The event that I took part in at the Merchant’s House Museum was a great success: It was well attended, and the food well received. I served Jersey Cocktails and Green Tea Punch; and also Cider Cake and a Carrot Soup that proved so popular, I will share the recipe below.

I snapped a few photos…not very many. I think there are more somewhere, and perhaps some videos on You Tube of me pontificating about mid-century booze. I’ll share them as they come to light.

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Carrot Soup
Original recipe from the manuscript of Rosa Ann Mason Grovsner, 1850s
Modern recipe adapted from The American History Cookbook, by Mark Zanger, 2003.

This is a simple, winter vegetable soup and can be made with any root vegetable.

1/2 stick salted butter
2 lbs carrots (I use bags of baby carrots; saves time and are tasty.)
1 1/2 qrts beef broth
1/4 tsp mace (this amount can be doubled or tripled for a spicier soup)
1 cup heavy cream

Melt butter in a large pot. Add carrots, mace, fresh pepper and half the stock. Cover pot and cook carrots over a low heat until tender. Push cooked carrots through a food mill, mash by hand, or use a blender. Return carrots to pot and mix with remainder of broth; taste and re-season with additional mace, salt or pepper, if desired. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in cream.