Quasi-Colonial Thanksgiving, 2017

Chelsea M-C

6 years ago

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