FOODS FOR THE BELTAINE FEAST

The great thing about Beltaine is that by May 1 we are far enough along in the year that many fresh edibles—vegetables, leaves, and flowers—are already appearing and can be used to make magical culinary dishes for a May Day feast.

Look for wild Morels and Oyster Mushrooms in May, but please make sure that you know exactly what you’re looking for. I suggest taking a few classes with a Mushroom expert before you try gathering them yourself.

Ramsons are available from woodlands and can be used as an onion-flavored seasoning for soups, or you can sauté them with young fresh Nettles and eggs. Nettles that are 6 inches tall or less are also lovely in soups and quiches. Fiddlehead Ferns can even be found in supermarkets now. Boil them in water for 10 minutes, drain, and then sauté with olive oil, sea salt, chopped Garlic, and some freshly ground pepper.

Young lettuces and other edible leaves such as Dandelion, young Dock, Mustard greens, young Plantain, Yarrow, Violet leaves, Bittercress, Ground Ivy, Wild Onion, Wild Garlic, and Radicchio are readily found in spring and can be used to create a mesclun mix for celebratory salads. And if you add edible flowers your salads will be truly festive. Flowers that are readily in bloom at Beltaine are Redbud, Violets, Clover, Chickweed, Wood Sorrel, Black Locust, Dandelion (be sure to remove the bitter green parts and use only the petals), Wisteria, Forsythia, Nasturtium, Johnny-Jump-Ups, Linden, Lilacs, Sweet Woodruff, Rose, Rose Geranium, and Wisteria.

Try capturing the magic of spring by making candied Violet, Crab Apple, Cherry, or Borage flowers (see Candied Flowers recipe) and use them to decorate ritual cakes, iced cookies, and cupcakes.

When gathering wild greens or flowers always remember to soak them in cold water with a few tablespoons of vinegar or sea salt for at least 20 minutes and then rinse well. That will cause any parasites to drop off.

CAUTION: As with all wild edibles please try a flower and wait a few hours to see how it affects you before consuming large amounts.

The Beltaine Banquet

The food combinations for a May Day feast are endless. Included below are just a few suggestions for creating a full-course, seasonal meal.

Libations

Here are two variations for a May bowl, a traditional German drink for Beltaine.

Woodruff Wine^*114

2 cups dried woodruff in bud or flower, or wilted fresh woodruff

8 cups organic white wine

1 tablespoon zest from an organic orange

Raw local honey, to taste

Soak the woodruff in the wine overnight in a glass jar with a tight lid.

Strain out the herbs and mix in the other ingredients.

Serve chilled, in clear wine glasses, with a sprig of woodruff as a garnish.

Strawberry Mai Wein^*115

This is another German version of May wine that incorporates strawberries.

½ cup sweet woodruff leaves, dried or wilted

2 bottles white Rhine wine

32-ounce bottle sparkling water

½ cup fresh organic strawberries, hulled and sliced

Two hours before serving put the woodruff into a bowl and cover it with the wine. Put a cloth over the bowl and allow the mixture to steep. Just before serving add in the sparkling water and the strawberries.

Starters

Begin your ritual meal with fresh bannocks (see recipe), a selection of locally made cheeses, and a quiche or seasonal soup like the ones below.

Asparagus Quiche^*116

Make this ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator. Cut it into wedges and serve as a starter for a memorable celebratory meal. This version has no crust.

2 tablespoons organic butter

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

1 medium organic onion, diced

1 pound of fresh organic asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch pieces

6 organic cage-free eggs

½ cup organic sour cream

Sea salt

Organic black pepper

1 cup crumbled goat cheese (or any other natural cheese)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Spray a nonaluminum pie plate with cooking spray.

Melt the butter in a pan and sauté the chopped garlic and onion until clear. Mix in the cut-up asparagus and cook for about 5 minutes longer (do not overcook).

Combine the eggs, sour cream, sea salt, pepper, and cheese. Pour in the asparagus, garlic, and onion mixture and stir thoroughly.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a knife placed in the center comes out clean. Cool before serving or store in the refrigerator for a few days before the feast. Decorate the serving plate with fresh dill greenery.

Nettle Soup^*117

tablespoons organic butter

3 cups organic potatoes, sliced

¾ cup organic onions, chopped

1 medium organic leek, sliced

Sea salt and organic pepper to taste

4½ cups chicken or vegetable stock

1½ cups young nettles, washed and chopped

¾ cup whole milk or cream

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan until it foams.

Add the potatoes, onions, and leek and toss them in the butter until they are well coated.

Add a few teaspoons of water and cover the pan. Steam on low heat for about 10 minutes, then add the sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Add the chicken or vegetable stock and simmer until the vegetables are just cooked.

Add in the nettle leaves and cook until soft. Whisk in the cream. Serve hot.

Chickweed Soup^*118

Chickweed can be eaten just like spinach. Be sure to soak it in water with a few tablespoons of organic vinegar or sea salt for about 20 minutes, then rinse and proceed.

2 tablespoons organic butter

1 medium organic onion, sliced

2 colanders full of cleaned chickweed

1 tablespoon organic flour

1½ pints organic milk

Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

Melt the butter in a pan.

Sauté the onion slices lightly until clear. Add the chickweed, cover the pan, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the flame and stir in the flour.

In a separate pan bring the milk to a boil then pour it into the pan of chickweed, stirring all the while. Season to taste with sea salt and white pepper, then turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes longer.

Rub the soup through a sieve or food mill several times.

Reheat and serve.

Dandelion Soup^*119

About 2/3 colander full of dandelion greens (picked about half way up the leaf )

2 tablespoons organic butter

1 small organic onion, finely sliced

1 medium organic potato, diced^†120

¾ cups chicken stock or vegetable broth

Sea salt

White pepper

Soak dandelion greens in water with a few tablespoons of organic vinegar or sea salt for about 20 minutes. Rinse the leaves well and drain on a paper or cloth towel.

Melt the butter in a pan and fry the onion until clear. Add the diced potato, cover, and cook on a low heat for about 5 minutes.

Add in the dandelion leaves and cook for another 5 minutes on low heat.

Pour in the stock, season with sea salt and pepper, and cook for another 15 minutes.

Serve hot.

The Main Course

Here are some suggestions for your main course and side dishes. You can serve either the fish or lamb or go all out and offer both to your May Day guests.

Fish with Lemon Balm Butter^*121

Handful of the tops of lemon balm sprigs, finely chopped

½ cup organic butter, slightly softened

Sea salt and black pepper

Soak the lemon balm tops in water with a few tablespoons of organic vinegar or sea salt for about 20 minutes, then rinse well.

Cream the butter in a bowl, then mix in the leaves, sea salt, and black pepper.

Shape the mixture into a roll, wrap in cellophane or waxed paper, and put in the refrigerator to firm up.

When you are ready to serve hot grilled or fried fish, cut the roll into slices and place one slice on top of each portion of fish.

Roasted Spring Lamb with Rosemary^*122

For a meat course consider lamb. Male lambs are often sacrificed by farmers because only a few rams are needed in a flock.

One 7-pound leg of organic lamb

4 cloves of organic garlic, mashed

2 tablespoons fresh organic rosemary, finely chopped

½ teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup organic red wine

1 tablespoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Make a few cuts in the lamb with a small knife.

Combine the garlic, rosemary, and black pepper with the wine. Roll the lamb in the mixture and let it marinate for at least a few hours at room temperature.

Place the marinated lamb in an oiled roasting pan and rub the herb and wine mixture into it again. Bake for about 1¾ hours, or until a thermometer inserted reads 130°F (for medium rare).

Remove the lamb from the pan and allow to stand for about 20 minutes before cutting.

Pour off the juices into a pan with a bit more wine and deglaze for about 1 minute, then pour the juices over the meat and season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Cooked Burdock Stems^*123

Gather the stems from very young burdocks. Be sure to remove the burdock leaves completely and wear rubber kitchen gloves or your hands will be stained green! (Caution: The leaves are poisonous—eat only the stems and roots.)

A large bundle of burdock stems, cut close to the ground

Organic butter

Sea salt and organic black pepper

Soak the burdock stems in cold water with a few tablespoons of organic vinegar or sea salt for about 20 minutes to encourage any parasites to fall off. Rinse well.

Peel off the outer skin of the stems.

Place the peeled stems in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Change the water several times until there is no more color.

Cook the stems in a pot of salted water until just tender (about 5 minutes; do not overcook).

Drain and serve hot as a side dish with a twist of freshly milled black pepper and a pad of butter melting on top. The cold stems can be added to salads.

Eggs

Eggs are symbols of fertility across many cultures. They combine beautifully with chopped ham or crumbled bacon and dandelion leaves in a salad.

Dessert

Finish off your meal with a classic yellow cake, decorated with edible flowers in honor of Flora, the Goddess of the season. A fragrant Linden Blossom Cake is a magical and interesting addition to the feast.

Linden Blossom Cake^*124

Use linden flower–infused honey instead of the syrup, if you have it on hand.

1 cup organic white flour

½ cup semolina (or durum wheat flour, spelt, or Kamut flour)

2½ teaspoons nonaluminum baking powder

2/3 cup soft organic butter

¾ cup organic cane sugar

3 organic free-range eggs

1 teaspoon organic lemon zest, finely grated

½ cup organic yogurt

Whipped cream

¾ cup linden blossom syrup (see recipe) or linden flower–infused honey

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush one round cake pan with butter to grease and then dust it with flour.

Sift the flour, semolina, and baking powder into a bowl.

In another large bowl beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir in the flour mixture. Add the yogurt and lemon zest and stir until well combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick or sharp knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

When the cake is cool use a toothpick or a skewer to pierce holes all over the surface of the cake. Pour ½ cup of the syrup over the cake and let sit a few minutes. Transfer the cake to a serving plate. Pour the rest of the syrup over the cake, garnish with edible flowers, and serve with whipped cream.

Linden Blossom Syrup

Makes about 1 cup

4 cups linden blossoms

1½ cups organic cane sugar

1½ cups water

2 tablespoons organic lemon zest, finely grated

Separate the linden flowers from their papery tracts.

Boil an equal amount of sugar and water together until it thickens into a syrup.

Pour the syrup into a bowl and add in the flowers and lemon zest. Stir and let sit overnight (or at least a few hours). Strain off the flowers before using.

Another Beltaine cake suggestion is to make a simple Vanilla cake and put five Rose Geranium leaves into the bottom of the cake pan before you pour in the batter. The perfume of the leaves will permeate throughout the batter as it bakes. Add organic Lemon juice and zest (and a few drops of Rose Geranium oil if you have it) to a classic Butter Cream frosting and decorate the cake with fresh Rose Geranium flowers or other edible blossoms.

◆◆◆

Summer has come, healthy and free,

Whence the brown wood is aslope;

The slender nimble deer leap,

And the path of seals is smooth.

The cuckoo sings sweet music . . .

The sun smiles over every land,—

A parting for me from the brood of cares:

Hounds bark, stags tryst,

Ravens flourish, summer has come!

EXCERPT FROM AN OLD IRISH POEM, TRANSLATED BY KUNO MEYER