Beltane Recipes…..

Merry Meet!  Hope that you are having a good week so far.  We had big thunderstorms come thru here yesterday…Hail, thunder, lightning..very dark all day long.  Today a glorious sunrise but cold out.  Then it rained a bit again..and yes, it snowed! LOL..That is Ohio weather for you.  But the rain has made everything green up so much and everything is blooming and sprouting and flowering.  I just love this time of year.

As I wrote, Beltane or May Day is coming up and I gave you the correspondences for this Spring Sabbat.  Now I’d like to share some recipes with you to help make your feast fabulous!  We’ll start with my friend Mossie’s perfect wine recipe for Beltane! (Thanks for sharing Mossie!)

May Wine

*Woodruff is easy to grow in a shady spot in a garden or in a container. It is good ground cover and a pretty plant.

2 fifths semisweet white wine (such as sauterne)
1 cup woodruff leaves and blossoms, washed and stems removed

Early in the day the May wine is to be served, place the woodruff leaves and flowers in a container large enough to hold all the wine, then add the wine. Cover and chill in the refrigerator.

1 cup sliced strawberries
1 orange, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 fifth of extra dry Champagne

Just before serving, place a block of ice and the fruits in a punch bowl. Strain the white wine as you pour it over the ice and fruits. Add the Champagne. Decorate with woodruff leaves and white flowers that have been rinsed off. You can also make the punch without the fruit, and just pour it from a nice pitcher.  Sounds yummy doesn’t it! 🙂

Now you may have seen honey on the list of foods for this Sabbat..and who doesnt’ love honey….Here are a few recipes using it.

Honey Wheat Bread

Ingredients

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup vegetable oil

5 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add honey, and stir well. Mix in whole wheat flour, salt, and vegetable oil. Work all-purpose flour in gradually. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for at least 10 to 15 minutes. When dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a well oiled bowl. Turn it several times in the bowl to coat the surface of the dough, and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Punch down the dough. Shape into two loaves, and place into two well greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise until dough is 1 to 1 1/2 inches above pans.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes.

Honey Butter

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

1/4 cup honey.

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)  

Soften the butter on the kitchen counter or in the microwave at 10 second intervals. If using the microwave, be sure the butter does not begin to melt.

Place softened butter in a small mixing bowl. Add honey. 

Use a hand mixer and beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Then beat at highest speed until the butter is light, fluffy, and easily spreadable. This should only take a couple of minutes.

Add vanilla and/or cinnamon if desired, and beat for another 15 to 30 seconds.

Transfer the butter into a small serving dish, if desired. Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to use. The butter will stay soft and easy to spread right out of the refrigerator.

Honey Punch

Dissolve 1/2 cup honey in 1/2 cup boiling water. Let cool, then pour into a pitcher; add the juice of 2 lemons, 2 cups apricot nectar and 1 cup vodka, if desired. Chill. Add a bottle of sparkling apple juice to the pitcher. Serve over ice with lemon slices.

Oats are a also a celebratory food for Beltane….I love this cake recipe….it is delicious!!

Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Frosting
1 c. oatmeal (I used old fashioned, but I’m sure quick work also)
1.5 c. boiling water
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. shortening
2 eggs
1.5 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon

Frosting:
6 Tablespoons butter
1/4 c. evaporated milk
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. coconut
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350*

Add boiling water to oatmeal.  Stir slightly and let stand for 20 minutes.

Mix brown sugar, sugar, and shortening.  Stir in eggs.  Add oatmeal mixture and stir.  Mix in remaining ingredients.  Pour into greased 13 x 9 inch pan.  Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350F.

In a small saucepan, melt butter, sugar, and evaporated milk.  Cook until bubbles and remove from heat.  Add coconut, walnuts, and vanilla and stir.  Pour immediately onto slightly cooled cake.

Fresh in-season fruit  are a must for Spring!!  Make up a beautiful plate of cut fresh fruit and serve with this delicous dip, which is made with sour cream..dairy…appropriate for Beltane.

SOUR CREAM DIP FOR FRESH FRUIT

1/8 tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. nutmeg 2 tbsp. sugar 1 c. dairy sour cream 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/8 tsp. rum or rum extract Mix cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. Stir into sour cream. Add extracts and mix well. Chill 2 hours to allow flavors to blend. Serve with fresh fruit – bananas, cherries, strawberries, grapes, etc. Try out these recipes..you’ll love them!  If the farmer’s markets are open where you live,  they are a great place to pick up fresh fruit, veggies, locally grown honey, and even homemade bread if you don’t want to make your own.  Buy a bouquet of spring flowers too. These outdoor markets  are a great source for fresh organic foods and you are helping out the farmers in your area.  And the prices are usually great!  Anytime you can shop in the fresh air..well its just a good thing 🙂 I’ll be back soon with a ritual or two and my altar when its ready.  In the meantime I hope Spring has sprung for you too and that you are enjoying every minute of it!  Oh yes..my herb seedlings are sprouting and growing beautifully!  I’ll post a pic soon! “It’s spring fever…. You don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” –  Mark Twain Blessings of Spring and Beltane, Autumn *These pics are all from the internet..not my own.  Recipes are from my kitchen, other then the May wine Mossie shared with us.