A Pottage of Pasternaks
Redaction by THL Dagonell Collingwood
With notes from Duke Cariadoc of the Bow

Original:
The Forme of Cury (c.1390), pg 12, #v. Rapes in Potage.
Take rapus and make hem clene, and waissh hem clene. quare hem. pboile hem, 
take hem up.  cast hem in a gode broth and seey hem. mynce Oynouns and cast 
yto Safron and Salt, and messe it forth with powdou douce. In the wise make 
of pasturnak and skyrwt.

Translation:
#5 Turnips in Potage.
Take turnips and make them clean, and wash them clean.  Quarter them. Parboil 
them, take them up.  Cast them in a good broth and seeth them. Mince onions 
and cast thereto saffron and salt and mix it forth with sweet powders.  In 
likewise manner, make pasternaks and skirrets.

Notes:
Saffron is literally more valuable than gold as it is hand picked and sold by 
the thread.  For a dish with this many flavors, it would be little more than 
a coloring agent.  I skipped it.  Pasternaks are a family of root vegetables 
including turnips, parsnips, carrots and rutebegas.  According to the OED, 
skirrets are "a species of water parsnip, formerly much cultivated in Europe 
for its esculent tubers."  Cariadoc says he's never seen them for sale.  
I've never heard of them before.  Since I was making this for a shire potluck, 
I doubled all his amounts.  Next time I won't use quite so many onions. He 
used chicken broth for his stew.  I wanted something for the vegans, so I used 
vegetable broth.   It went over quite well with the vegans and was even better 
the next day.   This dish is period, cheap, hot, good and filling, an excellent 
feast menu choice.

Redaction:
1 rutebega (~ 1 lb.)
3 turnips (~ 1 lb.)
1 bunch carrots (~ 1 lb.) (another form of 'pasternaks')
2 quarts vegetable broth
1-1/2 lbs of onions
4 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ginger

Peel and dice the root vegetables.  Cover with water and set to boil for 20 
minutes.  Peel and quarter onions.  Drain root vegetables, add the onions and 
vegetable broth and bring to a boil.  Stir in salt, sugar, cinnamon and ginger. 
Boil for another 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft and liquid has 
thickened slightly.