The Pagan Activist

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The May-pole is up,

Now give me the cup;

I'll drink to the garlands around it;

But first unto those

Whose hands did compose

The glory of flowers that crown'd it.

Robert Herrick, The Maypole, 1660

Welcome May with celebrations honoring the union of the Goddess (Queen of the May) and the God (Green Man). The height of Spring which is reflected by the burgeoning life all around those of us in the Northern Hemisphere.  By Bealltainn (Beltane/Beltaine) gardens are bursting forth with early spring delights for many while those of us in and around the frozen North may still be looking out at piles of snow.

Foods that are best utilized for this feast day are many of the same featured at Eostre celebrations-eggs, dairy, early greens (both wild and cultivated).  In addition to those come honey, oats, a wider variety of garden contents such as chives, early peas, baby potatoes, and edible Spring flowers.  Aphrodisiacs are also popular among adults at Bealltainn, shellfish, chocolate, asparagus, figs, vanilla, almonds, radishes as well as a variety of herbs-ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, cayenne, pepper, parsley, and licorice. It is common to include phallic symbols in the form of éclairs (God) or jam filled tarts (Goddess); cream cakes or custards fit in here nicely as well.  The focus of your meal should reflect what is in season, something honoring your particular God/Goddess of choice, or your path.  Giving thought to what you choose to put into your body on a feast day (sabbat) honors the divine, the Earth and yourself.  Have fun with what you can assemble for your Bealltainn celebration!

For many, and particularly noticed by the younger set, this is a time of high fae energy and Fae-focused celebrations and rituals.  As the Earth awakens so do the fae folk.  Faery-themed tea parts are quite delightful for young and old alike. These tea parties can feature spiced or fruity teas, a spring time punch, bite sized foods-cakes, hors d'oeuvres, sandwiches; fairy cakes (always leave one out with some sweetened milk for the fae).

We celebrate the growing energies with a variety of fertility rituals for our gardens, relationships, careers or life in general.  Gardens are being planted (or will be in the next few weeks) and after a long winter of frozen, tinned or "fresh" foods transported across continents and/or oceans, we now have abundance growing at our fingertips. Typical dishes feature that which is available to you locally and currently in season in your area.  Our bodies are still craving the cleansing needed from months of eating rich, heavy foods.  While at the same time the seductive temptation of creamy, luscious sweets (often in a phallic symbol or two) is difficult to pass up. During a time of so much frolicking, be it around a May Pole, a Bel fire or in your garden, the green of fresh growth and the lushness of a decadent ending are ideal additions to your festive menu.

These spring rolls can be made with egg roll skins easily found at the grocers.  I opt for phyllo so I can have that same crispy crunchy texture without the deep frying.  Should you opt to go the egg roll route, then deep fry in oil until golden.

Sprouts are easy to grow, only taking a matter of a few days and even the young ones can join in. Visit http://www.i4at.org/lib2/sprouts.htm with directions on how to do this yourself for the freshest possible sprouts. The first listed ingredient is all sprouts and not the actual mature plant.

Earth is Waking Spring Rolls

1 cup (total) broccoli, alfalfa, radish, curly cress and mung bean sprouts (or use any combo of these)

1 large carrot, grated

2 TB fresh chives, snipped in 1/2 inch pieces (or 1 spring onion, fine chop)

2 tsp tamari (soy sauce)

2 clove garlic, minced

1 TB olive oil (or a garlic wok oil)

2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp cayenne

6 sheets phyllo dough

1-2 tsp cornstarch, blended with enough water to make a paste

Preheat oven to 350*

Cut phyllo to make 5x5 inch squares. Cover with a damp cloth to prevent dough from drying out.

Lightly sauté carrot in oil, toss in garlic.  Set aside to cool. Toss with sprouts, chives, tamari, sesame oil, dry mustard, and cayenne until well combined.

Take two squares of phyllo and brush with melted butter (or spray with a nonstick spray), spread edges with cornstarch paste, then in one corner of the square, ½ inch or so from the edge, mound 1-2 TB of filling, tuck in the two side corners into the middle of the square and then roll to opposite corner from where you placed the filling.

In a greased pan place the rolls and then brush tops with olive oil.  Bake until golden, about 30 min.

I have it on very good authority that many of you outside of Canada, the Northern tier states of the US and Northern Europe tend to have new potatoes in addition to early peas to harvest.  The rest of us will have to look to local farms to see if they have anything to offer from their greenhouses.

Peas and Baby Potatoes

1 lb small baby potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters (or half, depending on size of potato)

2c. shelled baby peas

1/4c chopped chives

Cream Sauce:

2 TB melted unsalted butter or olive oil

2 TB flour

1 cup milk

Salt, to taste

1/4 tsp white pepper

Boil potatoes 5-10 min until almost tender.  Drain and toss with shelled peas, set aside

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat, sprinkle with flour and stir constantly until it begins to darken.

Increase heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in milk, stirring constantly until mixture simmers and thickens. Add salt and pepper.

Add potato and peas to cream sauce. Stir. When peas are a bright green add chives and stir until blended. If you'd like to add a little something extra, garnish the dish with some chopped chives.

Tea sandwiches are easy to make and so much fun to nibble at a tea party.  This recipe is a particular favorite for young ones to help create. A base recipe of bread, butter (or cream cheese flavored with your choice of herbs) and a particular spring vegetable will give you a wide variety to choose from. If you are feeling a bit more decadent add some smoked salmon onto bread spread with a dill cream cheese.

Spiraled Tea Sandwiches

2 ounces cream cheese

1 spring onion, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 small bunch of baby greens, chopped well (spicy greens such as a hot cress, mustard, radicchio and the like would do well here)

2 radishes, cleaned and chopped

1 TB chopped dill

4 slices whole wheat bread (or your choice of bread)

Combine the cream cheese, scallion, greens, radishes and dill in a food processor and whiz through until it is a lumpy paste. Set aside.

Use a rolling pin to flatten the bread. Spread the cream cheese mix over the bread. Roll each slice of bread into a jelly roll shape. Press the roll together and wrap with parchment paper, folding the ends tightly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Slice each log into 4-5 spirals and serve.

Honeyed Cream Filled Cookies

1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 3/4 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

pinch of salt

Filling:

1 cup heavy cream

2 TB honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

2TB honey

2 tsp Kirsch (Cherry liqueur, or sub your favorite fruity liqueur, strawberry works well too)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.

Process flour, butter, sugar and salt in a food processor until it resembles breadcrumbs. (or work in butter with fingers)

Transfer to a mixing bowl or to a clean work surface, make a well in the center, add the slightly beaten egg yolk and knead until you have a firm dough.

Divide the mixture in half, roll into a log shape about 2-inches wide. Place logs onto sheets of parchment paper and twist/fold the parchment paper at each end to hold it together, refrigerate for one hour.

Carefully slice the dough into 1/3-inch (approximately 5mm) rounds. Place rounds on prepared cookie or baking sheets and bake in preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form, blend in vanilla. Stir in 2 TB honey until swirled through.

Just before serving, mix second 2TB of honey with the Kirsch and heat for 20-30 sec in microwave or in a small custard dish over hot water until honey thins and blends easily with Kirsch.  Sandwich the cookies together with the honey mixture and drizzle filled cookies with honey/kirsch mixture.

Makes about 18 filled cookies.

This is a version of the Scottish dish cream-crowdie, a favorite of my family's and typically served with raspberries. This dish is ideal for Bealltainn and Midsummer when the strawberries are becoming widely available.  If you are fortunate enough to have wild strawberries ripe (known as alpine strawberries here in New England) they are a good source for this recipe.

Cranachan

5 TB oatmeal (good solid oats such as Scots porridge or Irish oatmeal)

2 TB honey

1TB whiskey

1c. heavy cream

1c. strawberries, sliced if large berries

Chopped almonds, optional

Toast the oatmeal on a sheet of tin foil under the broiler, stir a couple of times so it browns evenly, watch closely as it will burn fast. Set aside to cool completely.

Add the honey and whiskey to the cream and whisk until thick. Fold in all but 2 tsp of the oats

Into four serving dishes add a spoonful of cream mixture, add a layer of berries. Repeat and then top with sprinkling of oatmeal (or almonds) and a few remaining berries.

Chill for 30 min before serving.

Serves 4

By Stephanie Lowell-Libby ©Copyright 2008

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20 April-Full Moon in Scorpio, 10:27 GMT

22 April-Earth Day

Earth Day brings our focus to our home, our Mother Earth.  Activities on this day reflect ways to lessen our footprint on the planet.  Reduce, reuse, recycle; eat local; eat in season, any sort of way to improve the environment.  The focus this month is twofold; Earth Day and the Full Moon esbat which is celebrated the weekend before Earth Day. 

Bring the focus of your menu home for Earth Day, if you have the space and inclination the second and third week of April are ideal for seed planting.  Whether you have garden space or room for a few planters, now is the time for a start on your fresh herbs and vegetables for your late spring/summer menus.  Lettuce yields quick results as do radish.  Peas, herbs or anything to supplement your menus to add extra flavor and magic to your meals.

The Full Seed Moon can feature a menu of seeds hidden in the depths of the dish.  This Full Moon is in Scorpio, a sign which evokes ideas of richly flavored and spiced foods.  Heady spices such as ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and herbs such as pungent garlic or basil.  Sensual dishes, perhaps a fragrant curry or a flavorful comfort food dish are two ways to celebrate this esbat.

I will make an exception here, instead of providing all original recipes for this month’s column I am including favorite recipes of mine. This first one seems rather suitable for a Scorpio esbat feast.

Tandoori Murghi

1 (3-pound) chicken, cut into serving pieces and trimmed of all visible fat

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or malt vinegar

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon peeled and grated or crushed ginger root

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

vegetable oil, for brushing

fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish

slices of cucumber, red (spanish) onion, tomato and lemon, for garnish

Prick the flesh of the chicken all over with a fork. Then, using a sharp knife, cut slashes in the flesh to allow the marinade to penetrate. Place the chicken in a nonreactive large, shallow dish.

In a nonreactive bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice or vinegar, garlic, ginger, cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, cardamom, cloves, black pepper and salt. Stir until well-mixed, then pour the mixture over the chicken and rub it into the flesh, turning the chicken several times. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Do not marinate for longer than 2 days. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking.

The chicken may be grilled or roasted. If using a charcoal grill, prepare a fire for direct-heat cooking. Position the grill rack 5 inches from the fire. Allow the coals to burn until white ash covers them and the heat is moderate.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, pressing lightly to extract excess marinade, and brush with oil. Place the chicken pieces on a well-oiled grill rack and grill, covered, with the vents open, turning 3 or 4 times, 45 minutes or until the juices run clear when a piece is pierced near the bone with a knife.

If roasting, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan, brush with oil, and cook, turning once, 25 to 30 minutes until the juices run clear when a piece is pierced near the bone with a knife.

Serve with sprigs of cilantro and slices of cucumber, red onion, tomato and lemon. Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Savoring India by Julie Sahni

Curried Stuffed Eggs 

6 hard-cooked large eggs

1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 1/2 tablespoons plain yogurt

1 1/4 teaspoons curry powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon bottled Major Grey's chutney, large pieces minced

1 scallion, chopped fine

1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Tabasco to taste

Garnish: thinly sliced scallion green

Cut a paper-thin slice off both ends of eggs and halve eggs crosswise. Force yolks through a sieve into a bowl (or mash with a fork) and stir in remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer filling to a pastry bag fitted with a large ribbon or other decorative tip and pipe into whites, mounding it. The stuffed eggs may be made 6 hours ahead and chilled, covered.

Just before serving, garnish eggs.

Makes 12 stuffed eggs.

Gourmet

April 1995

Three-Seed Crown Loaf

4c. unbleached whole wheat flour

2tsp salt

1 envelope yeast

1 1/4c lukewarm water (easiest way to attain proper temp is to use half cold water and half hot water)

2 TB honey

2 TB plus 1tsp olive oil

3/4 c. sunflower seeds

2TB poppy seeds

2TB sesame seeds

Measure flour, salt and yeast into a large bowl.

Measure the water in a cup, then stir in honey and 2TB olive oil. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients.

Mix to form a soft dough. The dough should be wet enough to cling to the bowl. Add more lukewarm water if necessary.

Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

Knead the dough for 10 minutes. Rub the tsp of olive oil around a large bowl. Turn the dough in the oil, the cover the bowl in plastic wrap.

Let the dough stand in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours or until it has doubled in size.

Turn out dough and pat flat. Scatter with 1/2c of sunflower seeds, then roll up and knead for 20-30 turns. Shape into a round, cut into 8 wedges, then roll into balls.

Dip 3 balls in poppy seeds, 2 in sesame, 2 in sunflower and 1 in whole wheat flour. Grease the 8 inch springform pan. Place balls inside and let rise for 35-40 min.

Preheat oven to 450. Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 400* for 20 minutes longer. Release springform catch, remove bread from the pan and test. Cool on rack.

Source: Betty Crocker

Cream of Roasted Garlic Soup

2 med heads fresh garlic

Olive oil

1/2 c Finely chopped onion

2 tb Unsalted butter

1 1/2 c Buttermilk

1/2 c Cream

2 small potatoes, baked, skins removed

2 tb Cognac

1/8 ts Fresh dill

Salt to taste

Place garlic heads on cookie sheet, sprinkle with olive oil and bake in 350-degree oven for 1 hour. Let cool. Cut off end of each clove and squeeze out contents. (Garlic will be soft and creamy.) Set aside. Sauté chopped onion in butter until softened. Add buttermilk and cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour mixture into a food processor. Rice potato and add with garlic to onion and buttermilk mixture. Puree until smooth. Return mixture to sauté pan. Add cognac,

dill and salt. Heat thoroughly. If soup is too thin, add additional potato. If soup is too thick, add additional buttermilk. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

This recipe is a longtime family favorite created by my grandmother and tinkered with by me.

Gram's Molasses Cookies

1c. unsalted butter

1 1/2c. Molasses

1/4c. brown sugar

4c. sifted flour (white whole wheat flour can be used and will make a denser cookie, I’ll usually adjust molasses or egg to compensate if dough is too dry)

1 1/2tsp salt

2 tsp soda

1 tsp. cloves
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger

1 egg

Melt butter in a saucepan large enough for mixing cookies.  Stir in molasses and sugar; cool. Sift together flour, salt, soda and spices.  Mix in small amount of flour to melted butter; beat in egg. Add remaining flour blending until smooth.  Shape into 1in balls. Place on ungreased sheet 2 in apart.

Bake at 350* for 15 min

Yields: 5 dozen

This last recipe is a favorite of mine as I adore pomegranates and gorgonzola.  The source is long since lost but a delightful addition to the global recipe box nonetheless.

Fennel and Gorgonzola Salad

6 tender fennels

juice of 1/2 lemon

200 g creamy gorgonzola (or other creamy blue cheese)

seeds of 1/2 pomegranate

100 g chopped walnuts

1 tbsp white vinegar

olive oil

salt

Finely slice the washed fennel and place in a salad bowl.

Mix the lemon juice, white vinegar and gorgonzola in a bowl, adding the olive oil slowly until creamy.

Pour onto the fennel and toss.

Decorate with walnuts and pomegranate seeds to scattered over the top.

Serves 6

By Stephanie Lowell-Libby ©Copyright 2008

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