Medieval Lenten and Easter cookery

As Lent comes to an end and with Easter in sight various online links to seasonal cookery have caught my attention.

The  Medieval Manuscripts Blog from the British Library has a post with recipes for Lenten fare - almond tarts, a fruit pottage and simulated eggs - which can be seen, and attempted, at Great medieval bake off: Lent edition

The always excellent Tadting History site on YouTube with the eminently likeable and informative Max Miller had a post last year about Lent and medieval substitutes for meat and related ingredients in dishes. In it he refers to the fifteenth century faux eggs the BL blog offers. In the broadcast he prepares an almond milk based porridge at Cooking Medieval Dessert for Lent: Bruet of Almaynne in lente

In the video he also talks about the way in which Lenten indulgences to get around the ban on consuming butter funded the Tour du Beurre at Rouen cathedral. I posted about this, and the equivalent tourer at Bourges in The Tour de Beurre in 2015. Another blogger also has a piece about the tower at Butter Tower (  Tour de Beurre)

The Tour du Beurre at Rouen Cathedral

Image: Wikipedia 

In a more recent episode of Tasting History he discussed hhe origins of simnel cake and made one to an early twentieth century recipe. This can be viewed here

Back in 2013 I posted about simnel cake - a particular favourite with me - and that post can be viewed at Simnel cake

Now I see that this is all a bit late for this year, but you now have recipes for next year, which will hopefully by more like ‘normal’, so that will give  you ideas - and talking of ideas, just think, give up butter, and who, knows your church could build that new tower it has always been lacking  .....