st. nicholas day

Today is the Feast of St. Nicholas, or St. Nicholas Day as it is commonly called. In the United States we don’t really celebrate St. Nicholas Day, but in some European countries it is just as big a deal as Christmas is here. St. Nicholas was a Bishop in Lycia (modern-day Turkey) during the 4th Century A.D. One legend regarding his works and character is as follows: St. Nicholas heard that children in a neighboring village were impoverished and starving because of a famine. So, he instructed his own servants to harvest everything on his estate and they all traveled to the village and distributed the food to the starving children. No matter how much he gave away, there always seemed to be more in his sack. There are other versions of this story, but the common theme is that they all involve miraculous quantities of food provided by St. Nicholas. Because he was willing to give it away, God helped him to provide it. The St. Nicholas Center has an enormous amount of information about St. Nicholas’s life, his works, and ways that his feast day can be celebrated — it is worth a visit. You might be surprised by how much our modern-day Christmas resembles this ancient feast day! And, beyond the fun, St. Nicholas is a wonderful model for how to be a good human being; the embodiment of love, kindness, and generosity.

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For our little celebration at home we had each of the kids fill a bag for each other and hang it on the doorknob to be opened in the morning. Europeans typically use shoes but I made bags because they are cleaner, and can be reused year after year. In this year’s bag each of my children received candycanes, a chocolate orange, two gold dollar coins, a St. Nicholas peg doll, and a book. We also read The Baker’s Dozen: A St. Nicholas Tale , written by Aaron Shepherd with pictures by Wendy Edelson. This beautifully illustrated children’s book tells the story of a baker, Van Amsterdam, who always gives his customers exactly what they pay for; no more, no less. That is, until he receives a special visitor who teaches him that sometimes by giving more, we get more in return. This afternoon we’ll be baking and decorating Speculatius, or German spice cookies, for ourselves and for others. You can find the recipe below. Happy St. Nicholas Day!

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Speculatius (German Spice Cookies), from St. Nicholas Center

Mix in order:

1 cup shortening
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs whole
¾ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 cups flour
4 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons allspice
2 teaspoons nutmeg
2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons cloves

Turn out onto a floured board. Knead in about one cup additional flour or as much as you need until dough is no longer sticky and is easy to handle.

Put into a plastic bag and refrigerate until chilled and stiff. Then you are ready to roll out and cut the cookies. Cut off a manageable piece and keep the rest cool until you are ready for more.

For many little cut-out shapes, roll out the dough thinly. Thin cookies are tastiest.

For the larger, decorated St. Nicholas cookies, roll the dough to about ¼ inch thickness. Cut out cookie around paper pattern. Place on greased baking sheet.Then get inspired. Use scrappy bits of dough to decorate your Nicholas. For a beard press a little dough through a sieve or a garlic press. Use little balls of dough for eyes or buttons.

Bake at 350º F. until golden-brown. These keep forever in tins in the freezer or for two–three weeks on the shelf.

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martinmas

“The nights will be long, dark, and cold.
Jack Frost will freeze the ground.
How shall I find the light
With so much darkness all around?”

Said Father Sun, “I’ll give you from my
Last autumn rays, a spark,
If you will make a little house
To hold it in the dark.”

from “George’s Lantern” by Anonymous

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Today is Martinmas, or the Feast of St. Martin of Tours. The story of St. Martin (b. 316 A.D.) begins with his decision as a young man to become a Catechumen (a convert to Christianity who has not yet been baptized), against the wishes of his parents. Although conscripted into the Roman army, he found his duties as a soldier to be at odds with his new Christian faith. After a series of trials and tribulations (including being jailed for refusing to fight) he was baptized and embraced monastic life; he was made Bishop of Tours in 371 A.D. He is, however, most famous for an event which occurred during his time as a Roman soldier. Legend tells us that upon entering the gates of Amiens, France on a cold, snowy evening Martin happened upon a beggar clothed in nothing but rags. Without a second thought, Martin took his sword and cut his red military cloak in half and gave part of it to the beggar. That night Martin dreamt that he saw Christ wrapped in the piece of cloak, which solidified his faith and was perhaps the catalyst for the rest of his life’s work.

For special days such as this I always like to spend a little time creating festive decorations, like the glittery stars on our branch mobile, and also I like to venture into the woods to find some natural elements to decorate the table. This evening we ate a delicious feast in honor of St. Martin (recipes below) and read The Star Child, written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm & illustrated by Bernadette Watts (purchased here). This beautiful picture book tells the story of a little orphan girl who gives away everything she has, even the clothing on her back, and is handsomely rewarded with star money falling from heaven — a perfect complement to the legend of St. Martin. In much of Europe the Feast of St. Martin is celebrated with a lantern walk in the evening, and so we did the same. We made some beautiful lanterns last night with mason jars and tissue paper, and we took a little walk around our neighborhood with them tonight. There is something so wonderful about watching the light reach out into the darkness; to know that each of us carry a “light” just like this inside of us and that we can use it as a force for good in the world, as St. Martin did so long ago.

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The Menu
Martinmas, like many feast days, usually involves a lot of meat. I’m a vegetarian, so I created my own menu based on some of the traditions associated with Martinmas, especially in Europe. We had wine because St. Martin of Tours is the patron saint of vintners. I chose a Waldorf-ish salad to start because on Martinmas in Malta children receive bags with treats such as apples, dried fruits, and nuts. The entree was a Turnip Frittata because historically turnips have been carved out and used as lanterns on Martinmas. We had a side of Roasted Carrots & Parsnips, which are traditional harvest vegetables. And, we finished it all off with Vanilla Horseshoe Cookies which are traditionally made for St. Martin’s beautiful white horse.


Apple & Walnut Salad from Taste of Home

Ingredients
5 cups torn romaine
5 cups torn red leaf lettuce
1 large red apple, chopped
1 large green apple, chopped
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Vinaigrette:
3/4 cup Apple juice or cider
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions
In a salad bowl, combine the first eight ingredients.
In a small bowl, whisk the cider, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper; gradually whisk in oil. Drizzle over salad; toss to coat. Serve immediately. Yield: 12 servings (1 cup each).


Turnip Frittata from Eating Well
Ingredients
8 ounces broccoli
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 1/2 cups shredded peeled turnips (about 2 medium; see Tip)
1/2 cup chopped onion
8 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup low-fat milk
1/2 cup shredded fontina or Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add broccoli rabe (or broccolini) and cook until very tender, about 5 minutes for broccoli rabe (or 6 to 7 minutes for broccolini). Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the turnips, onion and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread and pat the mixture into an even layer; cook, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Then stir the mixture and scrape up any browned bits. Pat the mixture back into an even layer and continue cooking, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir again, spread back into an even layer and cook until mostly golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes more. Transfer to a plate. Wash and dry the pan.

Whisk eggs, egg whites and milk in a medium bowl. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cook, stirring briefly, until beginning to set, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Spoon the turnip mixture evenly over the eggs. Top with cheese, then the broccoli rabe (or broccolini).
Transfer the pan to the oven. Bake the frittata until set, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes. To release the frittata from the pan, run a flexible rubber spatula along the edges then underneath, until you can slide it out onto a cutting board or serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.


Roasted Parsnips & Carrots from Ina Garten

Ingredients
2 pounds parsnips, peeled
1 pound carrots, unpeeled
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or parsley

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

If the parsnips and carrots are very thick, cut them in half lengthwise. Slice each diagonally in 1-inch-thick slices. The vegetables will shrink while cooking, so don’t make the pieces too small. Place the cut vegetables on a sheet pan. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss well. Roast for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the vegetables, tossing occasionally, until the parsnips and carrots are just tender. Sprinkle with dill and serve hot.


Vanilla Horseshoe Cookies, from Catholic Culture

Ingredients
1 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats, uncooked

Directions
Cream butter or margarine; add sugar gradually while continuing to cream; beat until fluffy. Stir in vanilla, flour, and salt. Blend in rolled oats [I did this by sort of kneading them into the dough while it was still in the bowl, 1/2 a cup at a time]. Roll out about 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured board. Cut in strips 6 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. On ungreased cookie sheets shape strips to resemble horseshoes. [This didn’t work for me so I just took a bit of dough and shaped it into a horseshoe on the cookie sheet, skipping the strip part entirely]. Bake at 325° for 20 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove carefully, as cookies are very rich and break easily.

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michaelmas

Friend butterfly, friend butterfly, go fetch them one and all!
I’m waiting here to welcome every guest;
And tell them it is Michaelmas, and soon the leaves will fall,
But I think Autumn sunshine is the best!

— Cicely Mary Barker

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not…
— Revelation 12:7-8

wild aster collage

Michaelmas, or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels, takes place each year on September 29th. Its close proximity to the equinox makes it an ideal time to celebrate the change of the seasons, and to prepare for the waning of daylight that happens as we turn away from the sun (at least here in the Northern Hemisphere). A celebration for the Archangel Michael, who symbolizes light and protection against evil, helps to prepare one to face not only the physical darkness of the fall and winter months, but also the metaphoric darkness that we face both in the world and in ourselves. With a young child involved it seemed best to keep the mood cheerful and light, and to keep the focus on the preparation of food and assembling of supplies. Zane and I spent our day gathering wild asters and getting ready to prepare our Michaelmas feast (see recipes below).

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Traditionally a goose is eaten on Michaelmas, but I’m a vegetarian so I chose a slightly different menu and took a picture of some geese instead :)

Carrot Bisque from Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Ingredients:
3 lbs. carrots, peeled and diced into small pieces (1/2″ or less)
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil of some sort
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
3 cups vegetable broth, of vegetable bouillon cube in 3 cups water
1 can coconut milk (13 oz)
1 tbsp maple syrup

Directions:
Cook carrots and onions in the oil, covered, until mostly softened. Add the spices and garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add coconut milk and bring to a low boil (last time I made this soup I forgot about this stage and it fully boiled for a minute or two and turned out ok). Next, you will puree the soup. She says do 1/2, I do the whole thing and I do it with an immersion blender. You can do whatever you like. Add the maple syrup (I also forgot this and, again, it was fine).


Saint Michael’s Bannock, adapted from several recipes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup rye flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 & 1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup white raisins
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375º F
In a large bowl, sift both flours together. Add salt, baking powder and soda to sifted flours. Add the spices and stir until mixed.
Add oats, sugar, and raisins to flour mixture. Slowly add the buttermilk and mix by hand until thoroughly combined. Pour into a greased bread pan and bake for 35-45 minutes.


Mixed Berry Crisp, adapted from a recipe by Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:
4 cups frozen mixed berries (including blackberries, which are a traditional Michaelmas food)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 stick butter or margarine, softened, cut into pieces
3/4 cup rolled oats

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 375°F. Grease a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish with butter or margarine, or spray with vegetable cooking spray. Spread the berries evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the lemon juice. In a bowl, using a pastry blender or fork, mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, butter and rolled oats until well combined. Sprinkle evenly over the berries. Bake until the top is golden and the berries are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Serve hot or warm, with ice cream or whipped cream!

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