Elizabethan Herbs on the Hearth

Elizabethan Herbs on the Hearth


To celebrate Mother’s Day on Love Your Weekend, Jekka is exploring the flavours and everyday cooking of the Elizabethan household, inspired by the world evoked in Hamnet and the stories shared in our blog.

In Elizabethan times, herbs were not luxuries but essentials, woven into food, medicine, and daily life. The following simple dishes reflect the resourcefulness of the period: nourishing pottage simmered on the hearth, vibrant herb-filled salads, and gentle herbal remedies, taken from the garden and prepared with care.

Elizabethan Pottage

Most Elizabethan homes cooked over a single open hearth, and for many families there was essentially one main pot. Pottage was not a fixed recipe so much as a method: whatever was in season went into the pot, it simmered slowly, and it was reheated and refreshed day after day.

Ingredients:

Vegetables

  • 1 large onion or 2 leeks, finely sliced
  • 1 medium parsnip, finely chopped
  • 1 small turnip, finely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, finely chopped

NB: Elizabethan carrots were often white, yellow, or purple, though the flavour is much the same.

Thickening

  • 50 g oats or stale bread crumbs

Liquid

  • 1 litre water or light vegetable stock

Herbs (choose 3–4, finely chopped)

  • Parsley (essential)
  • Thyme
  • Sage (use sparingly)
  • Marjoram* 

*Marjoram: There is some debate whether “marjoram” refers to Origanum majorana often associated with wealthier households and posies/nosegays and snuff, or whether poorer households used wild marjoram, Origanum vulgare, which grows throughout the countryside.

 Seasoning

  • Salt, to taste

Optional finishing

  • A small knob of butter
  • A splash of herb-infused vinegar
 

Steps

  1. Place the onion or leeks, chopped root vegetables, oats or breadcrumbs, and liquid into a large pan.
  2. Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally so the oats do not stick.
  3. Simmer for 20–30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the pottage has lightly thickened.
  4. Stir in the chopped herbs during the final 5 minutes of cooking and season with salt to taste.
  5. Finish, if wished, with a knob of butter or a splash of herb vinegar before serving.

Elizabethan Salad (“Sallet”)

This often surprises modern cooks, but Elizabethans were enthusiastic eaters of salads, or sallets, made from fresh leaves, wild greens, and fragrant herbs gathered from garden and hedgerow.

Ingredients:

Typical salad ingredients:

  • Lettuce (cos, loose-leaf)
  • Endive
  • Rocket (arugula)
  • Sorrel
  • Spinach (young leaves)
  • Purslane
  • Chickweed
  • Dandelion leaves
  • Cresses

Herbs commonly added:

  • Parsley
  • Chervil
  • Fennel leaves
  • Dill
  • Marjoram
  • Mint
  • Sorrel
  • Burnet
  • Borage leaves and flowers
  • Primrose flowers
  • Violets

Dressing:

  • Wine vinegar or herb infused vinegar
  • Olive oil (available but precious)
  • Salt
  • Occasionally a little honey or verjuice
 

Steps

  1. Gather a mixture of fresh leaves, herbs, and any edible flowers available.
  2. Wash gently and dry well.
  3. Toss lightly with vinegar, a little oil, and salt.
  4. Sweeten very slightly with honey or sharpen with verjuice if desired.
  5. Serve immediately, while the leaves are fresh and vibrant.

Wild Garlic cream cheese served on oat cakes.

Soft fresh cheese blended with seasonal wild garlic would have made a simple but flavourful accompaniment to bread or oatcakes, bringing both nourishment and the welcome taste of spring.

 

Ingredients

  • 150 g soft cream cheese or fresh curd cheese
  • A small handful of fresh wild garlic leaves, finely chopped
  • A pinch of salt
  • A drizzle of honey (optional)
  • Oatcakes, to serve


 

Steps

  1. Finely chop the wild garlic leaves.
  2. Beat the garlic gently into the soft cheese until evenly combined.
  3. Season with a small pinch of salt and, if liked, a light drizzle of honey to soften the sharpness.
  4. Spoon onto oatcakes and serve fresh.

Thyme and Honey tea for coughs and colds

For coughs and colds

Thyme has long been valued for soothing the chest and easing winter ailments. Combined with honey, it makes a comforting and gently medicinal drink.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried)
  • 1 cup freshly boiled water
  • 1 teaspoon honey

Method

  1. Place the Thyme in a cup or small pot and pour over the boiled water.
  2. Cover and allow to infuse for 5–10 minutes.
  3. Strain, then stir in the honey while warm.
  4. Sip slowly to soothe the throat and chest.

For more soothing herbal cures see Jekka's Herbal Pick Me Ups, Garlic and Lemon Elixir, Garlic Oxymel and Fennel Tincture.

These simple dishes remind us that Elizabethan cooking was rooted not in extravagance, but in seasonality, thrift, and a deep familiarity with the healing and flavouring power of herbs.

Whether simmered in a humble pottage, scattered through a fresh sallet, or infused into a comforting cup of thyme tea, herbs connected home, garden, and wellbeing. In sharing these recipes, inspired by Hamnet and the living tradition of Jekka’s herb garden, we celebrate the enduring wisdom of plants and the quiet nourishment they continue to offer across the centuries.

Come and visit us to find out more, see our Events Calendar for details.

Disclaimer

As with all alternative medicines and plants with purported medicinal benefits it is important to inform your doctor or health care provider that you are using them; this helps to ensure safe and coordinated care. We can accept no liability for any side effect or adverse reaction from any allergy or any other cause of harm that may arise. It is important that you consult a licensed medical expert before making any changes to your diet.

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