The Grand Salad

When Madeleine Masson chanced upon a copy of John Evelyn’s Acetaria - written in 1699 - she was immediately excited by its possibilities. Not only are salads and herbs good for food and our taste buds they are also an important part of our diet.

The book is presented in an interesting format, with Evelyn’s work on the left hand pages and Masson’s on the right, providing provenance to Evelyn’s findings.

The last part of the book features recipes for salads and dressings using the ingredients from the Acetaria, which “can be selected without anxiety by the present day salad maker.”

Beautifully written in calligraphy throughout, alongside pen drawings and water colour illustrations.

Published in 1984 by Peacock Vane Publishing. Printed in Singapore. First edition