What Bilbo's Cookbook said...
Starters:
Pumpkin-Soup
(penned by Murron)
A two pound pumpkin (or: 1 ¼ pound mashed pumpkin) should fill four Pippins.
For the soup you need:
2 ounces (50g) butter
1 tbs brown sugar
½ pint milk
½ tbs ground macis (nutmeg blossom)
some fresh grind nutmeg
a pinch of clove powder
salt
freshly ground white pepper
Peel the pumpkin, remove fibres and seeds. Cut the pumpkin flesh into small cubes.
Melt the butter in a pot, stir in the pumpkin cubes and let it sauté on medium temperature
Sprinkle the sugar over it and let it melt, then slowly pour in the milk
Season the soup with macis, nutmeg, clover, salt and pepper. Bring it to the boil and let it simmer on medium temperature for about 20 min.
You can purée the soup in a mixer, or you can purée it directly in the pot with a hand-held blender. Afterwards, let the soup boil for a second time, then you may once more season the soup any way you like. Serve the pumpkin soup hot, et voilà.
Suggestion: Add some sunflower seeds to the finished soup. Looks fine and tastes good.
Main course:
Goose
(Recipe by: eretria)
A ten to twelve pound goose should yield about 4-6 servings, depending on the hobbit you invite. :o) Serve this with steamed red cabbage (add some apples for better taste) and sugar-browned potatoes or bread-dumplings.10 to 12 pound young goose, prepared for cooking
3-4 tart apples, peeled, cored and quartered
1 – 3 hand-full's of prunes, pitted and halved
1-3 hand-full's of mushrooms, cleaned and halved
2-3 twigs of mugwort
salt
pepper
Wash the goose inside and out with hot water. Dry carefully. Rub the cavity with salt, pepper and mugwort. Rub the outside with a little pepper as well. Toss together the apples, mushrooms and prunes. Stuff the goose. Seal with either skewers or tooth-picks, or simply sew closed. Place the goose breast up on rack in roasting pan. Roast in 425°F (225°C). oven for 30 minutes. Turn heat down to 350°F (180°C). Sprinkle the outside of the goose with a little salt water.
Sprinkle the outside of the goose with salt water (2 tsp. in half a litre) every 20 minutes.
Roast for about 2- 3 hours (depending on your oven). For the first hour of roasting, have the goose with it's breast up. Thereafter, turn the goose every half hour being sure the goose is roasting once again on its back for the last 15 minutes.
Sugar Browned Potatoes
(Skandinavian recipe)
2 pounds small potaotes (about 12)
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender (20-25 minutes). Drain, cool slightly, and peel.
Cook sugar in a skillet over low heat stirring until sugar caramelizes. Add butter. Stir constantly until smooth. Add potatoes. Roll potatoes in sugar-butter mixture until coated and golden brown. Makes about 6 servings.
Great-grandmother Gamgee's bread dumplings
I tried to talk the Gamgee family into giving me their secret recipe, but to no avail. So for a detailed and cook-able bread dumpling recipe you may please ask your local hobbit granny :o).
Dessert:
Cream Puffs
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup butter or shortening
1 cup flour
4 eggs
Add the boiling water to the butter or shortening, bring to a boil and stir in the flour thoroughly. Remove from the fire, let the mixture cool slightly and add the eggs one at a time, beating in each one for some time before adding the next. Drop by spoonfuls on a greased pan about two inches apart, shaping into a circular form and having the batter a little higher in the center. Bake one-half hour in a moderate oven (360° F.). If these cakes are removed from the oven before they are thoroughly done, they will fall. Take out one; if it does not fall, the others may be removed. Cool and split partly with a sharp knife. Fill with vanilla custard. Replace cover, and serve immediately.
Vanilla Custard(Recipe by : James T. Ehler)
I.
1/2 tablespoon Salt
1/2 pound Sugar
1 3/4 ounces Cornstarch
II.
1 Quart Milk
1/2 Tablespoon Vanilla
15 each Egg Yolks
[1) Mix Salt, Sugar & Corn Starch together.
[2) Mix Milk, Vanilla, & Egg Yolks together.
[3) Combine both mixtures.
[4) In a double boiler, slowly bring mixture to heat. STIR CONSTANTLY.
Cook until custard is thick and bubbling.
[5) Pour into shallow pan, cover with plastic wrap right on top of custard, and refrigerate.
You MUST STIR this mixture CONSTANTLY to avoid lumping.
Cranachan (with strawberries)
(Scottish recipe, penned by: eretria)
2 tbs medium oatmeal
1 cup cream
2 tbs honey
1 tbs whiskey
500 g strawberries
2 tbs rolled oats, toasted
1.Place oatmeal in a small pan. Stir over low heat 5 min or until lightly toasted. Remove from heat; cool completely.
2. Beat cream in a small mixing bowl until soft peaks form. (Modern hobbits may do this, using electric beaters). Add honey and whiskey; beat until just combined.
3. Fold cooled, toasted oatmeal into the cream mixture, using a metal spoon.
4. Begin layering the strawberries and cream evenly between six tall dessert glasses, ending with the cream. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve sprinkled with toasted oats.
Do not forget the wine!