Creating seasonally-inspired menus during harvest time is perhaps one of the greatest joys of meal planning! In August plentiful fresh vegetables, grains, and berries make this delicious task almost too good to be true! As always, I cook with gluten-sensitivity in mind though I still have yet to hear my guests complain ;-) As with the other festivals, I challenged myself to create a five course meal with optional wine pairing. Here are my picks for this year’s August Family Fair… enjoy!
Menu In a Nutshell
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Course 1:
Three Sisters Soup
(optional pairing: Pinot Grigio)
Course 2:
Raspberry Muffins
(optional pairing: Prosecco)
Course 3:
Lughnasa Salad accompanied by Oatmeal Bannocks
(optional pairing: Blackberry Wine)
Course 4:
Baked Salmon With Cream & Hazelnuts accompanied by Colcannon
(optional pairing: Chardonnay)
Course 5:
Lemon Curd & Honey Vanilla Cream Berry Parfaits
accompanied by Berries & Cream in Mini Chocolate Bowls
(optional pairing: Blueberry Port)
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First Course: Soup
Three Sisters Soup:
Three Sisters Soup is a delicious, nutritious, and wonderfully seasonally appropriate choice for August. The phrase “three sisters” refers to the three crops: corn, squash, and beans that some Native American tribes traditionally planted together. Click here for several retellings of the legend. (Special thanks to the Bird Clan of East Central Alabama for sharing!) This would be wonderful to share while serving!
This recipe hailed from a fantastic book (p. 186) dedicated to August and to many of its historical as well as current modes of celebration entitled Lammas: Celebrating the Fruits of the First Harvest by Anna Franklin & Paul Mason. I used it for many of the recipes in this meal. If you are not interested in purchasing it at this time, here is a link to a blog that has published the recipe online: Three Sisters Soup Recipe .
Personal Touches:
Though it was not specified, I used fresh corn cut off the cob. Other variations of this soup are also available online though mine was quite a hit!
Optional Pairing:
Italian Pinot Grigio would be a very safe choice. We actually visited a local winery and served wines that they produced from fruits they harvested. In this case, we served their native vignoles.
Second Course: Bread
Raspberry Muffins:
These muffins were such a favorite! My recipe came from Llewellyn’s Sabbats Almanac 2010-2011. It has many wonderful recipes and other seasonally-inspired ideas. Similar recipes are available online. Of the ones I perused, click here for the one most like mine.
Personal Touches:
Because I cook without gluten, I substituted King Arthur Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour and Xanthan Gum (1/2 tsp per cup of flour) for the wheat flour.
Optional Pairing:
Prosecco or another sparkling white would be a lovely choice. We went with Sparkling Chardonnay made at our local winery.
Third Course: Salad
Lughnasa Salad Accompanied by Oatmeal Bannocks:
Lughnasa Salad:
This recipe is also from the book (p. 187): Lammas: Celebrating the Fruits of the First Harvest by Anna Franklin & Paul Mason. Click here for an online reprint courtesy of BeliefNet. Thanks!
Personal Touches:
Some of my guests were not fond of peas, so I used fresh corn from the cob not only for the corn in the recipe, but also for the peas. In addition, I was unable to find fresh Nasturtium and Borage flowers specifically, so I purchased several groupings of edible flowers from a local farm and then only used the ones that were yellow and orange and separated the petals before adding.
Oatmeal Bannock Accompaniment:
This recipe is also from the book (p. 183): Lammas: Celebrating the Fruits of the First Harvest by Anna Franklin & Paul Mason. Click here for a reprint of a similar (though not identical) recipe from Food.com.
Personal Touches:
I made mine gluten-free, so I substituted oat flour for the whole wheat flour. I also used a couple of spoonfuls of brown sugar rather than white. My recipe was dairy-free and called for warm water rather than milk. Lastly, I created small individual round bannocks as opposed to a larger one that I sliced (pie-like).
Optional Pairing:
I paired this with a lovely wine from my local winery called “Marion” comprised of 25% blackberry and 75% grape.
Fourth Course: Main
Baked Salmon with Cream & Hazelnuts Accompanied by Colcannon:
Baked Salmon with Cream & Hazelnuts:
This recipe is also from the book (p. 189): Lammas: Celebrating the Fruits of the First Harvest by Anna Franklin & Paul Mason. Click here for a reprint of a similar (though not identical) recipe from Food.com.
Personal Touches:
My recipe did not include wine or flour. If using this one, I would once again substitute King Arthur Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour and Xanthan Gum (1/2 tsp per cup of flour) for the wheat flour.
Colcannon Accompaniment:
This recipe is also from the book (p. 185): Lammas: Celebrating the Fruits of the First Harvest by Anna Franklin & Paul Mason. Click here for a reprint of a similar (though not identical) recipe from About.com.
Optional Pairing:
Chardonnay.
Fifth Course: Dessert
Lemon Curd & Honey Vanilla Cream Berry Parfaits:
Okay… I was super excited about this recipe (click here) courtesy of The Nourishing Gourmet. Where to begin? Cashew cream is amazing! Coconut oil is so good for you and is included. This dessert is gluten-free AND dairy-free (though I snuck in a bit of whipped cream) AND healthy AND delicious! I used small and tasty wild blueberries purchased from a local farm. They worked wonderfully well for layering!
Mini Marbled Chocolate Berry Bowl Accompaniment:
No recipe needed here! How cool is that?! Chocolate molds and melts (white, milk, and dark for marbled effect) were purchased from Michaels Stores. Once created, I simply filled them with fresh berries and topped with homemade whipped cream! Tasted great & presented beautifully
Optional Pairing:
Local blueberry port… amazing!
Happy August!! Enjoy!!
