ASPARAGUS WITH CHIVES AND BLOSSOMS
 
1 pound Asparagus, washed
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds
2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives, snipped
16 Chive Blossoms
1/2 teaspoon Soy Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

Blanch the asparagus in lightly salted boiling water for about 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; do not overcook. Refresh under very cold water and drain well. Remove the chive stalks to separate the flowers. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the sesame seed. Stir for 1 minute, add the snipped chives, and stir for 1 minute more. Add the asparagus and soy sauce to the skillet with a few pinches of salt and generous grindings of pepper; stir well, cover, and cook for a minute or so. Remove the lid, sprinkle the chive blooms over the asparagus, and cover for 1 to 2 minutes so that the chive blooms steam briefly. Stir lightly and taste for seasoning. Serve hot. Comments: Bright lavender chive blossoms begin to bloom in the garden about the time the asparagus bed is at its peak. Hence, this is a natural combination and a simply tasty dish. Since chive blossoms are so strong in flavor, add them at the last minute in this recipe. Source: FLOWERS IN THE KITCHEN by Susan Belsinger

CHICKEN BARLEY STEW WITH HERBS
 
2-3 LB chicken breasts on the bone
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 LB leeks (3-4 large ones, 4-5 little ones) thickly cut. May substitute onions
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
6 oz barley
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 3/4 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon dried sage

Comment: This is originally an Anglo-Saxon recipe. The original calls for rabbit, but chicken is just as good.
In a large Dutch Oven, melt the butter, then fry the leeks and garlic in the butter. Add the chicken and brown. Add remaining ingredients, reserving the sage. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Remove chicken from pot and let cool. Remove meat from bones and add back to the pot. Add sage. Stir well and serve. Serves 8

MEDALLIONS OF PORK WITH RIESLING SAUCE
 
12 ounces Pork tenderloin, cut into 1" rounds
Flour
4 Tablespoons Unsalted butter
1 Onion, thinly sliced
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup Dry Riesling wine
1/2 cup Raisins
3 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon Green peppercorns, ground
1/2 teaspoon thyme, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano, minced
1/4 cup butter, chilled & cut into pieces
1/4 cup Pine nuts, toasted

Season pork with salt and pepper. Coat in flour; shake off excess. Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl. Melt remaining 2 Tablespoons butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and saute about 4 minutes per side. Transfer pork to plate; tent with foil to keep warm. Add onion mixture, wine, green peppercorns and herbs to same skillet and boil until sauce thickens, about 4 minutes. Add pork to skillet and heat through. Divide pork among plates. Add 1/4 cup chilled butter to sauce in skillet and whisk just until melted. Mix in pine nuts. Spoon sauce over pork and serve.

Dandelion Salad

1 Dishpan full of young dandelion leaves
4 Strips of bacon
1/2 c Sugar
2 T Flour
1 ea Egg beaten
1 t Salt
1/2 c Vinegar
1 1/2 c Water
3 ea Eggs, hard boiled, diced
Wash, drain, and cut up tender dandelion leaves. Brown bacon; remove drippings and crumble Combine sugar and flour. Add egg, salt, vinegar, and water and mix until smooth. Pour into bacon drippings and heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Pour warm dressing over dandelion. add crumbled bacon and hard boiled eggs. Toss lightly and serve immediately.
 

Beltane Bread

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and combine:

4 cups sifted flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
2 cups sugar
1 tube almond paste
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
5 eggs

When dough is worked to medium soft, shape into flattened balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool, ice with white Solar Cross. You could try this as a single loaf. I also like to make an almond biscuit with biscuit mix, almond extract, sugar, cinnamon, and eggs, but in smaller proportions. Source: Ann Moura Aoumiel's book Green Witchcraft: Folk Magic, Fairy Lore & Herb Craft, Llewellyn Publications, 1996

Elder Flower Fritters- Medieval England
From Wisteria's Faery Recipes

The French use elder flowers to pack apples. They claim that this enhances the flavor.1 egg
1 cup self-rising flour
1 teaspoon Rose Water
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
2 cups elder flowers, freshly picked & cleaned
2 tablespoons brandy

Mix the egg, rose water, honey, & brandy in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the flour & cinnamon; the batter should resemble slightly thick pancake batter. If the batter is too thin, add a little more flour; if too thick, add more brandy. Fold in the elder flowers. Fry like pancakes or drop by the teaspoon into a deep-fat-fryer until golden brown. Serve with a sprinkling of orange water & fresh lemon, or dip into fresh sweet cream. Yield: About 2 dozen
Note: If you are not using self-rising flour, add 1 teaspoon baking powder & 1/2 teaspoon salt. Variation: If you can't find elder flowers, substitute 1 cup finely diced apples & a hint of fresh mint for similar magical effects. Magical Attributes: Protection from Faery folk, trust, beauty, energy for attraction, & magical ambience. Can also be eaten on Lammas, St. Valentines Day, or Hallows Eve.

Fried Honey Cakes
These cakes are not unlike those made on the night before Beltane by women around the turn of the century. These cakes were left in the garden to please Faery visitors.

1/2 cup sweet white wine
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1 cup honey
2/3 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Oil for frying
1/8 teaspoon salt

Beat the wine and egg in a medium bowl. Combine the flour, cinnamon, salt & sugar in a small bowl. Stir into the egg mixture. Let stand 30 minutes. Combine the honey & nutmeg in a small bowl. Heat 1/2-inch of the oil in a frying pan until hot, but not smoking. Drop the batter into the oil 1 tablespoon at a time; fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Dip into the honey.
Yield: 1 1/2 Dozen.

Wildflower Pound Cake

1 C Butter
1-1/2 C Flour
1 Tsp Vanilla or Lemon Extract
5 Eggs separated
1-1/2 C Powdered Sugar
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1 C Assorted Edible Flower Petals- small pieces

Cream the Butter. Sift flour and add gradually to the butter. Beat the egg yolks until thick and lemon colored, add sugar gradually. Combine mixtures. Beat egg whites until stiff to add to mixture. Sift baking powder over mixture beat thoroughly. Fold in fresh flower pieces. Turn into a buttered deep cake pan, bake one hour at 350 degrees. Note: Garnish with fresh flowers.

Beltane Lemon Curd Mousse Cake

To make the shortbread cookie crumbs for the crust, seal the cookies in a heavy plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into fine crumbs.

Servings: Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Ingredients:

Curd:
2 1/3 cups sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup fresh lemon juice
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Crust:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups shortbread cookie crumbs- about 7 1/2 ounces
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

Mousse:
5 tablespoons water
4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

6 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream

Lemon slices, cut into quarters for garnish

Preparation:

For curd:
Mix sugar and cornstarch in heavy large saucepan. Gradually add lemon juice, whisking until all cornstarch dissolves. Whisk in eggs and yolks. Add butter. Stir over medium heat until curd thickens and boils, about 12 minutes. Transfer
to medium bowl. Chill until cold, at least 6 hours - Can be made 1 week ahead. Press plastic wrap onto surface of curd and keep chilled.

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 8-inch-diameter springform pan with nonstick spray. Blend cookie crumbs and butter in small bowl. Press onto bottom of pan. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool.

For mousse:
Pour 5 tablespoons water into small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin evenly over. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place 1 3/4 cups lemon curd in large bowl. Stir 3/4 cup curd in another small saucepan over medium-low heat until very warm.

Stir gelatin mixture over medium-low heat until dissolved and liquid is clear-do not boil. Whisk warm gelatin mixture into 3/4 cup warm curd. Gradually whisk gelatin-curd mixture into curd in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until whites are thick and glossy. Fold whites into curd mixture in 3 additions. Using same beaters, beat cream in another medium bowl until peaks form. Fold into egg white-curd mixture in 3 additions. Pour enough mousse over cooled crust to fill pan completely. Pour remaining mousse into small bowl and reserve. Cover and chill mousse cake, reserved mousse, and remaining curd overnight.

Using long thin knife, cut around cake to loosen. Remove pan sides. Gently spread 3/4 cup of remaining curd over cake. Transfer reserved mousse to pastry bag fitted with small star tip. Pipe rosettes of mousse around top edge of cake. Chill cake until ready to serve- Can be made up to 8 hours ahead. Arrange lemon slices between rosettes. Cut cake into wedges. From Bon Appetit

Strawberry Crisp

1 c Uncooked Oatmeal
1 c All purpose Flour
1 c Brown Sugar
1/4 c Chopped Walnuts
1/2 c Butter or margarine
1/2 c Sugar
3 c Sliced fresh or frozen Strawberry
Mix together oatmeal, flour and brown sugar. Add nuts. Cut in butter or margarine until crumbly. In another bowl, mix strawberries and white sugar together. Grease an 8" square pan. Spread half the crumb mixture on bottom. Cover with strawberries. Spread remaining crumb mixture over top. Bake at 350 deg F oven for 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream or topping.

Jam Filled Lemon Tarts
from Auramooths Wiccan Page

1-3oz package softened cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.

2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Add sugar and lemon.

1 cup flour

Mix in flour. Gather dough into two balls, chill one hour. Roll out dough, cutting 2" disks out with cutter. Spoon 1/4" of jam into center of disc. Gather edges into three equally spaced corners-like a tricorn hat and roll points over slightly, pinching shut. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Tasty jam: rhubarb ginger, apricot, cherry, etc.

Beltane Marigold Custard
from Wicca:A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, by Scott Cunningham

2 cups milk
1 cup un sprayed marigold petals
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 to 2 inch piece vanilla bean
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. rose water
Whipped cream
Using a clean mortar and pestal reserved for cooking purposes, pound marigold petals. Or, crush with a spoon. Mix the salt sugar and spices together. Scald milk with the marigolds and the vanilla bean. Remove the vanilla bean and add the egg yolks and dry ingredients. Cook on low heat. When the mixture coats a spoon, add rose water and cool. Top with whipped cream. Garnish with fresh marigold petals.

MEADE
 
1 gallon Water
4 pounds Honey
6 Cloves
2 Sticks cinnamon
Juice & peel from one lemon
1 teaspoon Activated dry yeast

In a large nonreactive pot, add the next four ingredients to the gallon of water. Boil all together for 30 minutes, then strain into a crock that will hold it with a little room to spare. When cooled, add the yeast, dissolved in some of the liquid. Allow to ferment in a cool place - 55 degrees is ideal - until it ceases bubbling and the liquor clears, then bottle, cap tightly and store in a cool, dark cellar. It should not be used for at least a month, and longer is better. This meade, unlike many other drinks, does not improve with really long aging, so it should be consumed within a year of the time it was made.

Beltane Dandelion Delight

This lovely spring tonic makes good use of pesky weeds to rejuvenate the body with the earth's reawakening. Dandelions are high in vitamins and legends claim that Hecate once entertained Theses with dandelion water. Magickal Attributes: divination, wind magick, wishes and goals, communicating with the Spirit World.

Ingredients:
3 C Dandelion Petals
1 Gallon Orange Juice
Juice of One Lemon
1/4 C Sugar
Ginger Ale (optional)

Clean off the dandelion petals with cool water. In the meantime, warm the orange juice and lemon together, then add dandelions. Make certain you only have petals (no green parts). Add the sugar, stirring constantly until dissolved: strain juices and chill. Add ginger ale for a light bubbly drink.

VARIATIONS: Prepare this recipe with lemonade instead of orange juice and juice of one orange instead of a lemon. This is refreshing, purifying quality and poured over crushed ice, is wonderful on a hot summer day.

May Wine
INGREDIENTS:
1 bottle of white wine- German is ideal
1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
12 sprigs of Woodruff, fresh
PREPARATION:

Pour wine into a wide mouth jar or carafe. Add the sliced strawberries and woodruff, and let sit for an hour or more. Strain and serve chilled

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