Everyone wants to pronounce Samhain like Sam Hane. In reality is it pronounced Soh-Win. So exactly what is Samhain? It is more commonly referred to in modern times as Halloween when children get to dress up as their favorite characters.
But it is actually an ancient Celtic holiday that is the mid-point between the fall equinox and the winter solstice and one of the four Great Fires. Those fires are celebrated in the middle between the equinoxes and the solstices. It is believed that it might been celebrated more than 2,500 years ago. For the Celts it marked the beginning of a new year as it was the end of the harvest and the beginning of the dark part of the year. The Celts, the Druids, Wiccans and other pagans believed that this was the date where the veil between the spirit world and this world was thinnest and spirits would wander the earth, visiting family or their old homes and places or taking vengeance on old enemies. To be clear, none of these groups are Satanists. Many of these older religions still celebrate it.
In order to protect themselves, the ancients would wear animal skins and horns to frighten the spirits but would also have great feasts celebrating their harvests. Those meals would include meats from their animals, vegetables from their harvest and sweets created by villagers. Other than wearing animal skins and horns, it doesn’t sound much different than us celebrating New Year’s Eve! They would also use this food to appease any spirits that might come to them. This food wouldn’t really resemble anything that we grow and I am pretty sure we aren’t slaughtering our animals either but we can still enjoy the holiday.
Here are some recipes to help you celebrate Samhain.
Roasted Acorn Squash Sweet and Heat
- 1 Acorn Squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 ½ tablespoons of canola or olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons of crushed red pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons of real maple syrup, not that pancake stuff
- 2 firm apples peeled and cut into the same size chunks as squash
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place either parchment or aluminum foil on 2 large baking trays and generously spray with a non-stick spray, an olive oil one if possible.
Place acorn squash in a large bowl and toss with oil then add crushed red pepper, cinnamon, maple sugar and salt and toss again. In another bowl toss the apples with the brown sugar. , sprayed with non-stick spray and put aside.
Evenly divide squash on trays and keep the pieces separated and put them in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes then turn the squash pieces over and cook for another 10 minutes. At this point the squash should have caramelized. Add the apple pieces around the edges of the pans and cook for another 10 minutes. The apples will still have some bite to them but that will contrast with the softness of the squash.
Apple pie filling
Of course, apples always play a huge part at this time of year so I will share my apple pie filling with you. You can always use whatever pie crust you like, homemade or store bought. My friend Randy who owns an apple orchard told me when making apple pie to make sure you cut the slices the same thickness and use one type of apple to ensure that the apple slices all cook at the same time.
My filling is very simple and is just a little bit different.
- 5-7 apples peeled, cored and sliced depending on the size of your pie. I use Granny Smith for the tartness.
- Fruit Fresh for tossing the apple slices to keep them from browning
- ¼ cup bourbon
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of Clear Jel mixed with 3 tablespoons of water (Alternatively, you can use ¼ cup of flour)
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
In a mixing bowl, toss apple slices with Fruit Fresh then add to bourbon and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Drain and add sugar. Place in frying pan with melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon over the apples. You need to cook them until just softened but not mushy. If using the Clear Jel, add and cook until it bubbles then take off heat, let it cool briefly and add to pie crust. If using flour, just toss apples with flour before cooking.
The bourbon adds a nice bit of tang but not alcoholic taste to the apples.
Pork Shoulder Roast in a slow cooker
- 2 ½ lb Boneless Pork Shoulder or Pork Butt
- 1/2 cup Kosher Salt
- 3 large onions cut in half
Make some deep cuts into the roast. Rub the salt all over including the ends and press it into the roast. Cover it up in plastic wrap tightly and place in the refrigerator for 12 hours or overnight. Next day remove the plastic wrap and wipe the roast dry with a paper towel. Place it in a slow cooker and cover it with apple juice or apple cider completely. Cook on high for about 4 hours. Take it out and let it rest on a platter for about 10 minutes. Scoop out the onions and place around the roast. You can either just use the juices from the slow cooker or you can make a gravy from the juices and serve on the side of the roast. Mashed potatoes are a wonderful accompaniment to this dish.
I hope you enjoy these recipes and the spirit of Samhain as much as I do!
