[Sca-cooks] Seeking assistance with Event menu

[Phil Troy/ G. Tacitus Adamantius]

Also sprach Susan Laing:
>Hi Everyone!
>
>I've agreed to be the event cook for the Great Northern War event (held in
>Queensland Australia each August) and need to come up with an event menu and
>costings by next friday so the Baronial council can accept the bid.
>
>The Time Theme for the event this year is "Scots versus England" set in the
>time period of King Edward Longshanks and William Wallace with the preferred
>food emphasis (as defined by the Event Steward) as being "Scottish" - so
>time period for recipes is approximately early 1300's.
>
>I've also been asked to "keep it simple and low cost" - so I'll probably be
>looking at mostly a basic feast of roast meats and side dishes.

The [perhaps] unfortunate thing here is that William Wallace was a 
Lowlander, making him, for practical purposes, culturally 
indistinguishable from the English he fought, and that probably 
included his diet. I think there's a specifically Northern English 
recipe collection somewhere on my shelves, but I also think it's too 
late, probably early 15th century.

>I also have a wild idea for a soltitie involving a fanciful "Hunting of the
>Haggis" so won't be worried about adding real actual haggis to the menu.
>
>So anyone able to give me ideas on what might be good to add in for the full
>weekend's menu?  I have two breakfasts; two lunches and a full feast to
>cater for.

I'd put oatcakes (the kind made without extra fat; the end product is 
a bit like matzoh) and fresh cheese in there at some point, possibly 
a porridge made with meat (or other) broth. You actually might have 
fun trying to see how many known period haggis variants you could 
include without actually going the pluck, paunch and oats route.

Adamantius