Past Crown Tournament Feast Recipes

Russian and Cossack Feast
From the Kitchen of Mistress Geta Alexandra din Wallachia

Menu: Goats Butter, Lecho, Geta's Mushroom Stew, Grilled Chicken, Garlic and Walnut Sauce, Plum Sauce, Green Bean and Walnut Salad, Kasha, Boiled Beef a la Russe, Hot Horseradish Sauce, Apple Baba.

Goats' Butter¹

• 1 part Feta Cheese, 3 parts unsalted butter (if the cheese is not very salty, you may use salted butter)

• Leave butter at room temperature until very soft, but not melted. Break cheese into very fine crumbs by hand or using an electric mixer. Add butter to cheese slowly. Whip mixture until it turns white (about 5 minutes). Serve soft - at room temperature.

Lecho³

• 4 slices turkey bacon - chopped, 2 Tbp. olive oil, 3 medium onions - peeled and chopped, 1 Tbs. Hungarian paprika, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 3 large green peppers - cut into strips, 1- 1 lb. can of whole tomatoes - chopped (or 3 large fresh tomatoes - chopped).

• Fry bacon in a skillet. Add olive oil and onions; cook until tender. Add paprika, and cook for 1 minute. Mix in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook slowly for 20 minutes or until vegetables are cooked. This freezes and keeps very well. If you use regular bacon instead of turkey bacon, drain off all except 2 Tbs. grease before adding onions and omit the olive oil. Serves 10 at a feast.

Geta's Mushroom Stew⁴

• 2 lbs. sliced mushrooms, 3/4 to 1 lb. bacon, 12 green onions - including greens, 2 Tbs. chopped parsley, 2 cups sour cream, 2 Tbs. chopped fennel leaves or 2 tsp ground fennel seed*, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt, 11/2 - 2 cups chicken broth, 2 Tbs. flour.

• *Fennel is often mislabeled as anise in the local supermarkets. Ground fennel seed will give you a slightly different taste and texture.

• Cut bacon into small pieces and fry with chopped green onions. Drain off grease. Add parsley, fennel,salt and pepper; fry a little longer. Add chicken broth, cover and simmer a little (for a thicker stew, add less broth). Add the mushrooms, mix and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix flour and sour cream together. Slowly add to stew, stirring constantly. Cook slowly unitl done - approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

• This freezes well. Serves 12 at a feast.

Grilled Chicken²

• 4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, well rinsed, Salt - to taste, freshly ground pepper - to taste, 1/2 cup olive oil, 3 cloves garlic - minced, 8 sprigs fresh tarragon - stems crushed with back of a spoon, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, Garlic and Walnut Sauce or Plum Sauce (to follow).

• Rub chicken with salt and pepper. Combine olive oil, water, lemon juice, garlic, and tarragon in a shallow dish. Add the chicken and turn to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 6 hours), turning chicken occasionally. Remove chicken breasts from marinade and without drying, place on pan or grill. Grill or broil 3 to 4 inches from heat, turning a few times until fully cooked. Serve with Garlic and Walnut or Plum sauce.

• Serves 10 at feast.

Plum Sauce³

• 2 - 16 1/2 oz. cans of plums - pitted and chopped, 1 tsp. ground cardamon, 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1 tsp. ground coriander, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.

• Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan. Heat, stirring constantly until it bubbles. Remove from heat. May be served warm or cold. Adjust spices as desired. Spices will mellow if left in the refrigerator a few days before serving.

• Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Garlic & Walnut Sauce²

• ^{1 1/2 cup walnut pieces, 5 cloves garlic - peeled, 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, 1 cup chicken broth - warm, 3 to 4 Tbs. lemon juice, salt - to taste, 1/4 tsp. ground coriancer, 1/4 tsp. fround benugreek, 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp. ground tumeric.}

• ^{Grind walnuts, garlic and 1/4 cup of the cilantro. Continue grinding until walnuts are finely ground. In a bowl, combine walnut mixture with stock, lemon juice to taste, and the remaining ingredients. Let sauce stand at room temperature, covered, for at least 2 hours before serving. This sauce freezes well, but it is best to let it sit a day or two in the refrigerator to mellow before freezing.}

• ^{Makes about 2 cups.}

Green Bean & Walnut Salad²

• 1/2 cup ground walnuts, 2 Tbs. red wine vinegar, 1 Tbs. lemon juice, 3 Tbs. olive oil, 1/2 medium red onion - thinly sliced, salt and pepper - to taste, 2 medium cloves garlic - crushed, 1 Tbs. water, 1 lb. green beans - trimmed and cut in half crosswise, 1/8 cup finely chopped cilantro.

• In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, water and oil. Mix and let stand for 30 minutes. Boil beans in lightly salted water for about 7 minutes or until crisp tender. Drain beans and cover with cold water. Drain beans again and then pat dry. In a large salad bowl, combine beans with the onion.

• Add the dressing, cilantro and more vinegar if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss well.

• Serve either chilled or at room temperature. Serves 15 at a feast.

Kasha¹

• 2 cups chicken stock or broth, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. freshly grund pepper, 2 Tbs. butter, 1 cup kasha buckwheat grouts*, 1 egg -beaten.

• *Geta found Wolff's brand Roasted Buckwheat Kernels in the ethnic food section of the local supermarkets. She usd the coarse or whole granulation.

• Combine chicken broth, salt, pepper, and butter in a 2 quart covered saucepan and bring to a simmer. In a bowl, mix kasha and egg together. Heat a non stick skillet or frying pan and add the kasha/egg mixture. On medium heat, stir, flatten, and chop the kasha with a wooden spoon until the egg is cooked and the kernels are hot and mostly seperated. Bring broth to a boil and add the kasha to it. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Sitr and check if kernels are tender and liquid is absorbed; if not, cook for anothr 3 to 5 minutes. Fluff and serve.

• Serves 10 at a feast.

Boiled Beef a la Russe²

• 2 beef bouillon cubes, 2 quarts water, 1 large onion - peeled and cubed, 1 medium carrot - and sliced, 1 white turnip - peeled and cubed, 2 celery ribs with leaves, 3 cloves garlic - peeled, 1 beef rump or bottom round roast or brisket - 3 lbs., salt - to taste, Bouquet garni (5 sprigs parsley, 5 sprigs dill, 8 peppercorns, 2 bay leaves tied together in a cheesecloth bag). Served with Hot Horseradish Sauce.

• In a large pot, bring water and bouillon to a boil. Ad the beef, salt (if you wish), vegetables, and boquet garni. Bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until beef is very tender (2 to 3 1/2 hours). Meat may be served hot or cold.  (Save the broth for the sauce). Serves 10 at a feast.

Hot Horseradish Sauce²

• 1 1/2 Tbs. butter, 1 1/2 Tbs. flour, 1 cup beef froth from beef recipe or use anned broth, 3/4 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup prepared white horseradish - drained, pinch of sugar, 1/2 tsp. vinegar.

• Melt butter over medium to low heat in a small saucepan. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Do not let the mixture brown! Slowly add the broth, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Add the sour cream, horseradish, sugar and vinegar. Taste and add more sugar or vinegar if needed. Cook for a few minutes, stirring until heated through. This sauce freezes well.

• Makes about 2 cups.

Apple Baba²

• ^{4 Granny Smith or other type tart apples, 2 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 4 large eggs, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1 cup vegetale oil, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, 4 cup flour, 1 tsp. baking powder.}

• ^{Peel, core and quarter the apples, then thinly slice crosswise. Preheat your own to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 inch tube pan or bundt pan.* Put apples in a large bowl, sprinklw with 1/4 cup of the sugar and the cinnamon. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and remaining sugar with a mixer until pale yellow and thick. Gradually beat in the oil, orange juice and vanilla extract. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Gradually add it to the egg mixture, stirring with a large wooden spoon. The batter should have the consistency of thick honey. fold the apples into the batter, making sure that they are well distributed. Pour the apple batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth out the top. Bake until the top is well browned and splitting (1 to 1 1/2 hours). Invert the baba onto a rack and cool. Sprinkel with confectioners' sugarjust before serving.}

• ^{Serves 16 at a feast.}

• ^{*Babas get their name from the pan they are baked in. When inverted they look like the skirts of the old women, who are also called "babas."}

• ^{Recipes were adapted from the following sources: 1} This is an original recipe based on spreads I have tasted in Balkan restaurants.

• ² Please to the Table - The Russian Cookbook, by Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman, Workman Publishing, New York, 1990.

• ³ The Eastern European Cookbook, by Kay Shaw Nelson, Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1973.

• ⁴ The Romanian Cook Book, by Anisoara Stan, Castle, New Jersey, 1951. (Northern Romania has bordered Russian empire territory for centuries).