The Kitchen Garden. 



wife are better of tafte, and of as red a colour as the former red Beete : the roote is 

 f ometimes fhort like a Turnep, whereof it took the name of Rapa or rapofa ; and fome- 

 times as I faid before, like a Carrot and long : the feede is all one with the lefler red 



Beete. 



The Italian Beete is of much refpecl, whofe faire greene leaues are very large and 

 great, with great white ribbes and veines therein : the ftalke in the Summer time, when 

 it is growen vp to any height, is fix f quare in fhew, and yellowif h withall, as the heades 

 with feede vpon them feeme likewife. 



The great red Beete that Mafter Lete a Merchant of London gaue vnto Mafter Ger- 

 rard, as he fetteth it downe in his Herball, feemeth to bee the red kinde of the laft re- 

 membred Beete, whofe great ribbes as he faith, are as great as the middle ribbe of the 

 Cabbage leafe, and as good to bee eaten, whofe ftalke rofe with him to the height of 

 eight cubits, and bore plenty of feede. 



The Vfe of Beetes. 



Beetes, both white, greene and red, are put into the pot among other 

 herbes, to make pottage, as is commonly known vnto all, and are alfo boy- 

 led whole, both in France vfually with moft of their boyled meates, and in 

 our Countrey, with diuers that delight in eating of herbes. 



The Italian Beete, and fo likewife the laft red Beete with great ribbes, are 

 boyled, and the ribbes eaten in fallets with oyle, vinegar and pepper, and is 

 accounted a rare kinde of fallet, and very delicate. 



The roote of the common red Beete with fome, but more efpecially the 

 Romane red Beete, is of much vfe among Cookes to trimme or fet out their 

 dimes of meate, being cut out into diuers formes and fafhions, and is grown 

 of late dayes into a great cuftome of feruice, both for fifti and flefh. 



The rootes of the Romane red Beete being boyled, are eaten of diuers 

 while they are hot with a little oyle and vinegar, and is accounted a delicate 

 fallet for the winter; and being cold they are fo vfed and eaten likewife. 



The leaues are much vfed to mollifie and open the belly, being vfed in the 

 decoclion of Glifters. The roote of the white kinde fcraped, and made vp 

 with a little honey and fait, rubbed on and layd on the belly, prouoketh to 

 the ftoole. The vfe of eating Beetes is likewife held to bee helpefull to 

 fpleneticke perfons. 



CHAP. XXI. 

 Hippo felinum, fine O/us at rum. Alifanders. 



ALifanders hath beene in former times thought to be the true Macedonian Par- 

 fley, and in that errour many doe yet continue : but this place giueth not 

 leaue to difcufle that doubt : but I muft here only fhew you, what it is, and to 

 what vfe it is put ordinarily for the Kitchen. The leaues of Alifanders are winged 

 or cut into many parts, fomewhat refembling Smallage, but greater, broader, and 

 more cut in about the edges : the ftalkes are round and great, two foote high or bet- 

 ter, bearing diuers leaues on them, and at the toppe fpokie roundles of white flowers 

 on feuerall fmall branches, which turne into blacke feede, fomewhat cornered or 

 crefted, of an aromaticall bitter tafte : the roote is blacke without, and white with- 

 in, and abideth well the firft year of the fowing, perifhing after it hath borne feed. 



The Vfe of Alifanders. 



The tops of the rootes, with the lower part of the ftalkes of Alifanders, 

 are vfed in Lent efpecially, and Spring of the yeare, to make broth, which 

 although it be a little bitter, yet it is both wholfome, and pleafing to a great 



many, 



