[Sca-cooks] Sideboards....

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

Jonathan and Rebecca Barber wrote:

>What kinds of things do you put out on sideboards/dayboards?
>
Yesterday, I did a dayboard for Mudthaw, my barony's biggest annual 
event.  I was told to cook for 500, but there may have been fewer 
attendees than that.  I served:

bread -- Italian and a rye/wheat mix. 

spreads -- butter and a soft cheese with chives.  I made the latter with 
cow's milk, cream, and rennet.  (I've made goat's milk cheese in the 
past, which is much tastier, but goat's milk purchased in stores is too 
expensive for a dayboard budget.)

cheeses -  cheddar and feta

fruit -- grapes, apples, tangerines (non-period substitute for small 
sweet oranges), dried figs and dates

lentil-leek-barley pottage.  I used the redaction from Henry Marks' 
Byzantine cooking book.  The pottage is seasoned with dill, and with a 
little vinegar, which wakes up the lentils marvelously.

chickpea fritters (Counterfeit isfiriya of garbanzos) -- I started out 
with the redaction in the Miscellany, and made changes.  Primarily, I 
reduced the amount of eggs, dropped the saffron and cinnamon, and 
increased the quantities of the other spices -- salt, pepper, cumin, 
coriander seed.  I substituted parsley for the green coriander.  Next 
time, I may just drop the parsley.  I don't see any mention of herbs in 
the original recipes)  It was extremely popular, and not just among the 
vegetarians.  I served it with a garlic sauce, which most people 
avoided, and garlic-lovers rejoiced in.

roast beef, thinly sliced.  (Lady Jadwiga kindly made some cinnamon 
mustard to accompany the beef.)

roast chicken thighs.

beef summer sausage (Hillshire Farms brand, purchased at Costco)

olives (two kinds), tiny dill pickles, baby carrots

honey sesame candy -- I read in the Byzantine cooking book that they ate 
sweets made of honey and sesame seeds.  I found a basic modern recipe 
(boil honey, stir in toasted sesame seeds, pour out in a thin layer and 
slice into small pieces)

pomegranate drink -- pomegranate molasses, sugar and water.  This is 
always very popular at events.  One woman called it "addictive".

Everyone seemed to enjoy the variety, especially the fighters and 
fencers outside.

My budget was $800.  I came in $20.96 under.

-- 
Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom
Robin Carroll-Mann *** rcmann4 at earthlink.net