Many of you may mark this day (October 31) as another festive occasion, Halloween. Halloween borrows many of its customs from the older practice. This week and next I will look at Samhain and the role that food and ritual play. This week a recipe to tempt your taste buds. But first, a look at the Harvest.
Here in the North the last harvest has already occurred. We had early frosts and a long, cold period so there is little left to gather in the fields. What is important is that we now accept that Summer is gone and that Winter approaches. So we begin preparing ourselves for the Wheel's turning.
Fall , most often, only visits for a brief time. A few cool nights, a blinding flash of colour and then cold and snow arrive. So Samhain truly marks the period between Summer and Winter. Life begins to move indoors. This does not mean a total end to the outdoor Life. There is still skiing, sledding and skating to look forward to. However, all is frozen and hopefully covered in white. I say hopefully, because we need the snow. Not just for the recreational activities, which provide a livelihood for many, but for the forests and plants, which also contribute to a prosperous community.
Last year, the lack of snows was hard on the cedars. Many people lost favourite perennials and had to start all over again.
Now for the food:
Pumpkins, apples and hazelnuts are Samhain regulars. The following pumpkin pie recipe will amke 2 nine inch pies:
3 cups cooked pumpkin (canned is OK) 1 1/4 cups evaporated milk 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon allspice 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 4 well-beaten eggs
preheat oven to 375 F. Mix all ingredients throughly and pour into two deep, unbaked pie shells. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a knife comes out of the center clean.
Food, ritual and tradition go back a long way. How we approach food preperation is as important as what we eat. Next week a song to sing while you make the meal.
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