[Sca-cooks] Danelaw feast

[a5foil]

Aoghann scripsit --

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

A short list of veggies and herbs, pretty well documentable from
archaeological context or contemporary writing. Of course there is very
little archaeological evidence for herbs or anything wild-gathered. This is
mostly cribbed from Hagen -- if you are going to do a lot of early-period
cooking I strongly recommend getting both volumes.

Alliums -- onion, garlic, leek
Roots -- carrot, parsnip, probably radish and turnip
Pulses -- favas (the small ones if you can get them), field peas, possibly
lentils
Greens -- cabbage, kale, cress, mustard greens, beet leaves or chard,
spinach, celery, fennel -- but not, apparently, cucumber -- and all of these
seem to have been cooked, not eaten raw
Herbs -- definitely dill, chervil, mint, parsley, marjoram; sage and thyme
should be okay
Seeds -- coriander, black cumin, probably mustard
Imports -- probably pepper, possibly cinnamon

Salt is locally produced.

As far as oils go, olive oil is an import, but apparently a fairly common
one -- right up there with wine. Oil could also be have been made locally
from rapeseed or walnuts. Animal fats were, of course, much more common. I
use oil only in Lenten dishes, where animal fat would be forbidden.

Cynara