Gardening at Nampara & Spring Recipes

Thanks to Chris Barnard Photography and Red Sangre for their photography and art

Hello Poldarkians

Since it is springtime, thoughts turn to the garden and what would Ross & Demelza been growing?  The books mention Demelza's garden (mostly flowers) but occasionally other foods turn up such as apples, radish, french onion, peas, corn, beans, etc.

Although I have now collected quite a few Cornish cookbooks, they were all written in the 1900s, far removed from our 1780s to 1820 time frame.

So I have turned to the resources I have.  For those who are not American, you may not know that Thomas Jefferson (3rd US president, 1801-1809) is considered our first "foodie" president. He was renown as a epicurian and wine connoisseur.  He spent $4,000 on wine the first two years in the President's House!  His mountain top home, Monticello, is near Charlottesville, Virginia and is beautiful.  Although small by European standards, it is magnificent.  I have visited two times.  Jefferson designed Monticello (over a period of years kept changing and improving it)  and has many clever inventions (like a dumb waiter built into the dining room mantel to carry up wine from the basement) and a revolving door with shelves so the servants could take several  platters of food and serve the guests.  I would love to have dined in the Jefferson dining room!

It should be noted that Jefferson was sent to Paris in 1785 to replace the aging Ben Franklin as US Minister to France.  He stayed until 1789.  There's even a movie about it, Jefferson in Paris (1995) with Nick Nolte as Jefferson.  It was during this time he learned of many new foods but also felt that many foods from home were superior such as Virginia ham and Newtown Pippin apples.

1790s Tea Garden scene

 

He also was an avid gardener (his slaves did all the work of course), but he enjoyed sharing seeds with friends from around the world and kept copius records.  Jefferson ate little meat, so he was very fond of vegetables.  He particularly loved peas and had contests with his neighbors on who had the first crop.

In a "A Rich Spot of Earth" Thomas Jefferson's Revolutionary Garden at Monticello, I found his planting list from 1794. This coincides with our time period for Nampara.

Here's the list:

peas-Charlton

        green for soup

beans-lima

           snap

cabbage

cauliflower

broccoli

turnips

carrots

parsnips

Jerusalem artichoke

Indian potato

beet

salsafi

horseradish

lettuce-cabbage (head?)

            cos

             conpleaved (?)

endive - curled & winter

radishes

celery

parsley

spinach

cress

nasturtium

sorrel-French

shallots

leeks

garlick

onion

white mustard

cucumber

squash

melons-citron

             pineapple

             green

             Venice

             water

strawberries

gooseberries

currants

artichokes

pumpkin (?)

figs

hops

sage 

balm

mint

thyme

lavender

marjoram

camomile

tansey

rue

wormwood

rosemary

hyssop

marshmallow

This is an extensive list and would have been an amazing garden (of which they have recreated). It is easy to assume the uses for many of these - hops for beer, citron melon for baking, the herbs to flavor foods and possibly to make salves, medicinal purposes, etc.

Terrace garden at Monticello

There have been several books to come out recently that highlight what was going on in the 18th century and plant collecting (remember the magnolia that Hugh Armitage bestowed on Demelza? It came from America).

Here's a review of The Brother Gardeners by Andrea Wulf... "Bringing to life the science and adventure of 18th c plant collecting, The Brother Gardeners is the story of how six men created the modern garden and changed the horticultural world in the process.

In 1733, colonial farmer John Bartram shipped two boxes of precious American plants and seeds to Peter Collinson in London and a bountiful relationship developed.  Around these men formed the nucleus of a botany movement, which included famous Swedish botanist and taxonomist Carl Linnaeus; Philip Miller, bestselling author The Gardeners Dictionary (1787); and Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, two botanist explorers, who scoured the globe for plant life aboard Captain Cook's Endeavor.  These "brother gardeners" shared a wild passion for plants. As they cultivated exotic blooms from around the world, they helped make Britain an epicenter of horticultural and botanical expertise.  The Brother Gardeners paints a vivid portrait of an emerging world of knowledge and gardening as we recognize it today."

In Founding Gardeners, The Revolutionary Generation, Nature and the Shaping of the American Nation by Andrea Wulf, we learn about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams and their gardening and how they believed agriculture would be what made America successful.  It's in this book I learned about John Bartram, nursery man to the presidents and the world.

While reading I learned about Bartram and that his nursery near Philadelphia still exists!  For more information, go to: http://bartramsgarden.org/history/   I definitely want to visit someday.

Jefferson and Adams while in England went  on a tour of the countryside.  What I remember most is that they had a revelation while doing so: "they could find species in the woods of America and transplant them to their gardens!"  Seems so simple but it was a revelation to them.

If you love gardening and history, these books are worth your time to read.  I have on order Founding Foodies, alas not by Wulf but by Dave DeWitt.

In reading a heritage of British cooking I read that the earliest foods (and customs) came from the Saxons, ie eating what was found in the woods - deer, wild boar, partridge, hare & rabbit and fish from the streams and then what could be found in the fields and woods - wild strawberries, blackberries, sour crab apples, cobnuts (part of the hazelnut family) & fungi.  Bees were cultivated for honey and that they made cheese and butter and began to store barley, wheat and oats.

Tiny, perhaps wild strawberries, a far cry from the behemoths in the grocery store today and probably far tastier! This is a 1790s illustration.

This narrative goes on to say that the pigs were long-nosed and skinny and that the cattle & sheep were long haired. 

Then William the Conqueror brought new ideas and traditions.   The breads were better, they used herbs and spices (ginger, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon) in their foods and kept salt and pepper on their tables!

And on and on......

If you would like to try heirloom gardening, there are several sources.  seedsavers.org, rareseeds.com, and from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello www.monticelloshop.org  I have grown many seeds into plants from Monticello over the years and highly recommend their catalog as well.

The best known cookbook of the 18th c was definitely The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, by Hannah Glasse (1708-1770) published in London.  Like Jane  Austen, the original edition said "By a Lady".  20 editions were put out in the 18th c alone and continued to be printed long after her death until 1843.

So my guess is if Demelza had a cookbook at Nampara, this would be it! Facimilies are available.  I just ordered one from Abebooks (my new best friend it seems!)  Karen Hess, who also brought to our attention that Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery laid dormant waiting for someone to bring it to light had a hand in The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy as well.

While the men were off fighting wars, or on adventures like our Ross Poldark, it was the women who literally kept the home fires burning, tended to the children and the larder, etc but little is written of them.  Indeed many did not read or write, but Martha Washington burned the General's letters after his death!  So what we have of them is often anonymous ie quilts and clothing, recipes handed down.

From The Angry Tide: "What have you been doing while I have been away (Ross to Demelza)?  "What have I been doing? Demelza stared at him in indignation at the change of subject.  "Seeing to your mine and your affairs, of course; trying to bring up your children in the way they should go! Doing all the ordinary things of living and breathing and - and looking to the farm and the rest! And - and waiting for your letters and answering'em!  Living just as I have always lived - but without you!  That's all I've been doing."  He was away from home eight months.........

In many of the later books when Demelza is gardening, she looks for snails and slugs who eat her flowers.  Either Ross or Jeremy dispose of them as she could not.  This is a 1790s illustration I found.

Trewan Hall, Cornwall, owned by the Vivian Family near Newquay, one of which distinguished themselves at Waterloo. Chosen for the bucolic setting. 1790s illustration. Still exists.

To learn more about the Great Gardens of Cornwall, visit: http://www.greatgardensofcornwall.co.uk/  Cuby Trevanion's Caerhays is one of them!

Since I always have food featured I am including two dishes my grandmother always made with first of the spring goodies from the garden.  They seem to have all the ingredients available to Demelza at Nampara: wilted lettuce salad and new potatoes and spring peas in white sauce.

Wilted lettuce Salad 

Make with spring leaf lettuce blend (from your garden or the store).  Hard boil a couple eggs first.  After the eggs have cooked, slice them and place on the salad. Slice two green onions with some of the top and chop a couple pieces of bacon, add these to a skillet and fry the bacon with the onion (turns out the fattier the bacon the better as you want the grease), add a little water, a 1/4 c. vinegar (apple cider) of which a 1 T of sugar has been dissolved in and bring it to a boil and pour over the salad.  Eat immediately.

New Potatoes and Spring Peas

"New" potatoes meant newly dug while they are still quite small. These are from the grocery and are too large really.  Spring peas also meant first of the season peas.  Buy the tiniest potatoes you can and gently boil them and when cool enough peel off the skin.  If using fresh or frozen peas, pre-boil, set aside.  Make a white sauce: 1/2 stick unsalted butter melted in a sauce pan, take off the heat and whisk in 1/4 c. flour and thoroughly whisk, put back on the heat and add enough whole milk to make a nice white sauce (approximately 1 1/2 c).  Add the peas and potatoes and gently cook until hot, add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with ham or meat of choice.  Also, I uncorked the Ginger Beer and OMG, you would think there was champagne in there! Still good and very bubbly and it is approximately six weeks old!

I hope you have enjoyed this blog as much as I have enjoyed putting it together for you to read.
Please leave comments so that I will know someone is reading these and if you have ideas for future blogs, I would love to hear them.

Bonny Wise, I am
Inspired by Poldark

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Ross Poldark in the Military, Ration Stew & more

Thanks to Barnard Photography and Red Sangre for their photography and art.

Hello Poldark fans

Have you wondered about Ross's military experiences?  There are subtle hints in the books, mostly in the prologue of the book, Ross Poldark.

I asked a Facebook friend who goes by John Gimlett (get it?) who was in the military to contribute to this blog.  I hope you enjoy reading his comments. When appropriate I will insert copy in BOLD from the prologue to supplement what John is telling us from the book, Ross Poldark.

Ross Poldark's Military Career

"I’m honored to be a guest blogger here at Bonny’s request. I thought I loved Poldark, but my love turns out to be a mere infatuation compared to Bonny’s true love. Bonny made her request because she’s come to know that I’m a former military man. I’m a retired U.S. Army Officer, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. My last position in the Army was that of instructor at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Part of my curriculum was military history and we did focus on the American Revolution as part of our studies. Bonny suggested I could share some thoughts with you about what our hero, Ross Poldark’s military experience may have been like.

First of all, there’s only so much I can know from reading the novels and the rest I have to infer from history. I think we can put some pieces of the puzzle together. Also, I should say I defer to any British military historian who happens to come upon Bonny’s blog and finds that I might not have remembered my lesson plans perfectly.

First of all, Ross joins the war relatively late in the conflict, 1780. The war began in 1775. The public sentiment in Britain was that the uprising in the American colonies was basically a nuisance and that it would eventually be put down. Britons were generally pretty secure in their nation’s military strength, particularly the Royal Navy. However, Ross joins the Army. 

Given his family’s status I think we can be pretty certain that Ross joins as an Officer. In those days, until the late 19^th Century, British military Commissions were purchased. It was a way for the government to raise and retain money for the military. A theme in Graham’s novels is the much more rigid class division we find in British society in this time frame and the military is no different. The purchasing  of Commissions help maintain class divisions between Officers and enlisted soldiers.

The idea of men being “encouraged” to enlist to avoid jail time is fairly common across many nation’s militaries and throughout their military history. Britain is no exception, especially during this time. We all heard Ross telling his superior Officer in the opening scenes of the new series that he joined to avoid jail. My guess is that his father, Joshua, knew that Ross was taking greater and greater risks with the law and the excise men so he probably figured that eventually Ross would be arrested. (It was he , Joshua, who had encouraged Ross to go away.  He had no belief in keeping boys at home as additional lackeys.  Let them find their  own stirrups.  Besides, it would have been undignified to have his son brought up in court for being party to a assault upon excise men, with its associated charges of brandy running and the rest.  Not that Cornish magistrates would have convicted, but the question of gaming debts might have been raised.)Now, once in jail, Ross would have lost his opportunity to serve in the military as an Officer. He could have maybe escaped jail by offering to join, but as a convicted felon, it would have been as an enlisted soldier. The fact that we call him “Captain” Poldark, to me, means that his father buys him an Officer’s  Commission. Again, my guess is that Ross was involved in a crime that was being investigated and the authorities were closing in on him. His father got him out of the country with an Officer’s Commission. 

The action in the American Revolution by 1780 had shifted to the South. General Cornwallis is in North Carolina and he is the main British effort at that time. Debbie Horsfield tells us Ross is seeing action around the James River in Virginia and that makes good historical sense.  Ross would have been part of British General Phillips’ units that saw action along the James River in 1781 as they tried to pave the way for the northward movement of Cornwallis’s main force up into Virginia. It is at Yorktown in October of 1781 that Cornwallis ultimately surrenders to Washington. Yorktown marks the end of major hostilities in the Revolution, however, the Treaty of Paris isn’t signed until 1783 and the last British combatant doesn’t leave New York until November of 1783. We know Ross arrives back in Cornwall in October of 1783. Frankly he’s among the last to leave! What happens to Ross between 1781 and his departure from New York Harbor in 1783 is anyone’s guess. ("He's in New York now" said Joshua (to Charles). "Part of the garrison.  He's quite recovered from his wound.  It was lucky he escaped the Yorktown siege.  A captain now, you know.  Still in the Sixty-Second Foot.") I know I’ve heard the supposition that he was captured and was a prisoner of war, but eventually escaped and made his way to New York. I don’t think Graham’s writings bear this out, but it’s as good of a theory as any.

Life As A British Soldier In The Revolution

The life of a soldier in the 18^th century was hard. We know the life of an American  colonist was, of course, much harder than life we have today, so it only makes sense that the life of a soldier was only all the harder. Once in the field, on a military campaign, a soldier was mobile and largely living outdoors.  In order to maintain discipline within the ranks, punishments were handed out for offenses that may seem slight today. And certainly, we’d view the public floggings as entirely too extreme with our “modern sensibilities”. Many locals who observed British military punishments on their own troops remarked that they were also known as “Lobsterbacks” not for their Redcoat uniforms, but from the color of their backs after public whippings!

Now large military forces would generally march for awhile and then make encampments. In the 18^th century Armies travelled on foot and on horseback.  So they didn’t move fast. An Army would move as fast as its General would want them to move. Some would just move a little and then make encampments, sometimes for weeks at a time. In the Revolution, the British found some loyal colonists and they found more of them in the South.  Higher ranking Officers would generally avail themselves of housing that was available in the area where they decided upon for encampments. Sometimes this was done with willing participation of the Loyalist homeowner. Sometimes not!

I believe Bonny is going to share with you all some findings on the meals/foodstuffs of a British soldier fighting in America. Here’s what I know from my lessons.  A soldier's rations consisted of soft bread or biscuits, cheese, butter, and beer. Vegetables, beans, rice and peas were added when available. One pound of salt pork, or fresh beef, was the daily ration of meat. Often though, fresh meats were not available. When meat was in short supply, fish was substituted. Since fish did not travel well, it had to be heavily salted, which frequently left the soldier with a hefty thirst. Therefore, fish generally wasn’t liked if it wasn’t fresh. The cheese and biscuits were the usual rations taken when the troops were on a long march. Officer’s rations were generally augmented with some nicer choices of alcohol, i.e. brandy, etc.

You should also know that Armies of this time frame didn’t fight in the winter. They generally camped down for the season. It was considered somewhat “uncivilized” to fight battles in the winter. That’s why Washington’s attack on Christmas Night in Trenton was so shocking. It just wasn’t done!

Another interesting tidbit related to European Armies fighting in this time period – Armies attracted women and women generally travelled with the Army. Allowances were made for marriages within campaigning Armies. I can tell you, as long as there have been large encampments of military men, either at war, or camped in garrison and not engaged in battle, there have been women nearby who see opportunities in such gatherings!  You can make of that what you want. All I can tell you is that if Ross was missing Elizabeth very badly, and found himself wanting female “companionship” . . . he wouldn’t have had to go too far or look too hard to find some. And, as you ladies tell me all they time, assuming that Ross looked like Mr. Turner . . . who knows . . .he probably wouldn’t even have to pay!

I hope you found some of my memories from my history classes somewhat interesting. I’ve enjoyed sharing them with you."

Uniform of the 62nd Foot.  Possible uniform of Ross Poldark?

I've always been interested in history and that includes what did people eat?  Rations for American and British troops were remarkably similar.

Jas. Townsend & Son is a purveyor of reenactor goods, ie clothing, tents, books, as well as what you need to cook over a fire. They also have a wonderful series of videos of 18th c. cooking.  The first in the series includes cooking for Rev War soldiers but British soldiers received the same kind of rations. This remained essentially the same for over 150 years.

There were rations per man, per day; per man, per week, and per company.  

Meat - 1 lb beef, fresh or salted

3/4 lb pork, fresh or salted

1 lb fish, fresh or salted

1 lb loaf of bread, or flour (and even cornmeal)

 1 pt. milk

1 qt. beer

Per company rations would include candles and soap.  Rations would also include dried peas or beans, rice and vinegar.  Soldiers would procure locally from village or farmers or even berries from the woods.

It was Napoleon who said "an army marches on its stomach."  Keeping troops supplied must have been a huge challenge for both sides, but I would think especially so for the British.  Fresh bread would surely have not been practical so soldiers probably were issued flour.

With the flour they could make fire cake or ash cake.  In the Jas.  Townsend video they show how soldiers make the cakes on bannock boards, use leaves so the cake could be placed in the ash bed or just on the ash bed.

Watch how on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUt1ZHs3wQ8&list=PL567A0227C741A096

 18th c cooking

I have an interesting cookbook, Pease Porridge: Beyond the King's Bread, Cooking at Fortress Niagara, 1726-1865 by JoAnn Demler (2003)  This cookbook covers the French occupation, then British occupation and finally the American occupation of this fort. Fort Niagara is the oldest military site in North America and is located in Youngtown, New York.

 We were always a camping family so I have always enjoyed cooking over the fire.  I recently made Ration Stew, Soda Bread and an Apple Pie one afternoon.

Here are the results:

Ration Stew on the  left, beef, carrots, potato, cabbage and peas.  I precooked the beef to insure it would be tender and I did add beef broth.  On the right, Soda bread before the top of the dutch oven is placed and on which coals will be heaped so the baking action is from the top and the bottom.

Finished stew with soda bread dotted with butter.

 Apple Pie... using pasty dough recipe (lard & butter).  Sliced apples (left skin on), 1 c. brown sugar, plus 1 T minute tapioca (can omit for authenticity but helps thicken the juices).

After the soda bread was done, the pie went in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours as the fire was really dying down by this point.

It was very tasty!

We know Ross comes home expecting to find Elizabeth waiting for him, but that is not what happened.  I particularly enjoy knowing what Ross, Demelza & Elizabeth "think" as well as what they say.  Here's my slightly edited for brevity version of what it was like when Ross returns home to Cornwall.

October, 1783 Ross Poldark returns to Cornwall in a carriage with Dr. Halse who remembers him from school who confused him with Francis.  “You will remember my cousin more clearly,  He stayed on.  I felt, quite wrongly, that at thirteen my education had gone far enough.”  Dr. Halse : Ross Poldark. Well, well, You’ve changed. I remember now,” I  had to thrash you at frequent intervals, and then you ran away.”  “Yes, Poldark turned the page of his book, “A bad business, and your ankles as sore as my buttocks.”

Dr. Halse describes Ross: unusual face with strongly set cheekbones, wide mouth, and large, strong white teeth. The eyes were very clear blue-gray under the heavy lids that gave a number of the Poldarks that deceptively sleepy look.

The coach pulls up at the Red Lion Inn in Truro. Jud had not come to meet him as planned. He goes to see Nat G. Pearce, Notary. He asks about his father’s estate and finds there is little to inherit. A slow smile crept over Ross’s mouth; it made him look younger, less intractable.  He received the will to take  home and read.

Chapter Two

Ten people were dining at Trenwith House. Ross arrives to everyone’s surprise. Verity greets him and then he sees Elizabeth. He sees Francis and remembers at school they were called the Fair Poldark and the Dark Poldark.

He reached Elizabeth, “Well, Ross,” she said softly.  His eyes feasted on her face. “This is most opportune.  I couldn’t have wished it different.”  “I could, she said. “Oh, Ross, I could.” “I almost called to see you tonight,” Ross said to Elizabeth, “but left it for tomorrow. Self-restraint is rewarded.”  “I must explain. I wrote you, but….”

He finds out the dinner is a celebratory one  f0r Francis & Elizabeth…. He decides to go and drinks three glasses in succession and the fourth he gave a toast “To Elizabeth and to Francis… May they find happiness together.”

As Ross leaves Elizabeth says, “I’m so happy you’re back, Ross. I had feared, we had all feared… What can you think of me?”

As Ross rides home: His was not an easy face to read, and no one could have told that in the past half hour he had suffered the worst knock of his life….. They had been in love since she was sixteen and he barely twenty.  … He had gone away eager for fresh experience and sure of the one circumstance of his return that would really matter…. No doubt was in his own mind, and he had looked for none in hers…. He moved on. Occasionally the feeling within him was so strong that he could have been physically sick.

He finally arrives home and yells for Jud.  He finds Jud and Prudie dead drunk locked in each others arms.  He fetches water and soaks the bed to wake them up.  “Dear life! Is it you, Mister Ross?”  “From the grave,” said Ross. “And there’s a horse to be seen to. Up before I kill you.”

I hope you have enjoyed this blog and my thanks to John Gimlett for his contribution!

Bonny Wise, I am

Inspired by Poldark

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