On Sallets - On Salads

Originally Published Oct 8, 2022



[Caveat- I did not translate the Salad's from Rumpolt. The translations belong to M. Grasse at the link found under sources.}

Click here to visit a digitized copy of  Marx Rumpolt's "Ein New Kochbuch"

SALLETS in general con∣sist of certain Esculent Plants and Herbs, improv'd by Culture, Industry, and Art of the Gard'ner: Or, as others say, they are a Composition of Edule Plants and Roots of several kinds, to be eaten Raw or Green, Blanch'd or Candied; simple, and per se, or intermingl'd with others according to the Season. The Boil'd, Bak'd, Pickl'd, or otherwise disguis'd, variously accommodated by the skilful Cooks, to render them grateful to the more feminine Palat, or Herbs rather for the Pot, &c. challenge not the name of Sallet so properly here, tho' sometimes mention'd; And therefore, Those who Criticize not so nicely upon the Word, seem to distinguish the*Olera (which were never eaten Raw) from Acetaria, which were never Boil'd; and so they derive the Etymology of Olus, from Olla, the Pot. (Acetaria a discourse of sallets)

Von allerley Kräuter Salat/ weiß und grün/ wie nachfolget

Of assorted herbal salads/ white and green/ as follows.

I. Endive salad with oil and vinegar prepared/ and with
salt.

2. White endive salad cut nicely small.

3. White head (lettuce or cabbage?) salad.

4. White head salad soaked (poached) in water/ and again cooled/
prepared with vinegar/ oil and salt/ white sugar/ that is crushed/
poured over/ is also good.

5. Green head salad that is half raw and half poached/ is in both ways good/ be it sweet or sour.

6. Green field salad (field greens) prepared / with pomegranate seed sprinkled/
is pretty and decorative.

7. Green salad/ that is small and young/ red beets cut small/ and tossed thereover/ when the salad is prepared/ and the red beets are cooked and cooled

8. Of a white head salad/ that is cut nicely small/ one part poached in cooked water/ and one part raw. And under the poached put capers.

9. Watercress salad/ created in a garden/ or grown near a running creek/ is not bad either.

10. Cooked onion salad/ or roasted (fried)/ make it sweet with a white sugar/ or with small black raisins.

11. Pimpernel Salat

12. White Rapunzel (Bot. Campanula Rapunculus. L.) Bellflower aka little turnip / the root poached/ and a part raw combined with the greens/ is in both ways good to prepare.

13. Round Rapunzzel (Bot. Campanula Rapunculus. L.) poached/ are also not bad to eat.

14. Hops salad/ that is poached.

15. Asparagus salad/ that is also poached/ and cut small/ or prepared whole/ is in both ways good. You can make it with Peabroth/ with a little butter/ pepper and vinegar/ served warm to the table.

16. Chicory root salad/ that is peeled nicely clean/ cut the pit from it/ poach it well/ but that you do not overcook it/ cool it/ make it sweet or sour/ so it is in both ways good.

17 Chicory greens salad/ that is green/ that is poached/ make it sweet or sour. If the greens are young. So one can serve it with vinegar/ oil and salt.

18. Large capers soaked and poached.

19. Small caper salad.

20. Peel the Cucumbers/ and cut them broad and thin/ season them with oil/ pepper and salt. But if they are salt-preserved/ they are also not bad/ are better than raw/ because one can salt it with Fennel and with caraway/ that both can be kept over one year. And near the Rhine-stream one calls it Cucummern

21. Take white beet stems/ peel and poach then in water/ prepare it with oil/ vinegar and salt.

22. Pale salad/ that is green and young/ poach it in water/ season it with vinegar/ oil and salt. And this salad one should not eat much of/ because it purges much.

23. Take hard boiled eggs/ serve them especially beside the salad/ sprinkle them with green parsley and salt/ and pour vinegar over.

24. Sour orange salad/ peel and cut them nicely thick/ sprinkle them with
white sugar.

25. Salad of pomegranate seeds/ sprinkle also with white
sugar.

26. Sorrell salad.

27. Take lemon salad/ cut it broad and thin/ and sprinkle it with
white sugar.

28. Nettle salad.

29. Red beet salad/ when they are cooked/ so cut them small/ long or diced/ season it with oil/ vinegar and salt/ may make it sweet or sour.

30. Artichoke with a pea broth/ good butter/ pepper/ salt/ and a little broth given to the table/ and crushed pepper on the side.

31. Artichoke cooked with beef broth/ and brought warm to the table.

32. Take endive stems/ serve them poached or raw/ cut nicely small.

33. Take a red head lettuce (red cabbage)/ cut it nicely small/ and poach it a little in
warm water/ then cool it quickly/ season it with vinegar and oil/ and when it soaks a while in the vinegar/ it gets nicely red.

34. Of the same greens the stems cut nicely small/ seasoned with vinegar and oil.

35. Take young pumpkin/ that are not large/ peel and cut them nicely long/ remove the seeds/ poach it a little/ cool it thereafter/ and season it with vinegar/ salt and oil.

36.Roman Wicken (Bot. Vicia sativa L.) (common Vetch, the seeds seem to be similar to red lentils, but may well be slightly toxic) and poach them well in their shells/ cool them/ and season them with vinegar/ salt and oil.

37. Take lemon/ chop it small/ season it with nice clean sugar/ that has been crushed/ sprinkle it with pomegranate seed/ that are nicely red/ so it is also delicate and good.

38. Curley salad/ that is nicely green.

39. Take sugar (sugar beet!)/ season it and scrape it/ so they turn white/ poach then
in water/ and cool/ season it with vineger/ oil and salt. You can also serve them
raw/ if they are clean and well peeled or scraped.

40. Salad of red leaf (red cabbage).

41. Take roman beans/ poach and cool them/ prepare them with oil/ vinegar and salt.

42. Take borage, parsley, pimpernel/ lemon balm and hyssop/ astragalus and tarragon/ so it is a combined salad of welltasting herbs/ with borage flowers tossed over/ it is pretty and decorative.

43. Take borage root/ scrape it/ and cut the core therefrom/ and dispose of it/ poach the remaining / and cool it/ season it with oil and salt/ so it is healthful and good.

44.Take radish / and cut it small/ broad and thin/ poach it in
water/ cool it / season it with oil/ vinegar and salt. You may sprinkle it with sugar or not.

45. Or take a radish/ cut in small and thin/ or fine diced/ season it with vinegar/ oil and salt/ so it is good too.

46. You can also arrange a salad in a bowl/ green white and red/ nicely made like a rose/ so it is decorative/ good and welltasting.

47. Kollis Fioris is a Spanish salad/ that one can prepare in all sorts of ways.

48. Take white salad/ that in Italian is called lettuce/ poach it in hot water/ cook it nicely clean/ and cook it with beef broth and fresh butter/ that is unmelted/ make it sweet or not.

49. Take white salad/ that has been poached/ grate a white loaf and parmesan cheese/ cut nutmeg thereunder. Take egg yolks and fresh butter/ that is unmelted/ cut beef marrow thereunder/ and put the salad thereunder/ and a little crushed ginger/ so it is wonderful and filling/ make a dough with egg whites/ work it well/ roll it nicely thin/ as a veil/ that it is translucent/ put the filling therein/ and take each a quarter of the lettuce/ wrap it in the dough with the filling/ and make krapffen (crullers) therefrom. Take a good beef broth and a little whole nutmeg-blossom (mace?)/ set over coals/ and let come to a simmer/ put the crullers one after the other therein/ and let simmer gently. So makes one Schlickrapffen of lettuce/ that are delicious to eat.

50.Take head (lettuce) salad/ cut it in quarters/ and poach it in water/ press it well (to remove water)/ and take a parmesan cheese/ that is well grated/ and grated bread/ mix it together/ and prepare it with egg yolks and fresh butter/ take also a little crushed ginger thereunder/ stir it all together/ and when you want to wrap it in dough/ so take the salad/ that you have quartered/ roll each quarter especially in the filling/ wrap it in the dough/ cook with a pea broth and butter. You may serve it dry/ or in the broth/ as you want to have it.

Source

"Acetaria A Discourse Of Sallets / By J. E. ...". Quod.Lib.Umich.Edu, 2022, https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/B22628.0001.001/1:5?rgn=div1;view=fulltext;q1=salad. Accessed 8 Oct 2022.

"Rumpolt Salad". Web.Archive.Org, 2022, https://web.archive.org/web/20081002110840/http://clem.mscd.edu/~grasse/GK_salad1.htm. Accessed 8 Oct 2022.

(German) Ein köstlich Marcipan von Quitten und Mandeln in hefftigem Durchlauff von schwachem Magen - A delicious marcipan of quince and almonds in a strong flow on a weak stomach

 Originally published on Patreon Oct 10, 2022




In Anna Wecker’s Köstlich New Kochbuch (1598), this recipe for marzipan made with quince sounds divine, and so it had to be tested. My previous recipe for Marzipan flavored with coriander from A Daily Exercise for Ladies and Gentlewomen, 1621, previously served at a Baronial 12th Night was well received. I had hoped that this would be no different and was eager to try it out.

What is Marzipan?

Marzipan is a confection made from almond paste, egg whites, and sugar. It is one of many dishes known as "banqueting dishes".

What is a Marchpane?

Marchpanes are baked marzipans that can be served with icing and decorated.

What was the banquet?

Similar to desserts that we enjoy today, the "Banquet" began simply as wafers and wines served in a separate room at the end of the meal when guests withdrew from the table. Eventually, this humble course became what we now know as the Banquet, a series of elaborate dishes consisting of pastries, sugar-coated spices, marmalades, fruit preserved in syrup, etc.

What was included in "the Banquet" ?

Thomas Dawson gives a comprehensive list of items in his book "The good husvvifes ievvell" published in 1596

THE NAMES OF ALL thinges necessary for a banquet. 1596
Suger. Pepper. Saffron. Anniseedes. Cinamon. Nutmegs. Saunders. Coliander. Licoras. All kinde of Cumfets. Orenges. Pomegranet. Torneseli. Prunes. Currans. Barberies conserued. Peper white and browne seedes. Lemmons. Rosewater. Raisins. Rie flowre. Ginger. Cloues and Mace. Damaske. water. Dates. Cherries conserued. Sweete Orenges. Wafers. For your Marchpanes seasoned and vnseasoned, Spinndges.

Original Recipe

Translation   

Ein köstlich Marcipan von Quitten und Mandeln in hefftigem Durchlauff von schwachem Magen

A delicious marcipan with quinces and almonds for strong diarrhea and weak stomachs Take nice quinces and steam them with quince juice in a tightly closed pot, or if you do it right they can produce the broth themselves (i.e. can be cooked without adding liquid). When they are nicely soft, remove their skin and take the best of their marrow or flesh so that no stone is added to it. Then take finely ground almonds and clean, bolted sugar as much as there are quinces and almonds. Take the half part of this and boil it into a syrup with rosewater or cinnamon water. Add the flesh of the quinces to this and let it dry or roast in a brass pan together. Then stir it well in a dish and the almonds with it, then place it on a clean table, work in the remaining sugar, and when it is like a gingerbread dough (ein teig zu Lebkuchen), shape it as you like, press in moulds, dry it in a baking oven or a stove (roehrofen). The same way, you may make pears or various kinds from pure quince flesh, or make krapfen (filled fried pastries) of this stuff, but do not work it so it becomes too stiff, leave it nicely soft. You can also fill wafers with it (for fritters).

Let the experimentation begin! 


I am trying a new method for cooking my quinces. I cut three quinces in half and placed them into a crockpot with enough apple juice to cover the bottom of the fruit (about 2 ounces). This method will take a few days, but the results I promise you, are worth it!

Set the crockpot on low and allow the quince to cook for several hours. The idea to cook the quince in a crockpot came from a blog post I had found from well-fed, flat broke "crock pot membrillo".

NOTE: I did not add sugar at this point because I want to follow the recipe as exactly as possible and I am not making quince paste.

A short while later...

The quinces smelled very good and were starting to soften but all of the apple juice has been absorbed or cooked off :-/. I added more juice, enough to come about halfway up the fruit, and continued cooking overnight.

DAY 2

Pictured above are the lovely cooked quinces. They cooked in the slow cooker for about six hours. Aren't they beautiful? Heavy, glossy, and starting to break down!? Exactly what you want to see at this point.

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I must have done it right because the pot was full of "juice".

The next step is to remove the skin, seeds, and cores, blitz them to a pulp in the blender and then return the fruit to the crock pot and continue to cook it until it reaches the color you wish. I love a deep garnet-colored paste.

Also, a small correction. I used fresh pressed cloudy apple juice that may sometimes be referred to as apple cider. It is the only juice I drink or use and I don't think a clear juice would have worked as well.

A Delicious Marcipan (Marzipan) with Quinces and Almonds

Ingredients

3 tbsp. cooked quince pulp

3/4 cup + almond flour **

9 tbps. + confectioner sugar **

NOTE: I did not have access to rosewater, but, had I access it, I would have added a tsp or two. Also, the next time I make the fruit, I will be adding cinnamon to it rather than cinnamon oil.

Mix all ingredients together until you get a dough that is similar to medieval gingerbread. Mix two tbsp. almond flour with 1-2 tbsp. confectioner sugar and sprinkle it on your countertop. Roll to approximately 1/4" and cut into shapes. Allow the marzipan to dry in a very low oven.

**Amount may vary depending on how "wet" the quince pulp is. You want to create a dough the consistency of play dough.

Thoughts

It is a lovely taste! You taste the quince, then the almonds, and towards the end of the bite, the flavors mix together and it tastes -almost- like cherries.

This was very easy to make, although it did require a lot of time. I believe I will be cooking my quinces in the crockpot instead of the stovetop in the future. The lower the heat and the longer it cooks the redder it gets.

Additionally - this stores very well in an airtight container. You can also freeze it by wrapping it in parchment paper and then sealing it in a ziplock bag which has had all the air squeezed from it. This made a huge batch of Marzipan. It is almost a year later, and I have the better part of a pound left because I'm stingy with it!  


Sources

"Crock Pot Membrillo (Quince Paste).". Well Fed, Flat Broke, 2015, https://wellfedflatbroke.com/2015/09/14/membrillo/. Accessed 10 Oct 2022.

Culina-Vetus.De, 2022, https://www.culina-vetus.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Recipes-from-Anna-Wecker-1598.pdf. Accessed 10 Oct 2022.

"Early English Books Online". Quod.Lib.Umich.Edu, 2022, https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A19957.0001.001?type=simple&rgn=full+text&q1=banquet&submit=Go. Accessed 10 Oct 2022.

"'Ein Köstlich New Kochbuch Von Allerhand Speisen, An Gemüsen, Obs, Fleisch, Geflügel, Wildpret, Fischen Vnnd Gebachens : Nicht Allein Vor Gesunde: Sondern Auch Vnd Fürnemlich Vor Krancke, In Allerley Kranckheiten Und Gebresten ...' - Digitalisat | MDZ". Digitale-Sammlungen.De, 2022, https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/view/bsb11111117?page=60,61. Accessed 10 Oct 2022.

(German) Weltt jr gútt prattwirst machen - If you would make good bratwurst

 Originally Published  Oct 25, 2022



Das Kochbuch der Sabina Welserin, 1553

sausage (n.)article of food consisting of chopped or minced meat, seasoned and stuffed into the cleaned gut of an ox, sheep, or pig, and tied at regular intervals, mid-15c., sawsyge, sausige, from Old North French saussiche (Old French saussice, Modern French saucisse), from Vulgar Latin *salsica "sausage," from salsicus "seasoned with salt," from Latin salsus "salted," from past participle of Old Latin sallere "to salt," from sal (genitive salis) "salt" (from PIE root *sal- "salt").

This is another recipe that needs to be given proper attribution, it belongs to the Lady Aveline Grene, and it can be found at her website "Grene Boke: The Commonplace Boke of Aveline Grene".


I did make several changes to her recipe, the first being that I did not use liquid smoke. I smoked these with the smoked pork. Secondly, I did not use sausage casings. Instead, I used the saran wrap & simmer method that I use when I plan on serving sausages cold.


It is believe that it's origin came about as a way to preserve food in a convenient package. The first mention of sausage as a food can be traced to 'The Orya", a play performed in Ancient Greece that was written about 500 BC.


Sausages were also a favored food of the Romans, with three recipes found in Apicius’s De re coquinaria; botellus, blood sausage that includes egg yolks, lucanica, sausage made with pork, pork fat, pinenuts and spices, and lastly farcmina, a generic term meaning "to stuff".


Original Recipe


Weltt jr gútt prattwirst machen


So nempt 4 pfúnd schweinis vnnd 4 pfúnd rinderis, das

last klainhacken, nempt darnach 2 pfúnd speck darúnder

vnnd hackts anainander vnnd vngeferlich 3 seidlen wasser

giest daran, thiet aúch saltz, pfeffer daran, wie jrs geren est,

oder wan jr geren kreúter darin megt haben/ múgt jr nemen

ain wenig ain salua vnnd ain wenig maseron, so habt jr gút

brattwirst/.


Interpretation


If you would make good bratwurst


Take four pounds of pork and four pounds of beef and chop it finely. After that mix with it two pounds of bacon and chop it together and pour approximately one quart of water on it. Also add salt and pepper thereto, however you like to eat it, or if you would like to have some good herbs, you could take some sage and some marjoram, then you have good bratwurst.


Ingredients


1 pound (fatty) pork

1/2 pound (fatty) beef

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp marjoram

1/2 tsp thyme

1/4-1/2 tsp crushed caraway seed

1/2 tsp liquid smoke*

1/2-3/4 c water

sausage casing


Instructions


Grind pork and beef and mix together until uniform. Add the remaining ingredients and enough water to make the meat easy to stuff into your sausage casing. Cook in whatever manner you wish (baking, grilling, frying, boiling).



Sources


Coquinaria.Nl, 2022, https://coquinaria.nl/en/lucanian-sausages/. Accessed 17 Oct 2022.


"Das Kochbuch Der Sabina Welserin (C. 1553)". Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, 2022, https://www.uni-giessen.de/fbz/fb05/germanistik/absprache/sprachverwendung/gloning/tx/sawe.htm. Accessed 17 Oct 2022.


"Sausage | Etymology, Origin And Meaning Of Sausage By Etymonline". Etymonline.Com, 2022, https://www.etymonline.com/word/sausage. Accessed 17 Oct 2022.