Our new contributor, Katherine Jauncey, reflects on the traditional meaning of Autumn, the turning of the year and the recipes that go with it
As the days become dark and chill, we often wish to hunker down and turn our minds to the upcoming moments of joy and plenty in the otherwise dreary expanse of winter.
Increasingly this means Christmas, with the usual accoutrement and tat appearing in the shops earlier and earlier. Indeed, this year I spied Christmas décor and food in many different supermarkets in September! This is a great shame. Apart from ignoring the many other religious and cultural festivals at this time of year, it drives the ever-spiralling trend of overconsumption, which feeds dissatisfaction and isolation.
Thus, we lose the togetherness that for so much of history was the mark of the whole winter season. Therefore, I’d like here to take the opportunity to draw on my own Celtic heritage, and focus on the wonderful human and natural harmony of winter, rather than hurtling full tilt towards Christmas.
‘Celtic’ was first used by scholars in the 1700s to describe groups of north-west Europeans who had closely related languages and culture, borrowing the term from Roman texts where Celtae designated the Gallic tribal confederation, or ‘Continental Celts.’
Today, ‘Celtic,’ when ascribed to language and culture, usually refers to the ‘Insular Celts’ which encompass the Irish, Scots, Welsh, Cornish and Bretons. Suffice to say Celtic culture is extremely broad; There is no singular set of customs and no universal names for the seasons and festivals. Yet, all share a reverence for nature and a deep understanding of dependence on the land, something I think Celtic and Jerriais culture share with each other, and many cultures the world over, which is a cheering thought.
The Celtic Wheel of the Year echoes the solar events of solstices and equinoxes, and their rough midpoints. It is an ancient method of tracking and celebrating the rhythms and balance of life in a cycle which divides the year into two halves, darkness and light, Giamos and Samos. Focusing on gratitude and repose, Winter in Celtic culture is not a season of anxiety and isolation, but of introspection, comfort and nourishment.
The abundance of warming, healthful foods reflects this. November is the threshold of Winter and the beginning of Giamos. It is also celebrated as New Year, for as the day begins at sunset, so the year begins with the arrival of the darkness. The bountiful end of harvest leads on to a period of rest and reflection as underground the life cycle starts again. Past customs surrounding the threshold of winter still ring through many modern celebrations. You might notice that festivities around this time of year are infused with echoes of ancient rituals and focused on keeping alive a sense of connection with our ancestors and the earth’s rhythms. The recent nièr beurre and la fais’sie d’cidre are local testament to this.
In my own life, Calan Gaeaf, celebrated on 1 November in Wales, marks the beginning of Winter. It is a time to honour the harvest and reflect on the cycles of life and death. As the old year ends, Noson Calan Gaeaf, 31 October, traditionally is thought to be the moment the veil between the worlds of the living and dead was at its thinnest, and when spirits could return. It remains in particular a time to say goodbye, and it was once custom to leave doors open and food on the table to nourish the souls of recently departed family. With the rise of Christianity, Calan Gaeaf and the feast of Samhain in Scotland were changed to Hallowmass, or All Saints’ Day. The night before became a vigil for Hallowmass known as All Hollows Eve, or Halloween. Through Christianisation, many positive aspects of Noson Galan Gaeaf; — comfort, nourishment and closure — were lost. Modern Halloween traditions have revived some of the superstitious and cautionary elements of the Welsh festival, including fortune telling and scaring naughty children with apparitions. Accordingly, the gastronomical focus has reorientated to theatrical rather than restorative foods.
There was no Halloween in my childhood but there was both All Saints day and Calan Gaeaf, and whilst I envied my friends parties and trick-or-treating expeditions, I am glad that I had that opportunity before the hubbub of Advent and Christmas to slow down and connect with myself, my loved ones and my heritage.
The theme of spiritual and practical self-nourishment is persistent throughout Winter, and on Noson Galan Gaeaf in particular. Stwmp Naw Rhyw is a staple dish of the occasion. It is a mash of nine ingredients, or nine different vegetables depending on whom you ask, made with very fresh milk, and well seasoned. The number nine is particularly significant in Celtic mythology, and eating this on Noson Galan Gaeaf was thought to keep evil spirits away. It is traditionally made and eaten together by groups of young women and often a wedding ring was hidden in the dish; the one to find it was predicted to be the next to marry.
Divination and numerology aside, Stwmp Naw Rhyw is a hearty, warming and nutritious meal shared amongst friends which I always feel is good for the soul! It is very much a toss everything in a pan kind of meal. This first written recipe simply states ‘The mash consists of potatoes, carrots, turnips, peas, parsnips, leeks, pepper, salt and new milk’. Really however, like most colloquial recipes, whichever seasonal vegetables are bountiful are used. I omit the peas as my husband isn’t keen and add swede instead. I also like to swap the traditional milk for Jersey double cream and butter to give richness and a velvety texture.
Whether apples, turnips or pumpkins, eating seasonally is a wonderful way to connect to the earth beneath us, and root ourselves in community; eating local food with neighbours and friends even more so, for there is nothing as unitive or transcendental as sharing food.
So, I encourage you to take a moment of pause and gather for a more intimate meal ahead of the rush to come. Be mindful of waste and use the whole of what you have. Pumpkins keep for months if stored in a cool, dry place, so don’t throw away your jack’o lanterns! All pumpkins are edible, though the large orange carving kind are often bland, so look for varieties such as Crown Prince, which boasts a beautiful silver blue skin and flavourful yellow flesh to blend them with in soups or stews.
Miniature pumpkins such as ‘Jill be Little’ are excellent for eating and make adorable decorations until then. Uchiki Kuri Squash have a wonderful creamy flavour and texture when roasted, and they make brilliant soup or mash. Any of the butternut squash recipes which abound the internet can substitute any other pumpkin or squash.
If, however, you have a sweet tooth or like the idea of throwing a Galan Gaeaf or Samhain feast, try your hand at Chocolate Cake with Pumpkin Curd, Spiced Chocolate Buttercream or Ganache, both if you are feeling indulgent!
Chocolate Cake with Pumpkin Curd, Spiced Cocoa Buttercream and Spiced Chocolate Ganache. Serves 12-16.
Each of these elements, Pumpkin, Chocolate and warming winter spices pair excellently together, and they combine to make a beautiful seasonal dessert. If you do not like or have all the spices listed, you can easily substitute them. Ground spices can be used in place of whole in the ganache, if you don’t mind the way they affect the texture. The increasingly popular pumpkin pie spice may be used in place of the ground spices in the buttercream. The sponge, curd and buttercream may be made a day ahead, just remember to bring the buttercream to room temperature before using, whipping again if necessary.
| Ingredients: Chocolate Cake 200g golden caster sugar200g unsalted butter4 large eggs200g self-raising flour3 tbsp cocoa powder1 tsp baking powder½ tsp vanilla extract3 tbsp milk(optional) 1 tsp Instant Coffee Pumpkin Curd 100g pumpkin puree, homemade or tinned.50g golden caster sugarzest and juice of 1 clementine (or zest of half an orange and 50ml of the juice)50g butter, cubbed1 egg Spiced Cocoa Buttercream 50g milk chocolate, finely chopped100g butter, softened200g icing sugar1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder1 tbsp milk1 tsp ground cinnamon½ tsp mixed spice½ tsp ground cardamom Spiced Chocolate Ganache 200g good quality dark or milk chocolate300ml double cream1 cinnamon stick2 whole cloves3 all spice (pimento) berries1 green cardamom pod, crushedgrating of fresh nutmeg, coarse enough to strain out. | Method: Begin by making pumpkin puree, chop your pumpkin into 2cm chunks, then roast or steam depending on your preference. Cook until tender (about 15 minutes) then blend into a smooth, loose consistency. Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter the base and sides of two 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.Dissolve 1 tsp of instant coffee into 3 tbsp of cold milkIn a large bowl, combine 200g golden caster sugar, 200g softened unsalted butter, 4 large eggs, 200g self-raising flour, 3 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp vanilla extract, the coffee milk mixture and a pinch of salt; beat until well mixed and pale in colour.Divide the mixture between the prepared tins. Bake for 20 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.In a pan over a low heat mix 100g pumpkin puree with 50g caster sugar, and the zest and juice of 1 clementine, stirring until the sugar dissolves.Using a silicone spatula or spoon, gradually add 50g of butter to the warm mixture, stirring through until it melts. Remove from the heat and beat in the egg. Return to the heat. Stir the mixture continuously over a low heat for about 15 minutes, or until it thickens and clings to the spatula.Pour the curd into a bowl and cover, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow it to firm.Meanwhile, make the buttercream; put 50g chopped milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 secs. Leave the melted chocolate to cool for 5 mins.Mash 100g softened butter and 400g icing sugar together with a fork, this will prevent clouds of icing sugar enveloping you, then switch to a wooden spoon or electric beaters if you have them and beat until light and airy, and very pale in colour.Sift in 2.5 tbsp cocoa powder with a pinch of salt and pour in the melted chocolate and 2 tbsp milk. Mix again until smooth.Once completely cooled, use a palette knife to completely cover one of the cakes in a thin layer of buttercream, then dollop small amounts around the outside of the cake layers, using the palette knife to spread inward slightly towards the centre of the cake.Fill the resulting well with the pumpkin curd, you may have some left over. If you plan to use the ganache also. Do this step on a cake-board rather than a cake stand.Sandwich the other cake on top and spread the remaining buttercream on the top and over the sides.Decorate with more pumpkin curd and serve, or if adding the ganache, refrigerate the cake at this point.To make the ganache, begin by infusing the cream with the spices, heating gently. Meanwhile, chop 200g of good quality high cocoa solid dark or milk chocolate very finely.Heat the cream until it steams, but remove from the heat just before it simmers. If the cream boils, allow it to cool a little before using. Overheating the cream can cause the ganache to split.Remove the cream from the heat and pour through a fine sieve over the finely chopped chocolate. Discard the spices. Allow to stand for two minutes to begin melting the chocolate, then stir mixing from the centre of the bowl outwards until a thick, glossy spread forms.Allow to cool and firm up for 10 minutes.Meanwhile, Remove the cake from the fridge and use a cake scraper, a palette knife, or similar tool with a flat edge to scrape off any excess buttercream and smooth the cake.Place the cake on a wire rack set over a clean baking tray. Spread the ganache over the cake (the ganache will continue to firm up as it comes into contact with the cold cake.) Transfer to a cake stand or serving plate, decorate and serve. N.B you can use any excess ganache that drips into the tray as a dip or spread, or to make hot chocolate. |
For more food history and recipes related to the Advent and Christmas period specifically, keep an eye on the RURAL magazine online newsletter, or sign up to my mailing list. You can also find both Samhain and Christmas food products at www.katherinejaunceyculinary.je
