SC - My First Feast as Head Cook

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

I'm now planning the feast for The Boar's Hunt on December 9th, which 
will be my first as chief cook.

Estimated attendance at the feast is 80 people, of which 10 may be at 
the High Table. The menu has some traditional dishes going back over 
a decade, and which aren't necessarily 100 per cent historically 
authentic. I do have some liberty with the feast and want the dishes 
i add, at least, to be historically authentic.

This event used to be done by a shire that no longer exists, which is 
one reason there was too much food last year - many folks didn't come 
because they thought it wasn't going to happen. Those who came had a 
wonderful time. It's held in a Boy Scout Camp that is an oasis of 
forest in the midst of a rather suburban development and the lodge is 
one of those wonderful 1920's rustic halls with a stone fireplace 
that's perfect. The kitchen is good, although the stove and one prep 
counter are across from each other with a sort of narrow space that 
leads to some butt bumping.

As it's a Boar's Hunt, with heavy fighters aided by their "dogs" 
(lights) in chasing several armored "boars", the main meat is pork. 
When i assisted in the kitchen last year we had three courses plus 
dessert. It has been suggested i make just two courses plus dessert 
because there was too much food, and looking over previous menus 
shows this is more typical.

Here's what i have so far, but i would appreciate any insights and 
suggestions from those with experience. Those marked (trad.) are 
traditional dishes which i must have in some form. There is no 
particularly traditional order to the dishes. Do these combinations 
sound alright?

_Beaconsgate 15th Annual Boar Hunt and Feast, presented by the 
Province of the Mists_

_First Course_
Sausages or Chicken (i haven't decided, although sausages are easier 
as we will buy ready-made) - is there a good sauce for sausage?
Funges (trad.) (recipe courtesy Anne-Marie Rousseau on this list last winter)
Root vegetables (baked seasoned carrots and parsnips?)
Lumbard Custard (trad.) - please help, i don't have a recipe for this 
- - what cookbook is it in?
Sallat (trad.) (basically greens with vinaigrette)

_Second Course_
Roast Pork Loin (trad.) (1/2 lb. boned uncooked per person)
Red Cabbage (trad.) any tasty recipe suggestions?
Gingered Apples (trad.) (apples cooked in water with ginger and sugar)
Turnips (trad.) - i'm doing them in Mustard Sauce (recipe courtesy 
Anne-Marie Rousseau on this list last winter), although Armored 
Turnips are more typical
Cooked Worts (trad.)
Grain dish, "cheap and filling"  - Last year's barley pottage was 
horrible and nobody ate it. I'm thinking Frumenty with cracked wheat. 
Any other suggestions?

_Dessert_
Boar's Head (trad.) - subtletie of gingerbread or fruit cake (will be 
done by someone else)
Cooked Fruit - i'm thinking quinces, maybe, if they aren't too 
expensive, or maybe something of dried fruit, or pears in red wine - 
any suggestions?

The food is served on platters brought to each table of eight diners, 
who then serves themselves.

I'm also thinking of having a table with a big pot of mulled cider, 
bread, cheese, and compost (which i'll make ahead of time) throughout 
the feast for "self-service". Between courses there will be 
entertainments, such as singing, story-telling, and our own 
principality magician.

- ---------------------

I have menus from the last 7 Boar Hunts, from 1993 through 1999.

A tabulation of previous feasts shows:

Roast Pork at all 7
Funges at all 7
Salat at all 7
Turnips: armored at 5, in mustard sauce at 2
Green Vegetable: mustard greens at 1, Buttered Worts at 6
Cabbage: soup at 1, "salat of caboges" at 6
Apples: roast at 1, gingered at 6
Savory tart at 7: cheese tarts at 1, Custard Lumbarde at 6, Tarte de Brie at 1

Roots at 4: form not specified at 2, Potage of Roots at 1, Baked 
carrots and parsnips at 1
Roast Beef at 4

First course: meat pies at 1, sowpys dorry at 2, Jowetes of Almand 
Mylke at 1, Sausages at 1
Second Course: brawn royal at 1, Bird Pie at 1, Chike in Canel and 
Orange Sauce at 2, whole roast chicken with green sauce at 1

Stewed Pears at 2 (in 93, 99)
Barley in Potage at 2 (in 97, in 99 almost all of this came back to 
the kitchen as it was a pretty awful tasteless gluey mess)

_Dessert Course_
Boar's Head Subtletie at all 7 (what the base is may vary - 
gingerbread or decent fruit cake)
plus
Gingerbread in 93 and 99
Lenten Pancakes in 93
Darole with Cherries in 94
Puddings [kind not specified] in 94
Lemon Tarts in 95 and 98
Divers Cakes in 96
Bred Pudding in 97
Butterkucken in 98

- ---------------------

Thanks for any pointers,

Anahita al-shazhiyya