SC - Vacation/Training 8/8-8/17

[Suzanne Metzler]

Two weekends ago, I provided a light supper for a ball.  The criteria
(from the autocrat) was for finger food that didn't leave rubbish (i.e.
bones or rinds) and I was not allowed meat rissoles (too much prevalence
for hedgehogs).

I ended up providing the following:  (recipes at end)

Other items on the menu:
		Water & Cordials in jugs
		Pies of Paris
		Shushbarak
		Spinach Tarts
		Mushroom pasties
		Swirl Biscuits & Fool
		Baked Herbed Eggs
		Apple & Walnut Tart
		Course Ginger Bread
		Fresh fruit platters (sliced, rind, pips etc removed)

Unfortunately this ended up with most recipes containing pastry or dairy
products.  We have a couple of Coeliacs and a milk allergy person in my
Barony (thankfully neither of the Coeliacs showed).  

My question is, does anyone have any suggestions on how to do this kind
of buffet without a reliance on pastry ??

Thanks and regards

Meliora.


Shushbarak, Ibn al-Mabrad p20 in Miscellany
You take minced meat & stuff it in dough rolled out like cut tutmaj. It
is cooked in water until done. Then take it off the fire & put yoghurt,
garlic & mint with it.

about 1 lb meat (lamb)	2 c flour
1/4 c water		3 eggs
4 ounces yogurt		1 clove garlic
1 sprig mint

We tried both ground & minced meat; both worked. The dough was rolled
out thin & the shushbarak were made like ravioli, then boiled 5-10
minutes. The sauce was made by blending together the yogurt, garlic, &
mint in a food processor; a mortar & pestle would also work. As an
experiment, 1/3 c of minced lamb was mixed with 1/4 t cinnamon, 1/8 t
ginger, & 1/8 t coriander & used as filling; that also came out well.
[Mels comments:  We used the last spice mix & the yogurt dip for the
ball]

Pyes de pares (Pies of Paris) Harlian MS279 in Renfrow p125
Take & smite fair butts of pork & butts of veal together, & put it in a
fair pot, & put thereto fair broth, & a quantity of Wine, & let it all
boil together till it is enough; & then take it from the fire, & let
cool a little, & cast thereto raw yolks of eggs, & powder of ginger,
sugar, & salt , & minced dates, raisons of Corinth: make then coffins of
fair paste, & put it therein, & cover it & let bake enough.

1 cup beef broth	1/2 cup white wine
1/4 lb pork, minced	1/2 lb ground beef
3 egg yolks, beaten	1 teas ginger powder
1 teas sugar		1/2 teas salt
1 date, minced		1 Tbsp currants
Bring the beef broth & wine to a boil in a 2-quart pot.  Add the pork &
beef & cook until no trace of pink remains.  Remove from heat. Cool.
(Take up the meat & grind it to a paste in a blender if you want a
smoother consistency.) Take the cooled meat & 1/2 cup of the cooking
liquid & mix together with the eggs, date, currants & spices in a large
bowl.

Roll out half the pastry. Line an 8-inch pie pan with the pastry. Fill
with the meat mixture. Roll out remaining pastry.  Cover the pie with
the top crust & seal the edges. Cut steam vents in the top crust. Bake
at 450oF for 25-30 minutes.  Remove from oven & serve hot. Makes 1 pie.
[Mel's notes:  This pie hangs together well & can be served in discrete
slices.] 

Champignons en pasté (Mushroom pasties), Managier de Paris, rec140 in
Pleyn Delit, rec 2
Mushrooms of one night are the best, if they are small, red inside, &
closed at the top; & they should be peeled & then washed in hot water &
parboiled, & if you wish to put them in a pasty add oil, cheese, & spice
powder.

Pastry dough		3/4 lb small mushrooms
2 Tbsp olive oil		1/2 teas salt
1/4 teas ginger		1/8 teas pepper
2 oz cheese (cheddar & parmesan)

Wash mushrooms & pare away the bottom of the stems, but leave whole.
Parboil in salted water 3-4 minutes. Drain, & mix with oil & seasonings.
Make turnovers or fill tart shells. If you are using turnovers, mix the
cheese in with the mushrooms. If you prefer tart shells, reserve the
cheese to sprinkle on top. Bake in a 425oF oven for 12-15 minutes until
lightly browned.

Erbolade (Baked Herbed Eggs), Forme of Curye in Kings Taste p79
Take parsley, mint, savory, sage, tansy, vervain, clary, rue, dittany,
fennel, southernwood. Chop them & grind them small. Mix them with eggs.
Put butter in a baking dish & put the mixture in it. Bake it & serve it
in portions.

1/3 cup hot milk		5 eggs, lightly beaten
1/8 teas salt		2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp dried herbs as available (from above list)

Pour milk over dried herbs & stir until they have all been coated. Allow
the mixture to sit for 30 minutes until milk is strongly flavoured.
Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Discard herbs.

Combine eggs, milk & salt, beating a few moments with a wire whisk. Melt
butter in an 8-inch ovenproof skillet or baking dish. Pour in egg
mixture. Bake in a preheated 325F oven for 35 minutes or until eggs are
set & top is golden brown. Serve as you would a pie.

Note: If you are lucky enough to have fresh herbs, mince approximately
twice the amount indicated, eliminate the first paragraph & combine the
herbs with the egg mixture. Mel's notes: we used fresh herbs, & included
the milk anyway.  The herb mix for the Ball was 2pts parsley, 1pt mint,
1pt sage, 1pt savoury & 1pt lemon thyme]

Einen krapfen (An Apple & Walnut Tart) Ein Buch von Guter Spise recipe
61.  Translated & redacted by Alia Atlas in Cariadoc's Medieval &
renaissance cookbooks vol 2
So du wilt einen vasten krapfen machen von nüzzen mit ganzem kern. und
nim als vil epfele dor under und snide sie würfeleht als der kern ist
und roest sie mit ein wenig honiges und mengez mit würtzen und tu ez uf
die bleter die do gemaht sin zu krapfen und loz ez backen und versaltz
niht.

How you want to make a fastday krapfen of nuts with whole kernels. &
take as many apples thereunder & cut them diced, as the kernel is, &
roast them well with a little honey & mix with spices & put it on the
leaves, which you made to krapfen, & let it bake & do not oversalt. 

2 cup apples, peeled, diced(used Granny Smith)
2 cups walnuts		1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 teas cinnamon	1/2 teas ground nutmeg
1/4 teas ground mace	1/4 teas ground cloves
1 pie crust (flour, butter, water & salt)

Cook the apples in the honey until they are starting to become soft.
(This takes approx. 10 minutes.) Mix the cooled apples & honey with the
walnuts & spices. Roll out pie crust & put in pan. Fill crust with
mixture. Cook in the oven at 350° F until crust is brown (approx. 30
minutes). [Mel's comments:  For the Ball I only used a third of the
walnuts]

Course Ginger Bread, Markham in Queens Taste p97
Take a quart of Honey clarified, & seeth it till it be brown, & if it be
thick, put to it a dish of water: then take fine crums of white bread
grated, & put to it, & stirre it well, & when it is almost cold, put to
it the powder of Ginger, Cloves, Cinamon, & a little Licoras &
Anniseeds: then knead it, & put it into a mould & print it. some use to
put to it also a little Pepper, but that is according unto taste &
pleasure.

1 cup honey		1/4 teas ground ginger
1/8 teas cloves		1/8 teas cinnamon
1/8 teas licorice	1 3/4 cups bread crumbs
1 Tbsp anise seeds

In the top of a double-boiler, heat honey.  Add spices except anise
seeds, & stir to blend. Add bread crumbs & mix thoroughly. Cover & cook
over medium heat for 15 minutes.  Mixture should be thick & moist. Place
gingerbread on a large sheet of waxed paper. Fold up sides of paper &
mold dough into small rectangular shape. Sprinkle anise seeds on top &
press them gently into the dough with the sides of a knife. Cover &
refridgerate for 2 hours. Serve gingerbread at room temperature in thin
slices. [Katryn's notes: Add more ginger - I used 2-3 times the
specified amount. ]

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