Lughnassadh!
This weekend passed was the Beltane Lughnassadh feast and ritual.
What this meant in real terms was a big fire, lots of food and drumming until the blisters prevented more.
As I was in charge of the kitchen It also meant, with the aid of my fabulous assistants, and a few berimbau and pancake breaks I cooked for around 80+ people and as it went well. I am pleased.
Lughnassadh is the midsummer fest and a harvest festival so the menu was designed to make use of the best seasonal foods: Good simple food at its peak.
For the meaties there was a spit roasted lamb (expertly cooked over many hours by Team Lamb), and from the kitchen (my end of the deal): vegetarian haggis, local ale gravy (lamb and veggie)seasoned with wild thyme from the beach cliffs, potato salad using fresh Ayrshire baby spuds, sweet potato and garlic mash, corn on the cob BBQ'd in the fire, green salad to take over the world, and fresh bread (made in the bath by the wonderfully yeasty FAlex)
Dessert was scottish strawberries soaked in local strawberry wine with a splodge of softly whipped cream. There was also a few billy tins of gooseberries picked from the hills around the camp for the extreme locality. Delish!
After a wee rest and clean up we headed down the beach for the Lughnassadh ritual (this year written by the organising committee and the characters randomly chosen by scone).
Lugh and the goddess led the procession, followed by drummers and surrounded by torches. The walked through the elements (combined) to the red and whites (debauched and with child respectively) out along the beach to the tide line to a giant wicker wo/man (it had all the bits!) which was set on fire by Lugh and the goddess. Then on to a big bonfire revelry untill stupid oclock.
As it had been put together in the afternoon it was all quite free of stress and practice. All except the drumming which had been organised, beats written by and led on the night wonderfully by sibelian We were a mixed lot made up processionals and beasties and it was great to all come together and make a new drumming crew - the Loony Drummers! Sandy's beats were fat, and trancy and I even got to stand in the sea and drum. I had a bloody great time.
Sunday I woke up with the light, but managed to ignore my need to pee untill 9. Then me and Raz cleared out all the kitchen equipment and took advantage of the sunny day to run away from the camp early and drive back to Edinburgh through beautiful scenery, getting back into town before night despite a cake stop and sunday drivers.
Today, I am knackerd and I still have biceps of steel from drumming like a nutter. But it is sunny - maybe the universe heard us?
Me in my outdoor kitchen with lemon
Loony drummers on the beach
The lamb! (and me looking like a spaz trying to get smoke out my eyes)
The Wicker wombman ablaze
What this meant in real terms was a big fire, lots of food and drumming until the blisters prevented more.
As I was in charge of the kitchen It also meant, with the aid of my fabulous assistants, and a few berimbau and pancake breaks I cooked for around 80+ people and as it went well. I am pleased.
Lughnassadh is the midsummer fest and a harvest festival so the menu was designed to make use of the best seasonal foods: Good simple food at its peak.
For the meaties there was a spit roasted lamb (expertly cooked over many hours by Team Lamb), and from the kitchen (my end of the deal): vegetarian haggis, local ale gravy (lamb and veggie)seasoned with wild thyme from the beach cliffs, potato salad using fresh Ayrshire baby spuds, sweet potato and garlic mash, corn on the cob BBQ'd in the fire, green salad to take over the world, and fresh bread (made in the bath by the wonderfully yeasty FAlex)
Dessert was scottish strawberries soaked in local strawberry wine with a splodge of softly whipped cream. There was also a few billy tins of gooseberries picked from the hills around the camp for the extreme locality. Delish!
After a wee rest and clean up we headed down the beach for the Lughnassadh ritual (this year written by the organising committee and the characters randomly chosen by scone).
Lugh and the goddess led the procession, followed by drummers and surrounded by torches. The walked through the elements (combined) to the red and whites (debauched and with child respectively) out along the beach to the tide line to a giant wicker wo/man (it had all the bits!) which was set on fire by Lugh and the goddess. Then on to a big bonfire revelry untill stupid oclock.
As it had been put together in the afternoon it was all quite free of stress and practice. All except the drumming which had been organised, beats written by and led on the night wonderfully by sibelian We were a mixed lot made up processionals and beasties and it was great to all come together and make a new drumming crew - the Loony Drummers! Sandy's beats were fat, and trancy and I even got to stand in the sea and drum. I had a bloody great time.
Sunday I woke up with the light, but managed to ignore my need to pee untill 9. Then me and Raz cleared out all the kitchen equipment and took advantage of the sunny day to run away from the camp early and drive back to Edinburgh through beautiful scenery, getting back into town before night despite a cake stop and sunday drivers.
Today, I am knackerd and I still have biceps of steel from drumming like a nutter. But it is sunny - maybe the universe heard us?
Me in my outdoor kitchen with lemon
Loony drummers on the beach
The lamb! (and me looking like a spaz trying to get smoke out my eyes)
The Wicker wombman ablaze