Flametree is a dance event held every year in Adora (SCA South Coast NSW). They adjoin my local group of Okewaite, indeed they’re the coastal strip for our hinterland. It’s quicker for them to get to Okewaite events than for events at the opposite end of Adora, coastal tourist roads being what they are, so we interact with them a lot. They were looking for a feast steward, and I was looking for a fun event to cook for, so here we were!

This was a ball, so I did all finger-food served as a buffet. Easy when you’re dancing.

Chewettes
Chicken liver and damson plum mini-pies. The pies were tiny, looked good and worked well. When your liver pies are all eaten, you’re doing something right!

Eggs with green sauce
Hardboiled eggs with a herb and apple sauce. By Mistress Alys, with chive flowers on top, and a tray of them looked sensational. All went.

Gingerbread buttons
The plan was to make rounds with a fleur-de-lys stamp. It was a rushed job with a different recipe; they didn’t take the impression well, and the taste wasn’t particularly good.

Forest mushrooms
‘Wild’ and field mushrooms in a garlic and thyme sauce, on bread. Used breadsticks cut to rounds and buttered, with the mushroom mix on top. Fry off some garlic in butter, then fry a mixture of (commercial) “wild” mushrooms and smallest available field mushrooms, add a dash of balsamic vinegar at the end. A tasty recipe, but feast numbers were low so we economised on the expensive wild mushrooms a bit. All went anyway.

Chicken and leek pies
This was our normal recipe in smallish pies. Very tasty. We made some vegie versions for a couple of attendees.

Brie fritters
Cheese pieces in a beer batter. This was brie cheese in my fritter batter. I used Aldi brie cheese in small rounds cut to eight wedges. Easy, and sensational to eat. Doing them again soon.

Sausages
Beef sausage pieces with an onion relish. I was going to use the sausages from our butcher, but at $1.50 per sausage it was too expensive. We used chipolatas from Woolies, on special that day, baked in the oven and then cut lengthwise. Not particularly well executed because we had a shortage of kitchen staff at that point, and everybody was full anyway. Not a terrible idea, worth another try.

Amaretti
Almond biscuits. Recipe here. Always popular.

Hot fars
Beef and date meatballs with a mustard sauce. OK idea, but the execution could have been better. I made them a bit small, and the pan was too hot. People liked them, but didn’t eat many as they were already full. The mustard sauce was popular with those who tried them.

Cheese pasties
With onions , except for those marked. I used puff pastry, which I don’t normally do, but wanted to differentiate from other pastry items. I accidently asked for four from a pastry sheet when I wanted nine. Tasted OK but too big for that time of night.

Fig and honey sovereigns
The cunning plan was to press them with a fancy round cutter which I left at home, two hours away. Mistress Alys made the dough, and tried a ravioli dough with tumeric through it for a golden colour, again to provide some contrast to other dishes. It didn’t roll out well. We had to recast them as tiny pan-fried pasties. Which were sensational; the fig/wine/honey/spice mix was just delicious when heated.

Doucettes
Custard tarts with rhubarb. A Mistress Alys specialty; these ones with some sourish stewed rhubarb at the bottom to contrast with the sweet custard. Delicious.

Berry foole
Cream, meringue, berries. This is Eton Mess, served in individual glass bowls, with a raspberry on top. Very popular.

Digby’s Excellent Small Cakes
Currant biscuits, a traditional Flametree treat (thanks Brian). These are made every year by Brian le Faucheur, and we all look forward to them.