” . . . and summer’s lease hath all too short a date” – William Shakespeare

   When we think of the foods associated with Renaissance festivals, often it is hearty fare like Scotch eggs and turkey legs. In the historic days before refrigeration and a/c (God bless the inventors of air conditioning!) the summer foods of the European renaissance reflected the season, and were surprisingly similar to our conception of light eating.

Fish were a mainstay of the Tudor diet, and in fact were required by law on church fast days, both for religious observance and in support of the English fishing industry. In 1538 Henry VIII passed “‘an act against killing of young spawn or fry of eels and salmon”, seeking to maintain adequate stock of eels and salmon.  

Of course, we have the privilege of readily available fresh seafood and contemporary culinary tools and ingredients. The BBC’s History Extra Magazine shares this delicious salmon recipe that’s perfect for our modern grills:

Salmon Rostyd in Sauce (Grilled Salmon in Wine Sauce) – From Gentyll Manly Cokere,(c1490)

INGREDIENTS: 
 –  6 salmon steaks
 – 1 large onion
– 1 tsp ground cinnamon
–  5 ml ground ginger
–  575 ml red wine
– 1 tbsp wine vinegar
 – 5ml salt.

METHOD : 

1. Finely chop the onion, place in a saucepan with the wine and cinnamon, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

2.  Place the salmon on a grill and cook for 4-7 minutes each side, dependent upon thickness.

3. When the salmon and onions are cooked, place the salmon on a hot dish. 

4. Stir the vinegar, ginger and salt into the onions, and pour over the salmon just before serving.

Meat was largely a luxury item, with bread and vegetables making up the majority of the diet of the peasants – although we now know that they had the much healthier diet! Cheese was in fact referred to as “white meat”, as almost everyone could have a cow and fresh milk, which would spoil if not made into cheese. Even popes enjoyed cheese, as shown in this recipe from Italy in 1570 –  Torta d’Herbe Communi, or Herb Torte. It’s an Italian quiche that ends up looking like a beef pie, and the spices are an unusual combination for modern tastes.

INGREDIENTS
 – Chard
 – Spinach
 – Mint
– Marjoram
– 1 lb (450g) Ricotta
 – ¾ lb (340g) Parmesan
 – 3oz (85g) of High Fat Cheese
 – 6 Tablespoons (85g) Butter Softened
– 1 Tablespoons Pepper
– 4 ½ Teaspoons Cinnamon
– 1 ½ Teaspoons Cloves
 – 3 Medium Eggs
– ½ Cup Sugar
 – 2 Portions of Flaky Pastry Dough

METHOD

 1. Line a large pie tin or cake pan with pastry dough and blind bake it in a 450°F/230°C oven for 12-15 minutes, or until cooked. Remove from the oven and let cool.

 2. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F/180°C. 

3. Finely Chop all of your herbs/greens. 

4. Mix the cheeses in a large bowl until somewhat smooth. Add the eggs and beat until incorporated. Then add the butter, sugar, and spices and mix until combined. Finally, add in the greens and mix them by hand so as not to bruise the greens.

 5. Once the filling is well mixed, pour into the cooled pastry shell and smooth the top. Then top it with the other piece of pastry and press the edges into the bottom dough. Leave some ripples on the top crust to give room for the filling to expand during baking. Brush the top with an egg wash, then set on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour. 

6. Once baked remove from the oven and serve warm.

Do you have a favorite summer recipe? Send us your tastiest treats for the hot days at contact@ladyfairemagazine.com. And if you make one of our recipes, we’d love to see the finished product!

   

Christine Boyett Barr is an award-winning journalist and English instructor, teaching high school and college English. In addition to her pedagogical pursuits, she hosts movie events for the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and portrays Catherine of Aragon at the Texas Renaissance Festival. She is the mother of four and is owned by two cats.