Quasi-Colonial Thanksgiving, 2017

It’s almost that time of year again! I’ve got some zany new recipes to try, and if they work, I’ll be posting the recipes in the next couple of weeks. One fun addition this year is that we’ll be using all our own eggs!

The thing I love most, perhaps, about approaching a holiday like this is that it takes away so much of the pressure that can do in what should be a festive time. Instead, it’s about the adventure of the cooking, and having fun together. And because we try to make the dinner with all local or homegrown ingredients, it gives us a proper appreciation for the effort that goes into growing and preparing the food. Looking back in time, it’s easy to marvel at the amount of hard work that went into keeping a family alive and fed. I’ll be raising a glass to all the hunters and housewives that have gotten us to where we are today!

Here’s how the menu for our oddball thanksgiving is shaping up so far:

Flair

• Hand washing water – (also makes the house smell nice)
• Beeswax and bayberry candles
• Pewter, linen, antler, and assorted other period dishware

Appetizers

• Pemmican – traditional
• Thin oat and acorn cakes – 1702
• Homemade cheeses

Main

• Sausage Stew with corn and beans
• Turkey, with salt pork stuffing – 1796
• Poached Trout – 1700s

Sides

• Cranberry Chutney – 1767, with some tweaks
• Parsnip Pudding – 1702
• Cheese Lofe – 1702

Dessert

• Pumpkin Pie – 1653
• Ginger breed – 1702

Drinks

• Birch Wine – 1691
• Syllabubs
• Herbal Tisanes, Mulled Wine, or Caudles
• Fresh Cider

 Sources used:

• The First American Cookbook, Amelia Simmons, 1796
• The Compleat Housewife: or, Accomplished Gentlewoman’s Companion by E. Smith, 1754
• Vinetum Britannicum, J. Worlidge, 1691
• Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management, Mrs. Beeton, 1861
• The Way to a Man’s Heart, various authors, pre-1891
• Dr. Chase’s Receipt Book, Dr. Chase, 1887
• Martha Washington’s Booke of Cookery, Karen Hess, 1749
• Penn Family Recipes – 1702

The Verdict?

This was awesome!

We cooked a turkey in the ground, and it ACTUALLY WORKED!

Keep an eye out for the recipes for the gingerbread, parsnip pudding, and a post on those squirrels. ;)