Post 128) from Xanga

[artemisdart]

128) Happy Labor Day to those in America. Here in Seattle it's a gently rainy morning. It feels like autumn to me. The leaves are still green and the weather could clear up and get broilingly hot at any moment, but to me, September is fall. I pay a lot of attention to the changing of the seasons. A lot of my main joys in life have to do with seasonal traditions or with food, of course! And to me, food is associated with the seasons. It wouldn't make any sense to stew up a big batch of Winter Plum Conserve in July. That would just feel wrong, and it would certainly be a chore standing over that hot stockpot while dripping sweat! No, that's a winter recipe.

I've compiled a very personal group of recipes and associations for each season. If you want any of these recipes, just "comment" and say which ones.

Recipe List

Spring

March - April - May. These are the Celtic tree months of Alder, Willow, and Hawthorn. Festivals are April Fools' Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Walpurgisnacht, and Cinco de Mayo. Good things to eat include:

• Fennel, Orange and Olive Salad
• Fried Goat Cheese with Mint
• German Potatoes and Lettuce
• Green Beans with Almonds and Garlic
• Herbed Green Beans
• Hot Cross Buns
• Lamb with Mint
• Asparagus Bacon Quiche
• Braised Lettuce with Peas and Lemon
• Chicken with Asparagus Sauce
• Dilled Cucumbers
• Sauteed Scallops with Mint
• Spinach and Eggs
• Ukrainian Cheese Paska
• Wilted Lettuce Salad

Summer

June - July - August. These are the Celtic tree months of Oak, Holly, and Hazel. Festivals are very few, being mainly Independence Day (in America), unless you celebrate the Summer Solstice (around June 21) or the Catholic Feast of the Assumption (August 8). Recipes include:

• Lemon Bars
• Ginger Frappe
• Green Chile Catfish
• Herb Vinegar
• Hot and Spicy Fruit Salsa for the Grill
• Key Lime Pie
• Joan's Potato Salad
• Spinach-Egg Souffle
• Leek and Vidalia Soup
• Lemon Shrimp for the Grill
• Lime and Cilantro Pork Kebabs
• Lime Parfait Pie
• Mandarin Beets with Citrus Dressing
• Marinated Green Peppers
• Aikido Tuna
• Avocado and Egg Salad
• Avocado-Mango Salsa
• Baked Bananas
• Bean Patties with Tomato Relish
• Carrot and Ginger Salad
• Chow Chow (Vegetable Relish)
• Cole Slaw
• Crispy Chicken with Parmesan Tomatoes
• Crunchy Cole Slaw with Ramen
• Crowd Pleasing Chicken Wings
• Curried Chicken Breasts
• Peaches Chianti
• Picnic Chicken
• Plum Pie
• Pomeranian Cherry Soup
• Port Wine Sorbet
• Pumpkin Ice Cream
• Raspberry-Rhubarb Pie
• Rhubarb Cake
• Ricotta and Spinach Tart
• Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce
• Scalloped Rhubarb with Cranberries
• Summer Spaghetti Sauce
• Sweet and Sour Green Beans
• Toasted Bok Choy
• Tomato Basil Pie
• Tomatoes Florentine
• Witches' Froth (traditionally served on June 24, St. John's Day)

Autumn

September, October, November Celtic tree months of Vine, Ivy, and Reed. This year, half the month of Elder is at the tail end of November. Festivals include Labor Day, the Fall Equinox, All Saints' Day, Halloween, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving. Good things to eat are:

• Sausage Dressing
• Roast Turkey
• Easy Pumpkin Bread
• Ginger Apple Crisp
• Gingerbread
• Holiday Sweet Potato Bake
• Hot Mulled Cider
• Apple Pie
• Baked Acorn Squash au Gratin
• Baked Ham in Orange-Raisin Sauce
• Bread Stuffing
• Chill-and-bake Cranberry Bread
• Corn Sticks
• Creamy Duck
• Crescent Rolls
• Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead, traditionally served November 2 in Mexico)
• Paprika Veal Stew
• Peanut Butter Cookies
• Pear-Cranberry Tart
• Pennsylvania Dutch Corn Pie
• Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Sheet Cake
• Pumpkin Walnut Loaf
• Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
• Skillet Zucchini
• Spiced Stewed Peaches
• Squash Pie
• Venison Ragout
• Walnut Cake
• Wild Rice Dressing
• Wild Rice Soup
• Wild Rice Casserole
• Zucchini Bread
• Zucchini Frittata

Winter

December - January - February Celtic Tree months: Second half of Elder, Birch, Ash. Festivals include: Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday. Good recipes for winter include:

• Spiced Nuts
• Stuffed Dried Fruit
• Chocolate Truffles
• Amaretti
• Fruitcake
• Russian Tea
• Cocoa
• Potato Pancakes
• Kahlua (yes, you can make your own at home!)
• French Hot Chocolate
• Hot Spiced Cranberry Punch
• Lentil Soup
• Mincemeat Pie
• Anise Cookies
• Braided Oatmeal Bread
• Brandied Chocolate
• Brandy Alexander Pie
• Bryggerens Pilsnergryde (Brewmaster's Stew)
• Cafe Continental
• Chicken and Dumplings
• Chicken Hotdish
• Chicken with Plum Sauce
• Cranberry-Bourbon Relish
• Salted Nut Bars
• Saltine Cracker Toffee
• Senate Bean Soup
• Split Pea Soup
• Spritz Cookies
• Double Salmon Terrine
• Roasted Garlic Spread
• Cranberry-Rosemary Glazed Brie
• Winter Plum Conserve
• Russian Tea Cakes
• Pork and Walnut Pate

I have more recipes than this... but these are the ones I've already compiled according to appropriate season. Mmmm. Aren't you hungry now?