Eating seasonal foods is a fantastic idea all year round, but I admit to getting an extra amount of satisfaction when it comes to end-of-the-year holiday season foods.
Starting with late October and working through January, I am going to explore the foods that are in season for North America, the history behind their use in holiday celebrations, as well as a few recipes and pictures.
An Apple A Day
The saying, “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.” is from an old English proverb, “To eat an apple before going to bed, will make the doctor beg his bread.”
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Apples are a large part of Halloween celebrations, but their use dates back even further than Celtic harvest festivals. In the Roman pantheon, the Goddess Pomona holds dominion over orchards and apples. Apple games like bobbing for apples and using apple peels for divination all date back to her celebrations, her Festival Day being October 31st.
To use an apple peel for divination, try cutting a long strip of peel from around an apple. Don’t worry if you can’t make it all the way around, although you can have a contest to see who gets the longest peel! Take a portion of apple peel and throw it backwards over your shoulder. The peel will form a shape or initial that can tell you the name of the person you will marry, or the name of your first child, or the next person to come in the door (specify what you are looking for before you throw the peel).
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Crowdie
In Scotland a dish known as “crowdie” was a sort of porridge, made in any number of variations. Today a crowdie is a soft cheese, but a few hundred years ago it could mean any kind of mushy-textured dish, usually made from oats softened with water or milk or broth, mixed with clotted cream or mashed apples. At one time a popular Fall party game was to share a crowdie bowl with other people. The dish would contain marbles, rings and coins. One used a spoon and carefully dished out a portion, which might include a surprise! If you found a ring, you were soon to marry, a coin meant wealth, and a marble meant a single life. Just be careful not to swallow something you shouldn’t!
For recipes for Apple Crowdie, Homemade Applesauce, and Gluten Free Apple Pie Crumble, check out my blog at: askchefchristy.com/blog/blog
