This Mary Kettilby recipe produces a classic Potage St. Germain. The name comes from the Paris suburb of St.-Germain-en-Laye, where young peas, a rarity in the early eighteenth century, were sown in boxes for early-spring cultivation. The addition of onions and spinach provide a traditional French touch, making this soup a flavorsome beginning for a spring menu.Calendulas, also known as pot marigolds, make a lovely garnish for this soup. They were used as both a flavoring and a medicinal herb. According to one source, calendulas could be added to dishes in place of saffron, an affordable alternative in the days before saffron was grown in England. Sprinkle the shredded blossoms over the soup just before serving it. Please note that the calendula/pot marigold should not be confused with the African marigold, which is used as an insect repellent in vegetable gardens.This recipe is a modern adaptation of the 18th-century original. It was created by culinary historian Nancy Carter Crump for the book Dining with the Washingtons (2011).AVAILABLE FROM THE SHOPS

Washington grew many herbs flowers and f at his home of Mount Vernon. Here are the plants that I've observed in my many visits.

Among the few recipes known to have been used by the Washington family is this one for Cherry Bounce, a brandy-based drink popular in the eighteenth century. It seems to have been such a favorite of General Washington’s that he packed a “Canteen” of it, along with Madeira and port, for a trip west across the Allegheny Mountains in September 1784.This fruity, spiced cordial requires a bit of work and time, but the result is well worth the effort. After pitting, halving, and mashing the cherries, be prepared to set aside the sweetened brandied juice for twenty-four hours and then again for about two weeks after infusing it with spices. Enjoy small glasses of Cherry Bounce at room temperature and keep the remainder on hand in the refrigerator.This recipe is a modern adaptation of the 18th-century original. It was created by culinary historian Nancy Carter Crump for the book Dining with the Washingtons.

The pie appears to have been a Christmas custom in the Washington household, mentioned in letters as the season approached.For example, in November 1786, David Humphreys, a former military aide to the general, expressed his disappointment that he could not be at the estate for the holidays and thus would “not have the felicity of eating Christmas Pie at Mount Vernon.” In his post-Christmas reply, Washington voiced regret that Humphreys had not been with them to “aid in the Attack of Christmas Pyes . . . on which all the company . . . were hardly able to make an impression.”A January 1770 article in England’s Newcastle Chronicle noted that one Christmas pie being shipped to London “was nine feet in circumference at bottom, weighed about twelve stone [168 pounds], and will take two men to present it at table. It was neatly fitted with a case, and four wheels to facilitate its use to every guest that inclines to partake of its contents at table.”One can assume that the Washingtons’ pies were smaller than that and that they were likely prepared according to Hannah Glasse’s recipe in The Art of Cookery. Our analysis of various Christmas pie recipes indicated that the preparation can be lengthy, labor-intensive, and difficult; given the poultry boning and other preliminary steps involved, it can require at least two days to put together.This recipe is a modern adaptation of the 18th-century original. It was created by culinary historian Nancy Carter Crump for the book Dining with the Washingtons.AVAILABLE FROM THE SHOPS

In this recipe, E. Smith instructed the cook to “hack” thin slices of veal fillets and, after seasoning them, to “lay them in a pewter dish . . . and let them lie till you want them.” By using the term hack in her directions, Smith was describing scotching, which, Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language defines as “cut with shallow incisions.” The cubed steaks we know today can be considered a modern version of the scotched meat of the eighteenth century.According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word collop is of obscure derivation, perhaps connected with coal. In early Britain, the term meant a rasher of bacon that was to be fried, generally with eggs, but later it came to mean just a slice of meat. Hannah Glasse’s Scotch Collops recipe illustrates this development in the meaning of the word. Although collop seems to have become confused with scallop, there is no association between the two. Johnson’s dictionary defined it as a “rasher boiled upon the coals.”This recipe is a modern adaptation of the 18th-century original. It was created by culinary historian Nancy Carter Crump for the book Dining with the Washingtons.AVAILABLE FROM THE SHOPS

Family members and visitors alike testified that hoecakes were among George Washington’s favorite foods. He invariably ate them at breakfast, covered with butter and honey, along with hot tea—a “temperate repast” enjoyed each morning.Years after Washington’s death, Nelly Custis Lewis described her method for preparing a yeast-risen version of hoecakes in a letter to her close friend Elizabeth Bordley Gibson. “Make it by candlelight,” she wrote, “& let it remain [by a warm hearth] until the next morning.” Describing the baking method, she wrote: “[D]rop [the batter] a spoonful at a time on a hoe or griddle (as we say in the South). When done on one side turn the other—the griddle must be rubbed . . . with a piece of beef suet.”This recipe is a modern adaptation of the 18th-century original. It was created by culinary historian Nancy Carter Crump for the book Dining with the Washingtons.AVAILABLE FROM THE SHOPS

Fun things to do at George Washington's estate in Mount Vernon Virginia, near Washington DC, plus tips for making the most of your visit.

STUNNING wall art reproduction of a vintage 1932 map and sketch of George Washington's Mount Vernon in Virginia. ** READY TO HANG **! Created by B. Ashburton Tripp, this is a plan of Washington's house and grounds at Mount Vernon, bordered by scenes of the estate, profiles of George and Martha Washington, and quotes from Washington's correspondence. This is a high quality giclee reproduction on canvas stretched over wood bars - ready to hang! Each reprint is custom made - which takes up to three days to create. Please add up to five days to receive once shipped. Example shown in photo is largest size available - 48" wide by 32" high. Thanks for your interest! SORRY BUT UNABLE TO SHIP TO P.O. BOXES AS I USE FEDEX!

George Washington's Mount Vernon is a historical estate that was once the residence and plantation of the United States' first president and Founding