Somewhere in this magazine ...
... is MedievalCookery.com's recipe for Peeres in Confyt.
Your misson: find it!
Your misson: find it!
2 weeks ago
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Items of Note
A short article explaining how to calculate the date of Easter using medieval methods. [Note that this method doesn't work with the Gregorian (modern) calendar]
Lecture - Roots of Halloween
Plymouth Country Club, Plymouth, Massachusetts
November 1, 2008
Plymouth Country Club, Plymouth, Massachusetts
November 1, 2008
The dark beginnings of the Celtic year, including the ancient roots of Halloween, is the subject of a lecture to be presented at the 89th annual luncheon meeting of the Plymouth Antiquarian Society from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Plymouth Country Club. The event features speaker Catherine McKenna, the Margaret Brooks Robinson Professor of Celtic Languages and Literature at Harvard University. A medieval scholar whose fascination with Celtic mythology dates back to childhood, McKenna has been named one of the nation’s top 100 influential Irish-Americans by Irish American magazine. The event includes a buffet luncheon and a cash bar. The cost is $28 per person. Prepaid reservations are required. For more information, contact the Plymouth Antiquarian Society at 508-746-0012 or by e-mail to pasm@verizon.net.
Article - What was the Holy Grail
"The Big Question: What was the Holy Grail, and why our centuries-old fascination with it?" A good news article by Jerome Taylor discussing the history and mythology about the Holy Grail.
"Vince is an interactive performer, believing that the audience should not be separated from the show but instead be a part of it. One of few dulcimer players to converse while performing, he also brings a bit of cultural and historical perspective to every performance. Whether performing Living History, at a bookstore, or busking on the street he holds to his guiding principles of musicianship, showmanship, and professionalism."
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Food Related Painting of the Week
Still-life with Turkey-Pie
Pieter Claesz, 1627
Pieter Claesz, 1627
Ok, so I'm way out of the medieval period with this one, but there's still a lot of neat stuff to look at.
The big draw is, of course, the turkey. Turkeys originated in the Americas and were therefore unknown in Europe before the late 1490s. Obviously the cooks of Europe had figured out what to do with them by 1627. Here, the neck and head, and the wings of the turkey are decorating the top of a large pie that presumably was made from the meat. This was a fairly common practice in the late middle-ages. Pies were decorated to show what was in them. Sometimes the pie was shaped like the animal, sometimes (as here) parts of the animal were used. Funky, huh? One other interesting bit about the turkey pie, notice the decorations on the sides? I'm still trying to figure out how they did that, but I'm pretty sure they used a mold of some sort (Elise probably has more info on that).
See the smaller pie to the left of the turkey pie? Notice the shape? It's a beautifully cylindrical pie like the one I pointed out in an earlier post. This time we get to see what's inside - it looks like a slice of lemon, a date or large raisin, currants, and probably finely chopped meat.
Aside from the pies though, I just love the packet of spice on the lower right. It's a cone of recycled paper with a twist at the bottom. Fresh from the spice merchant and still in its medieval wrapper. Salt. Pepper? Cinnamon maybe? I should start taking ground spices to feasts that way.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Items of Note
Texts and Contexts: A conference at The Ohio State University, sponsored by The Center for Epigraphical and Palaeographical Studies.
The conference seeks to investigate the textual traditions of various texts and genres, including texts in classical Latin, mediaeval Latin, Anglo-Saxon, Middle English, and the vernaculars. Preference will be given to those abstracts which deal with newly discovered texts and their manuscript settings, or which present new perspectives on established textual traditions. We encourage graduate students and newly established scholars to submit their work.
Plenary speaker: Keith Busby, University of Wisconsin-Madison
"Vince is an interactive performer, believing that the audience should not be separated from the show but instead be a part of it. One of few dulcimer players to converse while performing, he also brings a bit of cultural and historical perspective to every performance. Whether performing Living History, at a bookstore, or busking on the street he holds to his guiding principles of musicianship, showmanship, and professionalism."
Friday, October 17, 2008
Ceiling Wax
Ok, I admit it. Until about the age of twelve, I thought it was ceiling wax instead of sealing wax. Somewhere in the back of my mind was the nagging question, "Why would someone need to wax their ceiling." On realizing the correct spelling I had one of those "Duh!" moments. At any rate, this weekend I'm officially taking my second apprentice, Zophia Boreka. The plan is to have a reasonably authentic reproduction of a medieval apprenticeship contract, and for that I will need sealing wax.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, medieval sealing wax was made of a combination of beeswax and resin. Since this is a sort of cooking (kind of, maybe, well ... it's heated in a pot), I figured I'd give a step-by-step description of what I did, complete with pictures.
The Raw Ingredients
beeswax, about 40g
resin (frankincense), about 20g
purchased from Stony Mountain Botanicals
purchased from Stony Mountain Botanicals
What Was Done
I put the wax and resin into a makeshift double boiler. While I used a bowl I didn't care about in anticipation of not being able to get it clean again, getting the wax off turned out not to be too much of a problem.
ingredients in bowl on top of pot of boiling water
It was at about this point that it occurred to me that it probably would have been easier to melt the wax first and then add the resin powder. It still worked, but probably took longer that it would have. I'll try it the other way next time.
the stuff melts slowly
As I stood over a pot of melting beeswax and frankincense, I realized that this stuff smells really good. It has a sort of sweet-citrus-piney scent that just begs to be a glaze for ham. Please note however that no matter how yummy this stuff smells, do not dip your finger into the hot molten resin and under no circumstances should you taste it.
(no, I didn't do either - but it was really hard to resist the temptation!)
I thought I had a picture of the wax all melted, but apparently the gremlins erased it.
block of commercial candle dye
This is the remains of the block of candle dye I bought at the local craft store. I suppose I could have used a medieval colorant, but then again most of the things they used back then to color sealing wax were really dangerous. I'm not sure how much of this stuff I used - I just kept putting in shavings until I thought it was dark enough.
all done melting and coloring
So all that was left was to pour the wax into a disposable muffin tray I happened to have handy and let it cool. You can see in the picture below where the wax is already hardening around the edges.
a convenient form for the seal blanks
all cool now
Once they're completely cooled, the seal blanks pop out of the foil tray pretty easily. There is something disturbingly familiar about their shape though.
not a peanut butter cup
When it's time to use the wax this weekend, I'll warm it up by putting it in hot water (or maybe in a microwave). This should make it soft enough to press around the pendant cord that is threaded through the document, and also to take an impression from my seal matrix. That's the theory at least. I suppose I should test it out beforehand, eh?
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Food Related Painting of the Week
Market Scene
Joachim Beuckelaer, before 1574
Joachim Beuckelaer, before 1574
This week I'm again turning to a late medieval (post medieval?) painting by Joachim Beuckelaer. Like The Well-Stocked Kitchen, this one is full of interesting things to muse over.
Some of the things are pretty easy to identify, such as the cabbage/lettuce in the very front (with the root still attached ... funky), the artichokes, the turnips, and the cherries. The basket full of black-ish things had me a bit puzzled at first. They're certainly not capsicum peppers (new-world), and look wrong for okra. Then I noticed that some of them are a bit lumpy, so now I'm pretty sure they're fava beans in their pods (there's a picture halfway down on the Wikipedia page for favas that shows some mature fava bean pods can have a dark color).
In the background on the right is a bucket of something - milk, maybe?
Which brings me to the Mysterious Football-Shaped Things® on the left. I know others have put together entire pages about these things (with nothing conclusive), but my current guess is some sort of semi-soft cheese. I'll post more on this later.
There's also the big earthenware jug in the upper left. I did a quick search to try and find out who's arms those are, but came up with nothing. Whoever it is, it's someone that likes towers.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Items of Note
A detailed and useful description of Tavelorn's experiment in grinding wheat to make bread.
Blog - Heroes of the Faith
A long, detailed, and well-written article about the Venerable Bede (c. 672–25 May 735), the historian and scholar.
"Wolgemut draws on a wide range of performers who come from various artistic backgrounds. This leads to a distinctive sound and feeling for the group. Music, dance, theatre, classical music, folk music and musicology are just a few of the areas covered by their combined experience and education. "
"Vince is an interactive performer, believing that the audience should not be separated from the show but instead be a part of it. One of few dulcimer players to converse while performing, he also brings a bit of cultural and historical perspective to every performance. Whether performing Living History, at a bookstore, or busking on the street he holds to his guiding principles of musicianship, showmanship, and professionalism."
Friday, October 10, 2008
Apprentice Contract
On the 18th of this month I'll be taking a new apprentice (Zophia - I've already been referring to her as my apprentice for months now, but it'll be official on the 18th). Part of the whole apprentice thing (for me anyways) is getting a proper contract of apprenticeship. Below is a picture of my first apprentice's contract.
Avelyn's apprenticeship contract
Once again, I've gone to Mistress Hrefna in heppna Thorgrimsdottir (Raven Fagelson) to do the calligraphy. Her work is positively beautiful.
This time I'll be making the wax for the seal myself. I've got plenty of beeswax and have ordered some resin (frankincense) from Stony Mountain Botanicals (the place I normally get red sandalwood/saunders - excellent quality and fast service). I'll post a step-by-step when I actually make the stuff.
I suppose I could also braid the cord that attaches the seal to the document, and even reel and dye the silk myself, but in medieval Europe I'd have been much more likely to buy that from a silkwoman - convenient that I'm married to one.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Food Related Painting of the Week
The Well-Stocked Kitchen
Joachim Beuckelaer, 1566
Joachim Beuckelaer, 1566
Apparently there have been a bunch of additions to the Web Gallery of Art since I last updated my Food Related Paintings pages - I'll have to spend some quality time web surfing next weekend. At any rate, this is a painting I hadn't seen before.
From the look of the little patch in the center background, I suspect this painting has some other title like "Paul Converts the Unbelievers in Samaria". I salute whatever genius thought up this scheme, as it allowed them to paint overtly secular images in great detail while maintaining that their work had a religious theme. Without this trick we probably would have very few works that documented the food of the time.
This one's a doozie, filled with a wide variety of foods and kitchen implements. On the far right is an earthenware tankard with a metal cover and a similarly covered pitcher (bottle?), next to what look like cantaloupes or melons of some kind. Just behind them on the table is an earthenware pot and a large brass mortar and pestle.
Near the center of the painting I note the artichokes and cauliflower, and cucumbers (which may have been absent from England for much of the medieval period). At the front right there's a plate of lemons and olives, both of which were probably imported from Spain or the Mideast.
See those white things at the center left? The things next to the bowl with the knife in it. I'm not really sure what they are. I'd think they were white carrots, but the leaves don't look right, and the shape isn't at all right for parsnips. Maybe they're skirrets (Sium sisarum), which is a sort of water-parsnip sometimes eaten in the middle ages. Or, maybe some kind of white beet (the leaves look right for that). Interesting.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Items of Note
Restaurant - Rozengrals (Latvia)
A medieval restaurant in Riga, Latvia that puts the Medieval Times places to shame. It has a much more authentic atmosphere and a menu that - while it does make a couple of typical mistakes (e.g. tomato, pumpkin) - looks promising. If I were only going to be anywhere even remotely close to Latvia I'd be all over this place, but sadly it's not likely anytime this decade.
A short article (with video) about the 200 York Festival Of Food & Drink, which this year included some foods from history.
ORANJEMUND, Namibia (AFP) - Archaeologists are racing against the little time left to salvage a fortune in coins and items from a 500-year-old Portuguese shipwreck found recently off Namibia's rough southern coast.
"Wolgemut draws on a wide range of performers who come from various artistic backgrounds. This leads to a distinctive sound and feeling for the group. Music, dance, theatre, classical music, folk music and musicology are just a few of the areas covered by their combined experience and education. "
"Vince is an interactive performer, believing that the audience should not be separated from the show but instead be a part of it. One of few dulcimer players to converse while performing, he also brings a bit of cultural and historical perspective to every performance. Whether performing Living History, at a bookstore, or busking on the street he holds to his guiding principles of musicianship, showmanship, and professionalism."
Friday, October 3, 2008
On the Size and Color of Eggs
One of the things I was told back when I had just started to dabble in medieval cooking was that the eggs they had in medieval Europe were smaller than modern eggs. Not being overly skeptical back then, I accepted this as an established fact and filed it away for future reference. As I progressed in my research though, I became more doubtful of this factoid. Now I'm at the point where I'm comfortable in saying it's utter bunk.
mixing them with spices, pouring them back in, and allowing them to boil until hard.
This is difficult and messy enough using large eggs. I doubt it's even possible with small ones.
It's easy enough to understand how such a belief could come about. We're told repeatedly that the great size of farm animals compared to their wild counterparts is directly the result of modern farming practices. What we forget is that some of those practices have been practiced for the past thousand years.
Evidence for modern-sized eggs in the medieval period is surprisingly easy to find.
Chicken Vendors, Vincenzo Campi, 1580s
Web Gallery of Art
Web Gallery of Art
The painting above is a beautiful example (click on it to go to a bigger version). See there in the lower right corner? Four Grade-A, Extra-Large eggs.
The Egg Dance, Pieter Aertsen, 1552
Web Gallery of Art
In this one the egg is on the floor, next to the overturned bowl and near the wooden shoe - about to be stepped on.
"Ah! How do you know those are chicken eggs and not goose eggs? How do you know they weren't smaller in, say, the 14th century?" I hear you ask. How about this for an answer?
Taccuino Sanitatis, 14th century
Large, modern-looking eggs ... being gathered from chickens ... in the fourteenth century. That pretty much sums it up.
Oh, and about the color of medieval eggs: common wisdom is that they were probably brown or speckled. P'feh! Take another look at those paintings. See any brown eggs? Me neither. If you find a painting of medieval eggs that show them to be any color other than white, I'd love to see it.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Food Related Painting of the Week
La succession des plats
15th century
15th century
This is a page (February) of the calendar in Grandes Heures d'Anne de Bretagne. It's a simple scene of a noble dining, apparently alone.
There's a bunch of good stuff here to look at. The pie in front of the diner is the most prominent (to me) - it has a sharply defined, regular shape that is characteristic of medieval pies, complete with the hole at the top which was probably where the cook poured in melted butter or vinegar.
The diner is holding a bowl of something red. It could be wine (I don't see a cup on the table) or some kind of soup. Given the absence of a spoon, I can only assume he'll drink directly from the bowl.
There's a knife on the table next to the half eaten loaf of bread. According to John Russell's Book of Nurture, bread should never be torn or bitten off, but should always be cut into bite-sized pieces with a the knife. Comparing the size of the bread to the size of the diner's hand, I'd guess it's about a quarter-pound loaf (assuming things are represented vaguely to scale). On a side note, I like how the rivets in the knife's handle are clearly visible.
One leg of the table is visible, peeking out from the table cloth. It appears to be part of a typical medieval sawhorse table.
On the whole, it's a nice clear dining scene. If I can get around to getting a table like this, I'll have to try setting this up to see what it's like.
Kalendarium Hortense - October
The Kalendarium Hortense was published by John Evelyn in 1683. It contains instructions for what a gardener should do throughout the year. The excerpt below is the list of what is to be done in the "Orchard and Olitory1 Garden" for the month of October.
Trench Grounds for Orcharding, and the Kitchen garden, to lie for Winter mellowing.
Plant dry Trees (i.) Fruit of all sorts, Standard, Mural2, or Shrubs which lose their leaf; and that so soon as it falls: But be sure you chuse no Trees for the Wall of above two years Graffing at the most sound and smooth.
Now is the time for Ablaqueation3, and laying bare the Roots of old unthriving, or over-hasty blooming Trees.
Moon now decreasing, gather Winter fruit that remains weather dry; take heed of bruising; lay them up clean lest they taint; Cut and prune Roses yearly, reducing them to a Standard not over tall.
Plant and Plash Quick sets.
Remove Graffs after the second year, unless Dwarffs, which you may let stand till the third.
Save, and sow all stony and hard Kernels and Seeds; such as black Cherry, Morellos, black Heart, all good; Pear-plum, Peaches, Almond stones. &c. Also Nuts, Haws, Ashen, Sucomore, and Maple keys; Acorns, Beech mast, Apple, Pear, and Crab kernels for Stocks; or you may defer it till the next Month towards the latter end, keeping them dry, and free from mustiness; remembring to cover the Beds with Litter.
You may yet sow Genoa Lettuce, which will last all the Winter, Raddish, &c.
Make Winter Cider and Perry.
Towards the latter end, plant Abricots, Cherries, Plums, Vines, Winter pears, &c.
1 - olitory: Of or pertaining to, or produced in, a kitchen garden.
2 - mural fruit: fruit borne by trees trained against a wall.
3 - ablaqueation: The act or process of laying bare the roots of trees to expose them to the air and water.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Items of Note
Miscellaneous - Catalan Festa Calendar
A short article about the modern Catalan calendar of religious holidays. While some of these holidays are new, and some have moved around a bit since the middle ages, it still provides a bit of perspective on medieval practices.
Blog Entry - A Compound Salad
An easy recipe for a very mixed salad. (England, 17th c.)
"Wolgemut draws on a wide range of performers who come from various artistic backgrounds. This leads to a distinctive sound and feeling for the group. Music, dance, theatre, classical music, folk music and musicology are just a few of the areas covered by their combined experience and education. "
"Vince is an interactive performer, believing that the audience should not be separated from the show but instead be a part of it. One of few dulcimer players to converse while performing, he also brings a bit of cultural and historical perspective to every performance. Whether performing Living History, at a bookstore, or busking on the street he holds to his guiding principles of musicianship, showmanship, and professionalism."
Friday, September 26, 2008
To buy, or not to buy ...
I'm torn. I don't do Spanish or Catalan cooking and can't read either language. What's more, there's already enough information available on medieval English and French cooking to keep me busy for the next hundred years or so.
On the other hand, the cuisines of England and France weren't completely isolated from the rest of Europe. There's considerable overlap with contemporary German and Italian sources, so there might be some interesting and useful bits of knowledge in this source. Further it's a source from the early 14th century, which means it could also provide insight into the cooking methods of that time period, spice consumption and availability, etc.
Dang, looks like I'm going to buy it.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Forme of Cury
Fantastic news! An article from the Guardian says that the University of Manchester will be digitally photographing their manuscript of Forme of Cury and making the images freely available on the Internet.
Photograph: University of Manchester John Rylands University Library
Forme of Cury, a recipe book compiled by King Richard II's master cooks in 1390, details around 205 dishes cooked in the royal household and sheds light on a little-studied element of life in the Dark Ages.
The text of Forme of Cury is already available online, but the existing transcriptions do have some errors. Being able to compare transcribed text to the original is incredibly helpful in working out recipes. This will also allow others to make their own transcriptions.
The work, which will be carried out using a state-of-the-art high-definition camera, will begin next month and is due to be completed by late 2009.
Oooh! I hate waiting!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Food Related Painting of the Week
The Marriage at Cana
Gerard David
ca. 1500
Gerard David
ca. 1500
A busy painting from the late medieval period, this one is unusual in that it has a lot of food detail for a religious-themed artwork (if you look at the paintings titled "The Last Supper", you'll find that nothing was being served other than bread).
The first thing that catches my eye in this one is (of course) the pie being brought in at the left. The perspective is a bit squashed, but this is a nice example of the geometrically perfect, cylindrical medieval pie - I'll post other paintings with such pies in the future. My gaze then travels across the table to the right, noting the bread, knife, and beaker-shaped glass just in the foreground of Jesus. Just right of center a server is carving a piece of meat. The resolution here isn't good enough to make out what's on the platter next to him. There's a nice salt cellar next to that.
Something else worth noting, in this painting the diners are seated all around the table instead of only along one side as is the case in most feast scenes. This makes me wonder if the seating arrangements in all the other paintings are wrong (set up so you could see all the figures), or if it's this one that doesn't represent how feasters sat, or perhaps even if both arrangements were common. Something I'll have to check into.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Items of Note
The Dering Roll, the oldest extant English roll of arms, dating from c. 1270-1280, has been acquired by the British Library following a successful fundraising campaign. The Roll depicts 324 coats of arms, approximately a quarter of the entire English baronage during the reign of King Edward I, making it a vital record for the study of knighthood in medieval England.
From the head cook: "Recipes prepared in Scandinavian cultures during the Viking Era are far and few between. Dining information can be gleaned from reading the Sagas and archeological digs to get a broad view of the types of food that were eaten and how they were prepared. I used those sources to assemble my version of nattmal. An additional source used for the meal is “On the observance of foods” written by Anthimus in 6th century AD written as a health treatise for the Frankish court."
(Feast will be prepared by Baroness Artimesia Grimaldi)
Brief commentary and a link to a video of Chef Chris Cosentino preparing a pig head to make Porchetta di Testa. It's not medieval, but some of it (removing the fur, hair, & bristles) is relevant.
Gates open at 10:00 am; Several performances daily, please see daily schedule for times and stages.
"Vince is an interactive performer, believing that the audience should not be separated from the show but instead be a part of it. One of few dulcimer players to converse while performing, he also brings a bit of cultural and historical perspective to every performance. Whether performing Living History, at a bookstore, or busking on the street he holds to his guiding principles of musicianship, showmanship, and professionalism."
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Food Related Painting of the Week
Christ in the House of Mary and Martha
Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez
ca. 1620
Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez
ca. 1620
Christ in the House of Mary and Martha, Oil on canvas, National Gallery, London
(from the Web Gallery of Art)
(from the Web Gallery of Art)
Yet another painting that is a bit too late (1620) to be considered properly medieval. This is one of those odd "inside-out" paintings where the title refers to what's going on in the background. Of course, I prefer it this way - those pesky important figures don't get in the way of the detail.
The young woman in the foreground is preparing some kind of fish dish, which features garlic and eggs. She's grinding the garlic or some unpictured spice in a mortar. It's worth noting that medieval cooks would have covered the top of the mortar with a tied piece of cloth if they were grinding a spice that would make a lot of dust, so my guess is the garlic.
What's really interesting in this painting though is the presence of a dried chili pepper just in front of the bowl of fish. This may be the earliest depiction of a capsicum pepper in European art (I haven't found anything earlier).
Monday, September 15, 2008
Items of Note
Manhattan’s Fort Tryon Park is transformed into a medieval market town decorated with bright banners, processional flags and costumed performers and guests. Visitors are greeted by authentic medieval music, dance and magic as well as jugglers and jesters. The afternoon is concluded with a thrilling joust between four knights on horseback. Costumed vendors will be on hand to demonstrate and sell a wide variety of medieval crafts as well as food and drink. For more information call (212) 795-1600.
Micel Folcland, Inc., the Wisconsin-Indiana-Illinois branch of Regia Anglorum, will be holding Hearth Night at Forest Glen Preserve on 11-12 October. Forest Glen is near Danville, Illinois, and we will again have use of the log cabin. There will be plenty of room to sleep in the cabin or to camp beside it (period tents are not required). We have access to the Gannett Center for restrooms, showers, refrigeration and to sleep if the cabin gets too cold.
The event is free, and no costume is required for attendance. Activities will include arrow-making, textiles, combat and cooking, among others. Anyone interested in the serious reenacting of British culture from 950 to 1066 ce is invited. Nonmembers may attend up to two MF events--shows or hearth nights--without joining. People may
start showing up on Friday after noon.
start showing up on Friday after noon.
Taste: The Story of Britain Through Its Cooking
Kate Colquhoun
Bloomsbury USA (October 30, 2007)
ISBN: 1596914106
Kate Colquhoun
Bloomsbury USA (October 30, 2007)
ISBN: 1596914106
"Colquhoun comes into her own when the written record starts to include recipes. The spices that disappeared from the British diet when the Romans left returned with the Crusaders - and were used because of their flavour, not (in the long-discredited shibboleth) to disguise tainted meat. She says: 'If so much about the European Middle Ages seems bewilderingly remote, contemporary Moroccan food, robust and subtle by degrees, broadly unchanged for centuries, offers a hint of our own culinary past.
"The most fascinating aspect of the first half of her book, though, is to do with religion and fish. Christianity brought with it fast days and their number grew and grew - all of Advent and Lent, Fridays (the Crucifixion), Wednesdays (Judas's payday), Saturdays (Sabbath Eve) - not so irrational for an island people, but with only salt to preserve fish, drearily boring. In 1541 Henry VIII allowed eggs and dairy produce on fast days and cut the number of them by three-quarters. By the time of Bloody Mary the Friday fast had to be reinstated to protect the fishing industry."
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Food Related Painting of the Week
Kitchen
Vincenzo Campi, Cremona, Italy
ca. 1580
Vincenzo Campi, Cremona, Italy
ca. 1580
This painting is one of my favorites. Being from around 1580, it's pretty late to be considered "medieval", but a lot of information relevant to medieval cooking can still be inferred from it. There are so many things here to look at that it's hard to know where to start.
In the upper center at the table, a woman is about to put the top crust on a pie. Notice the sloped sides of the pie pan? Other than it's larger size, it's pretty much the same as the average modern pan - complete with the lip around the edge. I love how she's got the dough for the crust rolled around the pin. That's how my grandmother always did it too.
Next to her to the left, another woman look like she's kneading some dough. The table surface in front of her has been floured. She could be making bread, but that was usually done earlier in the day so I'll guess that it's another pie/tart crust.
To the right of these two, the woman in green doing something to some pasties on the sideboard. I suspect that the dish visible under her right arm is a bowl of egg yolks or the like, which would mean she's painting the pasties, possibly before baking them. This would also explain why two of the pasties are golden colored and the other two are white.
In front of her, the woman in the blue apron is grating something. It could be cheese, but given the odd shape (it looks smooshy to me) I'd say it's bread.
Then there are all the other busy folk. The men are butchering/dressing a carcass - probably a calf by the look of the hoof, but it might be a sheep. The old woman is using a large mortar and pestle. The odd-looking guy on the far right is putting poultry and game birds on a spit for roasting. The woman in yellow in the foreground is happily pulling the entrails out of a chicken.
And of course, the child on the left is blowing up the bladder from the carcass behind him.
There's a lot more, of course: bowls, plates, pots, pans, knives, furniture, fire irons. Oh, and I suppose you could look at the clothing ... if you're into that sort of thing.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Harvest Days 2008 - Feast Report
I guess I've recovered enough from the whole thing, so it's time to post my thoughts before I forget them.
The Menu
No big surprises here. Everything was reasonably well liked, with one exception - the Gelye de Chare. No surprise here, but most people just can't cope with meat-flavored jelly. I really didn't expect people to eat much of it, which is why I only made half a cup per table of 6. I don't think I'd serve the Boiled Sallet or the Frutours at another feast as they both need to be cooked just before serving, and therefore cause logistics troubles.
No big surprises here. Everything was reasonably well liked, with one exception - the Gelye de Chare. No surprise here, but most people just can't cope with meat-flavored jelly. I really didn't expect people to eat much of it, which is why I only made half a cup per table of 6. I don't think I'd serve the Boiled Sallet or the Frutours at another feast as they both need to be cooked just before serving, and therefore cause logistics troubles.
I did have one good-sized hitch here. The sotlties between the courses were all centered around a piece of food-art created by Wulfwen Atte Belle (Hi Wulfie!). Sadly, her car died early Saturday morning, which meant that the aforementioned piece of food-art was stuck some 5 hours' drive away from the feast. Without it, none of the other sotlties would make sense, so I decided to scrap them and just stick with serving food.
Planning and Prep
Here's where I really fell down on the job. Things have been really nuts for me the past month or so, and I didn't get things planned out as well as I should have. As a result, a lot of food prep that could have been done in advance was left for the day of the feast. If I didn't have the help of my apprentices and a bunch of amazing volunteers, this feast would have been a fiasco.
Here's where I really fell down on the job. Things have been really nuts for me the past month or so, and I didn't get things planned out as well as I should have. As a result, a lot of food prep that could have been done in advance was left for the day of the feast. If I didn't have the help of my apprentices and a bunch of amazing volunteers, this feast would have been a fiasco.
In specific: I should have had all the bread cooked (was 3 batches short), the needed eggs separated and stored frozen, the turnips roasted and peeled, the Leche Lumbard and Chardwarden made.
The other major planning problem rested with my lack of organization. When I got to the site on Saturday morning, I realized that I'd left the bread in the freezer at home. This meant I had to drive back home and return - an almost 2 hour trip - just to pick it up. I ended up finally getting to the kitchen and getting to work around 1:00 p.m. Again, if it hadn't been for my apprentices taking charge in my absence (and making good use of the Brain Book) things would have gone very badly.
Hall Setup and Service
The hall steward did an excellent job at setting things up and wrangling the servers. There was one issue though that caused continued problems. I had planned the feast to serve 100 (plus head table), but the total number of feasters was actually 90. If I had the presence of mind (or had built it into some sort of checklist) it might have occurred to me to drop two tables from the hall setup. That way instead of having 18 tables that were partly filled, I would have 16 tables that were almost completely filled (each table could seat 6). My failure to realize this meant that we had to dish up 2 extra platters of food for every dish and still have too much food at every table. Obviously I need a "Hall Setup" page for the Brain Book.
The hall steward did an excellent job at setting things up and wrangling the servers. There was one issue though that caused continued problems. I had planned the feast to serve 100 (plus head table), but the total number of feasters was actually 90. If I had the presence of mind (or had built it into some sort of checklist) it might have occurred to me to drop two tables from the hall setup. That way instead of having 18 tables that were partly filled, I would have 16 tables that were almost completely filled (each table could seat 6). My failure to realize this meant that we had to dish up 2 extra platters of food for every dish and still have too much food at every table. Obviously I need a "Hall Setup" page for the Brain Book.
Gritty Details
The bread, cheese, and preserves were set out before the feast started. No problems here.
The first course had a couple of hectic parts. The beef in pevorade and blancmanger were pretty straightforward - apparently there were several people who really liked the blancmanger. I had the pety pernauntes made as individual tartlets, which caused some minor issues because of the seating, but it all worked out. The boiled sallet was a real pain though. It had to be cooked right before serving in table-sized batches. Zophia (second apprentice) did an excellent job of making sure this got done.
The second course was where things really started to go haywire. The jelly was sent out first while I plated the venison and frumenty. With the full kitchen staff preoccupied, the servers began taking the venison out while it was still being plated. This made it really hard to keep track of how many plates had been done. The leche lumbard went out sometime around here, but I missed it. Then Avelyn (first apprentice) plated the great pies - which looked really cool - and we sent them out. Life was good. Little did we know ... (insert ominous music here).
Finally, while Zophia was frying apple fritters as quickly as she could (the other pain-in-the-butt dish) and I was plating them, the Chardwarden went out. The fritters followed shortly.
It was then, while we were looking around with an eye to starting the cleanup and saying to ourselves something like, "Wow, we're done!" that someone noticed two big steamer pans. We'd (I'd) forgotten to serve the turnips. The diners were still seated and the servers were just coming back, so we grabbed some bowls and a big spoon and sent the stuff out. Apparently the feasters were amused to receive turnips for dessert. Then again, there is medieval documentation for serving turnips and cheese last at a feast.
Avelyn suggested that I make a huge copy of the menu to post on the wall for next time, so we can cross off dishes as they go out and prevent this sort of thing from happening. I thing that's a great idea, but I don't want to think about a "next time" just yet.
Conclusion
On the whole, I'd say the feast was a success. The food looked and tasted good, and people got fed to the gills. There were some behind-the-scenes problems, but (other than the out-of-place turnips) none of it was apparent in the feast hall. I can live with that.
On the whole, I'd say the feast was a success. The food looked and tasted good, and people got fed to the gills. There were some behind-the-scenes problems, but (other than the out-of-place turnips) none of it was apparent in the feast hall. I can live with that.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Kalendarium Hortense - September
The Kalendarium Hortense was published by John Evelyn in 1683. It contains instructions for what a gardener should do throughout the year. The excerpt below is the list of what is to be done in the "Orchard and Olitory1 Garden" for the month of September.
Gather now (if ripe) your Winter Fruits, as Apples, Pears, Plums, &c. to prevent their falling by the great Winds: Also gather your Wind-falls from day to day: do this work in dry weather.
Release Inoculated2 Buds, or sooner, if they pinch.
Sow Lettuce, Radish, Spinage, Parsneps, Skirrets3, &c. Caully-flowers, Cabbagges, Onions, &c. Scurvy-grass4, Anniseeds, &c.
Now may you transplant most sorts of Esculent5 or Physical Plants, &c.
Also Artichokes and Asparagus roots.
Sow also Winter Herbs and Roots, and plant Strawberries out of the Woods.
Towards the end earth up your Winter Plants and Sallad Herbs; and plant forth your Caully-flowers and Cabbages which were sown in August.
No longer now defer the taking of your Bees, strengthening the entrances of such Hives as you leave to a small passage, and continue still your hostility against Wasps, and other robbing Insects.
Cider-making continues.
1 - olitory: Of or pertaining to, or produced in, a kitchen garden.
2 - inoculate: insert a bud for propagation, cause to propagate, as by grafting or layering.
3 - Sium sisarum, a sort of water-parsnip.
4 - Cochlearia species; a.k.a. Scurvy grass, Scurvygrass, or Spoonwort.
5 -esculent: Suitable for eating; edible.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Medieval Cooking Demonstration
There's a post at News for Medievalists about an upcoming demonstration of medieval cooking at the Lichfield Garrick on September 5th. Since this council-run theatre is in Lichfield (Staffordshire, UK), and since I'm cooking a feast in Dayton (Ohio, US) the very next day I doubt that I'll be able to attend.
Here's the description from the Garrick's website:
Join Prof Roland Rotherham the 'Ancient Foodie' himself and Chef Simon Smith as they give you a selection of recipes spanning from ancient Egypt, pigeon breasts with dried apricots, to Tudor times with Spatchcock Pheasant in beer sauce and berries, plus many more to delight your palate.
The show starts at 12.00pm, with prices of £8 and £6. If you get a chance to attend, send me a note and let me know how it went.
Friday, August 29, 2008
The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred
This list was posted to the Very Good Taste blog recently, and seems to be taking on a life of its own. Since it relates to trying new foods I figured I'd post my results - not too bad really (62, unless I miscounted). There is only 1 item on the list that I won't consider.
Here’s what I want you to do:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out (I put them in red) any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.
The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Braaaaaaains ...
No, I'm not going to write about brains as food - at least not yet. What I'm talking about here is one of the most useful kitchen tools for cooks who have to make the occasional huge feast: The Brain Book™.
Background
I'm quite sure others have come up with similar concepts before - I don't claim at all that this is original - but I got the idea for The Brain Book™ after watching a good friend organize a miniature-painting competition. She had a box which she referred to as "the brain", which contained all the paperwork, reference sheets, rules and other documents. When one of the many people assisting her needed to know something, the answer was usually along the lines of, "I don't know, check the brain."
I'm quite sure others have come up with similar concepts before - I don't claim at all that this is original - but I got the idea for The Brain Book™ after watching a good friend organize a miniature-painting competition. She had a box which she referred to as "the brain", which contained all the paperwork, reference sheets, rules and other documents. When one of the many people assisting her needed to know something, the answer was usually along the lines of, "I don't know, check the brain."
Now I'm one of the first people to admit that I'm not the most organized person in the world. In fact, my organization skills have been scientifically measured as being the third-worst in all of recorded history. This is why, when thought about "the brain" in terms of a way to organize cooking feasts, I immediately saw how useful it could be. So two and a half years later I finally managed to get around to putting it into action (which is a pretty good turnaround time for me).
So what goes into The Brain Book™? Good question!
What goes into The Brain Book™
I start with a thin 3-ring binder - one of the ones with a clear pocket on the front and two pockets on the inside - kind of like this one. All of the pages that go inside are put in clear plastic sheet protectors - an especially good thing in a kitchen, where a notebook naturally attracts substances like grape juice and peanut butter. The actual contents, in order of appearance, are as follows:
I start with a thin 3-ring binder - one of the ones with a clear pocket on the front and two pockets on the inside - kind of like this one. All of the pages that go inside are put in clear plastic sheet protectors - an especially good thing in a kitchen, where a notebook naturally attracts substances like grape juice and peanut butter. The actual contents, in order of appearance, are as follows:
- Shopping list
- The Menu
- Pre-cooking and prep work schedule
- Cooking schedule
- Plating and garnishing guide
- Recipes
- Receipts envelope
Shopping List
This is one of the few things in the notebook that doesn't go into a sheet protector because it's a multiple-page document. Instead I staple it and put it into the inside-front pocket. I usually work up the shopping list in a spreadsheet. All the ingredients for each recipe are listed, with the quantity needed multiplied out for the entire feast. Then I sort by ingredients and total everything up. Finally I add a list of all the non-food items (e.g. paper towels) I'll need at the bottom. When things are purchased, I check them off on the list. This seems simple, I know, but it really does help things.
This is one of the few things in the notebook that doesn't go into a sheet protector because it's a multiple-page document. Instead I staple it and put it into the inside-front pocket. I usually work up the shopping list in a spreadsheet. All the ingredients for each recipe are listed, with the quantity needed multiplied out for the entire feast. Then I sort by ingredients and total everything up. Finally I add a list of all the non-food items (e.g. paper towels) I'll need at the bottom. When things are purchased, I check them off on the list. This seems simple, I know, but it really does help things.
The Menu
Not much to comment on here. This is mostly so the other staff in the kitchen can check on what goes out with what.
Not much to comment on here. This is mostly so the other staff in the kitchen can check on what goes out with what.
Pre-Cooking and Prep Work Schedule
This is a one or two page, day-by-day listing of what needs to be cooked or prepped in the week or so before the feast. For example: Monday - bake & freeze 2 batches of bread, Tuesday - buy tart crusts, Wednesday - put frozen meat into refrigerator.
This is a one or two page, day-by-day listing of what needs to be cooked or prepped in the week or so before the feast. For example: Monday - bake & freeze 2 batches of bread, Tuesday - buy tart crusts, Wednesday - put frozen meat into refrigerator.
Cooking Schedule
This is another spreadsheet. I break the day down into 1 hour segments across the top, and have the full menu (broken out into sub-components of a dish where necessary) down the left side. Then I mark out when things need to be chopped, cooked, put into holding boxes, plated, and served. The part of the schedule that covers the actual feast is sometimes broken down into 30 or 15 minute intervals when appropriate.
This is another spreadsheet. I break the day down into 1 hour segments across the top, and have the full menu (broken out into sub-components of a dish where necessary) down the left side. Then I mark out when things need to be chopped, cooked, put into holding boxes, plated, and served. The part of the schedule that covers the actual feast is sometimes broken down into 30 or 15 minute intervals when appropriate.
Plating and Garnishing Guide
A list of every dish, grouped by course. It states what kind of serving plate should be used, what serving gear (e.g. spoon or fork) should be included, and how the dish should be garnished.
A list of every dish, grouped by course. It states what kind of serving plate should be used, what serving gear (e.g. spoon or fork) should be included, and how the dish should be garnished.
Recipes
One page per recipe, with the full list of ingredients and complete instructions. This year I'm experimenting with adding a "red card" to recipes where I need to make accommodation for guests with particular food allergies - I'll let you know how it works out.
One page per recipe, with the full list of ingredients and complete instructions. This year I'm experimenting with adding a "red card" to recipes where I need to make accommodation for guests with particular food allergies - I'll let you know how it works out.
Receipts Envelope
This is so I can get reimbursed for any money I've spent. It gets tucked into the rear-inside pocket of the notebook.
This is so I can get reimbursed for any money I've spent. It gets tucked into the rear-inside pocket of the notebook.
This seems like a lot of work, but it's worth it. During the feast, any of the kitchen staff can determine on their own what work needs to be done, how something should be cooked, and how and when it should be served. Because of the redundancy, multiple people can be working on different things at the same time (e.g. two people can be working on different recipes, another can be plating, and another can be instructing servers). This hugely improves the efficiency in the kitchen, reduces stress, and helps prevent mistakes. It's also very helpful in that during a feast, when the staff asks what needs to be done and my mind has turned to mush, I can say, "I don't know. Check my brain."
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Harvest Days 2008
I'm now in the middle of preparations for the Harvest Days event. I've got a substantial - all English - feast planned, with some new dishes (OK, the recipes are actually some 500 years old, but they're new to the re-enactors of this region).
The feast is going to be held on September 6th, so naturally I'm going a bit nuts right now. Therefore it seems like a good idea if I add to that workload and start posting bits and pieces about what I'm doing.
The Menu
All was good with the menu until a couple of months back when I realized that the current Prince (and future King) of the Midrealm is allergic to pork - which of course appeared liberally throughout the feast. So I scrapped a half-dozen dishes and added three or four different ones. Then I heard from my local huntsman and game-keeper (Hi James!) that the pigeons weren't breeding fast enough and kept dropping dead for no reason. There goes another dish (bother! I was so looking forward to serving everyone squab. Oh well, there's always next time).
All was good with the menu until a couple of months back when I realized that the current Prince (and future King) of the Midrealm is allergic to pork - which of course appeared liberally throughout the feast. So I scrapped a half-dozen dishes and added three or four different ones. Then I heard from my local huntsman and game-keeper (Hi James!) that the pigeons weren't breeding fast enough and kept dropping dead for no reason. There goes another dish (bother! I was so looking forward to serving everyone squab. Oh well, there's always next time).
So now as it stands I've got a menu consisting of 3 courses and 16 dishes (give or take, depending on what you count as a dish. Medieval menus are pretty flaky about the number of dishes claimed for a feast, so I see no reason to me more accurate than they were).
Sotlties
I've also got at least three sotlties (entertaining/amusing bits for during the feast - in France they were called entrements) planned that should go over reasonably well. I can't tell you more about them though as it would spoil the surprise.
I've also got at least three sotlties (entertaining/amusing bits for during the feast - in France they were called entrements) planned that should go over reasonably well. I can't tell you more about them though as it would spoil the surprise.
The Kitchen
My apprentice visited the site yesterday evening and reported back that the kitchen is the size of a small country. There's also an outdoor barbecue pit (which is good because one of the dishes - pommes dorreys - works best when cooked over an open fire).
My apprentice visited the site yesterday evening and reported back that the kitchen is the size of a small country. There's also an outdoor barbecue pit (which is good because one of the dishes - pommes dorreys - works best when cooked over an open fire).
That's enough on things for now. Sometime in the next few days I'll probably post some pictures of the kitchen with comments, instructions and examples of making a Brain Book™, and various notes about food and prep-cooking.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Return to the 21st Century
I've made it back from GenCon and am now trying to come to terms with my current reality. On the whole, it was a great convention. I met a bunch of new people and learned some neat stuff. The seminars went well (the room was full for my talk on medieval food preservation).
While I was in Indianapolis, I also took the opportunity to visit the central branch of the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library. I'd photographed a medieval cookbook there last year but had missed two pages of the introduction. This has now been corrected, and the first thing on my to-do list (adding those pages to the transcription of A Noble Boke off Cookry) has been crossed off. I still need to finish processing the images, but I can do that a bit at a time and get it done eventually.
Most of the rest of GenCon was gaming or writing related, so I won't go into details here. Suffice it to say that I had lots of fun, schmoozed a lot, and talked an awful lot about medieval cooking (hopefully not too much - I do have to keep a lookout for when people's eyes glaze over). So I'll wrap this up with thanks to Lois Laube at the library, Jean Rabe and the other fantastic folks of the Writer's Symposium, and Sue & Art Wachowski and their minions from the Miniatures Hobbies Events (e.g. Paint & Take).
Oh, and I've decided that next year I'm going to actually play a game or two at the convention.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
The Sounds of Pennsic
Pennsic is now over and I'm safely home. While I did little cooking, a bit of partying, a good amount of shopping, and an awful lot of schmoozing, what really seemed to capture my attention this year was music.
The Whiskey Bards
While their songs are from a wide range of styles (barbershop, folk, etc.) and the lyrics can get very bawdy, the quality of their performance is stunning. In spite of bad acoustics, interruptions, the pervasive smoke of campfires and torches, and being handed the occasional drink, they still managed to keep the close harmonies clean and clear.
Vince Conaway
Vince is a fantastic musician who plays the hammered dulcimer with amazing skill. I've known him for years and have always been impressed with not only his musical talents, but his knowledge of the history of music as well. If you ever have a chance to watch him perform (he's usually playing at renaissance festivals and the like), go ahead and ask him a geeky question. Odds are that he'll have an answer - and that he'll keep playing while he talks (a difficult trick).
Wolgemut
These guys are an absolute trip. Most of their songs (at least the ones I've heard) are upbeat numbers driven by a powerful drum line. They look like they stepped out of the Codex Manesse and have a sound that instantly takes you to some rollicking medieval tavern. In short, they really kick medieval butt!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Kalendarium Hortense - August
The Kalendarium Hortense was published by John Evelyn in 1683. It contains instructions for what a gardener should do throughout the year. The excerpt below is the list of what is to be done in the "Orchard and Olitory1 Garden" for the month of August.
Inoculate2 now early, if before you began not, and gather your Bud of that year. Let this work be done before you remove the Stocks.
Prune off yet also superfluous branches and shoots of this second Spring; but be careful not to expose the fruit without leaves sufficient to skreen it from the Sun; furnishing and nailing up what you will spare to cover the defects of your Walls. Continue yet to cleanse your Vines from exuberant branches that too much hinder the Sun.
Pull up the Suckers.
Clip Roses now done bearing.
Sow Radish, especially the Black, to prevent running up to seed, pale tender Cabbages, Caully-flowers for Winter Plants, Corn-sallet, Marigolds, Lettuce, Carrots, Parsneps, Turneps, Spinage, Onions; also curl'd Endive, Angelica, Scurvy-grass3, &c.
Likewise now pull up ripe Onions and Garlic, &c.
Towards the end sow Purslan, Chard-beet, Chervil, &c.
Transplant such Lettuce as you will have abide all Winter.
Gather your Olitory seeds, and clip, and cut all such Herbs and Plants within one handful of the ground before the Full. Lastly,
Unbind and release the Buds you inoculated, if taken, &c. likewise stop, and prune them.
Now vindemiate4, and take your Bees towards the expiration of this Month; unless you see cause (by reason of the weather or season) to defer it till mid-September: Byt if your Stocks be very light and weak, begin the earlier.
Make your Summer Perry and Cider.
1 - olitory: Of or pertaining to, or produced in, a kitchen garden.
2 - inoculate: insert a bud for propagation, cause to propagate, as by grafting or layering.
3 - Cochlearia species; a.k.a. Scurvy grass, Scurvygrass, or Spoonwort
4 - To gather the vintage. [Obs.]
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