ISSUE 74, THE BOOK OF RARE VEGETABLES, Part 1: Good King Henry
In 1906 George Wythes, the heard gardener for the Duke of Northumberland in England, published The Book of Rarer Vegetables, a manual on the growing and preparation of what were reckoned unfamiliar items in the United Kingdom. For Americans numbers of the items now seem commonplace: Globe Artichoke, Capsicum (hot pepper), Celeriac, Chick Pea, Dandelion, Eggplant, Fennel, Horseradish, Lentils, Maize, Nasturtium, New Zealand Spinach, Sweet Potato, Quinoa, Rhubarb, Sorrel, and Soy Beans. Some items are common enough elsewhere, but not in the United States—Cardoon (popular in Italy), Chicory (popular in Italy and France), yam (popular in Africa, the West Indies, and parts of Asia, but scarce in the U. S. where sweet potatoes are mistakenly called yams.) But there are a number of listings that are truly rare, and thus, worthy of further exploration.
What about Good King Henry? . I can’t for the life of me understand why Good King Henry (Chenopodium bonus henricus) is not grown in more kitchen gardens. A perennial leafy green, the April shoots can be consumed like asparagus, the greens like spinach, and the seeds like grain (it is a relative in quinoa). Native to Britain, it came to North America with the first settlers as a garden herb, but quickly naturalized in New England. The arrow shaped leaves reminded some of the feet of the goose (hence the name Chenopodium). It tastes better than its foraged cousin, lambs quarters. Despite recent boosting by permaculturists, I’ve not seen a vogue generated for this excellent plant. The seed quality of the strain sold by Bountiful Gardens in Willis, California, is particularly good.
One cannot rationalize the fashions of gardening. In Tudor times in Britain it was greatly popular under the name Mercury Goosefoot until persons decided to name it after King Henry VIII.. In the late 19th century it was only grown intensively in South Lincolnshire. It is a perennial and not a fussing plant, so inconvenience did not account for its fall from favor.
Wythes provides instructions on cooking:
To Cook Good King Henry
The leaves should be well washed, placed in a stew-pan with a minimum of water, and boiled for a quarter of an hour. A little salt should then be added, and the boiling continued for another five minutes. It should then be carefully drained and chopped fine. A little butter, a little less flour, a pinch of pepper, and a pinch of salt should then be placed in a stewpan and heated for a few minutes. Add the chopped vegetables and boil for five minutes longer. The young shoots of the Good King Henry may be cut from April to June, tied in bunches, and boiled like asparagus, which they somewhat resemble in taste. 9p. 48)
Like other members of Chenopodium family, Good King Henry contains oxalates in its leaves, a substance that is harmful to humans if consumed in large concentrations. Cooking reduces the amount ingested. Eating Good King Henry raw in salads might cause problems for people prone to kidney stones.
Sources: “Old English Gardening,” Morning Oregonian (April 25, 1905), 5. George Wythes, The Book of Rarer Vegetables (London: John Lane, 1906), 48-49.