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ok, there are lots of summer quashes native to the Americas, there are also versions native to Eurasia, but when do they move over here and get grown with any regularity? I don't think we have a native edible squash or gourd do we?

Hi Sally,

I found a cookery site which suggests they were brought over in the 16th Century with the spanish.

Thats what I understand as well, but thats not the same as they going into widespread production, or is it in this case? For example, we get potatoes then, but it takes a while for them to filter down into common fare for most people. I'm struggling to think of any vegetable marrow recipes that are pre victorian offhand

yes, sorry - missed that part of the question!

All I can find are references on how to grow cucumbers, no recipes so I'm assuming they were eaten raw. Will keep looking!

Palladius is a husbandry book, translated into English in the late middle ages, however the book originated in warmer European climes and not all the veg might be feasible in England at a time when the average temperatures were lower.


Chauliac is a medical treatise.


(a) (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2)) Bar.6.70: Dreed in place where cucumeris [WB(2): gourdis], that ben bitter herbis, waxen [L in cucumerario] kepith no thing.
(a1398) * Trev. Barth.(Add 27944) 221b/b: Þilke herbes cucumeres hauen þat name for þey beþ bitter som tyme.
?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25) 187a/a: Cucumer azininus is an herbe hote & drye in þe secounde degree.
(?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2) 4.183: Cvcumber in this mone is sowen rare.
c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn) 63/37: Tak brok grese..& þe leues of cucumerbers. c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136) 144/424: Cucumbre shuld be gederid when the froite is rype, and the froyte shuld be layd vnder vynes. a1500 Sln.Herb List (Sln 1201) 74: Herbys necessary for a gardyn..Kykombre, yt bereth apples.

(b) (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2) 1.916: Another craft sleeth fleen: Wattrid cucumber seed or comyn grounde.
(?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2) 1.981: Thy seedis with cucumber [vr. cocumber] rotis grounde Let stepe. (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2) 4.197: Cucumber flour of summen into a reed, Ythrollid euery knotte, is softe ydo.

(c) (a1398) * Trev. Barth.(Add 27944) 230a/a: In þe fruyt þerof beþ þre cellis and in euerich celle iij graynes oþer four..som tyme þikke and naisshe interclose as in cucumer and cucurbita.
a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396) 275/14: He schal ete fenel..erucam, melones, cucumeris [L cucumeres].


(a1398) * Trev. Barth.(Add 27944) 221b/b: Som cucumer is tame and som wilde. ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25) 45b/a: Take of..þe roote of wylde cucumer [L radicis cucumeris aggrestis]. (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2) 1.913: Cucumber [vr. Cocumber] wyld and colloquynt do brese. (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2) 4.163: Her holes oon wel filleth vp with wilde Cucumber Iuce [L succo agrestis cucumeris].

Cooked

(a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016) p.14: Gourdes in Potage. Take young Gowrdes, pare hem, and kerue hem on pecys.

?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334) 426: Take yonge gourdys and pare hom clene..do therto gode broth, and mynse onyons..and let hom seth.

Wycliffe Bible
a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C. 4 Kings 4.39: He gaderide therof gourdis of the feeld; And he fillide his mentil, and he turnede a3en and schredde [WB(1): hewede to gydre] in to the pot of potage.