CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL
DECEMBER 7TH – 1-4 PM
Joins us at the 1680’s hearth where we will add a festive touch to the Hurd house with delicious aromas of spinning chicken, simmering pot of carrot pudding and fresh baked bread. Bring the children and learn about the Pomander Balls and other early history.
While you are there sign up for our 2020 Hearth Cooking Workshops
Our Savory for the day would be Hannah Glasse’s Pea Soup with Grilled Emmer Flatbread. This workshop certainly concentrated on the sweet side. But Hey! Everyone wants lunch.
All the ladies arrived and each chose a receipt (recipe) that needed to be started first. The Pea Soup would take the longest and we would be having it around noon for our lunch. Rachel and Cindy began by reading Glasse’s receipt and then started chopping all the ingredients. Stephanie whipped up the batter for The Right Dutch-Wafers from Mary Kettilby 1724 cookery book. The receipt contains yeast so it would need to sit and expand and bubble before it was ready to use. Then she washed and chopped fresh strawberries, added sugar, and put them aside to be used on the waffles at lunch. The Grilled Flatbread receipt also need to rise so Lisa popped open the dark beer and added the yeast and sugar. Once that was ready she added the oil, salt and flour. We used emmer flour. Emmer flour is an ancient wholegrain flour much like whole wheat. It has a sweet, rich nutty flavor. Marsha made the Lemon Cheese from the receipt of “The Cookbook of the Unknown Ladies.” We will use this in our wafers, cones, and rolls later.
Natalie is a pie crust master and began on Lydia Maria Child’s Common Pye Crust receipt while Cathy prepared Hannah Glasse’s Marzipan To Make a Hedge-hog.
Rachel and Cindy scooped up all the ingredients at various times and put them into the soup kettle, and, every so often, made sure to stir it well so nothing stuck to the bottom. With the final step they would be adding some more butter, ham, and Worcestershire sauce.
The marzipan and pie dough, made by Natalie and Cathy, was ready to wrap and rest until they were needed in the afternoon.
Several of the girls worked together to cut the candied angelica, citron, lemon peels, orange slices and almonds for Frederick Nutt’s Millefruit Biscuits.
Cindy whipped the egg whites and orange flower water with the birch whisk. She wanted everyone to see how amazing it was that you could get such nice peeks from a wooden whisk. The cut-up fruit and chopped almonds would be added to this and dropped onto parchment paper to dry in the oven.
The pie crust would be used for Richard Bradley’s, 1732 receipt, To make a Tart of Ananas, or Pin-apple. Rachel cut a fresh pineapple into small pieces for the pie. You could small the aroma of the sweet-scented juices as she sliced. The pineapple then went into a pot with sugar and sherry placed on the crane, high over the fire, and left to stew.
After about two hours of simmering, the soup was done and taken off the fire. The flat bread had risen and Cindy and Lisa oiled it before it went on the grill over the hot coals.
Everyone was working hard on a variety of items and it was time for a well-deserved break. The day was lovely and perhaps too warm for, however, this gave us a chance to remove ourselves from in front of the fire and sit on the porch and have our lunch. I had opened the porch door a bit, as the sun was shining in, and this made it cooler.
Sitting comfortably, Natalie and Rachael enjoy the hearty pea soup and flat bread, (not pictured) on the cool porch. The fragrant soup had many wonderful flavors as well as textures. The combinations of dried peas, cabbage, leeks, onions, carrots, potatoes, ham and spices made it an epicurean delight. The flat bread was dense but had a nice reddish brown color and a nutty taste that is much more mellow and more pleasant than the typical whole wheat bread. Next time I think I’d have it rolled out flatter. I do wish we had a picture of it on the table. However, I can tell you it did taste wonderful dipped into the pea soup.
Lunch on the porch gave us all time to chat and talk about what was to be done next. There were several receipts that were started in the morning that needed to be completed. One was our dessert. With lunch consumed, everyone went about getting the next part of their receipts ready. Stephanie had made the strawberries and the waffle batter when she first arrived in the morning. Once the waffle iron was hot, she started making The Right Dutch-Wafer. The “Right” means authentic or true and the wafers batter contains yeast. These ‘Wafers’ what we would call waffles nowadays.
As she made them they were put into a pan and hung on the crane over the fire to keep warm. 
The batter was just right and made perfect waffles. The strawberries , with their sugar added, had macerated and had just the right amount of liquid to drizzle on the waffles. The waffles were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and had a nice taste of orange flower water that complemented the strawberries. And, yes, we had whipped cream to go with it.
The simmering pineapple was not losing much of its liquid, perhaps making more as it stewed. I was afraid that additional heating would break down the pineapple and we would have just liquid. I decided to have Natalie add sago. Sago is almost a pure starch that comes from the sago palm and has been used for centuries to solidify puddings. It’s like tapioca. This worked and the pineapple thickened and was no longer watery. 
Lisa puts the Millefruit Biscuit in the bake oven. Later in the day, we took them out and they still had to dry some. I put mine back into the oven for the rest of the afternoon, and they were fine by the time I went to bed. They do take a long drying time. I liked the taste of the fruit, however, the nuts got lost, so next time I’ll double the amount.
In the morning, Marsha and Lisa had made the dough for the Dutchess of York Biscuits from Joseph Bell’s 1817 cookery book. Now it was time to roll, stamp and dock the biscuits. Everyone got into the swing of it, and seemed to have their favorite mold.
Stephanie was back at the fire melting chocolate for our Chocolate Drops. Lisa and Marsh helped Stephanie with the drops. We left a few without sprinkles of nonpareils for Marsha.
While the biscuits baked, two wafer irons were made hot. We used Elizabeth Moxon’s 1764 receipt for To Make Goffer Wafers. I’ve found that this works every well with my irons. Cathy and Natalie teamed up to pour the batter and work the two wafer irons.
Rachael helped to roll the wafer into shapes. She used a tin cream horn mold and a wooden dowel. She had to work fast. They were hot when the came off the iron, nevertheless they cooled quickly and became rigid.
With all the receipts completed it was time to sit down and make marzipan. Stephanie mixed colors and I showed a few samples that I had already made and some pictures. Everyone sat down and let their creative juices flow.
Rachel made this wonderful Medieval dragons and Cindy put some cinnamon on the face of her hedgehog.
As adults, it is always enjoyable to play with food that feels like play dough. The ladies let their artistic abilities soar. The marzipan turned into strawberries, apples, lemons, limes, hedgehogs, dragons, pears, oranges, pumpkins and a malamute dog (made by Natalie) .
From the oven came the Tart of Ananas. Once again we see the creativity of Natalie, she took the extra dough and made a pineapple shape and when it came out of the oven she added a few sprigs of rosemary on top. A show-stopper for sure.
Next, the pretty-looking Dutchess of York Biscuits were done. This is a simple receipt made with butter, sugar, flour and water. It has very little in the way of flavor. However, that said, I did enjoy mine dipped in my tea and also tried it in my wine, as they would have in the 19th century. I liked it best in my tea.
Marsha piped the lemon cheese into the wafer cones and a bit of chocolate was dipped on the ends of the rolled wafers.
It was an enjoyable, busy, and productive day. Everyone had fun, learned some new receipts and went home with containers filled with soup, flatbread, and desserts. I’m sure there were many happy husbands that evening.
Sandie
“Mama usually made pea soup. On Sunday nights she cooked it – and not just enough for one or two repeat performances. She made enough to last until the following Saturday. Then on Sunday, she’d cook another one. Pea soup, bread, sometimes a small portion of potatoes or meat. You ate it up, didn’t ask for more, and you didn’t complain.” The Book Thief
Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not! ~ Author Unknown
(Dear readers, We are still having technical difficulties. To see all post please go to the HOME button. Thanks You for your patience. Sandie)
PART TWO
In 1722 Edward Kidder published his cookery book, called “The Receipts of Pastry and Cookery”. At this time he was already teaching the techniques of cookery in his school in London and to wealthy ladies in their own homes.
His receipt for A brown Fricassee of Chicken or Rabbit, was going to be my number two Rabbit receipt. As you know I was not happy with the first one. After reading this receipt, I decided to alter it to my taste. Instead of white wine I would use sherry, and, because we have enough rabbit tenders to eat, I would eliminate the ‘Shiver’d Pallats’ (sliced cooked beef) and savory balls. Yes, this will change the taste somewhat, however I’m not feeding an army just the two of us. And I do want to have the flavor of the rabbit to really be the highlight of the dish.
One of the treats growing up was to bake potatoes in the fireplace. They were wrapped in foil and everyone took turns rolling them around so the sides baked evenly. We did this every week. And ate them by the fire while we watched Lawrence Welk, Ed Sullivan Show or Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour. Once we even watched my sister Phyllis sing and duke it out with another contestant. My sister came in second.
I haven’t done potatoes like this in a long time so with a brisk fire going and coals ready, Allan made a nice pile of them in the corner and I put the foil wrapped-potatoes on the coals. Okay, back to Kidder.
Earlier in the week I took out all the packages of chicken gizzards, and backs I had cut from Cornish hens and tossed in the freezer. They come in handy when you need a quick gravy. I put them in a pot with some chicken broth, onion, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper then simmered them (with the exception of the liver). This cooked for about 45 minutes then I strained it I then made a roux and added it to the broth and I had a nice gravy ready for the Rabbit Fricassee .
In the afternoon, I took out from the freezer, the French rolls that I had made the week before. I put four on them in a dish covered with a cloth and let them defrost. When they were beginning to warm I dampened the cloth and put them in a warm place to rise. I must say I was surprised how much they rose, and I was really happy with the results. When the potatoes began to get soft, I brushed the tops with butter and started them in a bake kettle.
I floured the rabbit tenders, and sautéed them in browned butter in the skillet. When they had a nice color, I removed them to a plate to keep warm. I poured a little broth into the pan to deglaze it than added more butter, the leeks, mushroom, thyme, garlic and parsley. I let this all cook over the heat until the mushrooms and leeks were soft. While the pan was hot I added the sherry and burned off the alcohol, the taste would remain in the sauce. The gravy and some chicken broth went in next and then another lump of floured butter to thicken it up. After I mixed this about, I squeezed a little lemon juice on it.
Allan poked the potatoes and they were ready. The beans were al dente, the way we like them, and the rolls a wonderful golden hue. The rabbit was cooked to perfection.
Well, I did not hold true to Kidder’s receipt. However, I think the beef and savory balls would have perhaps added a overwhelming flavor to the delicate rabbit. I likes this dish and will make it again.
Coming up: Savory and Sweet Workshop blog. Stay tune.
Sandie
“You cook good rabbit, pilgrim.” from the film Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
Receipts
Pastry and Cookery 1722
(Dear readers, We are still having technical difficulties. To see all post please go to the HOME button. Thanks You for your patience. Sandie)
PART ONE
Francisco Goya
I grew up eating wild game meat. My dad owned a fishing and hunting store. He, my brother Jim and sister Joan hunted all the time. It was a great way to stretch the food budget of a household of nine. One of my favorite was rabbit. My mom cooked it two ways, in a stew or deep fried. I loved them both. So, while looking through Williams Verral’s cookery book, I came across “Collops of Rabbit in Champagne wine” and it looked interesting. Being that we don’t hunt, Allan and I took a ride up RT 4 to Loudon and the Hungry Buffalo. They sell all kinds of wild game. We purchased enough rabbit tenders for two meals.
A few days before I wanted to make this I printed Verral’s receipt and read it over twice. I recommend that everyone read early receipt at least twice. This way you will understand what you need to do to change it into a modern equivalent and save yourself from a cooking catastrophe. Also, I need to decide what else would go with it. I felt that cranberries would complement the rabbit and, being that there would be a bit of a sauce, I decided to have French rolls to accompany it. Then I picked a dessert that Allan has been asking for, baked custard. Along with the custard I thought it would be nice to place a tiny Madeleine on top.
I made the cranberry sauce and the Madeleine the day before our meal and sealed them in a tight container. The next afternoon I made the Cream Custard from Lady H in Richard Bradley ‘s 1732 cookery book, and put it in the refrigerator until later.
The next day arrived and I made the custard in the early afternoon in a nice water bath. Then I started the French rolls from Hannah Glasse receipt. We are only two people here so I froze most of the rolls. This is an experiment I’ve been wanting to try to see how will they come out the next time I want to use them. I also froze some of the cranberry sauce for later use. 
That evening I assembled all the ingredients for the collops. I chopped the green onions and shallots put the herbs and seasoning into a small bowl and poured out the right amount of broth. I salted and floured the collops and I was ready to cook.
The fire had been going for a while and the coals were ready. I sautéed the rabbit tenders to a golden brown and then took them out and put the plate aside to keep warm. In the same pan used for the rabbit went some butter, the mushrooms, green onions and herbs, salt and pepper. When they were softened and the mushrooms had turned a nice chestnut color, I added a knob of butter mixed with flour and stirred it in to make a roux, then cooked it. If you don’t cook a roux long enough the flour taste remains. I stirred in the white wine and lemon juice and some chicken stock and let this simmer a while. The rabbit was then added in, tossed around to coat and cooked for a few more minutes. I moved the pan from the coals and covered it.
My French rolls would be baked in the new reflector oven that I recently bought, this was the first chance I had to use it. When the rabbit was out of the way, I moved it closer to the fire so they would obtain a crispy golden top.
Dinner was ready. With everything on the table, we began to plate.
We sat leisurely eating while the custard heated up in a warm kettle by the fire. I like my custard warm. After I took them out I toasted the top with a hot iron out of the fire.
With the custard ready I placed a mini Madileine on it. Allan was in heaven.
Now the review on this meal is complicated. I loved the cranberry sauce and the rolls were flaky and moist. The custard delicious and the Madeleine on top was a perfect compliment. The rabbit sauce I did not like. They say if you’re going to use wine in a recipe use one you love. Well, I am not a fan of white wine and should have thought about this. I found the sauce to be overly sweet from the wine and the lemon didn’t help the matter. I did like the rabbit. After scraping off the sauce I found it very tender and tasting somewhere in-between white and dark chicken meat.
Now Allan, he loved it. The next day he had it for lunch and said it tasted even better after sitting overnight. Don’t be reluctant about trying this rabbit receipt, if you like white wine. You may love it like Allan did.
Our next rabbit receipt will be from Edward Kidder. I’ve read this receipt and with a change or two I’m sure I will like it. I’ll post it soon.
Sandie
“My dinner is still in the woods.” -Unknown
Receipt
William Verral, 1775
“The Complete System of Cookery”
Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images
What could be better in the fall or winter months than a meal built around homemade sausages. We love them, and I decided to make different type. Looking over many receipts, I found several rather interesting ones.
lcanian sausage is a true old-world sausage and can be found in literature in the 4th century. Ten surviving cookbooks of the Greco-Roman world survive under the name of Apicius and are the works of several authors. One receipt included in this work is lcanian sausage which is the forerunner of the Greek Loukaniko. Loukaniko may have originated in Italy, however, it became popular in Portugal in addition to Greece and a few other countries.
Loukaniko is comprised of pork and lamb and a laundry list of spices, wine, and grated orange. It was often served as a mezze (appetizer). I also came across a receipt for Saulcisses en Potage in Lancelot de Casteau, Ouverture de Cuisine, 1585. This was a “Tourney Dish” of sausages with apples, onion, cinnamon and nutmeg eaten at the mock battles during the Middle Ages. I thought this would be great to do together. In addition, I found a German venison receipt from the manuscript of Sabina Welser, 1553. It was edited by Hugo Stopp and published as Das Kochbuch der Sabina , 1980.This was timely, as I was given venison by a friend.
I made the two types of sausages,(receipt below) and I took each receipt and divided it in half. one half I added pink curing salt; these sausage would be cold-smoked. After the four different types of sausage were stuffed into their casings, they went into the refrigerator to sit overnight.
The next day I got out the Cameron’s Original Stove top Smoker and hickory chips. Once this started to smoke, the two different sausages with the curing salt went in and stayed for 4 hours on a low heat. I was careful to keep the two sausage separate so I’d be able to know which was which. After two days, and help from Allan, my sausage making was complete; now to share them.
For the first night we had our neighbors in. We always like to have them taste test things for us. The menu would be Loukaniko with pottage, Emmer flour Flat Bread. sautéed Brussels sprouts with New Hampshire elixir (maple syrup), and sautéed apples, onions, garlic and cabbage slaw. Now Allan dislikes Brussels sprouts, so I needed to do something a bit different so they would be not be as bitter as he recalls. I was hoping the maple syrup would do the trick.
The first thing I had to prepare for the dinner was the dough for the flat bread. Emmer flour is a rich and nutty, ancient, wholegrain flour, and I thought I would try it to see if I liked it. After they were flattened I put them between strips of plastic wrap and stored them in the refrigerator.
The Saulcisses en Potage does not have cabbage, however, my Russian heritage was screaming put it in! Also I remembered similar receipt from Hannah Glass that I have made. So I incorporated them together. As a result I made a slaw with cabbage and carrots to be added to the apples, onions and garlic all to be sautéed in butter, spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, a tad of sugar, and a bit of dry white wine. This also sat in the refrigerator ready to go.
Allan built the perfect fire, the neighbors arrived and we all enjoying appetizers, which included the smoked Loukaniko. The cooled smoking made the sausage firm and enhanced the flavoring of the spices and orange zest. Served with crackers and cheese. All in all a thumbs-up for sure.
When the coals in the fireplace were ready, it was time to get cooking. The sausage went on the gridiron first. The pottage and Brussels sprouts went into three-legged pans to sauté. Last but not least the flat bread went on the hanging griddle.
When everything was done and put on the table we just dug in, so, sorry no pictures. We took the flat bread and use it as a roll adding the sausage and the pottage on top. OMG!!! It was an epicurean delight, if I have to say so myself. A distinct flavor of lamb in the sausage then a subtle hint of the leeks and garlic hit with the zesty orange and herbs all exploding on your palate, glorified by the pottage all wrapped in a soft and fragrant flat bread. The Brussels sprouts being sautéed in oil and butter with the addition of syrup had a nice brown and sweet nutty finish, And all did try them. The meal was a success.
A few days later we had our friends, who gave us the venison, over for dinner. On this occasion we sampled the cold-smoked venison sausage as an appetizer. To accompany the grilled venison sausage, I chose to serve sautéed wild mushrooms and oven roasted vegetables. Once again I use the fireplace to cook almost everything. (I put the roasted vegetables in the oven).
The venison sausage had just enough of a noticeable gamy taste, with a hint of the clove and the tart taste of the juniper berries was spot on. This time I wanted to try the three-legged griddle to cook the flat bread. It cooked better, I think, as they browned better than on the hanging griddle. We tried the sausage and mushroom in the flat bread and it was good, however my choice would be the sausage with pottage. Again thumbs-up on this one. And what can you say about, farm-fresh, roasted vegetables except yum!
I was happy with the turnout of all the sausages and the wonderful sides that accompanied them. We were able to share this with friends by the hearth with a good glass of wine and beer and an evening of wonderful conversation.
May you have many warm and happy winter days cooking,
Sandie
“…no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.”
― Julia Child, My Life in France
PS. Its nice to have the blog working again. Thank you all for putting up with all the tests. And keep your fingers crossed. Next blog will be two meals of Rabbit.
RECEIPT
LOUKANIKO SAUSAGE
1 pounds pork shoulder, cubed
3 pound boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of silver skin and cubed
1 pound pork fatback, cubed
3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 whole leeks, trimmed of dark leaves and finely chopped
3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 9 medium cloves)
2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest from about 3 oranges
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted and finely ground
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano (preferably Greek)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/3 cup red wine, chilled
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, chilled
Hog casings
Lancelot de Casteau, Ouverture de cuisine, 1585
SAUSAGES IN POTTAGE.
Sausages in Pottage. Take sausages, & fry them in butter, then take four or five peeled apples & cut into small quarters, & four or five onions cut into rings, & fry them in butter, & put all of them into a pot with the sausages, & put therein nutmeg, cinnamon, with red or white wine, sugar, & let them then all stew.
The Art of Cookery Made Plain & Easy, Hannah Glasse (1796)
FRIED SAUSAGE
Take half a pound of sausages, and six apples, slice four about as thick as a crown, cut the other two in quarters, fry them with the sausages of a fine light brown, lay the sausages in the middle of the dish, and the apples round. Garnish with the quartered apples. Stewed cabbage and sausages fried is a good dish.
Das Kuchbuch der Sabina Welserin
TO MAKE VENISON SAUSAGE
1 lb. ground venison 6-8 oz. bacon 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. mace 1/2 tsp. cloves 1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. grains of paradise 1/2 tsp. cubebs pinch ground saffron
1 oz. water casing
To this recipe I added 1/2 tsp of juniper berries ground
Did you know that during the Middle Ages the word “venison” referred to any wild animal with edible flesh?
Day Two
Another lovely cool and sunny day outdoors, Trudy got the fire going with no help at all and Carl arrived about 8:30.
First thing was to look at the Venison Jerky. Carl took it out of the oven and we all took a bite. It was fantastic. It was nothing like you buy in the store, it has a more pliable texture and you could tell it was venison. The receipt is simple. Just some Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, onion and garlic powder, liquid smoke and a pinch of pepper all placed in a bowl and the venison marinated in it.
I think the bake oven imparted a nice flavor also and the slow dehydration worked very well. I tested the oven temperature and found that it was still warm at 116°.
Next thing was to dig into the coffin. Carl did the honors of cutting the slices.
They say a picture says a thousand words, and I think these two do. What it can’t tell you is how luscious it tasted. Bits of savory forced meat mixed with spices, whole meat marinade and liver confit. A surprise of egg and a crisp bit of the pistachios rounded out the rustic pate. It was heaven on a plate. Thank you, Carl.
If you have a chance you can see Carl, at the open hearth, cooking at Pennsbury Manor in Morrisville, PA, every third Sunday.
Our breakfast also included some fruit and some of yesterday’s sweet and savory pies and Indian pudding. A meal fit for a king.
We did linger awhile at the table to truly enjoy the repast. Then we were off again to experience some new techniques and receipts.
Carl started on the Cheese Bread so it would have time for its two risings. The cheese was less than stellar, but enough to add flavor to the flour mix. When it was ready, it was covered with a damp cloth and left to rise on the high shelf.
Trudy wanted to do marzipan, so she mixed up a batch, rolled it in parchment paper and stored it in the refrigerator until later.
Meanwhile Carl wanted to do pickles. I gave him a bowl with heirloom red carrots, pickling cucumbers, regular carrots, string beans, cauliflower and a medium hot pepper. I also bought a red pepper, forgetting Carl doesn’t like them.
After all the vegetables were cut, Carl toasted the aromatic spices in an iron pan to release their flavor. They were then put into a pot with water, vinegar, and salt and simmered for about seven minutes.
Carl packed the jars with the vegetables and some garlic and poured the hot liquid over them. These were to sit uncovered for two hours.
In the refrigerator there were many packages of fish to be used for our dinner. Trudy had picked the two fish receipts and she began to read all the directions before she started.
The cheese bread had risen, and because the room was so hot, the cloth dried out. However, this is never a problem; you just push the center down, fold the edges in and knead it.
After kneading the dough, it was cut in eight pieces. This is very sticky dough and Carl floured his hands so his could handle it and make the rolls.
All types of seafood would be available at Fortress Louisburg in the summer months, and Trudy wanted to make Potage Deux Poissons (Two Fish Soup) after Le Varenne. This is a soup with salmon and haddock.
With the fish for the soup cut, Trudy put them in the cauldron and added vinegar, parsley, thyme and pepper.
The mushrooms were sautéed until they were caramelized then removed from the pan while a roux was made. The mushrooms were mixed back in.
The roux and mushrooms were added into the soup and the soup was left to simmer the rest of the day to develop its flavors.
Don’t know where the time went; all of a sudden it was time for lunch. Carl put the salad together and I tossed the chicken, which he had cooked on a string, in some salad dressing. I made a lemon butter sauce for the leftover Indian pudding.
Once again the porch was perfect for our respite from the fire.
Carl wanted to do something with sorrel and the 17th century French food writer, Nicholas de Bonnefons recommended a variety of greens for pies. He was instrumental in creating a revolutionary vision for the cuisine in France.
De Bonnefons “Pot Herb Pie – A Spring Tonic” was the receipt Carl worked from, which had dandelions, sorrel, spinach and Swiss chard.
After the greens were blanched, they were gently squeezed in a towel to remove as much of the liquid as possible. Trudy was making a Béchamel sauce for the second fish dish and added to the receipt so there were two more cups for Carl’s pie. The greens went into the sauce with eggs, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and lemon zest.
The crust was Pate Fine, which, when made, was put in the refrigerator and then rolled out for the pie. This is a particular wonderful receipt by La Varenne. Carl poured the filling in and sprinkles a dusting of sugar and a drizzle of rose water on top before it was give its second crust.
Trudy went to the Cordon Bleu. And, of course, she learned a few neat tricks that she shared with us. One is how to use the other end of a wooden spoon to crimp the pie edges. Carl picked up the technique nicely and his pie looked wonderful even uncooked.
Trudy put out all the ingredients for the Cod Sainte-Menehould. This turned out to be an interesting receipt. It has fresh cod fillets surrounded by a fish hash. After reading it through, Trudy questioned the preparations of the hash of two types of white fish. When our modern recipes call for us to make a hash we think it needs to be cooked. With further discussion and rereading the receipt I reassured her that it was not cooked, but a raw hash.
The large cod pieces were poached just a bit and put aside then the hash made. Then Trudy made a béchamel sauce some of which was used by Carl.
The cod was placed in a buttered casserole dish and the hash put in between the fillets. Mushrooms and spices were added to the sauce and that was poured on top. Next would come a topping of bread crumbs.
Now it was time to have some fun. Trudy is thinking of making marzipan at Fortress Louisbourg. To make a color for the painting of their creations Trudy boiled up some greens and I gave her some saunders for the red. While Trudy and Carl made fruit to be painted I got out some of the lovely cheese Trudy brought for a prelude to dinner. 
Enjoying a chance to sit down, I made a small hedgehog. The plate of candied orange and lemon peels was made from the leftovers from the birds nest. 
We took out the jellies and unmolded them for our dessert. The bird nest came out wonderfully; on the other hand, the fish pond did not. Next time we won’t put the hazelnut oil on the inside of the fish forms. The gold did not stick to the fish but stuck to the jelly instead. The flummery tasted amazing and the pigs feet jelly tasted more savory than I’d have liked. However, it was an experiment and I will try this again. They do look beautiful.
The last made dish for dinner was artichokes and mushrooms.
Carl and Trudy pitched in, and cooked them in the spider.
The cheese bread, made into rolls, smelled divine and was placed in a basket by Carl.
The Spring Tonic Herb Pie and the Cod- Sainte-Menehould were cooked to perfection. The last touch was to add the anchovies and capers to the top of the fish casserole.
The Potage aux Deux Poissons, that simmered throughout the day, was served by Trudy.
Allan joined us for dinner and dug into the two fish receipts. He was pleasantly surprised to find out how great they tasted. Sometimes he worries about what he might be served. Carl’s rolls went great with the soup and the main meal. We compared Carl’s spring tonic-pie and Trudy’s herb pot pie that she made the day before. They had many of the same ingredients; however; the herb pot pie had the addition of ground almonds, pine nuts and bread crumbs. I would say that they were remarkable different. Carl’s was more like a quiche and Trudy’s denser in texture, and they both had a different taste.
Then it came time of our desert. Trudy played with her fish pond jelly and you can see how the gold stuck to it. It was an experiment we wanted to try and we learned from making it, sometimes it best not to get too focused on a receipt. Though with all the receipts we were doing at the same time, it was hard not to. Carl just enjoyed the taste o f the flummery. 
This weekend was fun and we all learned from each other and had a chance to select some techniques and receipts we might not have had the chance to experience in a one day workshop. There is talk of doing it again in the fall.
After dinner we packed a large box of leftovers for Carl and put Trudy’s in one place in the refrigerator to take home in the morning.
Over the next few days we all emailed back and forth still talking about the food we made, our success and failures, and just how good leftovers are. Both Carl and I will see Trudy again when we go to the Eastfield Village workshop given by Neil Vincent De Marino this summer.
Sandie
“Cookery is not chemistry. It is an art. It requires instinct and taste rather than exact measurements.” Marcel Boulestin, chef, food writer (1878-1943)
This workshop would be a different type than what I normally do for one day. Trudy came from Canada, and Carl from New Jersey, both had given me a list of different receipts and techniques they wished to try at the hearth, some of which take a few days to do.
They arrived on Friday night, and we had a nice dinner by the hearth fire. In the morning one of Trudy’s objectives for this workshop was to start the fires and bake oven. Allan stood by and instructed her on just how to do this, and from then on she and Carl were in charge of keeping it going all weekend long.
Carl and Trudy made Payn Purde, bacon and sausage for our breakfast. We left the dishes with Allan and went out to the herb garden to see what was up. Carl picked some sorrel and I picked lady’s bed straw and chives. Carl said this was the first time he had gone and picked what he wanted to cook with from a garden.
Carl and Trudy started on the flummery and the pig’s foot jelly for the Nest of Eggs and the Fish Pond.
I’ve never used Lady’s Bed Straw for making cheese, so we thought we would give it a try. Carl wrapped some of the bedstraw in a cheesecloth, and when the milk was warm, put it in, and we waited.
And waited, though it looked like it might turn, it didn’t, so out came the lemon. The milk just didn’t want to curd like we wanted, however, there was some. This was poured into the cloth and hung for the day in the corner to drip in my chamber pot. (Well, it needs to be used for something, I even put it to use as a bowl sometimes. No, it has never been under the bed!)
This cheese is to be used for cheese bread tomorrow. 
I found some plastic Easter eggs and Allan drilled a nice size hole in the top so we could pour in some flummery. We coated the inside of the eggs, fish and shell with hazelnut oil. Trudy made the flummery with isinglass, whole milk and cream, adding grated lemon rinds and a bit of cinnamon. This was strained into a bowl with a spout. 
Carl stirs a pot and checks on the pig’s feet jelly. Then he expertly peeled an orange in long strips for the birds nest. 
We poured the flummery into the forms and placed them in the refrigerator. 
I made a quick salad, and Allan cooked up some shrimp for our lunch. We ate this out on the porch away from the fire.
It was a nice break from the heat. The sun had warmed the three-season porch, so we cracked the door a bit to let tin he fresh cool air.
Trudy built a bird’s nest wrapping the poached orange rind around the flummery eggs.
Now it was time to start on dinner. Carl wanted to practice spinning a chicken. He stuffed the bird with onions, apples, thyme, parsley, butter and salt and pepper. He put two skewers through the chicken, tied the string to it, and hung it on a hook very near the fire. He gave it a good spin and it was twirled on and off during the day, being turned upside down once to insure the inside was fully cooked.
Next on Carl’s list was to make an Indian Pudding. He used Amelia Simmons “A Nice Indian Pudding” receipt. The cornmeal was gently simmered on the hearth with the milk until it thickened. When it cooled, the eggs were added with the spices and molasses, poured into a redware dish, and baked in the bake kettle.
Trudy whipped up the almond filling, a Galette des Rois (Kings Cake) with a Rough Puff Pastry from a Fortress Louisbourg recipe. She will be cooking there at the Engineer’s house in July. In the filling she poured a bit of Grand Marnier and orange zest. 
Carl had hoped to make one of the coffin workshops. However, life got in the way. This was a great opportunity for us both to do something a bit different. A two-day cold coffin.
He mixed the dough and used the big coffin form to make the sides. It was the filling that was going to be interesting. He was making a rustic Pate with both forced and whole meats. I had pre-marinated chicken and pork in two different sauces for a week, and did several confits of chicken liver to be ready for Carl when he arrived. He made the forced meat of pork, veal and beef, and one of chicken, adding savory herbs, shallots , pistachios, assorted mushrooms, garlic, white wine and brandy. 
With all the meat layered plus four boiled eggs filling up the coffin Carl made a top and egg washed it and pinched it on. It was decorated with a Celtic knot and leaves were stuck on the side.
Both Carl and Trudy wanted to do an Herb Pie. I decided it would be nice to do them on different days and see how the different receipts compared.
Trudy went first, combining blanched spinach, arugula, lettuce, spring greens and adding bread crumbs and ground almonds, candied lemon peels, rosewater, sultanas and pine nuts. This is after the style of La Verenne. For a paste she made French Fine Paste. 
Next to be made was a Beef Ragout after La Vareen and Massialot. While Carl was looking after the chicken, he helped chop some of the ingredients.
The beef was marinated for one hour in red wine vinegar, bay leaf and salt and pepper. 
Onions, carrots, turnips and spice were put into bowls ready to be assembled.
Finger-sized lardons were tossed with flour and rendered. Then the beef was added in to cooked for 30 minutes.
Cold water was added along with the vegetables and spices. This was covered and simmered for the rest of the day. 
Allan cleaned out the bake oven as we were all busy. He swept it out with a damp broom as the Sun King’s Galette des Rois waited to be cooked.
The bake oven was at the right temperature and the cake, coffin, and the herb pie were carefully positioned in the oven. The new metal door was placed on, and we timed everything, peeking only once to make sure things were doing okay.
And yes they were. As you can see Carl was really pleased with his coffin. It held its shape and turned a lovely golden brown.
Sitting on the side table, waiting for our dinner, sat the Indian pudding, herb pie, Galette des Rois and the rustic coffin pate.
The beef ragout and the chicken were ready. Carl carved the bird, while always-hungry Trudy grabs a piece and pops it into her mouth. It was cooked to perfection.
Trudy and Carl worked hard all day to prepare many dishes for our evening meal. Allan joined us and we sat and discussed what they had made. A long but productive day. However, it was not over yet.
Carl warmed the saved pig’s foot jelly and poured it into the coffin. This would become our breakfast tomorrow. Carl wanted to do a jerky in the oven overnight. I was lucky to have some venison in the freezer, thanks to my friend Susan L. Carl thought that would make a great jerky. He sliced it really thin, and placed it in a marinade earlier in the afternoon. He placed it on a rack and put it into the falling bake oven to make venison jerky. This was another of his requests.
So the day came to a close, and so does this blog. Stay tune for the Day Two soon.
My work for the 50th anniversary of the Historical Society has kept me very busy. However with the open house behind us I now have more time.
Sandie
Once you have mastered a technique, you hardly need look at a recipe again and can take off on your own.
HISTORIC DEERFIELD COOKS
After a year of going back and forth with venues and dates and who was available, Claire Carlson the Education Program Coordinator of Historic Deerfield set the day. On Monday 28 of March, Claire and the Deerfield hearth cooks arrived at my door. It was rainy cool and perfect for a day of hearth cooking
Claire had asked specificity for several things. To make Lumber Pie and show everyone how to make a receipt that had many parts to it. They wanted to stretch their creative minds. So out came the coffin forms and all the stations were set up and ready for them when they arrived.
First to arrive were Cynitha, Richard and Beth. They started right in. I needed the marrow bones to be taking care of and the lumber pie and we will be needing to start on the Naples Biscuits for our orange fool.
Shortly after the rest of the group came in and we went right to work dividing tasks.
Laura started in on the Forme of Crury reciept for Flampoyntes. She browned the pork added sweet spices and graded a soft cheeses . This would be put into Traps, know as open coffins.
Ellen made Robert Smiths, Paste -Royal, this pastry would go with the Flampoynets. Laura was done with the meat filling and made a pie crust that we used later for the coffin tops. Claire and Melinda made the filling for a fish coffin.
The shrimp was boiled and the only fish that was cooked was the cod. The cod needed to be beaten in the mortar and pestle and mixed with the stuffing mix Melinda had made.
Richard liked the nutmeg grater and added the ground nutmeg into the forced meat. Cynitha took the force meat and made meat balls with a small nugget of marrow in the center. Then that was wrapped in caul and fried in sweet oil.
Beth put the Naples Biscuits in the bake kettle and when they were done they sat on the edge of the bake oven to dry out for her orange fool. I took them off when they were ready.
While Claire cut the salmon Melinda peels the shrimp. Claire is not fond of shell fish and Melinda has no problem, so they were a great team.
With the Paste Royal made Cynitha rolled the paste and cuts it in to long diamonds.
Many helped fry the small points and drain them for use later.
With all the fillings made and all the ingredients ready I talked the group thru the process of making the coffin dough.
Everyone measured out their flour then one by one poured in the melted lard and butter. This was stirred with a spoon and then when cool enough, made into a ball and placed on the work surface.
We made three dough’s and Beth prepared the egg wash for the coffins, then the kneading began.
Ten minutes not a second less.
Then the dough gets wrapped in linen and sits for ten minutes.
Now the fun starts. The dough is flattened, both the form and dough get’s lots of flour. Then the shaping begins.
Clair and Melinda’s fish form is quite large so paper was use around the edges to hold it up before it was filled with many layers of salmon, oysters, shrimp, and a force meat of cod. 
Then it was dotted with butter and slices of lemons put over it all. Using the Laura’s pie dough a top was cut out and pinched on with the egg wash.
Forced meat balls, grapes, eggs, figs , dates, leeks, mushrooms, shallots and spices all layered in the Lumber Pie. A lid of pie crust and it was ready for the bake oven.
The third coffin dough was divided in five pieces and Beth, Cynitha and Laura each worked to make the shallow Traps.
Melinda smiles at the well decorated fish. Many hands helped putting scales on the top and an eye to. She waits to put it in the bake oven right in front of the Lumber Pie, The traps went into the bake kettle.
Beth and Clair read the receipt from Hannah Glass, Orange Pudding, Another Way. Orange pudding was so popular that she has four receipts for it. The centers needed to be taken out of the oranges and Melinda starts on it.
They need to be boiled to remove some of the bitterness from the peel.
Beth made a filling and remarked that it is just like a bread pudding. And yes that is what it is, only you use Naples biscuits instead of bread. Then you stuff the hollow oranges and replace the top. They go into a linen sack and get tied very tightly. 
They were boiled in a large cauldron and when cooled taken out for the table. Sadly I did not get a picture of one on the plate ready to eat. But I can tell you they were delicious.
Time to take out the coffins, the fish looks ready to swim away with its scales, and the Lumber pie stood tall still.
The Flampoyntes were taken out of the bake kettle and the points put in by Cynthia. The center trap one was made up of left over lumber pie filling.
Half way through the day Richard mentions he’s a vegetarian —- most of the time. So I had him make the compound salad. He used dandelion greens and field greed, daicon radish, carrots, a golden beet, that someone cooked, hard boiled eggs and made a dressing with the left over oranges juice and sweet oil. On the side was a bowl of anchovies left over from the fish coffin. You don’t get better than this at a restaurant. He did a lovely presentation.
Claire and Cynthia made leers for their coffins and some were poured in and the coffin shaken. The rest was served on the side.
Time to open the tops of the coffins and dig into them with their layers of distinct flavors.
The traps were cut in half and served.
What a wonderful group of hearth cooks I had a great time working with them. Cynthia said she was going home with three new ideas and Richard was very interested in the way Allan did the wood. I do hope the others took something home also.
Sandie
“Secrets, especially with cooking, are best shared so that the cuisine lives on.”
Bo Songvisava
Dear Sandie:
We had a fabulous time at the coffin workshop. You are a skilled teacher, gracious host, and diligent task master! Some of our hearth cooks still see themselves as novices, even with almost five years hearth cooking experience. This workshop was JUST what they needed — to experience the multi-step process of preparing a receipt with a lot of steps, ingredients, and techniques to think about. I think their minds were blown (in a good way!)
Clair
There were six people in the workshop and all wanted to learn how to make coffins. It does seem to be a popular form of pie-making these days. This day we would go a step beyond the normal and make a coffins and a ‘subteltie’ or eye-catching centerpiece.
– A castle with a keep, three towers and a center.
First thing that needed to be done was make the fillings for the coffins. Veronica made the mushroom and onion filling while Matt added bread crumbs and spices to beef to make a forced meat mixture.
Nancy made two fillings. Both needed constant watchfulness and stirring. A rice filing hung over the fire, made with milk, could easily scorch, while the spinach sweating in a large spider over coals had to be carefully tended. Kate was done with her venison sausage filling, and she and Matt started on the Orange Fool. Veronica put the finishing touches on the mushrooms and onions.
Kate lends a hand to Nancy and places the spinach in a cloth-lined bowl to remove the last vestige of moisture.
Susan made a paste of shredded chicken breast, eggs and cream then picked all the meat off of the boiled quail. This would all go in her coffin with wild mushrooms, dates, fresh figs, and spices.
Kevin took the receipt for Cucumber a la Forced. He cut a small piece off the end of the cucumber and using a marrow spoon he removed all the seeds. Next he made a forced meat of bread cubes, eggs, melted butter and many fresh spices. This forced meat was stuffed into the center of the cucumber and the little end also. Susan made a leer for her quail coffin over the fire with a roux. Leers are like our modern gravies, made for pouring in the coffins and enjoying as a side. One of the interesting things about this roux is most of us put the butter in the pan add the flour and mix it together. Early receipts call for mixing the flour and butter together in your hand and then put it into the liquid, a very different concept for us.
Now back to Kevin and the cucumber. The small end needed to be sewn back on. I did a brief demonstration for him and he was on his way to resembling three forced cucumbers. Susan watched the surgery.
Veronica beat the egg whites for the Orange Fool. This was folded into the juice, sugar, and rinds, and thickened on the hearth by Matt. 
Nancy grated the mozzarella for the spinach filling and mixed it with parmesan, whole eggs and spices. Kate was done with her venison sausage filling and she and Matt, working as a team, strained the orange peels from the sauce for the Orange Fool. 
With all the fillings ready to go, we made our coffins. Everyone took turns pouring the hot water crust liquid into their flour. You must stir it with a spoon first and wait until you can touch it. When that time comes, you need to work fast to get the flour to mix with the liquid.
Once the flour will keep its shape as a ball, out on the work surface it goes. Ten minutes of kneading and then 10 minutes of rest and you have a ball that feels much like play dough. Using a coffin form, Susan starts on her large coffin. 
Coffin forms are mentioned in early 19th century cookbooks. I have not seen any evidence, of their existence, in the previous centuries, however, they do make the work easier, and I’ll keep looking for proof.
Turning the form upside down helps to raise a nice tall coffin. Then in went the quail mixture.
Nancy used a smaller form for her spinach filling and a tall one for the rice. Kate’s venison would go in a taller form. The spinach would be the center and the rest would become part of the castle towers. 
Veronica and Matt made the flanking towers.
Susan rolled out hot water crust to make the top for her coffin; she did a wonderful edge on the side. Kevin mentioned that she is an excellent pie maker. This edge showed off her skills. Kevin was pretty good with a basting brush, and applied the egg wash all over the coffin.
Matt really gets down making his tower tall, it would become the castle keep. Kevin does the honors of positioning the quail coffin into the back side of the beehive oven.
With the center, towers, and castle keep filled, the tops were placed on and the embattlements cut out. Then they were stuck together to form a castle Richard II would be proud.
Into the beehive they went, and after an hour they came out.
While the coffins cooked, Kevin simmered his forced cucumber in chicken stock. In the kettle, the leers that were made were kept warm.
With flags flying on the castle towers, Matt take it to the table. The tops was cut off to reveal, rice pudding, venison sausage, beef forced meat, mushroom and onions and a center of spinach. All worthy of a medieval feast.
We think of creating “subteltie” as being only in the medieval times, however, even Mrs. Beeton, in 1890, did a game pie with a stuffed pheasant on top.
Susan’s quail pie baked perfectly and was exceptionally good with the fruit, giving it an enjoyable tang .
Everyone around the table thought the spinach tasted much like spanakopita. The venison sausage was terrific, the rice pudding slightly sweet and creamy, the mushrooms and onions delightful and the ground cloves in the forced meat was a wonderful surprise. The forced cucumbers were interesting ranging in ratings from, “glad I had it once” to “it’s not bad.”
Everyone loved the Orange Fool. It was such a popular dessert in the 1800s that Hanna Glasse had at least four receipts for it. Topped with a bit of blueberry sauce it was a perfect ending to the meal.
Another coffin workshop behind me, and so glad to have shared the day with such wonderful and interesting friends.
Sandie
“Food . . . can look beautiful, taste exquisite, smell wonderful, make people feel good, bring them together . . . At its most basic, it is fuel for a hungry machine . . . “
Rosamond Richardson, English cookery author
SOUP TO NUTS BLOG
What was I thinking!!!
In my workshops I like to have a theme and use original receipts, from medieval times up to the 1820s. It takes some doing to rewrite them in modern language. Now this theme took me by surprise. Fall and pumpkins just sounded too good not to do. So off to the cookery books I go to put together a sensible meal to cook over the hearth. First stop Amelia Simons. On the title page she writes that it is the first cookery book “Adapted to this Country”. What I find is pompkin No1 &2, a pie. As I read on through the Historical Notes written in my copy of Simons 1796 edition, Karen Hess has much to say about pumpkin and other squashes and gourds. She mentions Hannah Woolley’s 1675 receipt for pie that is very different from Simons. And she goes on to say how the use of edible gourds go as far back as ancient Rome. Great, I should find lots of receipt for my Pumpkin Workshop!
NOOO! However what I do find is more interesting. Great information from the Food Time Lime, a description from the travels of Peter Kalm in 1750 to the colonies, A history on “Eating in America” by Root and De Rochemont and a great 1630 poem from Plymouth.
Stead of pottage and puddings and custards and pies. Our pumpkins and parsnips are common supplies, We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon, If it were not for pumpkins we should be undoon.
And I can go on and on. There is a lot of information on the use of pumpkin in America , but not many receipts.
However, I forged on and this class will be a bit different, some original old receipts, and some I’m making judgment calls on ways pumpkin might have been used in the 1700s.
I went to the local farmer and bought several types of pumpkins some for this workshop and some for the next one. On the wall dresser I put out the red kabocha squash and a Long Island cheese pumpkin.
Everyone arrived and started right in. We had two Heathers so we called them Heather 1 & 2
Heather 2 and her husband Ken wanted to work on the sausages. I used “To make Sausage” by John Nott for a receipt. No, we did not put pumpkin in the sausage, this sausage would top the Pumpkin sauce for the Vermicelli. It is always fun to see someone cleaning the guts and using a hand held sausage stuffer for the first time.
Pumpkin soup had to be on the menu. Paul and Heather 1 picked the red kabocha squash as they felt it looked like a pumpkin and had the right color. They chopped the pumpkin, a potato, leeks, onions and garlic and sautéed them in butter in the iron cauldron.
Brenda flew in from Pennsylvania for the workshop and to visit her daughter Heather 2. She is a delightful lady and unafraid in the kitchen. Here she soften up pumpkin over the fire to use in a Pumpkin and Maize bread as described by Peter Kalm. In the morning I made barm to be added to the bread. Brenda scalded the cornmeal first then added the pumpkin and a cup of wheat flour. When that cooled she put in the yeast and mixed it up.
Notice my new marble pastry board. Thanks to Niel Vincent De Marino for information on where to buy it. 
Ken and Heather looked over the receipt for Nott’s sausage and chopped the pork very fine. I had rendered some suet and added a bit of goose fat from the workshop beforehand; this was chopped and mixed in. The receipt also called for spinach and cloves . 
Heather reads the soup receipt and gets the chicken stock out. Allan made the fresh chicken stock just for the workshop. Heather gathers the brandy, cloves coriander, nutmeg and cayenne to mix in with the sautéed mixture in the cauldron. Ken and Heather are still chopping and I’m adding a bit of water to Brenda’s bread. The day was very low in humidity and the cornmeal needed just needed a bit more liquid one teaspoon at a time. 
With all the ingredients in the soup, Paul hangs it from an S-hook on the crane. After much attention, it was taken off and put to the side to keep warm. The cauldron was turned now and again to make sure one side did not get too hot and burn.
17th Century Cheese Cake by Robert May was next to be made. The dough is made of wheat flour with cold butter, just pinch of salt and sugar and a three egg whites. It is very stiff. After Brenda mixed it together it went into the refrigerator for a hour. Brenda rolled out one disk and I showed her how to make a round into a triangle for the base.
Ken and Heather take turns with the hand sausage stuffer. Ken said next time he makes sausages he’ll really appreciate an electric grinder.
Being that this is a pumpkin workshop and we have Robert Mays cold butter crust, it needs a pumpkin filling. I picked a filling form Plymouth Plantation and we added pumpkin. Paul softened the pumpkin over the fire and drained it. Heather and Paul mixed up a filling with a good amount of ground almonds, ricotta cheese, cream cheese, butter, sugar, salt, eggs, mace, a hint of rose water and the pumpkin.
The triangle paste held its shape wonderfully and Heather filled it up. 
With the sausages made, Ken and Heather fry them up in a pan. They were then taken out and set aside to keep warm. The drippings would be used in the pumpkin sauce. 
Our two Heathers put in the cheese cake and the risen pumpkin maize bread into the bake oven. 
Hannah Glasse’s receipt “To Make Vermicelli” was made by Paul with help from Heather. 
Paul tried the roll and slice technique and the dough was a bit too sticky to unroll the strains of vermicelli. Paul unrolled what was left and cut the vermicelli, that worked better. Every day is different in the kitchen. 
I found two receipts and I decided to combined them. One is “The Vse Of Pompkins,” by John Parkinson, 1629; and “Fried Sausage” by Hannah Glasse where she puts stewed apples and cabbage around sausage.
Hannah’s receipt will be the base for our pumpkin sauce. Heather uses the kabocha again cutting the chunks into bite size pieces. Brenda cut onions, apples and half a cabbage. Ken put the butter in a the pan that had the sausage drippings, added the cabbage, apple, pumpkin, garlic, chicken broth salt and pepper. This would be put on the vermicelli and topped with sausages and parmesan.
Then my 21st century sensibility kicked in. I wanted something green on the table and I needed it to be done just before we served our lunch. I decided on braised greens. My favorite green is Swiss Chard which has nothing to do with Switzerland but with someone who coined the name, as he was from there. With a bit of research, I found that Chard is a cousin to spinach and the beet greens. Back in the fourth century B.C. Greek philosopher, Aristotle, wrote about chard, as the Greeks and Romans used it for its medicinal properties. Then things get very confusing as the French called cardoon and chard “carde”. The English had many names for it as well, white beet, strawberry spinach, seakale beet, Spinach beet and Roman Kale among others. Well I know it existed and I have no reason to think it was not braised somewhere, sometime, perhaps with meat in a stew . So my batting average on Pumpkin receipts “Soup to nuts” was taking a dip here.
The receipt I chose had bacon, chard, garlic, anchovies and fresh peeled tomatoes. No pumpkin in this although you certainly could. I thought better of it though, with all the pumpkin we did put in other things, I thought a fresh braised green on the side would be better. Heather and Paul put this together and it looked great.
Everything was coming together as Paul put the vermicelli in the boiling water and Ken took out the bread and cheese cake.
The pumpkin sauce was scooped out and the soup put in bowls.
The Pumpkin Maize bread and Robert May/ Plymouth Plantation/Pumpkin cheese cake were cooling. Brenda and Heather cut the sausages in pieces for the top of the vermicelli and pumpkin sauce.
The table was set and everything plated. 
This workshop really stretched my brain and though it was different from the others it was an interesting learning curve. I’m very pleased with how it turned out. We had a great group and the food was outstanding. 
We feasted on a bowl of Pumpkin soup, a plates full of braised greens, pumpkin cheese cake, pumpkin maize bread, vermicelli topped with pumpkin sauce, sausage and parmesan cheese.
Sandie
The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” Julia Child
So What the hell it had a lot of pumpkin!