I am planning to host an medieval themed midsummer celebration as peasants would have done in the 5th - 10th century, and I'm trying to research how lavish their meal would have been. I understand peasants would have feasted during Yule, particularly slaughtering animals and using expensive spices. Was midsummer of the same significance?
I would assume something along the lines of:
I know there are myriad midsummer traditions, for reference I would be thinking of western europe (Britain, Scotland, Ireland, northern France, Belgium, Netherlands). I would assume pagans celebrated midsummer before the conversion to St John's Eve?
Thanks!
Swedish peasants would have consumed white porridge - porridge made with milk instead of water and wheat or barley instead of rye or oats. Filbunke - milk without the cream removed allowed to sour until it has a pudding-like texture - was common.
If the peasant was well off, he could spice his filbunke with cinnamon or ginger and add a bit of sugar or honey on top. Crushed hard crispbread was often strewn on top of the filbunke.
At this time the cattle (which in Scandinavia often consisted of goats rather than cows) would have started giving milk again, and fresh cheese and cream would be available. The calf, kid and lamb is a couple of months old and slaughtering those that are not kept for rearing for milk or wool production would be common at this time.
If in the southern part of the country, a first harvest of oats could have been possible.
So, for Sweden, fresh meat, filbunke, vitgröt, freshly baked bread (perhaps from the first harvest of oats), butter and cheese, onions and beer would have been present on the table.
You forgot about the most important ingredient: cereal, which would be made into oatmeal, porrige, groat and grits, served either sweet, with honey, or with bits of meat.
Also remember that all foragable "fruit of the forrest" would be served, or used as a spice: dryed and fresh mashrooms, blueberries and other berries (but not strawberries).
Depending on the region, snails, clams and crayfish would be eaten. Dryed and fresh European fruit (apples, pears, some species of plum)
Flatbread was popular (essentially,thick dough of flour with water and a bit of salt, fried on a pan, or even on a flat rock in the middle of a bonfire)
Also beets and turnip in various forms, as well as horseraddish to spice up the meat.