Food for Summer Solstice

 

Midsummer is upon us and we are ready for a feast, but what to brew up in the kitchen. This is high season for many summer fruits and vegetables.  We can have some green vegetables such as snap peas, green beans, lettuce, broccoli, and zucchini to represent vegetative deities such as the Green Man and Gaia. Yellow, orange, and red vegetables such as summer squash, carrots, tomatoes, and peppers embody the colors of the sun and the energy of the longest day. Fruit salads or fruit breads celebrate the bounty of the orchards beginning to bear.  ”Sun breads” usually have white or yellow dough studded with bright pieces of fruit. Foods made using the sun include sun-dried tomatoes, fruit leather, sun tea, and sunflower seeds.  These are ideal for solar-focused celebrations because they capture the power of the sun as energy we can use.  Smoked fish such as herring and salmon are traditional treats in Sweden and Finland. Because fishing is a major source of food and income for these cultures, fish represent abundance and prosperity.  The smoke comes from fire, another aspect of the solar holiday. So other flame-cooked foods such as grilled steaks, barbecued ribs, shish kebabs, and vegetable skewers similarly evoke the sun’s energy with their passage through fire. Milk and cheese are also Midsummer treats as historically, cows only gave milk in spring and summer, so people made the most of the bounty for this holiday.  They also made fermented milk products, milk porridges, pancakes and pastries. Ice cream is a modern dessert that can include fresh fruit as an ingredient or a topping.  Symbolically, it reminds us that the sun’s peak is passing and winter lies ahead.  A pairing of red (strawberry, raspberry, or cherry) and green (mint, lime, or honeydew) ice cream flavors would make an excellent ending to a feast in honor of the Oak King and the Holly King. Another suitable Midsummer food ideas are hot spicy foods.

I will post some recipes later on but I hope this helps you to start planning your Summer Solstice celebration.