[Sca-cooks] Danelaw feast

[Barbara Benson]

Greetings,

Firstly, the feast plan looks lovely - I cannot wait to help out and
learn all of your tricks. (rubs hands).

I have a couple of tidbits of information that I believe would be
relevant, but I am unfamiliar with the specifics of early Anglo-Saxon.
I will let you evaluate and decide.

Both are decidedly earlier by a couple of centuries, but Charlemagne's
Capitulare de villis was written to instruct the nobles of his kingdom
what should be planted. I would expect that most of the items on his
list would still be available a couple of centuries later, and in
common gardens. At the same time period the idealized Plan of St. Gall
monastery has similar, if reduced planting suggestions.

I have complied lists of gardening plants listed in period references.
It is an ongoing project, but both of the items I just mentioned have
been added.

For just Charlemagne's list go here:
http://www.serenadariva.com/SCAGardeningPages/PlantLists/CharlemagneLatin.xls

and for a comparison which included St. Gall (and goes up into
Renaissance) go here:
http://www.serenadariva.com/SCAGardeningPages/PlantLists/Plantlists.xls

I hope these can be of some use to you in your endeavors.

Glad Tidings,
--Serena da Riva

> 
> >-- a variety of herbs plus
> >coriander and cumin seed.
> >
> Would you expand upon "a variety of herbs"?  My modern pantry seems to
> be far more Mediterranean and Asian than I had known. :)