Dear Folks,
Celebrating the Multicultural festivities of
December, I thought I would pick an herb or spice which is referenced in the
Bible (land of three of the Major Religions of the world) and used in many
cuisines around the entire world, as a way of gathering together all the wealth
of diversity around us - in true celebration.
Day 25
 |
| My Saffron growing no blooms yet. |
Herb: Saffron, Crocus Sativus,
Song of Solomon 4:14, “Nard and
saffron, calamus and cinnamon, With all the trees of frankincense, Myrrh and
aloes, along with all the finest spices. 15 "You
are a garden spring, A well of fresh water, And streams flowing from Lebanon."
Christmas Day! The Day Jesus Christ was
born and is celebrated, and the 1st Day of The Twelve Days of
Christmas*
Luke
6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. . .9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. . .9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
The Herb:
Saffron is an
ancient spice beloved for both its flavor and value. Made from the stigmas of the crocus flower,
they must be hand-picked. To
glean 1 lb (450 g) of dry saffron requires the harvest of
50,000–75,000 flowers.
The “Safflower” plant (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is considered a poor man’s Saffron
substitute, as is Calendula flower, both used to brighten foods, but with out
the real Saffron flavor.
Planting:
Saffron will grow
in our desert gardens. I have finally
found a good location for my current plantings (they had too much shade in my
first try) and keeping my fingers crossed for a harvest. Pictured are my 3 bulbs doing nicely so far.
In desert gardens
plant the bulbs in the fall, in full sun in well draining soil. I have been advised to watch carefully for
when the flower blooms to quickly collect the stigmas for use. A few is all I expect so I need to plan on
what special dish I will use them in.
Recipes:
Saffron is most
commonly associated with rice recipes, such as Pilaf, where it imparts its
beautiful color and flavor.
Saffron is also
used in baking and a traditional way to use the spice is in “St. Lucia Saffron
Bun” aka Swedish Saffron Bun and several other names. Sometimes associated with St.Lucia’s Feast
Day December 13th, this recipe would be a nice one for any time in
December.
Rachel Ray has a
recipe for Saffron Rice Pilaf, and would qualify as a comfort food.
Music:
Oh Holy Night
Celtic Women
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ-8jYpa1-o
12 Days of Christmas
Celtic Women
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ-8jYpa1-o
12 Days of Christmas
*The 12 days of Christmas are commercially celebrated starting on
December 14th, with ads and promotions of various kinds. However the REAL 12 days of Christmas begins December 25th the Traditional 1st
Day of Christmas celebration and ends on the January 5th – the
eve of the Epiphany – January
6th “In
Western Christianity, the feast commemorates principally (but not solely) the
visit of the Magi to the Christ child, and thus Jesus' physical manifestation
to the Gentiles” Epiphany is also known as Little Christmas.
In 567 the Council of Tours proclaimed that the
entire period between Christmas and Epiphany should be considered part of the
celebration, creating what became known as the twelve days of Christmas, or
what the English called Christmastide. On the last of the twelve days, called
Twelfth Night, various cultures developed a wide range of additional special
festivities. The variation extends even to the issue of how to count the days.
If Christmas Day is the first of the twelve days, then Twelfth Night would be
on January 5, the eve of Epiphany. If December 26, the day after Christmas, is
the first day, then Twelfth Night falls on January 6, the evening of Epiphany
itself. -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelfth_Night_%28holiday%29
Twelfth Night is
a festival celebrating the coming of the Epiphany in many branches of
Christianity. My family celebrated both
Christmas and Epiphany/Little Christmas.
Our tradition was to leave the tree up until after January 6th.
A Twelfth Night
Dinner to celebrate the coming Epiphany is another tradition. Southern Living gives one example of a
celebratory Twelfth Night Dinner.
In 2008 I posted about each of the 12 days
of Christmas. Here is my 2014 blog recap of all 12 links so
you can continue celebrating Christmas until January 6th.
Merry Christmas and a Very
Happy New Year!
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1 comment:
Thank you David. I am happy you and others have enjoyed these. Yes a lot of work, but the nice thing about a blog is they are now there for anyone to find them at any time.
Happy New Year!
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