Pasties the Food of the Miners
Rutabaga is a must in a Pasty.
Have you had a Pasty? Do you know what a Pasty is? Chances are if you live in Michigan, you know what a pasty is and have eaten a few of them in your life. I was born and raised in the beautiful state of Michigan. Plus, my mom’s side of the family comes from Cornwall England. Pasties originated from England and when the English miners moved to the Upper Peninusula of Michigan their favorite handheld food came with them, the pasty.
(B.T.W. The pasty pictured above is one of my Vegan Pasties and it is on a plate passed down to me from my great, great grandmother from England.)
History of Pasties:
The earliest reference to a pasty comes from the city records in Devon County, Plymouth, England in 1509. These early handheld, meat and vegetable pies were even mentioned in a letter from Henry the VIII to his wife Jane Seymour who lived from 1508 to 1537. These semi-circle pies were adopted to be used as a main food for miners to take to work in the tin mining region of Cornwall England. The miners carried them in tin lunch buckets and would heat them by burning a candle underneath the bucket.
Pasties are a self-contained, handheld, type of savory pies. (They traditionally had meat in them being I am vegan; I will just talk about the vegetables that were used to make the traditional pasty.) When I am looking to create my version of a traditional dish, I do research to find out about the history of the food and how the original dish was made. When I did research to create a pasty inspired dish, I was not interested in the new versions with added vegetables, spices or extras that people make today. I wanted to know what was in the old version, the way it was made when it first became a popular dish to eat.
My research consisted of looked up the history of pasties, asking people who live in the U.P. (Upper Peninsula of Michigan) and my mom. My mom remembers her grandmother making pasties and she said they were the best she has ever eaten. The people who I spoke to in the U.P. said, to use a lot of onions. If the recipes call for one onion, make it two. The reason is onions have a high-water content and they will make sure the pasty is not dry. Plus, onions were a staple food for people living in either England or the U.P. and they would have been used as a main ingredient for the pasties. My mom and everyone I know when asked about the pasty ingredients said, ‘it MUST have rutabaga in it’. My mom does not even consider it a pasty if it does not contain rutabaga.
The other vegetable prominent in a pasty is the potato. I prefer sweet potatoes because they are more nutritious and white potatoes are night shade vegetable. I use white sweet potatoes when the recipes call for potatoes. I find the white sweet potato has more flavor also.
The pasty filling is contained inside a crust that is folded over to create a half circle. The crust does not have contain yeast. It is more like a thick, savory pie crust. This makes it a very unique tasting dish and completely different then an Italian calzone with a yeast bread crust.
Rutabaga Information:
Rutabaga, some consider is a funny vegetable. It looks weird and the name sounds weird. But do not let its strangeness deter you from enjoying this wonderful root vegetable. If you are like me, most of us are familiar with the conventionally grown version of rutabaga. The one that is large, hard to cut, and has a thick coating of wax over the whole thing. But that is not the rutabaga I am talking about here. I tell people, if you have never had an organic rutabaga, then you have never truly had a rutabaga. The difference in taste and texture is dramatic. Organic rutabagas are sweet and creamy when cooked. They are round, with a yellowish color with a purple top to them. Similar looking to a turnip. however organic rutabagas are sweeter than turnips.
The rutabaga belongs in a category of food that is very important in your diet called root vegetables. These root vegetables, just as the name implies, are the root of the plant. Energetically this is very important. The more denser root part of the plant is compact and has a downward movement, considered yang energy. The yang energy is your strengthening energy. It helps build your core to be strong. I observe that many people miss this category of strengthening, yang energy foods in their diets. Most people like the more yin, grows on top of the ground vegetables. (Lettuces, kale, collards, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers and tomatoes.) To create health and longevity in the body we need to consume both yin and yang energy foods. Balance is the key to health.
Rutabagas are high in anticarcinogenic properties, vitamins, A, B, C, potassium, phosphorus, and calcium. They help aid in digestion and help detoxify the body. Rutabagas also feed and nurture the spleen, pancreas and stomach.
Eating Rutabagas:
The simplest way to eat and enjoy rutabaga is to cut it into small cubes and then steam it until fork tender. The sweetness of the rutabaga shines through when you eat it in this simple way. I also boil the small cubes of rutabaga until fork tender and that is also delicious. Plus, you can add it to any soup recipe and cook until soft.
I taught how to make my vegan version of Pasties in a two-hour cooking class. The process to make them takes time but the delicious, end product is so worth the time and effort to make them. My taste tester, my mom, said my version reminded her of the pasties that her grandmother use to make. That was the best complement I could have ever received.
To purchase my Vegan Pasty Cooking Class: https://www.macroval.com/cookingclasses.htm
Big Announcement:
You can learn how to make my TRADITIONAL ENGLISH PASTY BURGER in the upcoming LIVE, Scrumptious Plant-Based Burgers and More Cooking Class. Myself and two other talented ladies, Cyd Notter and Vicki Brett-Gach will be teaching this fun, informative class featuring veggie burgers inspired from our favorite tastes and traditions. Sign up here: https://www.macroval.com/plant_based_burgers_cooking_class.htm
Upcoming Cooking Class:
Chef Val's Lemon Corn Cake with Blueberry Sauce - Wed. April 26
6:30 to 7:30 PM (EST) - All new recipe - Virtual
Sign up: https://www.macroval.com/cookingclasses.htm
How do you make a moist, delicious, vegan, gluten free cake? Join me as I share this dessert recipe featuring the signature flavor of spring, sour. And the dessert is SUGAR FREE also! This is one of my favorite dessert combo's, lemon and blueberry. Your taste buds will thank you for this treat!
The best way to learn about cooking, eating and living a whole food, vegan lifestyle is to attend a cooking class.
REAL FOOD with Chef Val Radio Show - 1 to 1:30 PM (ET)
Wed. April 26 - I will be sharing my recipe of the month: Barley Vegetables Stew. https://www.blogtalkradio.com/macrovalrealfood/2023/04/26/real-food-with-chef-val
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