Acetaria: A Discourse of Sallets Part 2

_Chap. XX_. Of _Sallets_.

_Chap. XXI_. Of a _Vineyard_, and Directions concerning the making of _Wine_ and other _Vinous_ Liquors, and of _Teas_.

_Chap. XXII_. Of _Watering, Pruning, Plas.h.i.+ng, Pallisading, Nailing, Clipping, Mowing, Rowlling, Weeding, Cleansing, &c._

_Chap. XXIII_. Of the _Enemies_ and _Infirmities_ to which Gardens are obnoxious, together with _Remedies_.

_Chap. XXIV_. Of the Gardiner's _Almanack_ or _Kalendarium Hortense_, directing what he is to do Monthly, and what _Fruits_ and _Flowers_ are in prime.

_BOOK III_.

_Chap. I_. Of _Conserving, Properating, r.e.t.a.r.ding, Multiplying, Trans.m.u.ting_, and Altering the

_Species, Forms_, and (reputed) _Substantial Qualities_ of _Plants, Fruits_ and _Flowers_.

_Chap. II_. Of the Hortulan _Elaboratory_; and of _distilling_ and _extracting_ of _Waters, Spirits, Essences, Salts, Colours_, Resuscitation of _Plants_, with other rare Experiments, and an Account of their _Virtues_.

_Chap. III_. Of Composing the _Hortus Hyemalis_, and making Books, of _Natural, Arid Plants_ and _Flowers_, with several Ways of Preserving them in their _Beauty_.

_Chap. IV_. Of _Painting_ of Flowers, Flowers _enamell'd, Silk, Callico's, Paper, Wax, Guns, Pasts, Horns, Gla.s.s, Sh.e.l.ls, Feathers, Moss, Pietra Comessa, Inlayings, Embroyderies, Carvings_, and other Artificial Representations of them.

_Chap. V_. Of _Crowns, Chaplets, Garlands, Festoons, Encarpa, Flower-Pots, Nosegays, Poeses, Deckings_, and other Flowery _Pomps_.

_Chap. VI_. Of _Hortulan Laws_ and _Privileges_.

_Chap. VII_. Of the _Hortulan Study_, and of a _Library, Authors_ and _Books_ a.s.sistant to it.

_Chap. VIII_. Of _Hortulan Entertainments, Natural, Divine, Moral_, and _Political_; with divers _Historical_ Pa.s.sages, and Solemnities, to shew the _Riches, Beauty, Wonder, Plenty, Delight_, and Universal Use of Gardens.

_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_.----

[Ill.u.s.tration]

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 [4]_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 [5]_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 [6]_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 [7]Creation.

A great deal more of this Learned Stuff were to be pick'd up from the _c.u.mini 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 [8][Greek: psuchrai trapezai], eaten without their due Correctives, which the Learned [9]_Salmasius_, and, indeed generally, the [10]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 [11]_Pliny_ thinks, call'd _Acetaria_: and not (as _Hermolaus_ and some others) _Acceptaria ab Accipiendo_; nor from Accedere, though so [12]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_[13], 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 pa.s.s 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 Cla.s.s) 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, nouris.h.i.+ng, 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 Gla.s.s of _Wine_; Dr. _m.u.f.fet_ says, at the end of Meals.

They are likewise, whilst tender and small, fried in fresh _b.u.t.ter_ 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 _b.u.t.ter_, 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 n.o.ble _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 n.o.ble 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 [14]_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.