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Title: Herb and Flower Salad (Scottish Medieval)
Categories: Uk Medieval Salad Herb
Yield: 6 Servings

  ** British Measurements **
2bnWatercress
1pkMustard greens & cress
2ozFresh parsley sprigs
1 Leek; finely sliced
6 Spring onions; chopped
1ozSorrel leaves; chopped
1ozDandelion leaves; chopped
1 Fennel bulb; sliced into
  . matchsticks
1ozDaisy leaves; chopped
  Red sage leaves
  Mint leaves
1 Fresh rosemary sprig;
  . chopped
1clGarlic
1tbWine vinegar
  Salt & pepper to taste
6tbOlive oil
  Violets, primrose, daisies,
  . blue borage flowers,
  . dandelions & alexander
  . buds to decorate

Wash and dry all the salad greens and prepare it. Mix together in a large bowl, which has been rubbed well with a garlic clove, reserving the flowers. Place the wine vinegar, seasonings and olive oil into a screw- topped jar and shake well to blend. Pour over the salad just before serving and mix again carefully.

Decorate with the flowers as you wish and serve immediately.

Makes about 6 servings. ** A Book of Historical Recipes ** by Sara Paston-Williams The National Trust of Scotland, 1995 ISBN = 0-7078-0240-7

Scanned and formatted for you by The WEE Scot -- pol mac Griogair ORIGINAL RECIPE::

Salat (dated from 1390 AD)

"Take persel (parsley), sawge, grene garlec, chibolles (spring onions), oynouns, leek, borage, myntes, porrettes (a type of leek), fennel, and town cressis, rew, rosemaye, purslayne; lave and wasche hem clene. Pike hem. Pluk hem small with thyme hande, and mingle hem wel with rawe oile; lay on vynegar and salt, and serve it forth."

Historical note: This is the earliest salad recipe in English. Mixed herb and flower salads proved so popular that they continued in fashion through to the 17th century. The salad would change according to the season and what grew in each cook's herb garden, so adapt and experiment with the basic recipe as you wish, as long as the result is colourful.

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