The Black Cat Tavern

Multi-Age 1, 2, 3 at Chautauqua Elementary

The Black Bull Tavern

The Black Bull served a wide variety of colonial fare in fine fashion. Servers took orders and delivered dishes the class prepared. The wonderful scents in the air brought in lots of customers.

On the Menu...

Biscuits & Butter

Corn Bread, Plain, with Cucumber Catsup or with Molasses

Peas Porridge

Pumpkin Tart

Cider
Ginger Ale

We tested the recipes in class during project times and picked the best of the choices to serve to our guests. Students waited on tables, taking orders and delivering food and drink to our patrons.

The Tavernkeeper

In Colonial Times your class determined what kind of table, meal, and serving implements you got to have.

The Gentry ate feasts of lamb, cakes, wine and puddings at elegant tables in rooms beautifully furnished with framed prints and reading materials to remind gentlemen and ladies of their own parlors. They sat upon mahogany furniture set on woven rugs with fine linen, glasses and silver.

Tradesmen from the middling classes ate and drank simpler fare from stoneware mugs and pewter plates while seated at walnut tables with muslin table cloths.

Slaves often prepared the meals at kitchens apart from the main tavern. Their simple food was served on whatever was available...maybe even a broken plate.

You can tell by the happy smiles that the food was tasty!

Sweet Corn Bread

1 cup ALBERS Yellow Corn Meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Grease 8-inch-square baking pan.
COMBINE corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Combine milk, oil and egg in small bowl; mix well. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until blended. Pour into prepared pan.
BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Peas Porridge Hot

2 T butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 container vegetable stock
1 c split peas
1 splash vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the onion and carrot and cook until almost soft and golden brown. Add the peas and stock. Cover and cook, stirring occaisionally, until the peas are soft. The longer the better (although nine days may be overdoing it a little!).
Season with a splash of vinegar and salt and pepper.

Pumpkin Tarts 30 mini tart shells 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 1. Preheat oven to 375°. 2. In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin purée, eggs, cream, sugar, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Whisk until well blended. Pour into chilled pastry shells. Bake until crust is golden brown, and custard is set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Biscuits

Ingredients: 2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 ½ tsp baking powder

6 tsp butter

2/3 cups milk

Instructions: Mix the dry ingredients together. Cut in the butter using two knives or a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like course crumbs. Blend in the milk-add more as needed until you have a stiff dough. Knead to combine. Roll out and cut. Bake at 350 degrees on a buttered pan for 8 to 12 minutes until done.