Menu for Lilies XXI

Documentation: bread is a central item in Russian cuisine. No period recipes survive. Normally I would have made some bread based on plausibly period western European recipes, but I just didn't have enough time. Store-bought bread had to suffice this year.

Fisher's Ukha (Fish Soup): [declared edible even by the fish-fearful] 1.9 lb alaskan pollock 1.2 lb catfish 5 turnips (plus 1, see below) 6 small onions 1 parsley root (substituted 2 celery stalks and a turnip) 2 qts water (substituted chicken stock) 1/8 tsp pepper salt to taste 3 sprigs parsley (used 8 inch squirt of parsley paste) dill (used 8 inch squirt of dill paste) spices (a couple dashes each of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg) Put chopped turnips into water and boil until nearly tender. Drain and add to boiling chicken stock along with other ingredients including fish. Simmer on low heat until fish is done (about 1 hour). Freeze until ready to reheat and serve at War. Documentation: fish soups are named in 16th cent. Russian texts and fish has long been a popular item in Russian cuisine. No actual recipes survive to my knowledge. The above recipe is based on traditional recipes found at RussianFoods.com, russia-in-us.com and The Best of Russian Cooking and uses ingredients available in period.

Cold Sweet Borsch: [popular with those who like pickled beets] 15 oz. canned, sliced beets 3 turnips 4 tbs, heaping dried fruit (mixed berries - cranberries, blueberries, cherries) 5 tbs vinegar 1 1/2 tsp salt (reduced because of salt in canned beets) 3 1/2 TBS sugar, approx. 1/8 tsp pepper water as listed below Clean dried fruits, add 1/2 cup cold water and the sugar and cook over low medium heat until soft. Cut beet into strips, and put into pot with beet juice, 2 cups hot water, vinegar, pepper, the cooked fruit (a cup of water was used to rinse the fruit pan) and cubed turnips and boil for 20 minutes (until turnips tender). Taste to ensure proper balance of vinegar and sugar. Freeze until ready to serve. Served cool. (Would have been better to boil and drain the turnips separately to get rid of some of the bitterness. I did not bother to provide sour cream, green onion, and chopped egg garnishes.) Documentation: soups are a standard part of traditional Russian meals and often would have been made with whatever produce was at hand. Tangy soups and beet soups seem to be a favorite. This recipe is modified from RussianFoods.com and uses ingredients available in period.

Trudonoshi: [like little cheesecakes, very yummy] 24 oz. cottage cheese 2 eggs 1/3 c sugar pinch of salt Pre-made frozen pie crust for about five 9-inch pies, cut into 10ths Food process all the filling ingredient about 30 seconds on low speed (need to do in batches). Roll out the pie crust pieces to usual pie crust thickness (about 1/8 inch). Put into mini-muffin tins (or regular muffin tins) and put approx. a tablespoon of filling into each (fill about 1/3-1/2 full). Bake at 400 degree for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. The filling puffs up impressively during baking, but deflates on cooling to make room for the sauces. Makes about 48 pastries. Freezes well. Served with blueberry and raspberry sauces.

Blueberry sauce (based on a recipe for blueberry pirogi): One 16-oz. package frozen blueberries 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 3 tbs all-purpose flour Toss together blueberries, sugar, cinnamon and flour. Bring to a boil just long enough for the flour to thicken the sauce slightly. Freeze for transport. Raspberry sauce: One 16-oz. package frozen raspberries 1 cup sugar 3 tbs all-purpose flour Toss together raspberries, sugar, and flour. Bring to a boil just long enough for the flour to thicken the sauce slightly. Freeze for transport.

Documentation: recipes for a traditional Russian cheese pirogi were found on a couple of websites using ingredients known to be used in period Russia. No period Russian recipes for this item survive but cheese/tvorog pastries are documented in 16th cent. Russian texts as "trudonoshi" and similar pasties are documented in Western Europe. I modified the form of the pastries from the usual turnover shape this time, so I could transport them in the muffin tins and have them arrive at war more intact.

Strawberry shrub (aka sekanjabin aka syta) One package frozen strawberries Approximately 2 cups vinegar. Approximately 2 cups sugar/honey Pour enough vinegar over frozen berries to almost cover them. (As the berries thaw and soften, they will settle under the vinegar.) Cover and leave out at room temperature overnight. Strain out berries. Measure liquid and put in medium saucepan. Add equal amount of sweetener of choice. Boil the mixture for 10 minutes. Make sure your pan is big enough to avoid boiling over. (I used a 2 quart pan.) Dilute syrup to taste to serve, approximately 1 part syrup to 5 parts water. Documentation: recipe is from Food on the Frontier - a cookbook of 19th cent. Minnesota pioneer recipes. It is obviously in the sekanjabin family of beverages, which are documented to period. Similar honeyed beverages in traditional Russian cuisine are called syta.

Mint sekanjabin (a refreshing change from plain water) 2.5 cups water 4 cups sugar/honey 1 c wine vinegar 1/2 c mint (or 8 sprigs) Dissolve the sugar in the water. Bring to a boil and add the vinegar. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add the mint, stir, and remove from the heat. Allow to cool and strain out the mint. Dilute syrup to taste to serve, approximately 1 part syrup to 5-10 parts water. The syrup does not need refrigeration. Documentation: recipe found in Cariadoc's Miscellany.