On this day in 1571, the outmanned Holy League won the Battle of Lepanto, protecting Rome and halting the Ottoman Empire's advance across Europe. They attributed their victory to the intercession of Our Lady, and it is commemorated today in the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
On this day in 2010, my thoughts turn inexorably to eating spotted dog. And sunshine soup.
Spotted dog is a steamed suet pudding popular in the Royal Navy during the age of sail. (That linked post contains the pun that cemented my online-pal-ship with Lauren.) I will not, of course, do the whole storing-and-feeding-with-brandy rigmarole I described in that earlier post since I have misplaced my time machine AGAIN, but I will soak raisins in apple cider all morning and steam my pudding for a good couple of hours this afternoon. This morning I drove way way out to the boonies in search of a place that would allegedly sell me suet, but no dice. I am going to grate a frozen stick of butter and hope it works. If it doesn't, I'll tell the kids to pour more custard atop and be glad they don't have to row to soccer practice in a sixteenth-century galley.
According to Patrick O'Brian, the men of the Royal Navy ate dried peas three days a week. They were called "banyan days" after the vegetarian Banyans of western India. I am declaring it a banyan day and cooking up a batch of sunshine soup for dinner.
To make some sunshine soup of your own, saute 2 chopped onions, 2 chopped carrots, and a small rutabaga*, peeled and diced. Add 1/2 t. each cumin seeds and marjoram leaves. Pick over a pound of yellow split peas and pour them in with 7 cups of stock. After you've brought it to a boil, turn the heat way down and simmer until the peas lose their shape. This will take 2 hours or even more -- keep an eye out toward the end of cooking so it doesn't scorch as it gets thicker. Add 3 T. cider vinegar and a bunch of salt (like at least half a tablespoon and maybe more) and pepper to taste.
We'll have cole slaw on the side, with a healthy squeeze of lime so nobody gets scurvy.
*If you have never eaten rutabaga, fear not! It is mild and sweet. Substitute another carrot or two if you must.
Recent Comments