[Sca-cooks] An almost final Feast Menu

[Chawkswrth]

Our Shire's summer event is scheduled for the end of July and I will be 
Head Cook. (Please don't run away, run away)

The Event does have a theme <grin> so the Feast will also have a theme.

My goals for the Feast is to have fun, serve mostly Period Food, and be 
as punny as is absolutely possible. Why?
The motto of the Shire is "If you can't have fun doing it, then don't 
do it"

The menu (so far) is as follows;

On the table; Bread, butter, seasonal fruit

1) To be served by the white-clad Shire Ladies, some dishes will be 
carried on paddles. Yes, these are all Period Aphrodisiacs;

Tart of Onions (Made with eggs, cheese, onions and leeks)
Handmade sausage smoked over Hickory and then prepared in Ale/Beer or 
broth
Chyches (roasted chickpeas)
Frytour of Erbs (Herb Fritters)
Hypochrysa (SP) (This is a Dry Site, so no alcohol, otherwise, I would 
serve a light mead to those over 21)


2) Second Course (regular Service, with the Ranking non-Royal as the 
Royal Carver at the Head Table)
Steak
Esparaguat (Asparagus)
Armoured Turnips
Baguettes (french bread)

The Head Table will receive a Smoked beef shoulder with large white 
feathers artfully pinned to look like a wing.
The regular tables will get London Broils that have marinated overnight 
and then put in the smoker. They will be pre sliced, and a sauce 
applied (Pleyn Delite)
I would do an onion compote, to go with the beef, but I think that 
would be too much onion. Not every course needs onions, especially with 
the number of folks we have in Kingdom who are allergic to them.

3) third but not quite the final Course;

Rabbit baked in Pastry (whole or in a pie) (I will add grilled chicken 
thighs to this for those who will not eat Thumper)
Buttered Carrots
Salat

The Head Table will be presented 2 rabbits baked in crust, rampant. 
Designing the support will be interesting(I am not a woodworker). I 
will be making the heads out of dough, with pointy teeth 
gleaming...hehehehe
the other tables will either get one bunny in crust, or rabbit 
pie...(using Meat pie recipe from Gode Cookery site). The Chicken 
Thighs will be herbed, wrapped in bacon and grilled.

4) The Cake (this is where we depart from any attempt at Period Food)

The Holy Hand Granade of Antioch in Cake form, presented to the Head 
Table by the Gentlemen of the Shire, dressed as monks, in full 
procession....

The cake will be about 3 layers, made of of 2-layer cakes, separated by 
cardboard. 2 chocolate, 1 vanilla. the sides will be chocolate fondant 
with wood grain. The grenade itself is made of half of a ball cake. the 
cross will be molded candy.

Has anyone guessed what the Theme is of the Event yet?

Are we going to have fun with this? You betcha!

The Feast will be prepared for 64, for that is all the Hall will hold. 
The budget is $6 a head, and 6 comped. My biggest problem is going to 
be Rabbit. I have tried contacting all of the Rabbit Ranches in State, 
but no one is answering. It could be the number I want is too low 
(10-15), or that I want them already dressed. I will admit that I 
cannot find it within me to do the deed. Once I look into that Fuzzy 
Face, they will die of old age.
So-if I can't find rabbit...what can I do? How can I fake it?

I also look at the Fritters and realize that I will have to cook 
upwards of 100 of them. How can you cook that many and keep them hot 
and crisp for Service time?

You will note that a lot of this menu calls for using Turkey roasters 
and smokers and grills. the kitchen on site is what we call a '3 butt 
kitchen'. There is one big side-by-side Fridge, two stovetops and one 
oven, none of which are industrial. I am saving the oven for the pies, 
and the armored turnips. It will all be a matter of timing and lots of 
prep work.
And a Kitchen Crew that Rocks!

<grin> Said Crew has already come up with a way cleaning off the tables 
between courses-a wheelbarrow/cart with a driver that calls out "Bring 
out your Dead" as he travels between the tables.

I do want to hear your comments, suggestions and ideas about how I can 
make this better for the guests, and easier on my crew, as well as 
answering my questions. You all have so much more experience then I do 
at preparing Feasts. I do have some, just not as much as I would 
like....

Thank you!

Helen Hawksworth