Tuesday, April 01, 2008

'GREEN MAN' ~ A SIMPLE FOOL

"The first of April, some do say,
Is set apart for All Fools' Day.
But why the people call it so,
Nor I, nor they themselves do know.
But on this day are people sent
On purpose for pure merriment."
~ Poor Robin's Almanac, 1790


~ Green Man

_________________

A SIMPLE FOOL

"A 'fool' is a traditional British dessert made of mashed fruit with cream or whipped cream, sometimes cooked, sometimes not. Gooseberries are a favorite. Although there have been some 'fool' recipes without fruit, it's thought that the dish known as a 'fool' began as mashed fruit with cream, as it is now. Therein lies a clue as to how it got the name 'fool': It's thought that the name 'fool' came from the French word 'fouler', which means 'to mash'."

~ Alan Davidson

(The Penguin Companion to Food)
_______


3 cups fresh berries
2-4 Tbsp. granulated or powdered to taste
2 1/2 cups whipping cream
splash or splashes of Chambord (raspberry liquor), kirsch, port or Madeira wine
fresh mint


Mash (DO NOT USE FOOD PROCESSOR) berries with sugar, reserving a few perfect berries for garnish. Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add splash of Chambord or other liquor and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into puree, leaving streaks. Chill well. Spoon into parfait glasses and garnish with mint leaves and reserved berries. ( serves 8 )

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love little bits of trivia like that. And the pic is great!
Brenda

kate smudges said...

I enjoyed reading this post. Last year, a friend was reminiscing about Gooseberry Fools and we found a recipe for rhubarb fool. Now that was tasty.

joey said...

You are most kind, Brenda. Thanks ;)

joey said...

Delighted to hear from you, Kate, and enlightened by my 'bloghop' to your fine site. Love rhubarb ... a tasty 'fool' for sure ;)

Rose said...

Sounds delicious! Trying to watch my calories, but somehow I don't think fat-free Cool Whip would work as a substitute for the cream, would it?

joey said...

Hi Rose ... Though I haven't tried it, I'm sure Cool Whip would work fine. Let me know if you like it (all hang with you on calorie count) :)

Anonymous said...

Oh, yum! And I love that particular Green Man image!
Delightful!

joey said...

*Hugs* dear Kathryn ... the recipe is indeed yummy. Green Man hangs at the cottage up north. I love him too!

Catherine said...

It's me again Joey, I don't know how I missed this wonderful post..I love your green man!!
And the fool sounds simple & utterly delicious!! I've often wondered how such a lovely dessert got the name "fool"~thanks for sharing the trivia, very interesting!! :)
Hug's,
Cat