SC - Seasonal Foods

[Decker, Terry D.]

rebecca tants wrote:

> Ok - this is gonna sound like some "duh Barbie" questions, but I
> wasn't raised on a farm, I was raised on Hamburger Helper...so here goes:

I wasn't raised on afarm, either, and it was beans and corn bread for us [HH
wasn't aroundin those days] but I have lived avery self suffiecient lifestyle and
fed a family of five from a home garden, tho that *was* down in TX and not in
Europe....[seasons differ..]

> [snip]
>
> Therefore, I am going to show off my flexibility by cutting off
> reservations at 2pm, going shopping for the main items of
> dinner and having it on the table around 6pm.

[more snipped]My dear lady, I'm very flexible, but refuse to acquire anymore grey
hair  than necessary.....Personally I decide, based on past experience, how many
people are likely to show up and want to eat, including the 'regular locals' i.e.
the folks helping put on the event.  Buy and cook for that many, encouraging
everyone to at least give me a call and 'get on the list' then pay the troll at
the gate.  Bout noon I check with troll [who has a copy of my reservation list]
and compare PAID feast fees with # of feast tickets made.  I make several
announcements that there are a *few* spots left open for dinner, see the troll and
get you ticket before xx time.  Rarely has our group not had a full feast, large
or small event [actually we have a rep for good food and lots of it]

> I read the article on the Medieval/Renaissance Food home page

> which tells me that for September I would probably have:
> broad beans, beef, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, chicken, clams, eggplant
> fish, grapes, peaches, pears, plums and scallops

also *probably*  most other cole family things like cabbage& turnips, would also
guess in manyplaces the grain harvest would be coming in; perhaps lamb &
chevon{fancy word for goat meat}Probably eels and lots of other fish/shellfish
dependingon where youlived. Some nuts? or perhaps they are later inthe fall.  I
would also think you would have things like carrots and parsnips, eggs, cheeses,
those made earlier in thespring as hard cheese beginning to get ripe now.  Onions,
garlic, leeks are fall/late summer harvested, apples [at least the early sorts
that don't keep well for anylength oftime]  Since at the time they did have the
grain storage, weather & disease protection that wwe have now, the most abundant
supplyof milk for cheese & butter making would be in the spring and early summer,
by Sept the cows were probably beginning to dry up and a lot of stock would be
slaughtered and  preserved in the fall, but suppose the weather where youlived
would determine what month it happened.

>
>
> This is going to be a relatively simple feast in most ways, but
> I refuse to do it badly just because it's a minor event with a
> itty-bitty crowd.

No reason to ever do it badly whether your cooking for yourown family or a 200
person 5 remove feast.  But do make it easy on yourself, so you can have fun too!
Prepare, pre-plan and pre-cook, then warm up and add finishing touches on
site.....Certainly helps you nerves...

Cheers, Mairi
wishing she could be feast 'o'crat witha real kitchen and not on the primitive no
building, no running water site we always use.....[and yes, onthat site we served
over 100 people for MAy Crown...]

Lady Mairi Broder, Atenveldt Kingdom Scribe, celebrating only 150 messages left to
read [out of 710] please forgive the sticky key board....

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