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 
Rryer, 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 
a P°t 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 
