"Creating the Dish "Plundered Pig" or "Knapsack Pork Dinner"" Topic

I guess this is a question for any period food scholars out there? I want to create a dish for napoleonic themed dinners. What would the Napoleonic soldier in Belgum have been able to scrounge to go with the pig, besides onions?
Garlic?
Shallot?
Rosemary?
other?

What sort of vegetables did the population grow in thier home plots?

What would the modern equivelant of the commonly available bread look like?

What sort of seasoninging did the soldiers commonly carry besides salt?
Peppercorns?

Thanks to any reinactors or others who can help!

Depends on location and time of year

And which army, I imagine.

turnup

As it was a looted pig, nothing fancy, needs to be cooked and eaten before the officers catch up with you.

Summer. Charleroi area.

Yes, which army?

Hmmm. French….have to change the name though…

Cochon Libéré?

The officers will have some as well, as the caste system around the pot is merit based.

Chicken Marengo is really good. Story is that Nappy's chef created the dish after the battle of Marengo. He used a chicken some shrimp and other odds and ends.

here is link to one receipe:
link
And here is wikipedia link:
link

Bon Appetit
Mark

Just about any meat boiled for the British.

Leeks, turnips, carrots, potatoes, fennel, cabbage, celery root, tomatoes, and eggplant might all have been found in a farmer's kitchen garden. For herbs: thyme, tarragon, chives and basil are classic French staples. Mushrooms of various types would have been found in the woods. And don't forget things like dried peas, beans, barley and lentils.

Probably the first night you'd feast on roast pig, and the rest of the week it would be stew or pottage made from the leftovers and bones and whatever beans and vegetables you had.

Yum. I can work with that!
Any historical bakers out there? :)

Bread is stupidly easy. I recommend this recipe: link

Likely your average foot soldier would have had a brown/whole grain bread, but those are harder to make. You can use 1/4 to 1/3 rye or whole wheat in the above recipe with good results. Take care that your dough is not too soft. Shape it into a simple round boule or a long 'french loaf'/baguette shape.

Meanwhile, this is what the English were eating. warof1812.ca/food.htm

American cookbook of 1824. Probably not far off what their British cousins were, or had been, eating during the previous decades, allowing for changes in local foodstuffs. link

A slightly older cookbook, but one in wide circulation for many years in both England and America: link

starr\t with a 4lb pebble and 2 buckets of water,
add scrounged ingredients from onlookers to taste.

Jana Wang is Awesome.

starr\t with a 4lb pebble and 2 buckets of water,
add scrounged ingredients from onlookers to taste.

My favorite soup!