A Summer FEAST

Based on Summer Feasts of the Past, and the enduring Symbolism of Herbs

A menu with articles explaining the feast and its herbal symbols will be available at Feast

The idea behind the multiple feastcrats: to continue to foster and mentor the art of the feast within the kingdom, that these folk might enter their own bids for future events.

Many of these menu items have already been prepared and tested by Mistress Melisande; served at a dinner party for 33 persons this past June. Other recipes, including the herbal vinaigrettes, were developed by Mistress Melisande and her associates as her herb garden greatly outgrew its capacity over this past year. It is our intent to utilize many fresh items from her garden for this feast. Both the articles and the menu also incorporate much of the research undertaken by Lady Seannach last year for her period wedding ceremony.

Breakfast (being prepared by Lord Owen and Lady Elena)

Coffee, tea, juices, milk

Scones (to include both sweet and savory; fruits and nuts), butters

Breakfast Braids (made with pastry, cream cheese, herbs, apples, onions, turkey sausage; vegetarian)

Luncheon (being prepared by Lady Seannach MacLaughlainn)

Meat Pasties and Salad

Savory scones & butters

Mint Iced-tea

Feast (being prepared by Mistress Melisande Aubrey dAnjou, called Gryfn; with the able assistance of al-Sayyida Zahira hanan and Countess Cathlin Emryss; to be served continuously)

Roast Garlic; herb butters; honey butter; various herbed-breads

Herbed-Honey Chicken; orzo and wild rice

Onion pie; a salad course of various vegetables and herbs with herbal-vinaigrettes

(Tentative: Rolled roast pork (with fruit, nuts, and herbs); summer vegetables)

Pasta with Homemade Basil Pesto (vegetarian); parmesan-garlic rolls

Rice and/or bread pudding; Coffees, teas

Partial Bibliography:

Ancient Herbs (The J. Paul Getty Museum)

Brother Cadfaels Herb Garden - An Illustrated Companion to Medieval Plants and their Uses (Rob Talbot & Robin Whiteman)

Rodales Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs

All About Herbs (James McNair)

Grow 15 Herbs for the Kitchen (Sheryl L. Felty)

Growing and Using Lavender (Patti Barrett)

Growing Herbs in Containers (Sal Gilbertie & Maggie Oster

Creative Herb Gardening (Geraldine Holt)

The Magic Of Herbs (Jane Newdick)

Food In History (Reay Tannahill)

etc