John Evelyn

"to health and long life, and the wholesomeness of the herby-diet"

John Evelyn (the 17th century diarist and writer) came to my attention during the excellent programme 'Supersizers' currently showing on BBC2. If you are interested in food please watch it... it is a delight... it is informative and it is funny.

Back to Evelyn.... I was interested that in a time of meat excess this man should promote the eating of healthy salads. Many of the time thought salads indigestible. It is horrifying to think that those wealthy enough to enjoy good food totally neglected the vegetables and salads. No wonder they were all constipated and diseased. John Evelyn was one of the first to link diet to health, promoting the eating of salad leaves. His book Acetaria catalogues seventy-three possible salad ingredients including plants like samphire, rocket, sorrel and nasturtium that have only recently come back into vogue (I am sure that there would have been many of the poor that survived on the wild food available - it is just lost to us now).

There is a great article on John Evelyn at - http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/lane/kal69/shop/pages/isbn653.htm


I especially enjoyed the quote about mushrooms - "rank and provocative excresences" that needed to be boiled for at least an hour "to exhaust the malignity".

Strawberry Risotto

Strange but utterly devine dish. It tastes fantastic and not at all what you expect.... not sweet at all. Great for this time of year when there is a glut of this luscious fruit. Enjoy this dish in the garden with a great glass of white or rose wine.

Large punnet of strawberries
Red onion (finely chopped)
Good bunch of basil
Vegetable stock
Risotto rice (try to get the best you can)
Glass of white or rose wine
Parmesan cheese
A good grind of pepper
(serves 2)

1. Taking a large saucepan fry the chopped onion gently for about 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Take half the strawberries and chop roughly and add to the onions. Do not worry too much about the chopping - these strawberries are going to reduce down to a devine pink juice. Cook on for 4 or 5 minutes.
3. In a separate pan heat up your vegetable stock.... I tend to use one stock cube and about a 500 ml of water... this is approximate - you will have to experiment.
4. Add your risotto rice to the strawberry and onion and stir through.
5. Start adding your vegetable stock to the rice a little at a time stirring constantly. Let the stock reduce down and when the mixture begins to stick a little to the bottom add more stock gradually. Now this is a controversial issue in the risotto making world. Some of my good friends think that it is unnecessary to add the stock gradually and tend to plonk it all in at the same time but I personally adhere to the time and honoured tradition of the gradual introduction of stock. It is time consuming but in the long run so satisfying. (I can hear my friends tutting at the waste of time but when it comes to making risotto I am a traditionalist). I will write again on this topic of the perfect risotto - watch this space.
6. Back to the recipe..... well you keep on adding the stock ladle by ladle and stirring constantly. Your risotto now should be blushing... it turns a glorious pink. After about 15 minutes or maybe more - risotto is not an exact science - your rice should be reaching the correct consistency - the grains or rice should be soft. Half the remaining strawberries and add all but a few which you will use later for decoration.
7. Give a good stir and add the glass of wine.
8. Keep stirring for about 3 minutes and then finally add the basil - tear the leaves into the risotto. Use as much or as little as you want. I tend to use copious amounts of basil but it is not to everyones' taste.
9. If you are using cheese grate a good handful and stir into the risotto with a good grind of pepper.
10. Plate up and decorate with a little grated cheese if you are using that, the remaining strawberry halves and a basil sprig. Prepare to be amazed.