[Sca-cooks] Camp cooking experiment a success

[Anne-Marie Rousseau]

heck, you can even do an approximation of herbolade in a boiling bag (that's the eggy cheesy herby 
thing in le Menagier and Forme of Curye.

recipe:
Herbolade:
One Herbolace Or Two of Eggs (Menagier a Paris )
Take of dittany two leaves only, and of rue less than the half or naught, for know that it is 
strong and bitter; of smallage, tansey, mint, and sage, of each some four leaves or less, for each 
is strong; marjoram a little more, fennel more, parsley more still, but of porray, beets, violet 
leaves, spinach, lettuces and clary, as much of the one as of the others, until you have two large 
handfuls.  Pick them over and wash them in cold water, then dry them of all the water, and bray two 
heads of ginger, then put your
herbs into the mortar two or three times and bray them with the ginger. And  then have sixteen eggs 
well beaten together, yolks and whites, and bray and mix them in the mortar with the things 
abovesaid, then divide it in two and make two thick omelettes, which you shall fry as followeth.  
First you shall heat your frying pan very well with oil, butter or such other fat as you will, and 
when it is very hot all over and especially towards the handle, mingle and spread your eggs over 
the pan and turn them often over and over with a flat palette, then cast good grated cheese on the 
top, and know that it is so done, because if you grate cheese with the herbs and eggs, when you 
come to fry your omelette, the cheese at the bottom will stick to the pan, and thus it befals with 
an egg omelette if you mix the eggs with the cheese.  Wherefore you should first put the eggs in 
the pan, and put the cheese on the top, and then cover the edges with eggs, and otherwise it will 
cling to the pan.  And when your herbs be cooked in the pan, cut your herbolace into a round or 
square and eat it not too hot nor too cold.

Erbolat (Forme of Curye )
Take persel, myntes, saverey and sauge, tansey, verveyn, clarry, rewe, ditayn, fenel, southrenwode; 
hewe hem and grince hem slale. Medle hem up with aryen. Do buttur in a trap, and do the fars 
therto, and bake it and messe forth.

Our version:
1 lb bag irradiated, mixed interesting salad greens (spinach, arugula, etc)
minced fresh parsley, sage, savory, marjoram, a touch of mint, fennel, or whatever fresh herbs you 
can find. About one handfuls worth when its all in a pile (go easy on the mint).
1 small slice fresh ginger
2 T butter or olive oil
16 eggs, beaten 
2 cups shredded cheese 
optional modern addition: a bit of minced garlic or onion

In a large bowl, pound the ginger till the juice gets out. Fish out the stringy bits if desired. 
Add the greens  and herbs and pound until slightly wilted.  Melt the butter in a large deep pot 
with the garlic if you wished it. Add the greens, then the beaten eggs. Stir till blended. When the 
eggs are about set, add the cheese. Don’t stir, but cover and let cook until the cheese is melted. 
Serves 8.

BOILING BAG VERSION:
sautee the greens in a bit of olive oil or butter with the ginger (minced). let cool.
beat the eggs
put into boiling bags, about 2-3 eggs worth, plus some greens, plus some grated cheese. squish out 
the air and seal.

not advisable to freeze, but to cook, just toss the bags into boiling water. squish once ina  while 
to make sure its cooked.

enjoy! :)

--Anne-Marie