[Sca-cooks] *Sigh* That tomato thing - again

[Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius]

On Oct 2, 2006, at 2:40 PM, Chass Brown wrote:

> Roflmao well in your terms. Then Heavy weapons shouldn’t exist,  
> knights
> would be all over and made knights for more than beating someone  
> with a
> stick. Proof of use is proof of use.

I'm not sure what you're talking about in the above, except to say  
that yes, indeed, proof of use is proof of use. Which, again, really  
wasn't the question in the discussion as originally framed. We were  
presented with a statement like, "No [or yes, as the case may be, and  
this indicates that it is a response to some other statement],  
tomatoes are, in fact, period." The question then becomes, where,  
when, and under what circumstances were they used, or else the  
information is largely useless. I can only conjecture that a  
statement to the effect that tomatoes "aren't period", or were not in  
general use in all of Europe through most of period, was the original  
statement.

> What would one estimate is not
> documented but known to be done/used (just questioned how it was
> used)... maybe 90%, that was felt so common place that they had no  
> need
> to document it????

Well, like what? No need to document it so people later could re- 
enact the time period, or documented for financial reasons,  
instructions on how to run a farm, laws on what prices can be charged  
for an item, these are all forms of documentation.

> I am not into it for Beer but I am into the game.

Okay, and I believe you've also said you're either not that into  
research, or not very good at it (I forget which). That's fine. But  
if you're into the game, can you not see that research is a way for  
some people to get better at playing the game?

> Remember we are to attempt to Recreate our IDEALS of the time  
> frame. We
> do not do precise recreation.

I'm not aware of those sentiments as being part of the incorporating  
documents of the SCA, Inc. I'm aware of a tradition of people doing  
as much research as they want.

To me, I confess what you've said so far doesn't come across as a  
defense of innocent people viciously attacked by evil research  
fiends. Given that there has been no such attack, it just sounds like  
an anti-research rant. Well, that's okay, too. All anybody is asking  
is that if somebody goes to the trouble to make a claim, they should  
be prepared to back it up.

> I agree those who can/want to should be as
> accurate as they can and if they can document it hey I am all for an
> education. If proof of use is found, in this case the use of tomatoes
> (Green would be what was used in period according to the information
> placed on the Floralgillum "yes I did that to tweak Stephan") then  
> where
> is the problem?

Actually, if you read what's in the Florilegium, there doesn't seem  
to be the obsession with tomatoes being green that you're positing.  
The references seem to generally state that tomatoes are green when  
unripe, then turn red or yellow. As far as I know, remembering Botany  
101, that's how it is in the real world, too.

I don't think there's a problem, at least not on my end. I haven't  
taken issue with your basic premise, but you seem to have some  
problem with mine. <shrug>

Adamantius