FOOD!
Over the years I have been in charge of more than a few different S.C.A. Lunches and Breakfasts in New Zealand, Australia, Ireland and England, and a few Metal Weapon and S.C.A. evening feasts and soup kitchens.
It is always a scary embarkation cooking for an event for the first time, regardless of the amount of people. Starting by offering to do a breakfast and then progressing to a soup kitchen or lunch can often ease you into things if you are wanting to start, but are still that little bit intimidated.
It may sound obvious, but talking to someone in your area that cooks regularly to help you with quantities etc, and making notes of these is really helpful as a resource.
Volunteering and being in someone else’s kitchen also gives you an idea of what takes a while to cook, how things are made, and also what you might like to try to cook in the future.
Below are a few of the Recipes, Run sheets and Meal Plans that I have used over the years.
Lunch and Breakfast are generally easier and appreciated by all if they are simple. Lunch for 120 people (Canterbury Faire) or 250 people (Great Northern War) when it is catering to a range of diets etc and they are waiting in a queue usually means simple is best and faster when serving.
However, with simple I try to add variety. If cooking lunch over a few days at an event, varying the soup etc each day, and using the left overs from the feast the night before is a good thing. It just means it isn’t the same thing 3 days in a row.
A TYPICAL S.C.A. Cresent Isles BREAKFAST:
Most breakfast prep you need to start 2 Hours before service.
A Minimum of 3 people is good to have. This means some can be chopping mushrooms straight away, while others are laying bacon, and others are cracking eggs.
MENU:
SCRAMBLED EGGS (without salt or milk)
BACON
MUSHROOMS
PORRIDGE (with water not milk)
HONEY
CREAM
BROWN SUGAR
BREAD / TOAST
BUTTER
JAM
SALT
PEPPER
TEA
COFFEE
SUGAR
MILK
SCRAMBLED EGGS:
I do mine without salt or milk for those with dietary issues, it works just as well and you don’t need cream or milk.
Salt can be put out with it, and the secret is to either start early with A LOT of eggs and keep stirring in a big but flat pot, or do lots of small batches and keep them warm as you go.
Break the eggs and then pierce the yolks in the bowl as you go, and do it before you start whisking. You may be lulled into thinking that whisking the eggs will break all the yolks, but 20 odd eggs in a bowl means you can miss some if you don’t break the yolks first, it sounds obvious, but when you are pushed for time every bit counts.
Whatever you do – stir them constantly and DON’T BURN them….and if you do burn the bottom, I have seen people carefully save the layer above the burnt eggs and transfer to another pan, there is NOTHING worse than burnt eggs all through good egg. I have never had burnt eggs or porridge in my kitchen….fingers crossed!
Prevent burnt eggs by constant stirring once it reaches the stage where the eggs are starting to cook. One person must be on this and you can use them on the porridge at this stage too.
BACON:
Bacon bits are cheaper – but they are not as good or as easy to cook.
Streaky bacon is good – but is usually thinner and smaller – there fore it doesn’t give you as much per person in terms of cost vs. weight.
Bacon that is cheap – usually is mostly fat, and if you don’t cook it well, the fat doesn’t do anything but stay sinuey and acts like elastic, which can be REALLY unpleasant.
Once it is all laid out on trays, start cooking but keep an eye on it. If your ovens are good they can cook in a very short time. Rotating them, taking them out, taking the excess oil off with paper towels and then putting them onto a warming tray adding each batch as you go, is a good way to do it.
I have been in a kitchen in Ireland where there were only two of us, 80 people eating and the ovens did NOT want to work fast. We ended up pre-cooking batches of bacon in the microwave and then transferring it to the ovens….it was laborious but it sped up the process well.
Some people like crispy – some like not cooked…..you can try to do some of each – but it is up to you and the effort you want to go to on the day.
MUSHROOMS
You don’t need to peel them
Slice them.
ADD salt as you are cooking – unless someone has specifically said they can’t do salt. Mushrooms need salt – they just taste better.
You don’t need to add anything to the pot. Eventually the mushrooms will start sweating down and they will cook just fine. These are in little danger of burning so they require less attention than the eggs and porridge. The only thing is they are time consuming and will take a while to chop.
If you have time and the desire, frying them with garlic, salt and butter/oil is a nice touch and tastes really good. Just check allergies with the garlic.
PORRIDGE:
The only thing worse than burnt eggs….is burnt porridge in my opinion. I LOVE porridge, and if it is burnt, it makes me sad that I can’t eat what people have spent time and effort making.
Hot water to start, half a bag or bag of porridge depending on the size of the group, and then put on a mid to high heat. Keep an eye on it stirring often turning it down when it starts simmering. Constant stirring is required.
IF you think you have burnt it, taste it and don’t scrape the bottom with the spoon.
I have seen people try to transfer the porridge out to another pot if it doesn’t taste yet, but if you scrape the bottom and continue to cook, the flavour of ‘burnt’ will diffuse all through it.
If it is well cooked and getting too thick add water and stir. You can take it off the heat and then put it back on 15 min before service if you need space and it is cooked early.
COFFEE:
‘Technically’ not period….but in Ildhafn ,we sometimes try to have people bring coffee plungers and have them out for something a little nicer than instant during breakfast service.
(Tea is also ‘not really period’ as it came to England in the 1600’s with the Dutch Trading Company….but then many things we do aren’t period, like flushing toilets and using toothpaste and modern toothbrushes…..so….)
SERVICE:
Keep someone on the lookout for depleting tea, milk, sugar and other supplies, and have them top things up before they get too low as it just keeps things running smoothly.
We also try to have several ‘services’ of eggs and bacon, staggering it through so there is always something hot and ‘more coming’ during the Breakfast period.
Soaking bacon and other pans as you go once they are done with is really good too for the poor people coming in after you to scrape scrambled egg and porridge pots…..just saying…..
RUN SHEET:
person #1 Turn on ovens for Bacon and warming
Person #1 Boil hot water, or get it from the Urn for Porridge
Person #1 Put porridge on
Person #2 Start slicing Mushrooms and place in a pot as you go until done, cook on stove top once all sliced.
Person #3 Start cracking eggs in a bowl and piercing the yolks until done
Person #1 starts laying the bacon out on the trays
person #1 occasionally stirs porridge – continuous during prep so it does not burn. Water may need to be added occasionally.
Person #3 when there are enough eggs for the first batch, place in a wide deep pan and start cooking
Person #3 can now help with bacon or mushrooms
Person # 3 can go back to check eggs and stir when required and can keep helping other areas.
Person # 1, 2, 3 help each other where needed, and make sure porridge, eggs and bacon do not burn.
Clean up where you can in between tasks
start setting out tea, coffee, sugar, brown sugar, milk, cream, jam, bread, butter, salt, pepper, heat mats and service cutlery, about 15 minutes before service.
LUNCH!
NOTE: When cooking I like to keep in period i.e. use ingredients and recipes that would have been around pre 1600.
This is one of the lunches I have done for Canterbury Faire over the years. It is simple and worked well. Prep time was 2-3 hours (I tend to get into the kitchen early – just in case)
MENU For Canterbury Faire – service to 120 people:
Chicken Drumsticks
Vegetarian Sausages
Honey Roast Carrots
Cheese – tasty and feta
Boiled eggs
Dressed cucumber
Salad with herbs
Un-herbed salad
Salad Dressing
Recipes:
Chicken drumsticks:
oil
salt
drumsticks
INSTRUCTIONS:
preset oven to 200 C
put oil and salt into a bowl
Take chicken drumsticks and lightly coat them in this
lay them on oven trays covered with foil /into foil trays
place in the oven and cook for 30 min
turn them over and cook for another 20 min – or till cooked
Vegetarian sausages
fry in a pan with oil until done (or as packet suggests)
Boiled Eggs
eggs
water
salt
Instructions:
8 dozen eggs ( one egg per person with about 10 extra)
evenly distributed over several pots
Boiling water
On stove till they boil (depends on how many eggs are in the water)
take out of hot water
leave in cold water (in a fridge if possible – if not, a chilly bin or esky works well) to cool at least half an hour before serving
ROAST CARROTS with honey and dill:
carrots – 50gm per person
rosemary
oil
salt
honey
dill
INSTRUCTIONS:
pre heat oven to 200 C
cut carrots half lengh wise if long, if not leave whole
slice the carrots diagonally into 1 ½ inch thick slices
Toss in a bowl with the oil, salt and rosemary
put in foil tins or trays and drizzle honey over
roast for 20 minutes – or until slightly firm to the bite
take out and toss with dill
Salad (gf/v/df)
mixed leaves
(any herbs will do)
dill
parsley
rosemary
basil
mint
DRESSING:
oil
white wine vinegar
salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
chop herbs (this may take a while depending on the herbs)
combine with salad leaves (this may take a while if you are using un-prepared lettuce leaves)
mix oil, white wine vinegar and salt for the dressing
DRESSED CUCUMBER : (gf/v/df)
cucumbers
salt
basil
white wine vinegar
oil
INSTRUCTIONS:
peal cucumbers (if pushed for time you don’t have to…)
chop cucumbers in half
cut cucumbers into long slices
chop basil
put cucumber in a bowl and mix with the salt
add vinegar, basil, pepper and oil to taste
CHEESE:
cut feta and tasty cheese into cubes
BREAD:
scottish bapts / Bread rolls
pull apart gluten free bread
Apples – cut into quarters and put in water
Oranges – cut into quarters and put in water
RUN SHEET
Scottish bapts – take out wed morning set on trays to defrost (par baked)
2 hour prep: 11 am – 1.00pm
– Pre heat oven for chicken and Carrots to 200 C
– Chop carrots for roasting
– Cover chicken in oil and salt and place in roasting pan – place in oven when heated.
– Place water in pans for eggs, put eggs in pans – make sure the water covers them, cook for half an hour once boiling, take out of water and cool in cold water at least half an hour before service.
– Toss carrots in oil, salt and rosemary and place in roasting pans, drizzle honey over – place in oven when heated
– Place bapts in the oven (part baked)
– Cut cucumbers
– Turn chicken drumsticks
– Salt cucumbers and add basil, white wine vinegar and oil to taste
– Chop herbs for salad
– Place chopped herbs in leaf salad and mix
– Combine oil, white wine vinegar and salt
– Cut cheese into cubes
– Chicken – if done put in the warmers, check the eggs.
12.30
– Cut the apples and oranges,
– Fry sausages
– Cool eggs
Note:
once water is boiled for the eggs time for 30 min, take out once done, put in cold water
Equipment:
4 Pots for 8 dozen eggs
slotted spoon
Chopping board and knife for carrots
bowl to toss carrots in
tin trays or trays for carrots
Bowl for oil, salt and chicken
tin trays or trays for carrots
pan and fish slice for vegetarian sasauges
Chopping board and knife for cucumbers and basil
bowl for cucumbers
Chopping board and knife for cheese
chopping board and knife for parsley and dill
bowl for mixing salad
jug for oil, white wine vinegar and salt
GREAT NORTHERN WAR LUNCH – service to 200/250 depending:
This works well for a lunch with a big number of people as products like Olives and Pickled onions can be bulk bought.
We found that in 2013 the Populous at Sunday’s allotment of meat on the Saturday lunch…..so we adjusted the quantities for 2014. The salad products were also well received in 2013, which was an area that not much emphasis was placed in other years.
I make as much of the food Vegetarian and Gluten Free friendly as possible, especially the soup.
Using the left over soup from the Friday night soup kitchen and the feast left overs on the Sat/Mon lunch also works well, especially in terms of meat shortages…. I have found that Australians seem to eat a lot of meat…
If you are cooking all the lunches over the weekend, starting soups that need a lot of chopping (ie the leek and onion soup) the day before and putting it to boil during the service/clean up is a great idea, and it means that half your work is done for you for the next day.
Menu
Deli Ham, silverside, Chicken, Salami
Dressed Cucumber
Herbed Salad
Un-herbed salad
Dressing
Boiled eggs
Chopped Carrots
Olives
Pickled onions
Gerkins
Soup (leek and onion but could easily be mushroom soup)
Cheese – tasty
Bread rolls
Butter
Apples
Mandarins
Biscuits
Nuts
RECIPIES:
HERBED SALAD (gf/v/df)
mixed leaves
(any herbs will do)
dill
parsley
rosemary
basil
mint
DRESSING:
oil
white wine vinegar
salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
chop herbs (this may take a while depending on the herbs)
combine with salad leaves (this may take a while if you are using un-prepared lettuce leaves)
mix oil, white wine vinegar and salt for the dressing
DRESSED CUCUMBER :
cucumbers
salt
basil
white wine vinegar
oil
INSTRUCTIONS:
peal cucumbers (if pushed for time you don’t have to…)
chop cucumbers in half
cut cucumbers into long slices
chop basil
put cucumber in a bowl and mix with the salt
add vinegar, basil, pepper and oil to taste
Carrot sticks (gf/v/df) – 50gm carrot per person
cut carrots finger length
cut carrots into widths half finger width
Boiled eggs (gf/v/df) – one per person
eggs
water
salt
Instructions:
(one egg per person with about 10 extra)
evenly distributed over several pots
Boiling water
On stove till they boil (depends on how many eggs are in the water)
take out of hot water
leave in cold water (in a fridge if possible – if not, a chilly bin or esky works well) to cool at least half an hour before serving
pickles (gf/v/df) – two / three industrial jars for 200 people
cut into widths quarter finger width
Pickled Onions (gf/v/df) – 6 small jars for 200 people
cut in half or quaters
Bread – rolls (1.5 per person works well)
Bread – gluten free (1.5 per person)
cheese (3 kg for 200 people)
leek and onion soup – (v/gf)
onions
leeks
apples (one per person)
Mandarins (one per person)
mixed nuts (2kg for 200 people)
Dessert:
Fruit cake (one piece per person – so 6 pre made store bought cakes per 200 people)
Gluten free biscuits (2 per person)
Biscuits (20 per pack – woolworths brand gingernut and arrowroot – 2 per person)
RUN SHEET:
As you don’t know at G.N.W. how many people you have in the Kitchen to help, Starting 3 hours before service is advised.
3 people and head cook (to fill in gaps and make sure it is all working) 5 people would be a dream!
Chop leaks (person one)
Chop onions (person two)
place leaks and onions in a pot and boil
Place water in pans for eggs, put eggs in pans – make sure the water covers them, cook for half an hour once boiling. (person three)
cut cucumbers and basil (person three)
salt cucumbers and add basil, white wine vinegar and oil to taste
Start to chop carrots (person one when leeks are done) when done plate
chop herbs for salad (person two once onions are done)
place chopped herbs in leaf salad and mix
combine oil, white wine vinegar and salt (for salad dressing)
puree/blend the leeks and onions (person one)
lightly saute the leeks and onions with cinnamon and (person one)
cut rosemary for soup – anyone
tinge water with saffron and add to onions and leeks with Verjuice and rosemary – cook until almost done (person one)
cut cheese into cubes (person three once done)
check the eggs, half an hour before service – take out, put in cold water and cool – anyone
cut some of the apples (person two once done) and place in a bowl in water
plate the meat, pickles, cheese, nuts,
bowl the mandarins, bread, whole apples
Equipment:
3 Pots for eggs
slotted spoon
hopping board and knife for carrots
Chopping board and knife for cucumbers and basil
bowl for cucumbers
Chopping board and knife for cheese
chopping board and knife for parsley, dill, basil
bowl for mixing salad
jug for oil, white wine vinegar and salt
bowl for apples in water
plates for cheese, bread, carrots, pickles, nuts, meats
bowl for eggs, mandarins, apples
pot for soup
food processor for soup (not needed if you cut the leeks and onions fine enough)
chopping boards and knives for soup
A Tavern Feast 2015
St Johns of Jerusalem is an annual weekend event in Cluain, and the idea for the feast this year was ‘everyone has been forced into the tavern to shelter for the night whilst on Pilgrimage’…to which we used to great effect with good hearty food and some dinner theatre surrounding the theme.
The meal plan is below including the special food and wine presented to the head table where our B and B resided. In true Medieval style they could decide who to share their favour with, by allowing them to partake in the extra fare.
We had 36 adults and a 4 children so the portions were worked out around this – counting each of the kids as half an adult.
MENU: All food is Period to 13-15thC England, France and Spain. (Perfect for anyone walking the Compostella and calling in at a tavern……)
Bread – 7 loaves (Vienna and brown 5 seed cob)
Herb butter (one block)
Roast Chickens with egg and grape stuffing.
(180 gm pp) 5 number 14 chickens
Salt, oil, pepper, grapes, eggs, cloves, ginger, saffron, parsley, cinnamon.
(Boiled grape stuffed eggs for Vegetarian)
Beef stew (with currants and onion)
150gm boneless pp – 4.2kg
Currants, onion, cinnamon, parsley, red wine vinegar, beef stock, oil, saffron, salt
Mushroom and cheese pies (one gluten free)
7 pies –5kg of mushrooms,
tasty and mozzarella cheese, ginger, salt, pepper, pastry
Cooked spinach (with oil, salt, pepper, cinnamon, mace, sugar)
A bunch per 4 people – 7 bunches
Cabbage (fried with butter, salt and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg)
One cabbage
Roast carrots (with honey, salt, oil and dill)
50gm of carrot pp (1.5 kg)
Peas (with Ginger and honey and mint)
30gm of peas pp (1kg)
Salad with herbs
(mesculin, sage, spinach, watercress, mint, rocket)
Honey sage wine high table
One carton of white wine, sage, honey
Dessert:
Poached Pears in Wine
33 pears
1 carton of red wine, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
Ribena version for kids and Nadia
2 bottles Cream with rose water
Service :
will need platters, serving utensils, bowls, box of spices etc, cleaning box, table cloths, knives
Make day before:
Wine
pies to cook as space in ovens the next day will be hard. They can re-heat and then come out after everything else.
Pears (marinating)
SERVICE:
Bread and butter already on tables
Chickens served on platters with salad surrounding it.
3 Bowls of stew. One on high table and the other two passed down the two tables (not enough serving bowls for any more)
3 Bowls of peas, 3 bowls of carrots, 3 bowls of cabbage and 3 bowl of spinach same as above
Pies served in dishes to tables
Egg dish and separate salad for Nadia
Cheese and wine for high table
RECIPES:
ROAST CARROTS with honey and dill:
carrots – 50gm per person
rosemary
oil
salt
honey
dill
INSTRUCTIONS:
pre heat oven to 200 C
cut carrots half lengh wise if long, if not leave whole
slice the carrots diagonally into 1 ½ inch thick slices
Toss in a bowl with the oil, salt and rosemary
put in foil tins or trays and drizzle honey over
roast for 20 minutes – or until slightly firm to the bite
take out and toss with dill
Salad (gf/v/df)
mixed leaves
(any herbs will do)
dill
parsley
rosemary
basil
mint
DRESSING:
oil
white wine vinegar
salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
chop herbs (this may take a while depending on the herbs)
combine with salad leaves (this may take a while if you are using un-prepared lettuce leaves)
mix oil, white wine vinegar and salt for the dressing
Chicken:
GODE COOKERY TRANSLATION:
Capon or goose stuffed. Take Parsley, & Swine’s grease, or Suet of a sheep, & parboil them together till they are tender; then take hard yolks of Eggs, & chop for-with; cast thereto Powder Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Saffron, & Salt, & grapes in time of year, & cloves enough; & for default of grapes, Onions, first well boiled, & afterward all chopped, & so stuff him & roast him, and serve him forth. And if you desire, take a little pork cooked, & all to chop it small among that other; for it will be better, & namely for the Capon.
chop for-with – chop and add.
grapes in time of year – grapes in season.
all to chop it small among that other – mince the pork and mix with the other ingredients.
MODERN RECIPE:
1 bunch parsley, chopped
½ cup small seedless grapes
1 large onion, chopped
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. each pepper, ginger, cloves, & cinnamon
1/8 tsp. saffron
4 hard boiled egg yolks, chopped
1/3 lb. pork roast
1 tbs. oil
5 chickens
6 bunches parsley
4 cups grapes
30 eggs
(no pork)
Chop the pork into small pieces; broil or boil until done. (If boiling, drain well but reserve broth for later use.) Mince or grind meat after it has cooled. Parboil the parsley in water and the oil until soft; drain well. (If omitting the grapes from the stuffing, add the onion with the parsley and boil together.) Add meat, eggs, and spices, mixing thoroughly. Stuff a capon, a chicken, a small goose, or a game hen with this mixture and bake at 375° F for 45 minutes, or until done a golden brown. Serves 2-4.
Peas:
Boil peas in the water with sliced ginger
Mix mint and honey through when served.
Place ginger in dish with peas
Mushroom Pasty
PERIOD: France, 14th century | SOURCE: Le Ménagier de Paris | CLASS: Authentic
DESCRIPTION: A mushroom and cheese pie
ORIGINAL RECIPE :
Mushrooms of one night be the best and they be little and red within and closed at the top; and they must be peeled and then washed in hot water and parboiled and if you wish to put them in a pasty add oil, cheese and spice powder.
– Power, Eileen. The Goodman of Paris (Le Ménagier de Paris). A Treatise on Moral and Domestic Economy by A Citizen of Paris (c. 1395). New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1928.
MODERN RECIPE:
1-1 1/2 lbs. whole button or sliced mushrooms
2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup grated or shredded cheese
1/2 tsp. each salt and ginger
1/4 tsp. pepper
one 9″ pie shell (lid optional)
Parboil or sauté the mushrooms; drain. Add oil, cheese, and spices. Mix well. Place in pie shell, add lid if desired, and bake at 350° F for 35-40 minutes, or until pastry is a golden brown.
While I prefer using grated parmesan or a combination of parmesan & cheddar cheese, feel free to use any variety of cheese or combination that suits you. Finer cheeses, such as brie, also work quite well, and brie itself is very appropriate for a recipe of French origin. Some other period cheeses include Farmers and Mozzarella.
This is an absolutely delicious pie and is one of my favorites!
Stwed Beeff
Beef stew with onions and currants.
(Harleian MS 4016 – English, 15th century)
Take faire ribbes of ffresh beef, and (if thou wilt) roste hit til hit be nygh ynowe; then put hit in a faire possenet; caste þerto parcely and onyons mynced, reysons of corauns, powder peper, canel, clowes, saundres, safferon, and salt; then cast thereto wyn and a littul vynegre; sette a lyd on þe potte and lete hit boile sokingly on a faire charcole til hit be ynogh; þen lay the fflessh in disshes, and the sirippe thereuppon, and serve it forth.
around 500g good quality stewing beef
2 large onions
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
handful of currants
1/2 tsp each of pepper, cloves, sandalwood
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of saffron
300-500ml red wine
4 tblsp red wine vinegar
200 ml beef stock
olive oil
Cube beef and fry in a little olive oil until browned and partly cooked. Add onions and parsley, currants, spices, wine, vinegar and beef stock. Simmer over a low heat until the meat is cooked and tender (around 1 hour). Ajust seasoning (esp. salt and vinegar) before serving; I like this with a faint vinegary tang to complement the fruit.
Fried Cabbage
One cabbage
Salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, fried in butter
DESSERT:
Pears:
30 pears, cored, boil in red wine with spices
Boil in Ribena for the kids (and Nadia)
Cream: beat with rose water
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