Potluck with Patriots

What did the colonists eat? Everything you could imagine!! Every village had a market day where wagons rolled in from the farms bearing all kinds of produce and foods, pigs, cows, geese, and chickens.

The Dutch, the Germans, the French, the Finnish, the Irish, the British, the Native Indians, the slaves brought everything from hot peppers to curry, squash, sweet potatoes, honey, beans, rice, breads, cherries, pecans, lobster, chestnuts, and popcorn, herbs and spices.

Turtles, fish and fowl, venison, oysters and crabs – and all washed down with Madera wine from the island of Madera, rum from Cuba, apple cider, home brewed beer, tea, coffee, milk, but rarely water.

From fancy table to laborer’s bench – as Ben Franklin said: “In general, mankind, since the improvement of cookery, eats twice as much as nature requires.”

Martha Washington’s Poached Pears
https://www.marthastewart.com/341355/poached-pears

“Best to use stewed wardens (New York pears). Boyle them first in faire water, then pare and stew them between two dishes with cinnamon, sugar and rose water, or with ye same seasoning, ye may put them in a pie and bake them.”

Author Linda Turner
Vacation Liberty School of Georgetown
Image Courtesy of Pixabay