#celebrating midsummer

In my family, this holiday has been celebrated through generations. Everyone has done it a bit differently due to their own personal beliefs or they just thought certain parts were silly. However, this is what my mother taught me and passed down to me. Which I will one day teach my kids about celebrating midsummer. In any case, if you want to celebrate midsummer then here’s how you go about…

Honey Oatmeal – 

Just like with Imbolc, honey is a great symbol for the season. Like @mistbetweenworlds said “While I don’t think it’s actually attested anywhere specifically in relation to Manannán, bees and honey have a lot of symbolism tied to cthonic gods, knowledge, the underworld, and the afterlife in Indo-European tradition. Also, honey was a traditional offering to the fae in a lot of places.” (I cant find the post!)

What you need -

Instant or Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

Hot water + pinch of salt (for the sea)

Milk

Butter

1 tsp to 1 TBSP honey (to taste)

Steps:

Make your oatmeal with the hot water and salt.

When ready, add butter to taste, then add your honey to taste. Stir well.

Add a splash of milk to cool down and add creaminess. Stir Well.

Eat and Enjoy!

Offer some to the sea (or body of water nearest to you) or on an altar for the sea for Manannan Mac Lir and to the fae.

Baked Apples with a Honey Whiskey Syrup -

What you need -

4 Baking apples

1 pat butter per apple

¼ cup of honey

½ cup Irish Whiskey

1 muffin tin (to hold the apples upright)

Steps for Syrup:

To a small sauce pan, add ½ cup whiskey.

Heat on low, until just simmering.

Turn off the burner and add the honey. Stir until it dissolves.

Steps for apples:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Scoop out the core from top of the apple, leaving a well. Do not cut all the way through.

Place the butter in the apple. Pour in your honey whiskey ‘syrup’.

Place in muffin tin or shallow baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, until syrup begins to caramelize and apples are tender.

Apple Corn Bread and Buttermilk  - 

http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/gafm/gafm19.htm 

A take on sour milk and crab apples that Manannan took with him when traveling and playing tricks.

Apple Cornbread -

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup flour

1⁄3 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1⁄4 cup butter, melted

1 apple, finely diced (I peel ours, but you can leave it unpeeled if you have organic apples)

Steps

Mix dry ingredients; set aside.

In another bowl, combine milk, egg, and shortening (you may want to warm the milk slightly to keep the shortening from clumping back up, but not too much or you'll cook the egg).

Add cornmeal mixture to wet ingredients.

Add apple and stir gently; batter will be very thick.

Pour into greased 9x9" pan and bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes.

(To make sure it cooks through in the middle, since it is a heavier-than-usual cornbread batter, you may want to check about 20 min-- if the center still seems uncooked, cover with foil to prevent overbrowning and increase cook time as needed).

*Cornbread recipe from http://www.food.com/recipe/apple-cornbread-112543

To Eat -

Place cornbread in a bowl once cooled, and add a cup of buttermilk! Stir and Eat! If you are like me and prefer ‘sweet’ milk, you can use that instead, as a symbol of the ‘sour’ milk.

Honey Ginger Glazed Pork or Salmon -

The pork represents Manannan’s pig that dies every night and comes back to life in the morning, or if you prefer, use a fatty fish such as salmon, that represents the bounty of the sea. Also the salmon could represent the salmon of knowledge.

Glaze Recipe - 

(I never measure so this is a rough estimate)*

What you Need:

1/4 cup honey

2 tsp ground ginger or 1 inch piece fresh grated ginger

2 - 3 green onions (or onion powder to taste)

2 tsp paprika

salt and pepper to taste

Thin the glaze with 1 - 2 TBSP hot water 

*This covers roughly a pound of meat

Steps :

Prepare meat or fish as usual, clean etc.

Pat dry.

On baking pan lined with foil or other dish, drizzle the glaze over one side of the meat, then turn and glaze the other side.

Bake per directions (as usual).

Halfway through baking time add remaining glaze to top of meat.

Let rest after done cooking and enjoy!

These are all the recipes I have made or collected for Midsummer! Here are some suggestions for side dishes and other offerings.

Side Dishes/Other Suggestions

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Fire roasted/grilled bell peppers

Steamed Clams

Honey Lime Shrimp

Beer Braised Mussels

Beer

Honey Milk 

Hot Totties

Apples and honey

Crab Legs

Summer Fruit and Wine Sangria

Fresh Local produce in a salad

Apple Oat Cakes

Baby Back (pork) Ribs in a whiskey bbq sauce