Primroses, violets and mint were popular medieval salad ingredients. Purslane was also very popular - recently discovered as a rich source of Omega 3.

SALAD RECIPES

Salad was not quite the same in medieval times as it is today. Essentially, people took a mixture of herbs and flowers and combined them with oil and vinegar to make a colourful and tasty cold dish. The medieval garden therefore played an important role in everyday life.

The range of ingredients used in medieval salads included:

borage ~ fennelgarlic ~ leeks ~ lettuce ~ mint ~ purslane
~ primroses ~ rosemary ~ sage ~ spinach ~ violets

Today there is a growing trend of adding fruit and flowers to salads. Perhaps our medieval ancestors knew something that we have taken a while to learn!