When I got married, I was careful to carry something from each of these categories down the aisle; a beautiful old dress, new Kenneth Cole shoes and a borrowed blue garter to fulfill the last two requirements. I don’t believe I gave it more thought than that. Had I done so, I might’ve had a glimpse into the origin of this saying as it is the ne’er stated last line that gives us our best clue.
Celebrating Weddings
Something old,
something new,
something borrowed,
something blue,
and a silver thruppence in her shoe.
The three pence coin valued at three pennies was minted in Great Britain from the years of 1558 until the decimal system was introduced in 1971. Therefore, we know this is a British wedding saying and have a narrow 400 years in which to pin it down.
Each of the five items in this verse represents a good-luck token for the marriage. Old represents family lineage and the bride’s past. New is a symbol of optimism about the life that she is about to create. The borrowed item is intended to come from a happily married friend whom the bride can depend on in her new life. And the color blue has been associated with weddings for centuries. Last, the silver thruppence in the bride’s shoe is an indication of wealth.
Today, to celebrate the weddings of two lovely blogging friends Rukmini at Trumatter and Kath at MyFunnyLittleLife, I’ve whipped up my own version of this old chant and a vegan mushroom soup.
In order to create it and stay true to verse, I’ve begun with the old; an old rosemary bush planted outside my kitchen door so that I can easily access it with a pair of kitchen shears, my favorite of winter foods – a lovely new head of cauliflower from my DesertRoots CSA, a beautiful recipe borrowed from Kathy at the Lunchboxbunch and a blue oyster mushroom – locally grown by Rhiba Farms.
Vegan Mushroom Soup
adapted from Lunchboxbunch.com
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 medium white cauliflower, boiled/drained
- 4 cups vegetable broth (mushroom if available)
- 3/4 of the roasted mushrooms
- 1-2 sprigs of the roasted rosemary
- salt and pepper to taste
Roasted mushrooms:
- 24 ounces mushrooms, remove any woody stems and slice
- 2-4 sprigs of rosemary
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (I used harissa flavored)
- 1-2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 10 cloves of garlic
This is a new product for us in AZ!
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse and dry the chopped mushrooms. Toss mushrooms with the oil, vinegar, rosemary and garlic cloves. Lay mushrooms flat on a baking sheet.
Chopped and Tossed
Roast for about 20 minutes or until they brown around the edges. While mushrooms are roasting, boil the cauliflower in water. Drain the water, set aside tender cauliflower.
Winter wonder
Add the cauliflower and about 2 cups of vegetable broth to a Vitamix or similar blender. Blend on low until the cauliflower is smooth. Add in the mushrooms tasting along the way. About 1/4 cup of the whole roasted mushrooms should be left for garnishing the serving bowls. Blend in a few of the tender ends of the roasted rosemary. Continue adding in broth and mushrooms and spices (salt and pepper to taste) until you reach a texture and flavor you like. Pour warm soup into serving bowls and garnish with leftover mushrooms, freshly chopped flat leaf parsley and rosemary.
Modification to the original recipe
I wish I could post the delicious scent
Ever thought about cooking a poem or verse? What might you make?
Agrigirl's Blog 
dianescholten
/ February 6, 2013Who knew?! Like you, I ensured I had the old/new/borrowed/blue (can’t recall what each was) but I hadn’t heard of the money in the shoe. Love how you tied it into a recipe!
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013I may start putting a coin in my shoe as I get closer to retirement Diane!
kirsten@FarmFreshFeasts
/ February 6, 2013Awesome ‘before the recipe’ write up!
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013Thanks Kirsten. I always feel guilty if I just give you the food.
Connect Shore
/ February 6, 2013This looks wonderful! I’m going to give it a try.
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013Roasting the mushrooms with the vinegar does special spectacular.
cindyricksgers
/ February 6, 2013Very nice, and the recipe sounds good, too!
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013It is such a light recipe – a perfect lunch or an add to a dinner salad.
nrhatch
/ February 6, 2013I make it a point never to cook with fungus. 😉
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013Really Nancy? You don’t eat mushrooms? These are new to us. They are not grown in manure like others often are.
katebart
/ February 6, 2013Bravo! Most delightful, and too delicious!
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013Both!
Alison Leithner
/ February 6, 2013Delicious sounding mushroom!
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013You either like them or you don’t. Unfortunately, my kids don’t.
sustainablysmitten
/ February 6, 2013What a wonderful idea and great tribute to the blissful couples! Sounds delicious!
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013Blogging is a fun way to create tributes, isn’t it? I never thought of it that way before I began.
Rukmini Roy
/ February 6, 2013I cannot tell you how honored I am with the dedication. We completed a month now, exactly 1 month, being married and this post is such a treat. I didn’t know of the proverb but I sure do love mushrooms. Anything with Mushrooms and I’d dig it. Will try this out this weekend.
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013You may want to do a variation with some of your exotic spices.
Creative Metaphor
/ February 6, 2013How ingenious! I’ve actually cooked Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme just for the song. I must say, they really go well together on roasted potatoes. 🙂
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013Brilliant! I wish I’d thought of that one and yes, I can imagine just how delicious it would be. You know, I have each of those growing outside my kitchen.
Bunny Eats Design
/ February 6, 2013What a fun idea of life imitating art? …Or is that noms imitating verse?
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013Noms imitating verse. I love it!
souldipper
/ February 6, 2013This is a brilliant use of creativity, Tammy. Also, so glad your marriage has survived the missing thrupence! 🙂
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013Yes, me too Amy! As I told Diane, I don’t think I’m too old to stick a coin in my shoe however.
Lisa H
/ February 6, 2013Love mushrooms, so this sounds fantastic! I enjoy the history behind the old wedding saying. Thanks for sharing.
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013You’ll have to check out these beauties from Rhiba Farms next time you’re at the market. I was really surprised.
Sheree
/ February 6, 2013What a beautiful soup and a wonderful tribute to friends. Wish I could smell it now! I’ll definitely be trying your recipe.
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013Roasting with vinegar and rosemary creates a powerfully delicious aroma.
Melissa
/ February 6, 2013I love your tie-in to the wedding saying. I never would have thought of blue oyster mushrooms for the blue bit – nicely done. Plus, the soup looks beautiful and sounds delicious!
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013I doubt I would’ve thought of it had I not been thinking about these lovely weddings.
shrinkingthecamel
/ February 6, 2013What a nice idea! And the soup sounds delish.
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013I think it could be a very cool concept to create meals with a back story, don’t you. Envision an anniversary dinner that was the tail of the marriage or of a childhood.
shrinkingthecamel
/ February 10, 2013Love it.
hotlyspiced
/ February 6, 2013I did all of that at my wedding except for the silver thrupence in my shoe! I didn’t know about that one. I love mushroom soup and this looks really good xx
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013Give it a try and tell me what you think, Charlie.
Tandy
/ February 6, 2013I gave a friend a penny when she got married to symbolize the last verse. What a lovely gift for your friends Tammy 🙂
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013You just gave me an idea for a post Tandy! I received pennies with knives when I got married. Off to do research.
yummychunklet
/ February 6, 2013Definitely making this mushroom soup this weekend!
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013Tell me how it turns out.
Three Well Beings
/ February 6, 2013What a fabulous recipe! I love mushroom soup and this is a delightful version. I will be making this soon! Loved the story…didn’t even now the last line of the saying before. Great to know the backstory! 🙂
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013We often say things like old verse without knowing the roots, don’t we? It’s fun to pull them apart sometime.
Debbie
/ February 7, 2013You are just the best, Tammy! I love you celebrating your blogging friends weddings with a wonderful recipe. Thank you for sharing it all with us!
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013The possibilities of the celebrations are endless, aren’t they Debbie?
afsarnizam
/ February 7, 2013ahh
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013ahh shucks.
Kath (My Funny Little Life)
/ February 7, 2013Aww, thank you so much for this lovely post, Tammy! I had no idea where the saying comes from and that it has a fifth line, and I must admit I didn’t account for having all of those items … But I hope it will work out nevertheless. (I have a good feeling that it will. 🙂 ) Thank you again, so kind of you!
And I’ve never made a mushroom soup! I like roasted mushrooms though, and I’m currently developing a serious appetite for cauliflower, so this recipe came just at the right time! 😀
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013Make sure to tell me when you make it!
Inger Wilkerson
/ February 7, 2013Sure made me think back. I borrowed an antique handkerchief to hit two of the “musts” in one item too…
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013You’re efficient just like me Inger
kateshrewsday
/ February 8, 2013What a lovely idea to recreate this rhyme to make a recipe, Tammy! The recipe looks scrumptious.
Tammy
/ February 9, 2013You know, I think I’m on to something Kate.
sonsothunder
/ February 10, 2013What a delicious post…At first glance I thought it was polenta with shrooms and rosemary…which would have been a bit of a coincidence, as I put a spin on my usual breakfast this morning by sauteing onions, fresh red peppers, rosemary, and mushrooms and adding them, and cream to my already boiling grits…Anyway…
Oh yeah, and small chunks of chopped Pork Loin from last night with two over medium eggs and toast…
Bless You
paul
Tammy
/ February 13, 2013Polenta may have gone over better with my children!
Kathy
/ February 11, 2013First of all, what a good idea to utilize a recipe for a wedding with that magical chant cooked right in. The recipe looks mouth-watering. Today is the last official day of my detox, so will soon start making new recipes–such as this one. Looks so good, Tammy.
Tammy
/ February 13, 2013Oh, I’ll pop on over to read more about it. I commend you Kathy!
Island Traveler
/ February 11, 2013Love the lucky token for marriage. It makes us realize what is important for a successful, blissful marriage. The soup just looks divinely delicious. Have a wonderful day and best wishes to your family.
Tammy
/ February 13, 2013Showing our kids a strong marriage is a gift that they’ll take with them.
Wanderlust and Wonderment
/ February 12, 2013Ooh this looks really good and healthy too. I will definitely try this. Thanks!
Tammy
/ February 13, 2013Cauliflower is a secret weapon!
Catherine Sherman
/ March 5, 2013What a creative and charming way to introduce a delicious recipe and also to honor your soon to be married friends. I’m definitely making this recipe and sending it to my daughter and her husband.
Tammy
/ March 5, 2013It’s light but the roasted mushroom and vinegar is really tasty.