Dorwinion

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"It must be potent wine to make a wood-elf drowsy; but this wine, it would seem, was the heady vintage of the great gardens of Dorwinion, not meant for his soldiers or his servants, but for the king's feasts only, and for smaller bowls not for the butler's great flagons."


Douglas A. Anderson, in the excellent Annotated Hobbit, explains:
"The name Dorwinion is clearly of Elvish origin, and it appears in Tolkien's earlier writings. In "The Lay of the Children of Húrin", a long unfinished alliterative poem written in the early to mid-1920s, the especially potent wine of Dor-Winion [sic] is described as coming from the burning South, which implies that Dor-Winion is located in Beleriand. [...]
Dorwinion also appears in a text probably dating from the mid-1930s, just before Tolkien began writing The Lord of the Rings in December 1937. This text is the conclusion to the Quenya Silmarillion (published in volume five of the History, The Lost Road), and "the undying flowers in the meads of Dorwinion" are mentioned in the final paragraph, implying that Dorwinion is overseas in Tol Eressëa.
Finally, on Pauline bayne's Map of Middle Earth (1970), which was compiled with Tolkien's assistance, Dorwinion is placed on the northwest shores of the inland Sea of Rhûn, far down the banks of the River Running in the East. The placement here certainly accords with the mentions of Dorwinion in The Hobbit but does not account for the appearance of the name in earlier texts."

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Well, that's good to know. But what about the wine?

I would like to nominate one of my favorite wines to the rank of "Wines from Dorwinion":

HoneyRun Winery's Blackberry Honeywine
This is a double whammy - without a doubt the best blackberry wine I have ever tasted, as well as the best mead (there was some homebrew mead that Mrs. Meadows and I were given many, many years ago, but that's a different story, kids!)
Because of various laws, this product is sadly not available everywhere, but if you are in one of the "allowed" states, you can order it here: HoneyRun Winery.
If you can get your hands on a bottle (keep it over 21, folks!), I highly recommend and encourage you to do so.
Enjoy!

Hob's To Do List: Eat More Mushrooms!

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Golden Chanterelle

David Arora recommends making a cream of chanterelle soup, using any basic cream of mushroom soup recipe. I've actually had cream of potato and leek soup that included chanterelles ~ it was pure hobbit heaven! You could tell it was a special dish because the aroma was different - richer, somehow deeper and more fragrant.

Porcini (King Bolete)

A summer favorite with garlic, cheese, and crusty bread (although I've only ever had them dried). I have happy visions of roasting some fresh porcini mushrooms over an open fire... We'll see how the summer goes; it's definitely on the official to do list.

Horn of Plenty

Described as the most flavorful of the chanterelles, but also one of the toughest, requiring prolonged, gentle cooking. Because it cooks up black, it's recommended for things like omelettes, sandwiches, pizzas, etc. I've never tried this mushroom, even though it's said to be common for my part of the world.

Thanks to Wikipedia for the images; thanks to David Arora's guidebook, All That The Rain Promises, and More...



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A Shortcut to Mushrooms

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It's always fun to go mushrooming, but unless you really know what you're looking for (or looking at), it can be a dangerous prospect: sickened at best, dead at worst. Soaking dried mushrooms is an option; buying fresh from a local greengrocer or trusted mushroom hunter is just as good. Or you can grow your own, thanks to Fungi Perfecti.



Fungi Perfecti® is a family-owned, environmentally friendly company specializing in using gourmet and medicinal mushrooms to improve the health of the planet and its people. Founded by mycologist and author Paul Stamets, we are leaders in a new wave of technologies harnessing the inherent power of mushrooms and fungal mycelium worldwide. Fungi Perfecti® is Certified Organic by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. In business since 1980, we offer an ever-expanding product line for the mushroom enthusiast.
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Eccles Cakes

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After hearing about them for years, Mrs. Meadows and I finally found a local shop that sells Eccles Cakes! (This may be laughable for our friends across the water, but in our little nook of the woods, it's a rare treat.) We bought a packet yesterday afternoon on our way to a public garden.

Eccles cakes are small, rather like flaky buttermilk biscuits in appearance (though flatter), and filled with currants. I enjoyed one this morning slightly warmed, and with saskatoon jelly on the side. Utter bliss. I know for sure that Bilbo kept a secret stash in his larder.



The cakes are named after the village of Eccles, in Salford. Here is a nice, informative link, courtesy of Salford (and with a recipe, too - I think I have my plans for next Sunday afternoon).

Or you can purchase real Lancashire Eccles cakes online. (This company has the lowest shipping costs I've seen, so far.)

Enjoy!
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Recipe:Oatmeal with Strawberries

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I'm normally an oatmeal-with-honey-and-raisins sort of person; Mrs. Meadows and I found this recipe a few years back, and I have to admit that it became an instant favorite. (We've adapted it for our own tastes.)

For the oatmeal:
2 cups whole or steel-cut oatmeal
milk
1/4 tsp. salt
sour cream (to top)

For the strawberries:
1 pint strawberries
2 Tbsp. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract (or more to taste)

Rinse and hull the strawberries, then cut - we like to slice and chop coarsely (for the variety of textures). Place in a small bowl with brown sugar and vanilla extract; stir and let macerate.

Cook the oatmeal according to directions on package, but add salt and substitute milk for half of the water recommended for cooking (i.e., if it calls for 2 cups of water, use 1 cup of water and 1 cup of milk).

When oatmeal is cooked, ladle into bowls. Top with sour cream and strawberries.

Recipe:Crusty Bread

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I haven't tried it yet, but this recipe from Mother Earth News sounds wonderful. Although I'm very, very partial to my honey bread recipe, this sounds like it would be right at home on a blustery winter's day. Butter and honey, anyone?

No Knead, Dutch Oven Bread

1⁄4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1⁄2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting. You may use white, whole wheat or a combination of the two.
1 1⁄2 tsp salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting

Click here to continue with the recipe.
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Cloudberries

After reading my "best jams" review, Mrs. Meadows brought home a jar of cloudberry jam (from Hafi) for us to try. Cloudberries are sub-Arctic, mountain-loving plants, and the fruit are golden colored.


The jam itself is not smooth; the berries have pleasantly crunchy seeds, quite larger than you'd find in blackberry preserves (but much smaller than pomegranate). Now regarding the flavour: overwhelmingly honey-flavoured! If you've ever enjoy fresh, raw honeycomb, then you already know what to expect.

There are subtle aftertastes. I couldn't quite identify them; I called it "fruity" and let it go. Mrs. Meadows said there are notes of apricot and very, very mild raspberry; her estimation was "floral" instead of "fruity", and I'd have to agree with that.

It is an enjoyable jam, and I'd recommend it highly.

Happy picnicking!

Hob's Pick:Best Jams

Mrs. Meadows and I had a very nice indoor picnic the other day, during which we enjoyed a variety of jams we'd received as gifts. I am very partial to blackberry jam, with strawberry running a close second; but I have to say these were some outstanding new jams, perfect for a picnic, tea, breakfast, or other special occasion.

If you're going to have a jam sampling, it's best to get things in order. I would start with a pot of winter fruit tea (or a nice pekoe blend); some seasonal fruit to help cleanse the palate (citrus or pomegranate do nicely); and of course, lots of toast! And if you're going to go to the trouble of toasting anything, you might as well make it an English muffin (cinnamon raisin, preferably).

My number three jam is French Marmalade. It is very mild, with a good orange fragrance; but with a pleasant, grapefruit bitterness you can feel at the back of the palate. Go easy with this one, because the bitterness starts to overpower the flavor if you don't cleanse the palate often.

My number two jam is Olallieberry. (Olallieberries, if you don't know, are a hybrid berry of predominately blackberry strains.) It is not especially sweet, but it is very fragrant ~ it is like eating a wonderful, mild perfume. The blackberry flavour is not especially strong, but excellent nonetheless. I've never had olallieberry pie, though I've heard of it; it is definitely on my to-do list for summer!

Which leads up to my number one jam: Tayberry, which is a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry. Tayberry has a very simple, strong blackberry flavour, and it is very sweet without being overpowering or sickly sweet. My only complaint would be that it is quite melty, turning a bit drippy within a few minutes and downright syrupy after an hour. (The olallieberry and French marmalade remained firm throughout the picnic.)

The French Marmalade came from St. Dalfour; the berry jams came from Pennington Farms.

Happy picnic wishes for the future!

RecipeBeorn's Honey Bread

This outstanding recipe has been in my family for years. It is sweet without being cakey, and is wonderful toasted, with butter and honey. I am fairly certain that this exact recipe is what Beorn served to Bilbo and the dwarves.

1 pkg active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups honey
1/3 cup sultanas or golden raisins
2 large eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 to 2 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 cup warm water

In a large bowl, combine yeast, 3/4 cup warm water, and honey. Let stand 5 minutes to soften yeast.

Put sultanas in a small bowl, and cover with hot or boiling water. Set aside.

In another small bowl, beat eggs; cover and chill.

Once yeast has softened, add all but 1 Tbsp of egg, and 1 1/2 cup flour, salt, and oil. Beat until batter is stretchy. Add remaining flour. Drain sultanas, add. Stir with a wooden spoon until dough is well moistened.

Scrape dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic; about 10 minutes. Add flour as needed to prevent sticking. Rinse, dry, and oil bread bowl; turn dough in bowl to oil top. Cover dough and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Turn out dough on a lightly floured bowl to expel air. Shape in a rope about two feet long. If dough is so elastic it shrinks back, let rest a few minutes and then continue.

Oil a 9" or 10" springform pan with removable rim. Coil dough to pan rim. Cover and let stand until puffy, about 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and gently brush dough with reserved egg.

Bake in 325 degree oven, on rack about 1/3 distance from bottom, until dark golden brown. Let cool in pan.

Best served with butter and honey, or fresh strawberries, and lots of tea.