The Stewpot Recipe Gallery

Watercress in Lent with Milk of Almonds.

(Le Menagier de Paris 1393)

Take your cress and parboil it with a handful of chopped beet-leaves, and fry them in oil, then put to boil in milk of almonds; and when it is not Lent, fry in lard and butter until cooked, then moisten with meat stock or with cheese, and adjust it carefully, for it will brown. Anyway, if you add parsley, it does not have to be blanched.  A species of beet is called spinach and has longer leaves, slender and greener than common beet, and it is eaten at the beginning of Lent.

Ingredients:

10 ounce box frozen chopped spinach
3-4 leaves Swiss chard (beet tops)
a bunch of watercress OR 4-5 leaves green leaf lettuce
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup grated farmers cheese
2 oz. chevre (a soft goat cheese)
salt to taste

Preparation Steps

Thaw the spinach, and squeeze off excess water.  Wash the remaining greens, and chop them coarsely.  Parboil the fresh greens for 2 minutes, and drain, removing excess water.  Sautee the spinach and greens in butter until tender, then add the grated cheese and chevre. Mix well and cook over low heat for a few minutes, being careful to not burn the cheese.  Serve it forth.

Number of Servings

Serves about 16, as part of a feast,

Redaction Notes

 The non-Lenten version of the dish is used here.