Part 5

Chap. IX. Of Garden Burial.

Chap. X. Of Paradise, and of the most Famous Gardens in the World, Ancient and Modern.

Chap. XI. The Description of a Villa.

Chap. XII. The Corollary and Conclusion.

----Laudato ingentia rura, Exiguum colito.----

* * * * *

ACETARIA:

A Discourse of Sallets

* * * * *

Sallets in general consist 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. But others deduce it from [Greek: Olos], comprehending the Universal Genus of the Vegetable Kingdom; as from [Greek: Pan] Panis; esteeming that he who had Bread and Herbs, was sufficiently bless'd with all a frugal Man cou'd need or desire: Others again will have it, ab Olendo, i.e. Crescendo, from its continual growth and springing up: So the younger Scaliger on Varro: But his Father Julius extends it not so generally to all Plants, as to all the Esculents, according to the Text: We call those Olera (says Theophrastus) which are commonly eaten, in which sense it may be taken, to include both Boil'd and Raw: Last of all, ab Alendo, as having been the Original, and genuine Food of all Mankind from the Creation.

A great deal more of this Learned Stuff were to be pick'd up from the Cumini Sectores, and impertinently Curious; whilst as it concerns the business in hand, we are by Sallet to understand a particular Composition of certain Crude and fresh Herbs, such as usually are, or may safely be eaten with some Acetous Juice, Oyl, Salt, &c. to give them a grateful Gust and Vehicle; exclusive of the [Greek: psuchrai trapezai], eaten without their due Correctives, which the Learned Salmasius, and, indeed generally, the old Physicians affirm (and that truly) all Crude and raw [Greek: lachana] require to render them wholsome; so as probably they were from hence, as Pliny thinks, call'd Acetaria: and not (as Hermolaus and some others) Acceptaria ab Accipiendo; nor from Accedere, though so ready at hand, and easily dress'd; requiring neither Fire, Cost, or Attendance, to boil, roast, and prepare them as did Flesh, and other Provisions; from which, and other Prerogatives, they were always in use, &c. And hence indeed the more frugal Italians and French, to this Day, gather Ogni Verdura, any thing almost that's Green and Tender, to the very Tops of Nettles; so as every Hedge affords a Sallet (not unagreeable) season'd with its proper Oxybaphon of Vinegar, Salt, Oyl, &c. which doubtless gives it both the Relish and Name of Salad, Emsalada, as with us of Sallet; from the Sapidity, which renders not Plants and Herbs alone, but Men themselves, and their Conversations, pleasant and agreeable: But of this enough, and perhaps too much; least whilst I write of Salt and Sallet, I appear my self Insipid: I pass therefore to the Ingredients, which we will call

Furniture and Materials

The Materials of Sallets, which together with the grosser Olera, consist of Roots, Stalks, Leaves, Buds, Flowers, &c. Fruits (belonging to another Class) would require a much ampler Volume, than would suit our Kalendar, (of which this pretends to be an Appendix only) should we extend the following Catalogue further than to a brief enumeration only of such Herbaceous Plants, Oluscula and smaller Esculents, as are chiefly us'd in Cold Sallets, of whose Culture we have treated there; and as we gather them from the Mother and Genial Bed, with a touch only of their Qualities, for Reasons hereafter given.

1. Alexanders, Hipposelinum; S. Smyrnium vulgare (much of the nature of Persly) is moderately hot, and of a cleansing Faculty, Deobstructing, nourishing, and comforting the Stomach. The gentle fresh Sprouts, Buds, and Tops are to be chosen, and the Stalks eaten in the Spring; and when Blanch'd, in Winter likewise, with Oyl, Pepper, Salt, &c. by themselves, or in Composition: They make also an excellent Vernal Pottage.

2. Artichaux, Cinara, (Carduus Sativus) hot and dry. The Heads being slit in quarters first eaten raw, with Oyl, a little Vinegar, Salt, and Pepper, gratefully recommend a Glass of Wine; Dr. Muffet says, at the end of Meals.

They are likewise, whilst tender and small, fried in fresh Butter crisp with Persley. But then become a most delicate and excellent Restorative, when full grown, they are boil'd the common way. The Bottoms are also bak'd in Pies, with Marrow, Dates, and other rich Ingredients: In Italy they sometimes broil them, and as the Scaly Leaves open, baste them with fresh and sweet Oyl; but with Care extraordinary, for if a drop fall upon the Coals, all is marr'd; that hazard escap'd, they eat them with the Juice of Orange and Sugar.

The Stalk is Blanch'd in Autumn, and the Pith eaten raw or boil'd. The way of preserving them fresh all Winter, is by separating the Bottoms from the Leaves, and after Parboiling, allowing to every Bottom, a small earthen glaz'd Pot; burying it all over in fresh melted Butter, as they do Wild-Fowl, &c. Or if more than one, in a larger Pot, in the same Bed and Covering, Layer upon Layer.

They are also preserv'd by stringing them on Pack-thread, a clean Paper being put between every Bottom, to hinder them from touching one another, and so hung up in a dry place. They are likewise Pickl'd.

'Tis not very long since this noble Thistle came first into Italy, Improv'd to this Magnitude by Culture; and so rare in England, that they were commonly sold for Crowns a piece: But what Carthage yearly spent in them (as Pliny computes the Sum) amounted to Sestertia Sena Millia, 30000 l. Sterling.

Note, That the Spanish Cardon, a wild and smaller Artichoak, with sharp pointed Leaves, and lesser Head; the Stalks being Blanch'd and tender, are serv'd-up a la Poiverade (that is with Oyl, Pepper, &c.) as the French term is.

3. Basil, Ocimum (as Baulm) imparts a grateful Flavour, if not too strong, somewhat offensive to the Eyes; and therefore the tender Tops to be very sparingly us'd in our Sallet.

4. Baulm, Melissa, Baum, hot and dry, Cordial and exhilarating, sovereign for the Brain, strengthning the Memory, and powerfully chasing away Melancholy. The tender Leaves are us'd in Composition with other Herbs; and the Sprigs fresh gather'd, put into Wine or other Drinks, during the heat of Summer, give it a marvellous quickness: This noble Plant yields an incomparable Wine, made as is that of Cowslip-Flowers.

5. Beet, Beta; of which there is both Red, Black, and White: The Costa, or Rib of the White Beet (by the French call'd the Chard) being boil'd, melts, and eats like Marrow. And the Roots (especially of the Red) cut into thin slices, boil'd, when cold, is of it self a grateful winter Sallet; or being mingl'd with other Oluscula, Oyl, Vinegar, Salt, &c. 'Tis of quality Cold and Moist, and naturally somewhat Laxative: But however by the Epigrammatist stil'd Foolish and Insipid, as Innocentior quam Olus (for so the Learned Harduin reads the place) 'tis by Diphilus of old, and others since, preferr'd before Cabbage as of better Nourishment: Martial (not unlearn'd in the Art of Sallet) commends it with Wine and Pepper: He names it indeed--Fabrorum prandia, for its being so vulgar. But eaten with Oyl and Vinegar, as usually, it is no despicable Sallet. There is a Beet growing near the Sea, which is the most delicate of all. The Roots of the Red Beet, pared into thin Slices and Circles, are by the French and Italians contriv'd into curious Figures to adorn their Sallets.

6. Blite, Blitum; English Mercury, or (as our Country House wives call it) All-good, the gentle Turiones, and Tops may be eaten as Sparagus, or sodden in Pottage: There is both a white and red, much us'd in Spain and Italy; but besides its humidity and detersive Nature, 'tis Insipid enough.

7. Borrage, Borrago (Gaudia semper ago) hot and kindly moist, purifying the Blood, is an exhilarating Cordial, of a pleasant Flavour: The tender Leaves, and Flowers especially, may be eaten in Composition; but above all, the Sprigs in Wine, like those of Baum, are of known Vertue to revive the Hypochondriac, and chear the hard Student. See Bugloss.

8. Brooklime, Anagallis aquatica; moderately hot and moist, prevalent in the Scorbute, and Stone.

9. Bugloss, Buglossum; in mature much like Borrage, yet something more astringent. The Flowers of both, with the intire Plant, greatly restorative, being Conserv'd: And for the rest, so much commended by Averroes; that for its effects, cherishing the Spirits, justly call'd Euphrosynum; Nay, some will have it the Nepenthes of Homer: But indeed, what we now call Bugloss, was not that of the Ancients, but rather Borrage, for the like Virtue named Corrago.