Bread & Butter

Recipes Eat like a Queen (or a peasant)

By VICTORIa HaRRIS

Meals in medieval Europe were often determined by one’s socioeconomic status. The wealthy— who could afford feasts of venison, custards, red wine and exotic spices like saffron and ginger—ate very differently from the poor or peasants, who often cooked dishes with local, accessible ingredients, washed down with ale.

Try these three simple recipes to get a taste of the Old World. And, whether you’re embodying the upper crust or the humble peasantry, it’s proper form to eat among friends and family.

Mutton Stew

Research indicates that mutton stew and other meat and vegetable stews were popular among peasants in the Middle Ages. A humbling and warm dish, mutton stew captures the hearty and earthy flavors of the land in which they grew vegetables and raised their livestock.

INGREDIENTS • 2 lbs. boneless mutton or lamb stew meat • 2 cups beef bone broth • 1 cup dry white wine (such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc) • 2 cups chopped yellow onion • 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley • 1 tsp. salt • 1 tsp. chopped rosemary • 1 tsp. chopped thyme • 1 tsp. ground savory • ½ tsp. ground ginger • ½ tsp. ground cumin • ½ tsp. ground coriander • 2 eggs • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

DIRECTIONS add bone broth and wine to a large Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. add mutton or lamb and return to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, add onions, salt and herbs. Reduce heat to low and cover for 1-2 hours, or until meat is tender. Crack eggs into a small bowl and whisk together with lemon juice. Remove dutch oven from heat and add egg mixture, whisking constantly until fully incorporated and slightly thickened. Serve hot.

Medieval tapestry

Cherry Pottage

A dish enjoyed among the wealthy, cherry pottage was known as a more prestigious side or dessert because of its use of fresh fruit, white bread and sugar. This warm, almost bread pudding-like recipe, is rich in flavor with a sweet finish. The texture of pottage is porridge-like and full-bodied. Add fresh whipped cream and mint

guide to iMbibe: bootleg Hill Honey Meads, davenport

As a long-time Renaissance faire aficionado, I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for mead, the ancient drink referenced in writings as early as 1700 B.C.E. (The Rigveda); popular throughout the histories of Europe, Asia and even Africa; associated with heroism and poetry; and a staple of drinking horns raised at faires near and far.

I was thrilled to learn recently that Iowa is home to no less than three meaderies (as well as some wineries that dabble). Bootleg Hill Honey Meads, based in Davenport, has bottles available on grocery shelves across Iowa, and I swung by John’s in Iowa City to get some to try. I went home with three flavors. Although mead is often referred to as honey wine, it’s its own thing (wine is fermented fruit). That’s a useful shorthand for novices, though, and Bootleg Hill keeps the comparison alive with their 321 Dry Traditional Mead, which hits the palate like a crisp Chardonnay. As such, it’s better with a bit of a chill to it. (Mead can be enjoyed per the drinker’s preference, and the wide variety means that some are nice cold, others warm; some can be chugged from a horn, others sipped from an aperitif glass.) The Ginger Orange, which I was most anticipating, had the perfect spicy kick for a hot afternoon at a Ren faire—a drink to be enjoyed, certainly, but which will remind you as you’re drinking it that you should make certain to drink plenty of water, too. It’s versatile, and would pair well with the sort of hefty, “on a stick” foods served at faires. But it also has subtleties that are pleasant to sip and savor. The one that really hit my sweet spot, though, was the Paint It Blackberry. This is a drink made for swigging, but without lacking complexity. Visually, I appreciated the slight ruddiness of the color. It’s refreshing enough to carry along in a hip flask while exploring a faire, but elegant enough to Bootleg Hill pour out and share. The blackberry flavor is a perfect complement to the honey, its fullness enriching

Paint It the honey’s sweet specificity (where in the drier varieties, the alcohol almost flattened it). Blackberry I look forward to trying more of Bootleg Hill’s offerings in the future. Huzzah! —Genevieve Trainor

Bootleg Hill

Ginger Orange

Bootleg Hill

321 Dry Traditional

Tacuinum Sanitatis, Sour Cherries for a modern twist.

INGREDIENTS • 4 cups pitted cherries • 3/4 cups dry red wine, divided (such as merlot or cabernet sauvignon) • 1 cup granulated sugar, divided • ¼ cup unsalted butter • 1 cup cubed bread (such as sourdough, French baguette or Italian loaf) • ½ tsp. ground clove • ¼ tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS add cherries, ¼ cup red wine, and ½ cup sugar to a blender. Process until smooth. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add cherry mixture, remaining ½ cup red wine, remaining ½ cup sugar, cubed bread, clove and salt. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until mixture thickens. Divide mixture into serving dishes and sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Serve warm.

Mulled Wine or Piment

Mulled wine, favored for its medicinal properties, was popular at the end of the 13th century and beginning of the 14th century. The wealthy typically enjoyed this beverage for its heavy use of spices, and would drink mulled wine from a silver drinking glass, also called a Lacock cup. In modern times, mulled wine is a popular drink during the holiday season. It can be cooked traditionally on the stovetop or in a Crockpot for an easier cooking method.

Cont. on Pg. 28 >>

Li livres dou santé by Aldobrandino of Siena. British Library, Sloane

bodkin wines, sonoMa county, ca

Chris Christensen has had a soft spot for Shakespeare’s Henry V since his English teacher introduced it to him at Cedar Rapids Washington High School.

After graduating from Wash, then Stanford University; falling love with the art and science of wine-making; and honing his craft at vineyards from California to Australia, Christensen paid tribute to the Bard when it came to naming his own winery in 2011. He called it Bodkin, a reference to the arrowheads used by Henry V’s peasant archers to defeat

French aristocrats in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, depicted in Shakespeare’s play.

The business’s motto, “We few, we happy few,” is a line from Henry V, and medieval references can be found everywhere from the red cross patteés gracing the labels to the wines themselves, with names like Hotspur Cuvée and The Victor’s Spoils. A willingness to try new things and determination to make winemaking a more diverse, egalitarian industry have garnered Christensen a following. “Winemaking is agriculture and wine is made by people,” he said. “We need to see more of the people who actually get wine made and less of owners.”

Bodkin Wines Sparkling Rosé Hotspur Cuvée

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INGREDIENTS • 8 cups dry red wine (such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon) • 1 cup granulated sugar • 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon • 1 tsp. ground ginger • 1 tsp. ground cloves • 1 tsp. ground marjoram • 1 tsp. ground nutmeg • 1 tsp. ground cardamom • 1 tsp. ground black pepper

STOVETOP DIRECTIONS add wine to a large saucepan and simmer over medium heat. Add sugar and whisk until dissolved. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, ginger, cloves, marjoram, nutmeg, cardamom and black pepper. add half of the spice mixture to the saucepan of wine and stir. Taste and add more of the spice mixture if desired. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes and remove from heat. Run mulled wine through a fine sieve and serve warm.

CROCKPOT DIRECTIONS add wine, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, marjoram, nutmeg, cardamom and black pepper to a crockpot. Cook on low for 1-2 hours. Run mulled wine through a fine sieve and serve warm.

Victoria Harris is an Iowa-based food writer and editor. She received her Masters of Liberal Arts in Gastronomy from Boston University. Throughout her travels and living abroad, she has developed a deep passion for food, culture and history.

Take a Journey to a Tourney

Hear ye, hear ye! Renaissance season is upon us! Whether you’re planning a whole summer of costumed frivolity or just looking for that one can’t-miss event, we’ve got Iowa covered for you here.

Spring Fling Celebration of Mothers (at Sleepy Hollow) Des Moines, Ia May 7-8 Free admission! Mother’s Day brunch: $20.99 ages 13+; $15.99 ages 5-12; 4 and under free with adult

Pillage the Village Pirate Fest (at Sleepy Hollow) Des Moines, Ia May 14-15 $12 ages 13+; 12 and under free with adult

Renaissance after Dark (at Sleepy Hollow) Des Moines, Ia May 14 at 6 p.m. 21+ only; $27 (includes Pillage ticket)

Midlands Renaissance Revel (spring) Council Bluffs, Ia May 21-22 $15-22 ages 14+; $8-12 ages 6-13; 5 and under free with adult Iowa Renaissance Festival Lenox, Ia (amana Colonies) May 28-June 5 $15-22 ages 14+; $8-12 ages 6-13; 5 and under free with adult Family pack: $80 (two adult, two children, two collector mugs, $20 food voucher) All current or retired military admitted free with ID on Memorial Day

Midlands Renaissance Revel (summer) Council Bluffs, Ia Aug. 20-21 $15-22 ages 14+; $8-12 ages 6-13; 5 and under free with adult

The Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow Des Moines, Ia Sept. 3-18 $19 adult; $8 child Former LV staffer Celine Robins chows a turkey leg at the Iowa Renaissance Festival, June 2021

Greater Quad Cities Renaissance Faire Davenport, Ia Sept. 24-25 $15-21 ages 14+; $8-11 ages 5-13; 4 and under free with adult $2 discount to military personnel with ID

Riverssance Sioux City, Ia Oct. 1-2 (tickets not yet available)

Iowa Renaissance Festival Lenox, Ia (amana Colonies) Oct. 8-9 $15-22 ages 14+; $8-12 ages 6-13; 5 and under free with adult Family pack: $80 (two adult, two children, two collector mugs, $20 food voucher)