Saturday 17 September 2011
Letter #3, To Cassandra, from Cork Street, London, "I hope you are all alive after our melancholy parting yesterday, and that you pursued your intended avocation with success. God bless you! I must leave off, for we are going out.
Yours very affectionately,
J. AUSTEN
Everybody's love." Tuesday morning, 23 August 1796
So, today we finished Letter #3. On to Rowling.
Last night, for dinner I made a recipe from The Jane Austen Cookbook, by Maggie Black and Deirdre Le Faye. Actually, I should say I made something similiar to a recipe in The Jane Austen Cookbook. This cookbook contains some recipes from a cookbook which was written by Martha Lloyd. A close friend, and future sister-in-law to the Austen's. She lived with Mrs. Austen, Cassandra and Jane and married Frank Austen in 1828.
She must have cooked if she kept recipies. There are also recipies given to her by other family members and people Jane Austen mentions in her letters. This book is a good one for the home library; it is fun and full of Austen info.
This is how Martha Lloyd Austen wrote the recipe out:
Swiss Soup Meagre
Take four Cabbage Lettuces, 1 Endive, Sorrel Spinnage, Cherville, Chives, Onions, Parsley, Beet leaves, Cucumbers sliced, Peas or Asparagus; let all these herbs be cut fine & no stalks put in, then put a quarter of a pd. of Butter in a Stew pan, shake over your herbs when they are in the Butter a small spoonful of flour & let them stew some time then pour in a quart of boiling Water & let it stew on till near dinner time; then add the yolks of three Eggs in a tea Cup of Cream & a Roll if you like it. Broth is better than so much water if you have it. If you have not all the vegetables above mention'd, it will be very good with what you have & a little Seville Orange juice if you like. (M.L., page 78.)
This is how Maggie Black and Deirdre Le Faye updated it. I did not make it exactly the way they listed it, so I will list the changes beside in ( ).
Serves 6
10 oz. varied salad leaves (I used 1 cabbage head and 4 romaine lettuce leaves)
8 oz. cucumber (1 med. cucumber)
2 medium onions
1/2 cup butter, chopped
3/4 cup shelled fresh young peas or frozen petits pois (I completely forgot the peas until we were already eating.)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1/2 tablespoon dried mixed herbs (I used McCormick Perfect Pinch, Original All-Purpose Seasoning)
1 tablespoon flour
7 1/2 cups vegetable stock (I used 7 1/2 Cups water and 3 tablespoons chicken soup base)
2 tablespoon soft white breadcrumbs, made without crust (I used 1/2 slice of white bread without the crust, tore unto very small pieces)
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup single (light) cream (I used half and half)
salt and pepper
Snip any tough stalks off the salad leaves, and shred any large leaves. Peel the cucumber, halve lengthways and slice. Peel the onions and chop them finely. Melt the chopped butter in a stew-pan, add the onions and cook gently for a couple of minutes. Add the cucumber, peas and all the leaves and herbs, and toss with a wooden spoon for a few moments. Sprinkle the flour over the greens, cover the pan and allow to simmer gently for 10 minutes, checking often that they are not burning. Add the stock and breadcrumbs, and continue cooking over low heat for another 20 minutes.
While cooking, whisk the egg yolks into the cream, and season with salt and pepper. When the soup is ready, take it off the heat, cool it for 2-3 minutes, then stir the cream mixture into it below the boil. Keep on the side of the stove until ready to serve.
Good with hot, dry toast or anchovy whets (page 66) - and not so very 'meagre'!
This soup was very good. We enjoyed it. We had the leftovers tonight. I boiled 5 potatoes until soft, cut into bite-size pieces, added the leftover soup, 1 tablespoon of chicken soup base, 1/2 cup half and half, and cooked it just to a boil. Served it with garlic bread.
I really was surprised at how good this soup was. I had no idea that you could cook cucumbers. I had only had them in salads or with salt on them.
I hope you try this. I have been surprised looking through this cookbook. Jane Austen, maybe, did not eat so differently than we do. There is even a recipe for macaroni and cheese.
Now, on to chapter three of Jane Austen, Her Homes and Her Friends by Constance Hill. Today we are still in Steventon. Miss Hill makes a connection between authoress Mary Russell Mitford and author Gilbert White who were both from the same area as Jane Austen and make references to the area in their writings. There are also personal recollections from Anna Austen. Worth the time.
