Rapunzel's Father

I’m leaving for Spain this Friday for 10 days so my mind is much on that. Many of you know that we have a house in Spain where I spend less time than I’d like, but a fabric business here is no small matter and anyone who has been hit by cupid’s arrow of fabrics knows it claims a great part of your heart and time!

Here is a photo of the house so you can picture me there from time to time.  Rather remote but great in the inspiration department. There is one spot at the property that has remained neglected and almost forgotten through the years---a proper walled garden. The stone walls are worn and crumbling in places and a potpourri of wild  herbs grows among outcrops of rocks: rosemary, thyme, lavender, fennel, chamomile.
It’s rather eerie at times and perhaps haunted, or at least a berth for benign spirits.  I wonder if rapion once grew there or if it vaguely resembles the garden of the sorceress who entowered Rapunzel.

This story has always fascinated me, but I can’t understand how Rapunzel’s father is dismissed so unceremoniously from the story when actually he should be the main player. He is obviously a young husband, deeply enamored with his lovely wife. Lovely to look at, since the Rapunzel we know is a German version of the story and that the beauty of young fräuleins, pink cheeks and thick blond braids, is a known fact, it’s a safe guess that Rapunzel’s mom was a real number.

Assuming and allowing for all of that, the father is still a hero of Herculean proportions. The enchantress who owned the garden was a nasty one, and powerful and feared throughout the land. Nonetheless, our lady, great with child, had seen the garden by moonlight from her bedroom window and was experiencing an unquieted desire to taste the rapion which grew there. The only way into the garden was from the witch’s house or over the garden wall in the dead of night. Her brave husband, fighting terrible fears, realizing that certain death might await him, went over the wall, once, twice, thrice….we don’t know for sure. Of course he was caught and you know the rest. Maybe I’ll re-write the ending of the story one day. The questions:  how many of you ladies, during the gestation period have experienced food cravings?  How many of your husbands climbed walls? I wanted milkshakes so badly, I can’t even describe it. Do you think I got any? Afraid not, and Baskin Robbins was only 2 minutes away. Well, it was the middle of the night!

Moving on, I’m going to leave you with a way of serving rapion. It’s a salad I serve quite often in Spain. Actually rapion is called by many names: field’s salad, corn salad, fetticus, coucette, conónigos in Spain and in England, most commonly known as Lamb’s Lettuce.  It is still called Rapunzel in Germany. You have to live in just the right place in USA to obtain it by any name and I have often substituted water cress or fresh baby spinach.

Rapion and Beet Root Salad with Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette

Wash and carefully dry the salad greens. They are somewhat fragile and mustn’t become bruised. Place the leaves in a large salad bowl. Cut prepared beet root (amount to your taste) into large julienne strips and carefully broadcast over salad greens. Add thinly sliced red onion if you like.

Vinaigrette:

2 teaspoons French Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon of white wine vinegar

Zest and freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

…..Whisk together. When well blended, continue to whisk and add light extra-virgin olive oil in a very thin stream until the dressing begins to amalgamate into a nice consistency. Add more oil to your taste.  Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Just before serving, add to salad, gently toss and serve. If you prefer more dressing, simply double the recipe.