At the time of the American Revolution (circa 1775), the colonists still ate a primarily British diet, consisting of meats, stews, puddings, breads, and sweets, with limited vegetables. Beer, ale, and cider were frequent drinks. For the more affluent, there was port and some liqueurs. After Martha Jefferson’s death in 1782, the newly formed United States Congress appointed the widower Thomas “minister plenipotentiary” (his basic diplomat from him) and sent him to France. Thus began the life of a great fan of food, wine and kitchen gadgets (we are talking about France, here, the country known for high kitchen). There he discovered good food, olive oils, tasty mustards, succulent cheeses and pastries, unique foods that were practically unknown in the Colonies. And he was hooked.
On his second trip to France, Jefferson took a young slave with him for culinary training and returned home in 1789, bringing with him some of his favorite delicacies, along with 680 bottles of wine (wine connoisseur extraordinaire). He also brought home his latest gadget acquisitions, which included the first ice cream freezer, a cheese grater, and a pasta maker. Although he did not succeed in starting a sizable vineyard for the production of national wine on his Monticello property, he was a keen gardener and horticulturist. Along with numerous vegetables familiar to the area, he introduced and successfully cultivated aubergines, okra, tomatoes, garlic, broad beans, peanuts, and hot and sweet peppers, all of which were previously considered Mediterranean warm-climate vegetables, virtually unknown to the British. diet. Throughout his life, he experimented with organic gardening, developing new species and grafting fruit trees to produce tasty fruit. He literally changed the landscape of the gardens from colonial times onwards. Historians estimate that he was responsible for the cultivation of 330 varieties of vegetables and herbs, and 170 varieties of fruit.
Dinners at TJ’s included copious meat and poultry for his guests, but he preferred most of his own food to consist of plenty of fresh vegetables from his garden, with plenty of imported wines to wash it all down. You definitely wanted to be on his guest list. After a typical dinner at the White House or Monticello, one can only assume that the gentlemen retired to the library for tobacco, brandy, and perhaps a few strong belches, and then fell asleep. The ladies withdrew into the drawing room, where some of them would have notched their corsets a few notches. Not surprisingly, with one guest’s description in her diary of a “casual” dinner: a light rice and bean soup, roast beef, turkey, lamb, ham, veal chops, fried eggs, macaroni, assorted fresh vegetables and a final course of pudding, fruit, cheeses and ice cream with sauce. Accompanied by abundant imported wines, of course. As a renowned gourmet, Jefferson frequently advised other American luminaries and presidents on state dinner menus and helped enlighten chefs on the proper preparation of his unique recipes.
We clearly have Jefferson to thank for introducing America to a potpourri of new dishes, with many ingredients fresh from his gardens: French fries, peanuts, Johnny-cakes, mashed potatoes, sweet potato pudding, sesame seed oil, fried eggplant. and those great American Staples, Ketchup, Pumpkin Pie, and Macaroni and Cheese. He also presented the ice cream to the amazed dinner guests. Combining Western European gardening with his unique Monticello cuisine, he enjoyed fusing different cuisines and experimenting with new vegetables and fruits. Fortunately for future generations, TJ frequently wrote recipes during his travels in Europe, as well as recording menus and collaborating with his chefs. His daughters and grandchildren kept some of those precious recipes in perpetuity.
Thomas Jefferson was a remarkable man. A visionary, a gourmet, author, wine connoisseur, and southern gentleman. One can only fantasize what his dinner guests experienced. If he were alive today, there’s no question he’d have his own show on Food Network TV.