[Sca-cooks] large dayboard feast: need advice from those who have done this before

[Jim and Andi]

While I've never done a dayboard per se, I have done lunch spreads for
fighters on an extremely limited budget, and there are a few things that I
can suggest that are extremely filling and fit the "looks medieval" rule
rather than being 100% authentic.

Stuffed rolls- if you just put out sliced meat, it'll be eaten very
quickly... you can stretch it by baking things like stromboli or pepperoni
rolls. Just buy frozen white bread dough, roll out like a jelly roll, cover
with sliced ham and honey mustard, roll up, and bake, then serve sliced.
Variations I have made are spinach, herbs and ricotta cheese; shredded
smoked turkey with spicy horseradish and cream cheese; and pepperoni and
mozzarella with pesto. really makes the expensive ingredients stretch, but
doesn't require assembly like a sandwich would or utensils to eat.

You can also make quiches in large pans and cut them into squares to serve.
Quiche is CHEAP. Quartered oranges sit well and fighters love them, but
quartered apples get icky-looking quickly. Trays of cut-up vegetables look
so modern to me as to be unappealing, but veggies can be snuck into foods
everywhere to fill them out and make them cheaper and healthier. There is a
stuffed meatloaf recipe I got off an SCA site a long time ago and has become
a family favorite and a favorite for events... stuffed meatloaf. You make a
meatloaf mixture with ground meat (I use turkey & beef) then add a grated
zucchini, some minced fresh mushrooms and lots of dill and parsley. Spread
it out on some aluminum foil to about 9x13, then lay slices of swiss cheese
on top, then cover with a layer of shredded fresh spinach. Roll it up and
bake. It's really good cold. I think the original recipe called for a pastry
crust over the whole thing.

I hope this helps!!

Madhavi (looking forward to doing the first Meridian Dayboard next year!!!!)