots of parsley.
Roots of chervil.
Roots of fennel.
Roots of parsnip.
Yellow roots.
Red roots.
Some turnips.
Salsify roots.
"

and a bit later some greens

"
Green white beet.
Some (Swiss) chard or red chard.
Chervil.
"


Thorvald