An Arda Recipe Book

[zifnab]

My, My, I thought this thread was dead and buried, until I finally checked my e-mail and found 20 some odd new posts since last I checked. I apologize for my 'hiatus', and I still do intend to create a Word Document, so that all the fellow 'downers can download the recipe 'book'. Thank you Gilth for you insightful story and wonderfully cannibalistic recipe with a dash of salt and wit.

On my further pondering of Gilth's posts, I will leave you with this myth on why the Elk has no front teeth. It has nothing to do with nothing, but that's my style. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

The Elk who would Eat Men --- Retold by Richard L. Dieterle

One day Elk boldly declared to Hare that he had tired of his constant diet of vegetables, and that it was time that he had some meat; and not just any meat would do, but only the flesh of humans. So Hare went out and gathered the most sour berries he could find and squeezed the juice out of them to make a blood-red drink. "Here, try this," Hare said. "It's the blood of humans. See how you like it!" Elk grabbed the cup and greedily poured the drink through his lips. Its sourness was so powerful that it knocked out Elk's front teeth, which is why the elk has no front teeth even to this day. After that, Elk decided that he wanted nothing to do with human flesh, as even the blood was too offensive to drink.

[Raefindel]

In an attempt to keep all the recipes on one thread I'm moving a recipe I posted on another thread.

Lembas Cookies

Mix together and set aside:
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Mix together in a seperate bowl:
1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar

Then add:
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla

Add dry ingredients.

then add:
2 cups cornflakes
2 cups coconut

Form into 1" balls, and bake at 350-375 for 8-10 minutes.
They should be slightly chewey

[ March 26, 2003: Message edited by: Raefindel ]

Sacred Lembas
1 cup of honey
1 tablespoon of grated orange peel
2 teaspoons of orange flower water (optional)
3oz blanched almonds
2 and 1/4 cups of semolina flour
1/4 cup of melted butter
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 eggs
Place eggs,honey,orange peel or other fruits, orange flower water and almonds,in a blender. Blend on high for 3 mins, add 1 cup of flour. Blend for a further min. Scrape into a bowl and add remaining four and salt.
Whisk or stir until well blended. Bake Lebas on a sandwhich maker for 15 seconds until lightly brown! ENJOY

Rivendell Rice Cakes
9 cups of Rice Crispies
one whole bag of toffees
one bag of marshmellows
melt toffees and marshmellows together until gooey.
pour in to large bowl and add rice crispies and stir well, tip into an tray and put in fridge til hard. [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] ENJOY! [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Snowdog]

Mrs Maggot's Sausage-stuffed Mushroom bites

12-16 ounces North Farthing sage sausage
2/3 cup chopped East Farthing sweet onion
chicken gravy makings
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp Frogmortonshire sauce
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Longbottom cheese, grated

Brown the sausage and onion in a skillet and drain.
Wash mushroom caps (stems not used)
Place caps open side up in greased pan.
make the chicken gravy, add all the ingredients (including sausage, excepting the Longbottom cheese and the Mushrooms) to the mix and stir until well blended and hot.
Fill each mushroom cap with the mix and add Parmesan cheese over the top.
Bake in the oven (400° F) for 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

[Raefindel]

I just made a blackberry pie with the Doors of Durin cut into the top crust. It was cute

[Lostgaeriel]

Treebeard’s Ent-draught

• ½ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 2 cups cold water
• 4 tsp. liquid honey
• 2 cups ginger ale
• 4 thin lime slices

In a 2-quart pitcher, combine the lemon juice, lime juice, water and honey and set aside. Fill 4 12-ounce glasses with ice cubes; divide the lemon-lime mixture among them; then top with the ginger ale. Stir briskly and put a lime slice in each drink. Makes 4 servings.

[Lostgaeriel]

Whil Whitfoot’s Flourdumplings

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1½ tsp. salt
• ¼ cup shortening
• 1 cup milk

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Stir in milk to make drop batter. Drop from a tablespoon on top of chicken (or rabbit) stew. Cover pot tightly and simmer at 250°F for 15 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

[Lostgaeriel]

Four Farthings Harvest Soup

Makes 4 servings.

• 4 pared, diced potatoes
• 2 pared carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• several lettuce leaves (iceberg, Romaine, Boston, etc.)
• several celery leaves (no stalks – they don’t puree well)
• pinch dried basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• 3½ cups cold water
• milk
• butter
• snipped parsley

1. In a saucepan place potatoes, carrots, onions, lettuce, celery, basil, bay leaf, salt and pepper; cover with cold water (about 3½ cups). Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 hour.
2. Remove bay leaf. Press mixture through food mill or strainer; or puree in electric blender; or puree in pot using hand-held blender. Measure puree: add 1 cup milk for every 3 cups puree. Heat thoroughly.
3. To serve, top with small pat of butter and sprinkle with snipped parsley.

[Lostgaeriel]

Goldberry’s Green Herbs

Choose your favourite mixture of greens. Rub inside of salad bowl with a cut clove of garlic. Tear or cut greens into bite-sized pieces as necessary.

• baby spinach leaves
• Romaine
• Endive
• Dandelion greens
• Escarole
• Bibb lettuce
• Leaf lettuce
• alfalfa sprouts
• fresh basil leaves
• fresh parsley
• nasturtiums or pansies (thanks for the great suggestion, Raefindel! )

If desired, add other vegetables:

• mushrooms, sliced or quartered
• radishes, finely sliced
• red onion, finely sliced or green onion, chopped
• tomato wedges or cherry tomatoes
• cucumber, sliced
• zucchini, sliced or julienned
• sweet peppers, sliced or diced
• hot peppers, sliced
• avocado, cubed & sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning
• etc.

Serve with Basic Bombadil Dressing or a variation.

Basic Bombadil Dressing

No, it’s not Yellow Boots & a Blue Coat!

• ½ cup olive or vegetable oil
• ¼ cup wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small jar and shake well. Mix as close to serving time as possible.
To make it spicy, add:

• ½ clove garlic, finely chopped
• generous pinch of oregano
• generous pinch of sweet basil

Or to make it cheesy add:

• 3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated

Or to make it tomatoey add:

• ½ clove garlic, finely chopped
• ½ cup tomato juice

Or for blue cheese dressing add:

• 2 oz. blue cheese
• 1 oz. softened cream cheese
• 1 Tbsp. light cream

Combine all ingredients; mix well, cover and chill. Serve at room temperature.

[Lostgaeriel]

Baggins’ Birthday Cake & Frosting

Two-Layer Round Cake:

• 2 ¼ cups cake and pastry flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 ¼ cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 squares unsweetened chocloate, melted and cooled
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup boiling water

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Cream butter. Gradually add brown sugar and continue beating for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add chocolate and vanilla. Alternately blend in flour mixture and sour cream, 1/3 at a time on low speed of electric mixer. Add boiling water; blend well. (Batter will be thin.) Pour into two greased and floured 9-inch layer pans. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, or until cake tester inserted into centre comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove and finish cooling on racks.

Frosting:

• 5 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
• 3 cups icing sugar
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup hot water
• 1 egg

Combine chocolate, icing sugar, butter, hot water, and egg. Blend; then beat at medium speed of electric mixer for 2 minutes. Chill until of spreading consistency.

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

So glad to see your back, Lostgaeriel! And with recipes too!

[Raefindel]

Hah! and I thought I was the only one interested in this thread! Thanks for sharing, Lostgaeriel.Wow! what a lot of variations you've thought of for the salad. The recipes sound interesting.

Hmmm, you might try adding FLOWERS to Goldberry's salad. I put nasturtiums or pansies in salad occasionally. Makes it pretty for a special occasion.

[Lostgaeriel]

Hi Hilde & Raefindel!

Good to be back. I've missed everybody.

I'm working on more recipes. I must test them before I post them; some I've never made before; some are from my Grandma and the quantities are vague and the directions are next to nonexistant. But everything I've posted so far, I make fairly regularly - so no worries.

The most fun is naming the recipes! [In fact, I have M-E recipe names in search of recipes.]

Three Pans for the Pastry-chefs baking their pies,
Seven for the Sous-chefs – heavy pots of stock,
Nine for Short Order Cooks doomed to fry,
One for the Bleu Chef – it’s a hot wok
In the Land of Larder where the Foodstuffs lie.
One Pan to boil them all, One Pan to stew them,
One Pan to broil them all and in the butter brown them
In the Land of Larder where the Foodstuffs lie.

Finally got the rhyme scheme right – must have had a mental block:

Three Pans for the Pastry-chefs baking their pies,
Seven for the Sous-chefs – heavy pots of stock,
Nine for Short Order Cooks doomed to fry,
One for the Bleu Chef – it’s a hot wok
In the Land of Larder where the Foodstuffs lie.
One Pan to stew them all, One Pan to boil them,
One Pan to brown them all and in the oven broil them
In the Land of Larder where the Foodstuffs lie.

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

In the Land of Larder where the Foodstuffs lie

Now there is a walking trip a hobbit is sure to enjoy!

[Raefindel]

And the Elves, too!

[Orominuialwen]

All these recipies look great! I'll have to get my dad's recipie for Mushroom Barley Soup and post it here -- it's quite hobbitish.

[mark12_30]

Please do, Orominuialwen! The more mushrooms the better. I'll be looking for it!

[Snowdog]

Homemade Jerky

Try making jerky! I posted this on the other cooking thread so I thought I would post it here too.

Sometimes while out on the steppes or patrolling the northern reaches, rations from Fornost didn't always get to the men, and they had to forage for themselvs. One delecacy that came out of this was Warg Jerky. After a battle, the dead wargs would be 'salvaged' and made into a hearty, of sometimes tough, trail ration, and had developed through the years as standard fare among the Rangers.

Mix together these ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Annúminasoy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon South Farthing style black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon West Farthing Sweet onion powder
• 1 Tablespoon Frogmortonshire sauce (or your preferred brand)
• 1/4 teaspoon Fields of Hobbiton garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon Elven Sea salt

Cut the meat into 1/4 inch strips and marinate a minimum of one day in the above mixture.
Shake out excess maranide from the strips and string them out on racks over an open fire... not too close though. Let them smoke/cook for 5-6 hours keeping an eye on them so they don't cook too fast.
Remove from the racks and blot with cloth or parchment and let cool.
Wrap in parchment or leaves for storage. A little between the cheek and gum could sustain a man through alot when a proper meal could not be had or a fire not be built.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is todays recipe as Warg and Hobbit seasonings are hard to come by anymore....

Any good beef or venison cut will work, but if you want a lower fat beef jerky use about 2 pounds of brisket or flank steak.

Mix together these ingredients:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (or your preferred brand)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon season salt

Cut the meat into 1/4 inch strips and marinate a minimum of one day in the mixture.
Shake out excess from the strips and string them out on cake racks or oven racks and cook for 5-6 hours at 175 degrees (F).
Remove from the oven and blot with paper towels and let cool.
--------------------------------------------------

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

(Perfect for sipping while wandering the Barrow Downs.)

1Cup water
1Cup milk
2” piece of ginger, peeled and grated
6 green or white cardamom pods, cracked open
2” stick of cinnamon or 4 cloves
2 teaspoons loose black tea, or 2 tea bags
2 Tablespoons sugar (or to taste)

Put all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. When it looks like it will boil over, remove from heat for a few seconds and then return and boil again. Reduce heat and let steep for about 5 minutes or so.

This is a very spicy concoction, so if you rather reduce the heat, you can use less ginger.

[Orominuialwen]

The original recepie for this comes from La Bonne Soupe Cookbook, but it has been adapted somewhat by my father.
Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 3 large carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2-3/4 pounds diced chicken, lamb, beef, or pork
• 1 cup pearled barley
• 2 1/2 quarts low sodium beef or chicken broth

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat
2. Add onion and cook, uncovered, over medium heat until wilted and translucent, about 3-4 minutes
3. Add celery and carrot and cook just until the vegetables start to soften, about 4-5 minutes.
4. Add the meat and cook, stirring until it starts to lose its color, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes, just until they start to exude their juices.
6. Pour in broth, add barley, and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover partially, and simmer for about 90 minutes.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve!

**Note: For vegetarian soup, leave out the meat and use vegetable broth instead of beef or chicken. For the chicken/beef broth, instead of making your own, you can use the paste-like broth base that comes in jars.


Hope you enjoy this recipe!

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

Oh, that sounds good! I'll have to try it!

[Maeggaladiel]

Oooh, these all sound so good! I'm really hungry. *stomach rumbles* Quiet down there!! Anyway, I'd like to contribute, but I'm no good at cooking. IT'S TIME FOR... COOKING FOR THE CULINARILLY CHALLENGED!

Theoden's TV Dinner

1) Open freezer.
2) Marvel at the freezing capacity of the freezer.
3) Get ice pick.
4) Pretend you're on Caradhas as you hack your way through the blinding snow and ice of the freezer.
5) Once you've made a sizable hole, dig around until you find a frozen dinner.
6) Check expiration date on dinner. Shrug and figure that it's been in deep-freeze so long that it'll still be good to eat, even though it's overdue by about a year.
7) Turn on LOTR soundtrack while you use tongs to remove the frozen dinner from the freezer. Be sure to use tongs, otherwise your fingers'll go through hypothermia.
8) Find way to remove the frozen dinner from the packaging. This might entail a clever system of levers and pulleys, or you could just whack it on the table a few times.
9) Throw dinner into microwave for about five minutes. (Remember to turn the microwave on, or you won't get anywhere.)
10) If food is smoking, it's probably done. If not, stick it back in the microwave.
11) Take bite. Scream as you burn your tongue. Curse it in a variety of languages.
12) Put ROTK in the VCR, sit back and enjoy your TV dinner!

TA DAAA!!! *Everyone gives Maeggaladiel a dirty look* Okay, I'll go now. *slinks away and hides under a rock.*

Wishing she could actually cook,
~Maeggaladiel

[Snowdog]

Here it is... good for winter or summer...

• 2¾ Cups hot strong brewed coffee
• ¼ cup dark rum
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• ½ cup vanilla ice cream (optional)
• 4 3-inch cinnimon sticks (optional)

Mix the coffee, rum, and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Pour into your coffee mug and top with ice cream and garnish with a cinnamon stick.(if it is really cold, forget the icecream).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dog's Dúnedain Coffee

• 1 pint corn meal
• 1 pint wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup molassas
• water for stiff dough
• boiling water
• another pot to boil coffee
• 1 Tablespoon coffee grounds

- Mix, roll thin cut out like yeast cakes.
- Put in a pan to dry in the oven.
- When thouroughly dry, brown dark.

Now, Boil water.
Put two or three of the cakes in the dry pot and add a tablespoon of coffee.
Pour boiling water in the pot and boil.
Let settle and serve.

[Snowdog]

That was the coffee recipes... now for the great BBQ sauce...

Tinúviel's Homemade Barbeque Sauce

• 1 cup strong black coffee (I used Starbucks)
• ¾ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup ketchup (I used Hunts)
• ½ cup cider vinegar
• ½ brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons chile powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups finely chopped onions
• 4 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Use a 3 quart sauce pan and combine the coffee, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, cider vinegar, brown sugar, chili powder, salt, onion and garlic.
Bring to a boil and then let simmer, stirring often.
Purée the mixture in a blender or food processor and let cool.
Will keep in the refrigerator for two days. Great for ribs and burgers, or rub it into some skirt steak!

[Raefindel]

Those sounded good Snowdog.

Here's the secret Elven recipe to which Mark12_30 Helen refers. It's instant for travelers, and looks lovely in jars as gifts.

Elven Fireside Coffee

2 cups instant Cocoa mix
2cups powdered creamer (like Cremora)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup instant coffee granules
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix together in a large bowl and store in an airtight container.

To serve add 3-4 heaping teaspoons per 6oz cup of hot water.

[Lostgaeriel]

Gardener Sam’s Carrot Pudding

A rich, traditional Yuletide treat. Serve with Fatty Bolger’s Butterscotch Sauce.

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ cups fine beef suet
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup currants
• 1 large potato (peeled & grated)
• 1 cup carrots (peeled & grated)
• 1 cup apple (peeled, cored & grated)
• 4 oz. mixed citrus peel
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cloves
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together. Put in a large oven-proof pudding bowl (or oven-proof glass jar). Steam bowl in a covered pot of boiling water for 2 to 3 hours to cook the pudding. (Start with cold water in the pot to prevent bowl/jar breakage!) Spoon cooked pudding into bowls and serve with Butterscotch Sauce. Leftover pudding may be steamed for approximately 30 minutes to reheat.

Fatty Bolger’s Butterscotch Sauce

Serve over Gardener Sam’s Carrot Pudding or vanilla ice cream. Or both!

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1 ½ cups milk or water
• 1 cup brown sugar
• pinch salt
• ½ tsp. vanilla

Melt butter in saucepan. Blend in flour to make a roux and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add milk (or water) and whisk until smooth. Return saucepan to heat. Add brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Cook and stir until sauce has thickened. Makes about 3 cups.

Or do it the way my Mom does: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Heat until bubbles break the surface and sauce has thickened.

[Lostgaeriel]

I could have sworn I had already posted this!

Ithilien Ranger Trail Mix

• ½ cup peanuts, brazil nuts and/or cashews
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• ½ cup dried pineapple slices and/or banana chips
• ½ cup flaked dried coconut
• ½ cup chocolate chips (optional)

Northern Dúnadan Trail Mix

• ½ cup walnuts, almonds and/or hazelnuts
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• ½ cup dried cranberries and/or raisins
• ½ cup dried apple and/or apricot slices
• ½ cup mini marshmallows (optional)

[Linnamalle]

Oh, these sound wonderful-- especially the coffee and the trail mixes. I think rangers would have carried coffee powder if they had had the chance. Yay!

[Snowdog]

Coffee was a rarity in the north, with much of the coffee growing areas under the dominion of the Dark Lord (Khand, Harad), and some could be managed on the south slopes of the white mountains, but not nearly enough. Sure, there wwere smugglers and free traders that managed to get some of the good stuff into Gondor, but still a rarity until after the war when it became more widespread.

Now... on to Taters!

Samwise was fond of them as we know, and his travels brought to him new ways to prepare them. Here was one that was popular with the southern areas of Gondor that Sam had at one of the many feasts in Minas Tirith...

Twice-Baked Potatoes with Salsa

• 2 large baking potatoes (8 ounces each)
• 1/4 cup low-fat (1%) cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup low-fat (1.5%) buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
• 2 scallions, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeño pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 pound tomatoes, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 1/3 cup minced red onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Prick potatoes in several places. Bake for 45 minutes, or until tender. When cool enough to handle, halve potatoes lengthwise. With fork, fluff potato flesh inside and transfer to a bowl, leaving enough potato attached to skin to form a sturdy shell, about 1/8-inch thick.

2. Add cottage cheese, buttermilk, cream cheese, scallions, 1-1/2 teaspoons of jalapeño pepper, and the black pepper. Mix well to combine, then spoon into potato shells. Return to oven and bake until stuffing is piping hot, about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, vinegar, sugar, salt, and remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons jalapeño. Spoon salsa over potatoes and serve.

[mark12_30]

Baked Apples

Peel & Core apple. Place in baking bowl.
Fill applecore with
-some butter (1 or 2 tsp)
-some sugar (brown or white, a tablespoon or two or three)
-cinnamon
-a drizzle of water, just enough to dampen sugar a bit

In The Shire:
Bake in oven until the apple is soft.
At The Scotts:
Nuke for 4 or 5 minutes or until soft.

Other interesting fillings:
Nuts
Honey
Molasses
(Some say raisins, but not this hobbit.)


Cabbage and Roots:
Whatever you are adding, add the ones that will take longest to cook, first.
Chop a large onion, put into an iron pot with butter or oil, and brown quite well.
Add some garlic if you have some, and turn it golden.***
Chop and add: turnips, carrots, potatoes, beets if you like, and half a head of cabbage.
Cook til everything is tender.

***Original post said regarding the garlic: "brown it just a little." Wrong implication. Fordie recommends the word Golden; true! Dark-brown is a bad thing to do to garlic.

Bacon and Mushrooms:

Overly Simple Version:
Just like it says. In a cast Iron skillet, fry your bacon, and set aside.
Follow that with mushrooms
perhaps a bit of Old Wineyards and butter for flavor.
Defend from marauding hobbits with large spoon 'til dinner is served.

(Pepperoni and mushrooms isn't nearly as good but can be made to do in desperate straits.)

Here's Gilthalion's recipe athough I had to resort to Google to find it since the Downs was upgraded. Much that once was, has been lost, for none now live who remember it. (Anybody seen Gilthalion lately?)

Directly inspired by the account, I have melted butter in a skillet, fried bacon just a little, tossed in some chopped onion, fresh crushed garlic, a little red wine, and giant portabello mushrooms over the top.
All of this gets stirred around frequently and the mushrooms turned a couple of times, with a lid to keep the moisture in most of the time.

Another poster added:

Yep good stuff, and remeber that fresh Thyme leaves are a wonderous match with mushrooms.

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

Helen you read my mind! I was looking to do up some apples over the weekend, but didn't get around to it. Now I have some new recipes to try!

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

Egad! I could not let this go by without comment!!

Add some garlic if you have some, and brown that just a little

Never cook garlic until it is brown -- that just turns it bitter. Sautee until golden if you like but if it ever turns even a bit darker than that, best to throw away the recipe and start again.

Love the recipes on this thread. I should dig about the kitchen in the Hedgethistle household and see if I can find anything appropriate.

[Lindolirian]

Seeing how we are coming into the Season of Good Eats (AKA American Thanksgiving and Christmas), let's see some holiday recipes! I regrettably do not have my recipe book with me as my mother took it with her on a weeklong visit to relatives, but as soon as I get it back, I'll be putting some of my favorites up with a Tolkienic twist.

[mark12_30]

Hilde-- enjoy! Delighted to have inspired apple-artistry. (Now That's Good Art.)

Originally Posted by Fordim Hedgethistle

Never cook garlic until it is brown -- that just turns it bitter. Sautee until golden if you like but if it ever turns even a bit darker than that, best to throw away the recipe and start again.

You are right, Fordie. When I said "just a little" I was thinking only a little brown, as in tan or golden-- but it doesn't come across, so I will edit.

[Lostgaeriel]

Goldberry’s White Loaves

Makes 4 loaves. Serve warm with butter and honey (or Laura Grubb’s Raspberry Jam).

• 2 cups milk
• 4 tsp. salt
• 6 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• ¼ cup soft shortening
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 2 tsp. granulated sugar
• 2 pkgs. fast-rising dry yeast
• 10 cups all-purpose flour

1. Scald milk. Stir in salt, sugar, shortening and cool with cold water to lukewarm.
2. Measure lukewarm water into a large warm bowl. Add sugar and yeast. Let stand 10 minutes, then stir until well blended.
3. Add milk mixture and 5 cups flour to yeast mixture and stir. Beat until smooth and elastic.
4. Work in sufficient additional flour to make a soft dough, about 5 cups more. As the dough thickens, mix it in the bowl with one hand, using a swinging rotary motion. If dough remains sticky after 5 minutes mixing, add a little more flour.
5. Turn dough out on a greased board or tabletop and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
6. Put dough in a lightly greased, warm bowl. Grease top. Cover with greased waxed paper and a clean cloth. Let rise in a warm place (75-85°F), free from draft, until double in bulk, about 1 ½-2 hours.
7. Punch down dough. Turn out on a greased board or tabletop. Cut into 4 equal pieces with a greased sharp knife. Form each piece into a ball, turning cut surfaces under. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.
8. Grease 4 loaf pans (8”x5” top inside measure). Shape balls of dough into loaves; place in pans. Grease tops. Cover. Let rise in a warm place, free from draft, until dough fills pans and centres are well above tops of pans, about 1-½ hours.
9. About ½ hour before rising is finished, preheat oven to 425°F. Bake 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue to bake until bread is done, about 35 minutes longer.
10. Remove bread from pans onto wire racks. Brush with melted butter if a soft crust is desired. Cool uncovered.

If Goldberry does all this every day, Tom had better bring her water-lilies!

~~~~~~~~~~

Bilbo’s Fruit Scones

• 12 oz. or 2 ¼ cups flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 4 oz. or ½ cup butter
• 4 oz. or ¾ cup currants or sultanas
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• ½ cup + ~1 tbsp. milk (enough to mix dough)
• egg to glaze top

Preheat oven to 400°F. Sift dry ingredients together. Rub in butter with fingers or cut in butter with pastry blender. Add fruit and sugar. Add enough milk to make a soft dough. Place dough on lightly floured board. Roll dough out to ¾-inch to 1-inch thickness. Cut scones with round cutter (or drinking glass or mug) and place on greased baking sheet, well spaced. Brush top of scones with some beaten egg. Bake in hot (400°F) oven on middle or bottom rack for approximately 15 minutes. Makes about 8 scones if cut 2 ½” in diameter. Serve with Shire Clotted Cream (still looking for an 'easy' recipe for that) and Laura Grubb’s Raspberry Jam.

~~~~~~~~~~

Laura Grubb’s Raspberry Jam

• 4 cups (1 quart) raspberries (fresh or frozen)
• 4 cups sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Vinegar

Mix together in a pot. Boil gently about 15 minutes. Pour into jars. Seal.

[Lalwendë]

Tater Cakes

1. Make large expansive Sunday dinner. Make sure you boil too many King Edwards taters.
2. Serve dinner. Eat. Sleep until Antiques Roadshow comes on. Retain the vast amount of leftover taters and allow to cool for 24 hours.
3. Monday teatime. Retrieve cooled taters and mash, dry, with a fork.
4. Add plain flour and mix until you have a dough, not sticky, but floury. Use hands to mix, so you can tell when the taters and flour have bound together. If you make the mixture too dry just add more taters or a bit of cold water.
5. Add flour to work surface and roll out mixture to half an inch thick.
6. Cut out small flat circular cakes using pie cutter; these are for little hobbits. Cut out pan sized monsters for big hobbits.
7. Heat up old frying pan, do not add any grease. Dry cook tater cakes until nicely browned on both sides.
8. Serve with butter. And bacon if greedy.
9. Eat. Hold stomach and groan contentedly.

[Snowdog]

Mashed Potato Casserole

• 4 Pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1½ Cup Sour Cream
• 6 Tablespoons real butter, divided 5 & 1
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup dried breadcrumbs

Peel potatoes and cut into quarters.
Boil in salted water until tender (easy to pierce with a fork).
Drain and put in large mixing bowl.
Add Sour cream, 5 tablespoons of butter, salt, & pepper.
Using a beater on low-speed, beat until light and fluffy.
Put into a buttered 2 quart casserole dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Next day, take dish out of refrigerator an hour before cooking.
Pre-Heat oven to 325° F.
Place covered dish in oven and bake for about an hour or until heated through.

Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter and mix the breadcrumbs into it.
Sprinkle buttered breadcrumbs over top of potatoes.
Return dish uncovered to oven for about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

Raefindel,

I have finally made up a batch of your Elven Coffee and am so glad that you recorded it on this thread! I already have someone or two in mind to gift it too! My sample cup did not last long on the table, by the way, which is high praise, as I tend to savor coffee slowly. Many thanks for sharing the prized elven culinary secrets. And I encourage all coffee lovers to try it.

Respectly,
Hilde B.

[Raefindel]

Thank You, Hilde! High praise indeed!

I just made up another batch today but tried it with Splenda instead of sugar. It works just fine. I always thought the recipe was a little on the sweet side anyway.

Oh, and try this; Measure the coffee then put it though the food processor (just the coffee) before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. This makes it finer and it blends with rather than separates from the ohter ingredients.

Happy Holidays everyone!