Foods associated with Litha include:

• honey, nuts, herbs, fresh vegetables of all kinds and fresh fruits such as lemons and oranges. Other standard fare may be pumpernickel bread as well as summer-squash and any yellow or orange colored foods. Flaming foods are also appropriate.  Make certain that you use a pot marigold (Calendula) rather than an African marigold (Tagetes), you use them in your cooking.

• Traditional drinks are ale, mead, and fresh fruit juice of any kind.

• Plants associated with Midsummer are oak, mistletoe, frankincense, lemon, sandalwood, heliotrope, copal, saffron, galangal, laurel and ylang-ylang. Herbs associated with this Sabbat are chamomile, cinquefoil, elder, fennel, hemp, larkspur, lavender, male fern, mugwort, pine, roses, Saint John's wort, wild thyme, wisteria and verbena. Traditionally, herbs gathered on this day are extremely powerful.

Summer Solstice Herb Soup

1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp fresh chives, minced
2 Tbsp fresh chervil, minced
2 Tbsp lemon sorrel leaves, minced
2 tsp fresh tarragon, minced
1 cup celery ribs, finely chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
salt and pepper
1 pinch sugar
4 slices whole wheat bread , toasted
1 dash freshly ground nutmeg
Grated parmesan cheese

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large heavy pot. Add the herbs and celery and cook, stirring, until wilted and soft, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Place a slice of toast in each soup bowl and pour the soup over. Dust with nutmeg and sprinkle with grated cheese.

An Herb Pie

Two handfuls of parlsey
Spinach
Two lettuces
Mustard
Cresses
Some leaves of burage
White beet-leaves
Salt
Flour
Two eggs
A pint of cream
Pie crust

Pick two handuls of parsley from the stems, half the quantity of spinach, two lettuce, some mustard and cresses, a few leaves or burage, and white beet-leaves; wash, and boil them a little; then drain, and press out the water; cut them small; mix, and lay them in a dish, sprinkled with som slt. Mix a batter of lour, two eggs well beaten, a pint of cream, and half a pint of milk, and pour it on the herbs; cover with a good crust, and bake.

Yet another recipe from The Olde Cookery Book
Source:  (Anonymous), Domestic Cookery, late 18th - early 19th century?,
W Wilson (printer), London?, England

Honey Basil Lemon Carrots

With the golden colors of summer, this dish is perfect for Litha!

6 medium to large carrots, peeled
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp grated lemon rind
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup mead (preferred) or white wine plus 2 tsp honey
6 green onions, chopped

Cut carrots into strips. Combine carrots, water, lemon juice, brown sugar and garlic in saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender. Remove from heat. Place carrots in a small bowl, reserving cooking liquid in saucepan. Add basil, lemon rind and oil to cooking liquid and set aside.

In another pan, melt the butter. Add the mead and chopped green onions and let simmer on low until onions are soft.

Combine all together in the saucepan with the original cooking liquid. Let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes to let flavors combine. If you have marigold petals available, sprinkle some on top.  Serve and enjoy!

Pumpernickle Bread - for the bread machine

3/4 cup water
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1 tbsp molasses
1 cup white flour
2/3 cup rye flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp cornmeal
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp salt
1-3/4 tsp yeast

Select loaf size on your bread machine.  Add ingredients to machine according to manufacturer's directions.  Select whole wheat, rapid, or regular cycle.

Litha Nut Cake with Honey Syrup

3 cups flour
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped cashews
1 cup dried dates, minced
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water

For the syrup:

1 1/2 cups honey
1/2 cup water
Juice of 1 small lemon
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest

Making the nut cake: The way to make the cake is to mix it on a board, using your hands, but you can also mix the ingredients together in a bowl. Either way, you first combine the dry ingredients. Make a mound with a well in the centre. Pour the oil and water slowly into the well, then mix again. Knead the dough for about a minute; don't knead too long or the texture of the cakes will be gluey. Grease a 9" pan with oil. Press the dough gently into the pan. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for one hour. Remove, and allow to cool.

Making the honey syrup: Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat. Allow the liquid to reduce by 1/4.

Next, place the cooled nut cake onto a shallow plate or serving tray. With a fork, make small holes over the top of the cake. Slowly pour the warm syrup over the cake, and allow to sit for one hour. Serve with strong coffee, and enjoy!

Litha Honeyed Fruit

2 bananas, sliced
8 oz pineapple chunks
2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 pear, peeled and sliced
8 oz mandarin oranges
2 cups melon balls, your favorite kind
2 apples, peeled and diced
1 cup blueberries
2 cups seedless grapes
1/4 cup dried cherries
3 Tbsp shredded coconut
2 Tbsp sunflower seeds, unsalted
1/4 cup cashew pieces
16 oz plain yogurt
4 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp mead
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 Tbsp rose petals for garnish, pesticide-free and rinsed

Toss all the fruits and nuts together in a large bowl.  In a smaller bowl, stir together the yogurt, honey, mead (honey wine), and nutmeg.  Fold the yogurt mixture into the fruit/nut mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator.  Before serving, stir again.  Tidy the bowl edges and sprinkle with the rose petals.  Serve and enjoy!

Roses for cooking:

Red and pink roses are the best choice for cooking (other kinds discolor when heated).  Make sure your rose petals are completely pesticide free and cleaned well.  Don't purchase roses from florists for cooking unless they're selling them as food-grade flowers.  An even better bet is to grow and use your own.

Here's a list of some of the better-tasting roses for cooking:

Reds... Nur Mahal (Hyb. Musk, 1923), Cramoisi Supérieur (China, 1832), Louis Philippe (China, 1834), Dortmund (Kordes, 1955), Chrysler Imperial (Hyb. Tea, 1952)

Pinks... Paul Neyron (Hyb. Perp, 1869), Vanity (Hyb. Musk, 1920), Mrs. B. R. Cant (Tea, 1901), Duchesse de Brabant (Tea, 1857), Pink Meidiland (Shrub, 1984), Hansa (Hyb. Rugosa, 1905)

Rosy Vanilla Pie for Litha

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1 egg, well beaten
1 tb flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup washed rose petals, finely chopped
9" unbaked pie shell

Combine all the above ingredients, except the vanilla and rose petals, in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue boiling until thickened. Allow to cool and stir in vanilla and rose petals. Pour mixture into an unbaked pie shell and bake at 325'F for 40-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Lemony Sweet Potato Pie

3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 cup cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon peel
9" unbaked pie shell
sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 400'F.

Beat egg yolks with sugar and flour. Add milk, vanilla, butter, sweet potatoes, lemon juice, lemon peel; beat until well blended. Pour into unbaked pie shell and place on middle rack of preheated oven. Bake 10 minutes at 400, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue to bake until pie is firm. Serve warm topped with well-chilled sweetened whipping cream and vanilla ice cream.

Litha Taffy

1 cup honey
butter

You'll also need:
a large saucepan
a candy thermometer
a sheet pan

Heat honey in large sauce pan (3 qt.) to boiling and continue boiling gently to 280 F. (138 C). Remove from heat, pour onto buttered sheet pan and allow to cool until a dent can be made in it when pressed with finger tips. Butter your hands or it will stick to you. Pull taffy until lightand porous then pull taffey into long strips about 1 inch in diameter. Cut into 1 inch taffy kisses. Wrap individually in wax paper and store in refrigerator.

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