[Sca-cooks] Farmer's feasts question

[Johnna Holloway]

Go with Thomas Tusser.
He's even a contemporary of Shakespeare.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Tusser

His Five hundred pointes of good husbandrie (1573 is one edition) is  
up now on Google Books.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/yct6m39

Page 69 starts the December Husbandrie section where the Christmas  
section reads:

Christmas husbandly fare. chap. 26.

GOod husband & huswyfe, now chiefly be glad,

things hādsom to haue, as they ought to be had

They both do prouide, against Christmas do come

to welcom their neighbour, good chere to haue som

Good bread & good drinke, a good fyer in the hall,

brawne pudding & souse & good mustarde withal.

Biefe, mutton, & porke, shred pyes of the best,

pig, veale, goose & capon, & Turkey wel drest:

Chese, apples & nuttes, iollie Caroles to here,

as then, in the cuntrey, is counted good chere.

What cost to good husbande, is any of this?

good housholde prouision, onely it is.

Of other the like, I do leaue out a meny,

that costeth the husbandman, neuer a peny.

  Will this do?



Johnnae


On Dec 17, 2009, at 7:01 PM, Pixel, Goddess and Queen wrote:

> Besides in Rumpolt, does anyone know of any other late-period  
> references to what a feast menu for the lower classes should be  
> like? I am researching an A&S entry for 12th Night and my research  
> library is woefully inadequate for Tudor/Elizabethan era anything,  
> let alone feast menus.snipped
>
> Specifically I am looking for info on what the upper classes thought  
> would be appropriate for a farmer's feast. I have a reference that  
> says that a roast joint of mutton is expected at a shearer's dinner,  
> and later there's a discussion of what grains to make the pie crusts  
> and puddings out of, but that's all I have.
>
> Any help is appreciated.
>
> Margaret FitzWilliam