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F-Norse-Feast-art - 1/29/15

A Fall Norse Feast in the Province of Golden Rivers, West Kingdom. Dishes were selected for a pre-conquest (~1050) Scandinavian theme. Menu and recipes. Includes reviews and comments from the feasters.

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NOTICE -

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.

Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

Thank you,

Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous

Stefan at florilegium.org

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Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2014 17:38:04 -0500

From: Gwendwyn <bulotki at netscape.net>

To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org

Subject: [Sca-cooks] Feast Notes and Menu - Golden Rivers Anniversary

The Province of Golden Rivers (in the Kingdom of the West) is well-known for it's annual fall feast to celebrate it's founding. This year, I wanted to select dishes that honor the land and place we recreate with a pre-conquest (~1050) Scandinavian theme with several lands represented. The food served also needed to appeal to a wide variety of palates, including newcomers that were attending their first SCA event. We served about 70 people.

Menu and ingredients:

Aertesoppe(Golden pea soup)

Dried yellow peas, onions, cumin, saffron, canola oil

Flatbr?d(grilled sourdough rye flatbread)

Wheat and rye flours, honey, salt, canola oil

Rokt Fisk(smoked trout)

Brined with salt, honey, peppercorns, bay leaf and dill,then hot smoked

Nepe Kake (turnip cake)

Turnips, green onion, egg, wheat flour, cream, butter, canolaoil

Vegetarian: turnips, green onion, wheat flour, almondmilk, canola oil

F?rskost med Urtur (Skyr with herbs)

Skyr (strained cow?s milk yogurt), sour cream, chives,parsley, dill, chervil

Kornmj?lsgr?t (Beefand Barley porridge)

Beef, butter, hulled barley, onion, garlic, carrot,parsnip, thyme, savory, stout, oil

Vegetarian: as above, no beef or butter

Herkkusieni (Mushrooms)

Mushrooms, leeks, butter, salt, pepper, ginger

Gronnkal(Braised green kale with fennel and apples)

Bacon, green kale, fennel, onion, leek, apple, nutmeg,pepper, apple cider vinegar, oil

Vegetarian: as above, no bacon

Steke vilt med Tytteb?rsaus (Smoked Venison Roast with Lingonberry Sauce)

Venison shoulder, bacon, garlic, thyme, oil, brined withsalt, honey, juniper berry, peppercorn, bay leaf, fennel

Sauce: Lingonberry preserves, honey, red wine vinegar

Hasselnotskaka (Hazelnut Shortbread)

Butter, honey, wheat and barley flour, hazelnuts

Mj?d posjert plommer (Plumspoached in mead and spices)

Mead, honey, cinnamon, anise seed, wild mirabelle plums

Peas are grown in our area during Winter and are harvested and dried in the Spring. Yellow peas are the basis for a golden soup, spiced with cumin and saffron, both available as trade goods.

Large ovens were not common to Scandinavia until much later, but remnants of grills and griddle pans have been found in archeological digs in several sites. There are numerous references to "flat-bread", so I chose to make a slightly leavened dough of rye and wheat and cook it on a hot grill.

Trout are abundant in our rivers, and were well-known to Scandinavia as well. Brining and smoking both preserves and flavors the fish. I also developed a conjectural recipe for Turnip Cakes, using ingredients (substitutions) and methods that may have been available. The modern ingredients were as close as I could find to create a dish that would be similar to one that might have been eaten. Skyr is a thick, cultured cows milk yogurt, it's quite tangy. Fruit and sweeteners are frequently added. However, I chose to use herbs for a savory topping for the smoked trout and turnip cakes.

Barley is a staple for most of northern Europe before the Conquest, and is one of the oldest cultivated grains because it is easy to grow in cool, dry climates. In the Central Valley, it's a rotation crop. Adding barley to a bit of meat broth with a few root vegetables seems like a logical choice to maximize nutritional benefit and feed a large group a substantial dish on a cool fall night. Rather than take a risk on wild mushrooms, which would have also been common to the climate, I chose a commercially available common button mushroom, adding a bit of pepper and ginger to spice it up.

The Gronnkal is another conjectural recipe for cooked kale, with fennel, leeks, onions and apples. While the varieties of these plants in Northern California are somewhat different than those of Northern Europe during the Viking Age, they combine well in a flavorful vegetable dish that had very little return to the kitchen late in the feast.

The highlight of the meal was Smoked Venison Roast. Deer were plentiful and commonly hunted and served at the tables of nobility. Like the fish, brining and smoking preserved and flavored the meat. Adding bacon, garlic and thyme kept the venison moist and tender, there were no complaints of "gaminess". The meat was served with a tart Lingonberry sauce.

The last course was hazelnut cakes and mead poached plums. Fruit and nuts were gathered from the wild in Northern Europe. I used plums from feral Mirabelle tree in my yard, and added some home-brewed mead. Anise and cinnamon would have been imported through trade from Southern Europe, and add spicy notes to the poached plums. Cultivated and wild hazelnuts have been around since the Mesolithic era, the ones I bought came from a local grower. They were toasted and ground, and mixed with butter, honey, barley and wheat flours, and baked into cakes served with the plums.

When I first attempted a Viking Age feast in 1980 I knew very little about sources and period cooking methods and how they influenced choices in developing a feast menu. Google Translate wasn't even thought of, I resorted to Norwegian cookbooks and a modern English/Norwegian dictionary to form the menu and recipes. This event brought my research full circle. I was able to make better selection of both ingredients and processes based on "An Early Meal", and other books and websites now available.

Recipes available upon request.

Gwendwyn the Silent

Head Cook, Golden Rivers Anniversary 2014

Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2014 13:24:49 -0800

From: K C Francis <katiracook at hotmail.com>

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Feast Notes and Menu - Golden Rivers

Anniversary

I attended this feast and have included my comments in Gwen's notes below.

Gwendwyn the Silent posted about her recent feast:

<<< Rokt Fisk(smoked trout)

Brined with salt, honey, peppercorns, bay leaf and dill, then hot smoked >>>

Ooooh. I wish I could have been there! >>>

Fish doesn't usually go over big with a lot of folks, so I don't serve very often. Surprisingly, the smoked trout was one of the most popular dishes, along with the turnip cakes and skyr dressing.

*******Loved the smoked trout with turnip cakes and skyr dressing. I wanted MORE!

<<< Herkkusieni (Mushrooms)

Mushrooms, leeks, butter, salt, pepper, ginger >>>

Because of cost did you just use the common button mushrooms? Or did you find

something else?

Cost and availability. The day after Thanksgiving there were very few

crimini to be found, which is what I'd planned to use. I bought a 10 lb.

box of the button at Cash & Carry at a very reasonable price. <<<

****** The mushrooms were delicious, I'm going to add this flavor combination to my cookbook.

<<< Steke vilt med Tytteb?rsaus (Smoked Venison Roast with Lingonberry Sauce)

Venison shoulder, bacon, garlic, thyme, oil, brined withsalt, honey, juniper

berry, peppercorn, bay leaf, fennel

Sauce: Lingonberry preserves, honey, red wine vinegar >>>

The only place I ever get venison is at SCA feasts :-(

******* The venison was very good with a great smoky flavor and I adore lingonberries. I am making a note on sauce, though I don't expect to ever prepare venison.

<<< Mj?d posjert plommer (Plums poached in mead and spices)

Mead, honey, cinnamon, anise seed, wild mirabelle plums >>>

*****unfortunately I didn't get any of this.

<<< Recipes available upon request. >>>

*********Yes, Gwen, I'd like the recipe for the turnip cakes and skyr dressing!!

To: StefanliRous at gmail.com

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Feast Notes and Menu - Golden Rivers Anniversary

From: Gwendwyn <bulotki at netscape.net>

Cc: katiracook at hotmail.com

Date: December 4, 2014 at 5:51:31 PM CST

See embedded comments.

Gwen

-----Original Message-----

From: Stefan li Rous <StefanliRous at gmail.com>

To: K C Francis <katiracook at hotmail.com>

Sent: Thu, Dec 4, 2014 2:30 pm

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Feast Notes and Menu - Golden Rivers Anniversary

Unfortunately, that bread was likely an accurate sample of a period loaf, especially one made out of rye. I think we’re spoiled by our modern loafs. I also think it is one of the reasons that the sandwich/hamburger didn’t appear sooner.

Stefan

On Dec 4, 2014, at 4:09 PM, K C Francis <katiracook at hotmail.com> wrote:

Comments on the rest of the menu:

Aertesoppe (spicy pea soup)

-----The pea soup was thick and so good I had seconds. Fellow diners said they hate peas but loved the soup. I've made note of the flavorings for my next split pea soup. We all felt it was perfectly salted.

I've used variations of this dish at other feasts, this is the first time it was all gone before the servers got any, there were sad little faces at the kitchen door.

Flatbrod (grilled sourdough rye flatbread)

-------------The bread was just what one would expect from the description but I only nibbled a bit as I found it tough. A fellow diner (a man of course) used it as his spoon even after several of us offered him a real one.

The bread was sort of intended to eat with the soup, and contained a large percentage of whole grain. My grill was also a bit on the hot side, especially toward the end of the run, so those pieces were a bit more crispy than some of the first part of the batch. I plan to do some additional experimentation with the recipe using an iron griddle and shard oven.

Rokt Fisk (smoked trout)

Nepe Kake (turnip cake)

Färskost med Urtur (Skyr with herbs)

*******Loved the smoked trout with turnip cakes and skyr dressing. I wanted MORE! PS she sent me the recipe and I am serving this on New Year's Eve.

Kornmjölsgröt (Beef and Barley)

-------------The beef and barley was a perfect blend of as much beef as barley. I had a large serving and enjoyed every perfectly salted bite.

Herkkusieni (Mushrooms)

******The mushrooms were delicious, I'm going to add this flavor combination to my cookbook.

Steke vilt med Tyttebærsaus (Roast Venison with Lingonberry Sauce)

*******The venison was very good with a great smokey flavor and I adore lingonberries. I am making a note on sauce, though I don't expect to ever prepare venison.

Gronnkal (Braised fennel, green kale and apples)

--------------I passed on this at first as I think kale is a weed (tough and ill tasting), but I took some on a second offering and ate all but the weeds. Very nice combination. Can't remember anything specific about the flavor.

I think the kale went in for a bit longer than intended and wasn't as green and appetizing as I would have liked. It was very popular in testing from a few people that had never tried kale. We also used bacon in the production run, and unfortunately, left out the nutmeg.

Hazelnut Shortbread and Plums poached in mead and spices

*****unfortunately I didn't get any of the plums. I did get a bag of the shortbread which I have not unpacked from the feast gear (have no fear, the dirty dishes did get washed and put away!).

I wanted to offer a dessert that was a bit different than wheat porridge or a fruit pudding, which are typical at Norse feasts. The shortbread was a bit dry, which I think was due to the barley flour and honey combination, or possibly length of mixing time with the butter and honey. I've made it with whole wheat pastry flour and sugar many times, and had great results.

I'm so sorry you missed the plums. They ended up a bit more stewed than poached, but were still tasty. If I do this again, I may try cherries or prunes instead, and add more liquid.

Overall comments on the feast. Fewer dishes than we usually get at a feast around here. Virtually everything was served individually and some of the servings were very small, but we all felt we had plenty overall. This was the first time I had smoked fish/meat at a feast and both were very good. I felt everything fit the feast theme well.

Hope this helps with your write up.

Thanks for the comments!

Gwen

--------

THLord Stefan li Rous Barony of Bryn Gwlad Kingdom of Ansteorra

From: K C Francis <katiracook at hotmail.com>

To: "StefanliRous at gmail.com" <stefanlirous at gmail.com>

Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] Feast Notes and Menu - Golden Rivers Anniversary

Date: December 4, 2014 at 4:09:10 PM CST

Comments on the rest of the menu:

Kornmjölsgröt (Beef and Barley)

-------------The beef and barley was a perfect blend of as much beef as barley. I had a large serving and enjoyed every perfectly salted bite.

Steke vilt med Tyttebærsaus (Roast Venison with Lingonberry Sauce)

*******The venison was very good with a great smokey flavor and I adore lingonberries. I am making a note on sauce, though I don't expect to ever prepare venison.

 Gronnkal (Braised fennel, green kale and apples)

Hazelnut Shortbread and Plums poached in mead and spices

*****unfortunately I didn't get any of the plums. I did get a bag of the shortbread which I have not unpacked from the feast gear (have no fear, the dirty dishes did get washed and put away!).

Hope this helps with your write up.

======================

Golden Rivers Anniversary Banquet November 29, AS XLIX

Menu and ingredients:

Aertesoppe (spicy pea soup)

Dried peas, onions, cumin, saffron, canola oil

Flatbröd (grilled sourdough rye flatbread)

Wheat and rye flours, honey, salt, canola oil

Rokt Fisk (smoked trout)

Brined with salt, honey, peppercorns, bay leaf and dill, then hot smoked

Nepe Kake (turnip cake)

Turnips, green onion, egg, wheat flour, cream, butter, canola oil Vegetarian: turnips, green onion, wheat flour, almond milk, canola oil

Färskost med Urtur (Skyr with herbs)

Skyr (strained cow's milk yogurt), sour cream, chives, parsley, dill, chervil

Kornmjölsgröt (Beef and Barley)

Beef, butter, hulled barley, onion, garlic, carrot, parsnip, thyme, savory, stout, oil Vegetarian: as above, no beef or butter

Herkkusieni (Mushrooms)

Mushrooms, leeks, butter, salt, pepper, ginger

Gronnkal (Braised green kale with fennel and apples)

Bacon, green kale, fennel, onion, leek, apple, nutmeg, pepper, apple cider vinegar, oil Vegetarian: as above, no bacon

Steke vilt med Tyttebærsaus (Smoked Venison Roast with Lingonberry Sauce) Venison shoulder, bacon, garlic, thyme, oil, brined with salt, honey, juniper berry, peppercorn, bay leaf, fennel

Sauce: Lingonberry preserves, honey, red wine vinegar

Hasselnotskaka (Hazelnut Shortbread) Butter, honey, wheat and barley flour, hazelnuts

Mjød posjert plommer (Plums poached in mead and spices)

Mead, honey, cinnamon, anise seed, wild mirabelle plums

Flatbröd -- Grilled Flatbread

1⁄2 cups starter

3⁄4 cup water

1 cup Whole wheat flour 1⁄2 cup A/P flour

1⁄2 cup Rye flour

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp. honey Vegetable Oil

Combine flours and salt, set aside. In the bowl of a mixer, combine honey, water and starter. Add flour mixture until a smooth dough forms. If sticky, add a little more flour, or a little water if dough is too dry. Knead with a dough hook for 8 minutes. Transfer dough to a well-oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise 12 hours or more.

Punch done dough and remove to a work surface, divide into 8 pieces. With floured hands or rolling pin, roll and flatten into 5 inch disks. Brush with a little oil and place on hot grill or griddle (400 degrees) until lightly browned, turning once. Yield: 8 pieces.

Aertesoppe – Golden Pea Soup

1 lb. dried yellow peas (about 2 cups) 8 cups water

2 onions, chopped

1⁄4 cup canola oil

1⁄2 tsp. saffron

2 tsp. ground cumin Salt to taste

Boil peas until almost done. Fry onions in oil until translucent and lightly colored, and add to peas and liquid. Add spices and season to taste. Puree or sieve until smooth. Serves 10.

Nepe Kake --Turnip Griddle Cakes

Ingredients:

2 packed cups peeled, cubed turnips (about 1 pound) 2 Mexican green onions, finely sliced

2 tablespoons melted butter

1⁄4 cup oil

1 cup half-and-half (whole milk may be substituted) 1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

Garnish:

To 1 cup Skyr and 1 cup sour cream, add 2 tbsp. each minced fresh parsley, dill and 1 tsp. dried chervil. Stir until smooth, chill until ready to serve.

Directions:

1) Parboil turnips in salted water, drain and mash.

2) In a large bowl, beat milk with egg and salt. Stir in flour and mix just to combine. Add green onions and set aside while turnips cool. Add flour mixture into mashed turnips to form a batter.

3) Heat a large, heavy frying pan or griddle to 425 degrees. Coat the bottom of griddle with enough butter or oil to prevent sticking.

4) For each cake, spread a heaping spoonful of batter on hot skillet or griddle to form a 3-inch cake. Fry, turning once, until both sides are a deep brown, and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes per side. Transfer to a rack or platter and keep warm in a low oven until all batter has been used. Serve immediately with skyr and herbs if desired. Yield: 20 to 24 3-inch cakes.

Rokt Fisk --Smoked Trout Brine:

1⁄2 cup Kosher Salt

1⁄2 cup honey

1 tbsp. juniper berries 1 tsp. peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp. Dill seeds

1 quart water

2 lbs. boned trout fillet, skin on

Combine the salt, honey and water in a 4-quart container and stir until the salt has dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add juniper berries, peppercorns, bay leaves and dill seed. Add the trout filets, making sure they are submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Remove the trout from the brine, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry. Place the trout, skin side down onto a rack set in a half sheet pan covered in paper towels. Dry in the refrigerator 21 to 24 hours or until the skin becomes shiny and somewhat tacky to the touch.

Turn the smoker on so that it maintains a temperature of 150 to 160 degrees F. Place the trout onto smoking racks, skin side down, separating them by at least 1/4-inch and place into a smoker. Adjust heat as needed and smoke until the fish is cooked through, has darkened in color, and has the desired level of smoke flavor. Each fish serves 4-8.

Beef and Barley Pottage

2 lb. Beef, cut into bite size cubes 2 tbsp. butter

1 cup hulled barley

1 Onion, diced

3 cloves Garlic, minced 1 carrot, chopped

1 parsnip, chopped

1 tsp. dried savory

1 tbsp. fresh thyme

12 oz. brown ale or stout 1 1/2 cups water

Salt & pepper

Melt butter in pot, brown meat, add vegetables, and cook until slightly softened. Deglaze with ale, then add additional water and bring to boil. Stir in barley. Return to boil, reduce heat and simmer until barley is tender, about 45 to 1 hour minutes. Serves 8.

Herkkusieni -- Mushrooms

1 lb. brown mushrooms, clean & quartered 1 leek, finely chopped white part

1⁄4 cup butter

1 tsp Salt

1⁄4 tsp Pepper

1⁄2 tsp Ginger powder

Wipe and cut mushrooms into quarters. Heat butter in skillet, add leek, and cook until soft. Add mushrooms, cook until tender, then add seasoning. Serves 8.

Gronnkal -- Kale with Leeks and Fennel

1⁄4 lb. diced bacon pieces 1 lb. Green Kale

1 leek, finely diced

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced 1 yellow onion, diced

1 tart apple, pared, cored and thinly sliced 1⁄4 cup olive oil or butter

2 tbsp. Apple cider vinegar (optional)

Salt & black pepper

Grated Nutmeg

Fennel fronds for garnish

In large skillet, render bacon. Add onion, fennel, and leek, cooking until softened, then add apples. Stir in kale, cooking until tender and bright green. Season and sprinkle fennel frond on top. Serves 10-12.

Steke vilt med Tyttebærsaus -- Smoked Venison with Lingonberry Sauce

3 pounds venison chuck roast 4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tbsp. fresh thyme

1/4 pound bacon, chopped fine 1/2 cup olive oil

Fresh ground pepper

Brine:

1⁄2 cup kosher salt

1⁄2 cup honey

1 pulverized bay leaf 1 tbsp. juniper berries 1 tbsp. fennel seed

2 quarts water

Sauce:

1⁄2 cup lingonberry preserves 1 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. vinegar

Dissolve salt and honey in water, add bay, juniper and fennel. Submerge meat in brine for 24 hours. Remove from brine, dry and trim any silver-skin or excess connective tissue from meat. Chop bacon, add in minced garlic, thyme, pepper and oil to form a thick paste. Cut slits at intervals in the surface of the roasts then rub and stuff slits with the bacon paste mixture. Place meat on the smoker rack. Cover and smoke four to five hours, adding a few charcoal pieces at a time if needed to maintain cooking temperature. Baste with drippings and collected juices every hour, working quickly so as not to disperse heat in smoker. Internal temperature should be 140 degrees. Allow to rest at least 30 minutes. Serves 8-10.

Hasselnotskaka -- Hazelnut Shortbread

2 tbsp. honey

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup barley flour

1 tsp. salt

1 cup finely chopped, toasted hazelnuts

Pre-heat oven to 375. Spread hazelnuts on a shallow pan in center of oven, toast for 10 minutes, then pour on to a dry towel and rub to remove skins. When cool, chop finely. Put butter and honey in mixer bowl. Beat until smooth. Mix flours and salt, gradually add flour to butter mixture. Stir in hazelnuts and press into greased baking pan. Score and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from pan when cool and cut into rectangles along scored lines. Yield 16-20 pieces.

Mjød posjert plommer – Mead Poached Plums

1 cups Mead

1 tbsp. honey (if mead is too dry)

1 tsp. ground anise seed

1 cinnamon stick

1 lb. Mirabelle plums, halved and pitted

Add all ingredients to saucepan. Bring to boil and reduce by 1/3. Serves 16- 20.

Stefan's Florilegium

Fall-Norse-Feast-art