AUSTERE PURITAN GARDENS 101 



monly eaten with a fly. Clary never lasts but one 

 summer, the Roots rot with the Frost. Sparagus 

 thrives exceedingly, so does Garden Sorrel, and Sweet 

 Bryer, or Eglantine. Bloodwort but sorrily, but 

 Patience and English Roses very pleasantly. Celan- 

 dine, by the West Country men called Kenning Wort, 

 grows but slowly. Muschata as well as in England. 

 Dittander or Pepper wort, flourished! notably, and so 

 doth Tansie. Musk Mellons are better than our 

 English, and Cucumbers, Pompions, there be of sev- 

 eral kinds, some proper to the Country." 



Here he disgresses long enough to give the formula 

 for the "Ancient New England Standing Dish" 

 stewed pompions still "standing," though now in 

 the form of fat New England pompion (pumpkin) 

 pies. In the early days the vegetable was cut into 

 dice and stewed all day: "the Housewives manner is 

 to . . . fill a pot with them of two or three gal- 

 lons, and stew them upon a gentle fire a whole day, 

 and as they sink they fill again with fresh Pompions, 

 not putting any liquor to them : and when it is stewed 

 enough it will look like bak'd apples: this they dish, 

 putting Butter to it, and a little Vinegar (with some 

 spices as Ginger, &c) which makes it tart like an 

 Apple and so serve it up to be eaten with Fish or 

 Flesh." 



New England's other "standing dish" furnishes 



