Not even the Doctor could stay away from this KC tradition!
No recipes today, but I wanted to share a couple of recent outings. This past weekend, I ventured to the Kansas City Renaissance Festival with fellow time-travelers Amber and Hannah. I’ve been going every year (usually multiple times) in I can’t even imagine how long. This event includes six weekends of costumes, shows, and shopping all centered around the 14th-17th centuries.
After buying our tickets to two very important events, we started to meander. There was a Doctor Who themed wedding that day, and what Doctor Who themed anything is complete without a TARDIS? I didn’t get to look, but I assume that it was bigger on the inside. Also, I really want one of these. My birthday is coming up, so that’s something to think about.
Ahh, 1524. Good year for beer.
We started off with the pub crawl, which includes a beer mug and three beers. This was the first day of autumn, so I opted for Oktoberfest (a favorite of mine!) as jokes were told and songs were sung in the tradition of ye olde times. Such merriment!
After we obtained our third mug of libation, food was a necessity (after all, there is only so much merriment a person can have on an empty stomach). Fortunately the festival stocks a wide variety of food options: Turkey legs, various items on a stick, crêpes, giant pickles, and fried stuff with or without cheese. I almost always choose a specific item from the last category, and this day was no exception….
My favorite faire munchies!
The Fryed Veggie Medley! Included in this platter is fried pickle spears, mushrooms, cauliflower, green beans, zucchini, and a couple of mozzarella sticks.
The tastiness of the fried green beans always amazes me, beer or not.
This was the perfect meal to compliment a tummy full of Oktoberfest. The veggies always taste nice and fresh under the crispy batter. Some day, when I get over my fear of deep-frying, I will recreate this at home.
Much perusing of the various booths followed. I was on the lookout for a new poison ring, but the selection was a little slim this particular weekend. My disappointment didn’t last long, however as I was distracted by something even better than hidden compartments:
I was so distracted by the sign that I didn’t even notice Amber was posing.
Sampling the jalapeño and garlic-stuffed olives. Martini, anyone?
In case you haven’t noticed from my recipes, I adore garlic. Finding a tent dedicated to garlic with samples is how I imagine heaven would be. This booth contained products from Garlic Festival® Foods and featured samples of pickled garlic, stuffed olives, and various dipping sauces. Everything was delicious. I especially enjoyed the stuffed olives. The garlic note was strong without overpowering the salty goodness of the brine. I could have easily eaten a handful of these olives!
I refrained, of course, despite my dreams of tossing pasta with diced, stuffed olives and tomatoes. I suppose I’ll just have to return to Ren Fest to stock up. Besides, I still need a poison ring!
What better way to end a day at the Faire?
The second and final event we made our way to is my absolute favorite of the faire: the Royal Smoker. This 21-and-over event features cigars, drinks, snacks, and humor of a very adult nature. This was my sixth year attending, and it remains as entertaining as ever as belly dancers shimmied, inappropriate songs were sung, and wenches made sure our refreshment needs were met. I opted for the Irish ale as my beverage of choice.
After a day of carousing 16th century style with friends, it was time to return home. I will be returning for at least one more round of Renaissance fun this year. At the very least, I need another pub crawl mug to make a matched set!
And on that farm was a narcoleptic pig! Super fun attending this fun event with you, Amber, and Matt, dear Hillary! I still maintain the best things were my straight-up pickle and that cheesecake
Ee-I-Ee-I-Ohhh! That pickle was something to behold, as was the cheesecake on a stick. I can’t express how sad I am that you are leaving this week!! Who else will attack me with anatomically correct daikons?
Shopping/to-do list for this weekend:
1. Garlic olives ‘n stuff
2. Poison ring
3. A cape for me, which they probably still won’t have
4. Royal Smoker tix
5. Another pub crawl for you?
6. Sweets from the chocolate festival
7. Wine
8. Wine.
I think that covers it all
. I wish the pub crawl included wine, but perhaps I can settle for something lighter than the Oktoberest on it (Woodchuck, pre-haps?). Because….well, wine.