Rumpolt’s Renaissance Garnishes – Turnips, Red Cabbage & Pear Mustard (1581)

Rumpolt’s Second-Course Garnishes – Turnips, Cabbage, and Pear Mustard (1581)

Recipes from Ein New Kochbuch (1581), Marx Rumpolt

Not quite “dishes” in themselves but elegant accompaniments, these vegetable and fruit preparations were meant to decorate the roast or enrich the second course. Think of them as edible garnishes — dishes that show skill, color, and refinement if the feast budget allowed. Rumpolt (cook to the Elector of Mainz) included dozens of such recipes in his 1581 Ein New Kochbuch, a cornerstone of Renaissance German cooking.

Today we’d call these “sides” or even “small plates,” but in context they were prestige touches: wine-sauced turnips, kraut-style red cabbage, and pears enriched with mustard. They’re a reminder that early modern feasting celebrated abundance and artistry, not just meat on the platter.

Update (Aug 2025): Added translations, modern recipes, dietary notes 🥕, context on German feast traditions, and JSON-LD recipe markup.

White Turnips in Mustard & Wine

Original Text

Weiß Ruben im Senff/ mit neuwem Wein/ der süß ist/ … Oder daß man die Ruben brat/ … und thu sie in Senff/ laß darinnen ligen/ so wirdt es gut vnd wolgeschmack.

Modern Interpretation

White turnips in mustard mixed with sweet new wine, thickened and strained. The turnips may be boiled until firm or roasted, then peeled, quartered, and left to marinate in the mustard. Delicious and well-tasting.

Modern Recipe

🥕 Dietary Notes: Vegan • Vegetarian • Gluten-Free

• 1 lb turnips, peeled & quartered
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 2 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp white wine (or wine vinegar)
• 1 Tbsp mustard

1. Toss turnips with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 375°F until golden and tender (~30–40 min).
2. Whisk wine and mustard. Toss roasted turnips in sauce; serve warm or at room temp.

Red Cabbage with Fennel, Wine & Beets

Original Text

Nim ein rot Häupt Kraut/ wirffs in einen heissen Ofen… schneidt es viertheil weiß/ … thu ein wenig Fenchel darzwischen/ geuß halb Wein vnd halb Essig darüber/ … thu ein wenig gestossenen Merrettich darvnter/ so ist es gut.

Modern Gloss

Roast a red head of cabbage in the oven until steamed through. Quarter it, layer with fennel, cover with half wine, half vinegar, and add cooked beets and grated horseradish. A kraut-like preparation, tart and aromatic.

Modern Recipe

🥕 Dietary Notes: Vegan • Vegetarian • Gluten-Free

• 1 red cabbage, quartered
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced thin
• 5 Tbsp wine + 5 Tbsp vinegar
• 1 beet, cooked & cubed
• 1 tsp grated horseradish
• Salt, pepper, optional pinch sugar

1. Roast cabbage at 375°F ~45 min. Cool slightly; trim any char.
2. Layer cabbage, fennel, horseradish, and beets in a jar or dish. Season lightly.
3. Heat wine, vinegar, and sugar; pour over. Chill to marinate 1–2 days.

Pears in Sweet Mustard Sauce

Original Text

Seudt Birn in süssem Most/ … laß den Most weiter sieden biß er dick wird/ … streichs mit braunem Senff durch/ thu alsdenn die gesottenen Birn darein/ so wird es gut.

Modern Gloss

Boil pears in sweet grape must, reduce the must until syrupy, strain with brown mustard, and return the pears. For better mustard, mix with anise and coriander, and sweet wine.

Modern Recipe

🥕 Dietary Notes: Vegan • Vegetarian • Gluten-Free

• 1 lb pears
• 1 cup sweet grape juice or must
• 2 Tbsp brown mustard seed (soaked overnight)
• ½ tsp coriander seed
• ¼ tsp anise seed

1. Simmer pears in juice until tender; remove and cool.
2. Reduce juice until thick; blend with soaked mustard, coriander, and anise.
3. Stir pears into sauce; age at least 2–3 days if possible before serving.

Serving & Context

These three garnishes would appear around roasts in the second course. Colorful, tangy, and wine-laced, they provided balance to rich meats. Think of them as “flavor accents” — the German table prized sharpness and brightness alongside heavy fare. For an SCA feast, they’d work as sides to pork or beef, or as small vegetarian dishes in their own right.

Sources

• Marx Rumpolt, Ein New Kochbuch (1581). Digitized: Google Books
• English translations and redactions courtesy of Ranvaig the Weaver: Red Dragon Recipes PDF