Old Meatless

[Guest guest]

Sounds an excellent idea. Also, wouldn't Pease Porridge be veggie?

 

 

On Monday, April 28, 2003, at 03:15 PM,

wrote:

 

> " Jigilou Snicklefitz " <jigilou

> And now, a recipe question

>

> Hi there,

>

> I'm wondering if anyone out there knows of any good veggie/vegan

> Medieval recipes? Ok, I know that sounds wierd, but I went to a King

> Arthur Faire yesterday, stood in line at the ONLY food tent for 30

> minutes, only to find out they were out of baked potatoes, but they'd

> be more than happy to sell me a turkey leg.

>

> So, it dawned on me that a fun side job would be to run a vegetarian

> booth at these type events. If only I could think of things other

> than potatoes and cabbage....

>

> Cheers!

>

" 'Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill

Appear in writing or in judging ill; "

-- Alexander Pope, " An Essay on Criticism, " lines 1-2

[Guest guest]

" Pease pudding hot

Pease pudding cold

Pease pudding in the pot

Nine days old "

 

Yes, pease pudding/porridge dates back to the Middle Ages, in one form or

other - it was often eaten with pork, which would ruin that vego-ness, but

that isn't essential. This one is out of what is called the Middle Ages in

the SCA (that is, it is post 1600), but, honestly, I don't think that a lot

of change is all that likely in this recipe! The redaction comes from an

SCA noble, Lady Rosemary Willowwood de Ste. Anne

 

' " My Lord Lumley's Pease-Porage (Porridge) " from The Closet of Sir Kenelme

Digbie, Knight, Opened. Published by his son’s consent, London, 1669'

 

'Take two quarts of Pease (peas), and put them into an Ordinary quantity of

Water, and when they are almost boiled, take out a Pint of the Pease whole,

and strain all the rest. A little after you take out the pint of Pease,

when they are all boiling together, put in almost an Ounce of Coriander-seed

beaten very small, one Onion, some Mint, Parsley, Winter-savory

Sweet-Marjoram, all minced very small; when you have strained the Pease,

put in the whole Pease and the strained again into the pot, and let them

boil again, and a little before you take them up, put in half a pound of

Sweet-butter. You must season them in due time, and in the ordinary

proportion with Pepper and Salt.

 

'This is a proportion to make about a Gallon of Pease-porage. The

quantities are set down by guess. The Coriander-seeds are as much as you

can conveniently take in the hollow of your hand. You may put in a great

good Onion or two. A pretty deal of Parsley and if you will, and the

season afford them (if they are growing then), you may add what you like of

other porage herbs, such as that they use for their Porrages in France. But

if you take the savory herbs dry, you must crumble or beat them to small

Powder (as you do the Coriander-seed) and if any part of them be too big to

pass through the strainer, after they have given their taste to the

quantity, in boiling a sufficient while therein, you may put them away with

the husks of the Pease. The pint of Pease that you reserve whole, is only

to show that it is Pease-porage. For which these proportions will make

about a Gallon.

 

'REALIZATION FOR ABOUT 2 QUARTS: Pick through about 1 pound of green split

peas for stones and inclusions, cook uncovered on medium heat in a generous

2 quarts of water. While the peas are cooking to mush (about 2 to 2 ½

hours), you may thank your lucky stars that the straining step is made

unnecessary by the fact that modern processing removes the husks from the

peas – we don’t have to LITERALLY recreate the middle ages! After the peas

have simmered about an hour, add 2 T. coriander pounded fine (measured

whole; if using pre-ground coriander, 1 T is plenty), and about 1 tsp. each

parsley, winter or summer savory, mint, and sweet marjoram. Finely chop at

least one sizeable onion and add. Cook until very soft, and put through a

food processor or blender; this soup should be thicker than modern split pea

soup, but should be very smooth. If you want to try Digbie’s trick with

whole peas to show that it is pease-porridge, add about a package of frozen

peas. You may add them 5 minutes before serving and have “polka-dotted”

soup, or add them about 20 minutes before serving, so that they will change

color to grayish green, to more closely match the color of the soup. Just

before serving, stir in 1/4 pound butter.

 

'French herbs: The three I think would be of most use here are a bay leaf,

thyme and rosemary..

 

'Quantity of herbs: You may use either fresh or dried herbs in this soup.

If you use fresh herbs, use about three times as much as dried (1

tablespoon, not 1 teaspoon), and add them later in the cooking process. One

of the wonderful things about using fresh herbs is the marvelous subtle

aromas which dried herbs can’t duplicate. But the longer you cook fresh

herbs, the more of that marvelous, evanescent scent will be lost.

 

'Proportions: Please play with the quantities of seasoning. Recipes are

advisory, not written in stone!

 

'Mint: Yes, really! Mint was used in most pea soups back as far as the

13th century. Try it; you’ll like it!'

 

http://www.open.org/~tpomaria/A & S_cooking_pease_porridge.htm