Cress in Lent with Milk of Almonds

Menagier p. M-14
Miscellany


Take your cress and parboil it with a handful of chopped 
beet leaves, and fry them in oil, then put to boil in milk 
of almonds; and when it is not Lent, fry in lard and butter 
until cooked, then moisten with meat stock; or with cheese, 
and adjust it carefully, for it will brown. Anyway, if you 
add parsley, it does not have to be blanched.

Lenten version:

2 c cress = 1/3 lb			1/2 c almond milk
1/2 c beet leaves (or spinach)		1/4 c parsley = 1/2 oz
1 T olive oil				pinch salt

Fish-day version:

2 1/4 c cress = 6 oz			1 1/2 oz brick cheese
1 1/2 c (2 ounces) beet leaves		(3 sprigs parsley)
2 T butter				(1/8 t salt)

Meat-day version:

2 1/4 c cress = 6 oz			1 1/2 oz brick cheese
1 1/2 c (2 ounces) beet leaves		(3 sprigs parsley)
2 T lard and/or butter			(1/8 t salt)

Directions:
Chop the cress and beet leaves. Dump them into boiling water, 
let the water come back to a boil, then drain them (about 
2 minutes total in water). Heat oil or lard or butter in a 
skillet, add drained greens (and chopped parsley if you are 
using parsley). Stir fry for about 3 minutes. For Lenten 
version, add almond milk, let boil with greens about a minute. 
For fish-day version, add cheese, chopped up and stir until 
cheese is melted into the greens. For meat-day version, add 
meat stock and cook down 2-3 minutes. Add salt, serve.

Notes: Greens should be measured pressed down in the measuring 
cup. Use a mild cheese such as brick cheese. Substitute spinach 
for beet leaves if necessary; the Menagier regards spinach as 
a kind of beet leaf. We have tried several ratios of cress to 
beet leaves; all seem to work reasonably well.

I used a combo of Lent and fish for this dish.
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