I have been rooting around trying to find suitable Renaissance vegetable dishes that made good use of the spices around at the time. It seems although 14th century chef the Anonimo Veneziano and others made notes of the main courses, vegetables were often forgotten from contemporary cookbooks. This and the buttered carrot with herbs are loosely based on similar recipes in Apicius, a collection of early Roman cookery. They both work very well with the spicy dishes such as chicken with ginger, saffron and dates, and the fantastic chicken with fennel and fine spices, and also with roast meats. I use the pointy green cauliflower called Romanesco when I can find it but white cauliflower, broccoli and all cabbages work well with the recipe too. As for the raisins try to find the little packets sold as snacks that contain semi-dried green, red and brown raisins and sultanas, they have a wonderful flavour and are really pretty with the green vegetables.