Stitches, Dishes & Stories: The Lord of the Rings, Arwen Edition

Full of hobbits, dwarves, orcs, and of course elves, in my second installment of Stitches, Dishes & Stories, we’re heading to J.R.R. Tolkien’s world of Middle Earth in The Lord of the Rings with a focus on Arwen Undómiel (Evenstar). I cooked jammy baked blueberries with whipped mascarpone (think along the lines of fruit fool) and crocheted a rectangular ripple shawl in a variegated blue colorway for the occasion.

This is the second installment of my series Stitches, Dishes & Stories here on An Edible Mosaic. (For my first installment, I featured F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby with a minted prosecco gin rickey cocktail and a crocheted headband.) If you’re new to the series, welcome! For each feature, I choose a classic work of literature and use it as the inspiration to make a crocheted item and a recipe. If you’re a reader, crocheter, or home cook, we can nerd out together over timeless stories, yarn we love, and good food and drink to go with it.

Please note that this post is heavy on the photos (especially of the crochet piece…because who knew crochet items were just so darn photogenic, lol!). If it’s not for you, please feel free to check out my latest recipes for tons of delicious food ideas. Or if you’re looking for summer dessert inspiration and are here for the jammy baked blueberries swirled into luscious, velvety whipped mascarpone, feel free to use the “jump to recipe” button found at the top of this post or simply scroll to the bottom for the recipe card. Thanks for being here, and enjoy!

The Story: The Lord of the Rings

I knew I was going to feature J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic book The Lord of the Rings at some point in my Stitches, Dishes & Stories series. However, I didn’t plan for it to be my second installment. The stars just kind of aligned and it all came together. And I love how it turned out!

This novel and the tale contained within is a masterpiece. It needs no introduction from me, save to say it’s one of those rare stories that speaks truth to me every single time I re-read the book or re-watch the movies. No matter what season of my life I’m in, no matter how much time has elapsed since I last enjoyed it.

To name just one of my many favorite scenes, Samwise Gamgee’s monologue reduces me to a sobbing puddle every.single.time.

Frodo: I can’t do this, Sam.

Sam: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness, and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end, because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it’ll shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: What are we holding on to, Sam?

Sam: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo…and it’s worth fighting for.

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

Passing you the tissues, but please pass the box back to me, lol.

The Stitch: Large Rectangle Crochet Shawl in a Variegated Blue Colorway

Let’s turn our attention to Arwen. This is the first time she’s introduced…

In the middle of the table, against the woven cloths upon the wall, there was a chair under a canopy, and there sat a lady fair to look upon, and so like was she in form of womanhood to Elrond that Frodo guessed that she was one of his close kindred. Young she was and yet not so. The braids of her dark hair were touched by no frost, her white arms and clear face were flawless and smooth, and the light of stars was in her bright eyes, grey as a cloudless night; yet queenly she looked, and thought and knowledge were in her glance, as of one who has known many things that the years bring. Above her brow her head was covered with a cap of silver lace netted with small gems, glittering white; but her soft grey raiment had no ornament save a girdle of leaves wrought in silver.

So it was that Frodo saw her whom few mortals had yet seen; Arwen, daughter of Elrond, in whom it was said that the likeness of Lúthien had come on earth again; and she was called Undómiel, for she was the Evenstar of her people. Long she had been in the land of her mother’s kin, in Lórien beyond the mountains, and was but lately returned to Rivendell to her father’s house. But her brothers, Elladan and Elrohir, were out upon errantry: for they rode often far afield with the Rangers of the North, forgetting never their mother’s torment in the dens of the orcs.

Such loveliness in living thing Frodo had never seen before nor imagined in his mind; and he was both surprised and abashed to find that he had a seat at Elrond’s table among all these folk so high and fair. 

 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

Additionally, J.R.R. Tolkien describes Arwen in “The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen” in an appendix to The Lord of the Rings as wearing a silver and blue mantle.

Because of her queenly persona in both the book and movies (and because of several of her scenes in the movies in which she’s wearing blue, purple, or bluish-purple), I’ve always felt like a rich, royal bluish-purple speaks to Arwen’s character, so I went with that for my crocheted project. I also wanted the piece to have a fluidity to it, inspired by the scene “Flight to the Ford” (from the movie only, not found in the book).

Ultimately, for my crochet piece inspired by Arwen, I decided on a drapey ripple shawl in a variegated blue colorway that’s reminiscent of flowing water and open sky. The rippled stitch pattern ended up being the perfect choice for this color scheme, accentuating it with a feeling of motion that mirrors the movement of both air and water.

The shawl is pretty, yet functional, with an understated feminine elegance that’s not overly frilly or too lacy. It’s open and lightweight, but large enough to be worn in multiple ways. I love how it turned out; it’s a beautiful summer shawl.

The Yarn

For this project, I used Malabrigo Arroyo yarn in the color Azules. Based in Peru, I love that Malabrigo hand-dyes their yarns in kettles in small batches, and is dedicated to giving opportunities to those who may not otherwise have them. (You can read more about their story and what they stand for here.) The Azules colorway is a variegated yarn that features deep blue jewel tones, medium and light blues, as well as sky blue, lavender, teal, and seafoam green that leans towards turquoise. To me, this yarn emulates nature in the form of air and water.

Large Rectangle Crochet Shawl Pattern

J.R.R. Tolkien’s description of Arwen indicates natural elegance and a minimalistic, understated aesthetic, so I wanted to crochet a piece that spoke to that. I immediately thought of a cloak (or a wrap or shawl) because when I think of elven garb, a cloak always pops into my head first. I wanted a simple, but stately piece that’s flowy and large enough to wear multiple ways.

For inspiration, I used Annie Design Crochet’s omna shawl pattern. It’s a large ripple crochet shawl with a lot of drape that gives the feeling of movement, which is exactly what I wanted. And it couldn’t be easier to make; after you crochet the first couple of rows, get ready for your flow state because it’s a single row repeat for the rest of the wrap!

I made the following changes to the original pattern:

• I used sport weight yarn instead of DK weight yarn. Because of this, I chained more than 100 for the foundation chain, but I kept with the pattern multiple of 16 + 4. Despite using thinner yarn, I used the same hook size (4.5 mm) to get a drapey look.
• After I crocheted the wrap to be the size I wanted it, I crocheted a border of single crochet stitches all the way around to tidy up the edges.
• Although Carmen’s tassels are a lovely addition to the original design, I kept them off because I wanted a simpler elegance that I feel speaks to Arwen’s character.

The Dish: Jammy Baked Blueberries With Whipped Mascarpone Cream

The thing to remember about food that’s fit for an elf is that it’s light, bright, and fresh. Think seasonal vegetables and/or fruit. Essentially, celebrating the time of the year with the food that it gives.

For the Arwen edition (spoiler alert: I will likely feature other LOTR characters in later installments of this series!), I knew I wanted to make some kind of dessert, and I knew I wanted it to be fruity. I was vacillating between blueberries and figs. It was a bit too early for fig season when I made this, so blueberries won out.

Roasting blueberries with a splash of balsamic vinegar, a touch of honey, and a sprinkling of vanilla bean powder accentuates the berries’ flavor and transforms this humble fruit into a beautifully nuanced treat. The result is a lovely jammy blueberry syrup or sauce that can be used in a variety of sweet or savory applications, such as: in coffee or on pancakes, waffles, ice cream, cheesecake, mousse, angel food cake, or pound cake. Or go savory and serve it on baked brie, along with grilled chicken or salmon, or in a little dish on a cheese platter or charcuterie board.

Here I decided to serve the berries on what is basically an instant cheesecake (okay, it took 5 minutes, so I guess it’s not exactly instant, lol) made with a base of mascarpone cheese. Velvety-smooth and deliciously creamy, whipped mascarpone with cream is rich and buttery with a hint of sweet vanilla flavor. It tastes like a cross between whipped cream, American buttercream, cream cheese frosting, and no-bake cheesecake mousse.

Syrupy roasted blueberries swirled into rich whipped mascarpone makes a lovely summer dessert that’s similar to an English fruit fool. It’s good for a random Tuesday evening when you want just a little something sweet but nothing too heavy, and is also impressive enough for serving guests. This dessert is elegant (as elvish food should be), and of course it would be a fun addition to any LOTR-themed gathering.

Ingredients

Instructions

For the Baked Blueberries:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Add all ingredients to an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish (or equivalent), and toss to coat the berries and dissolve the honey. Spread the berries out evenly.
2. Roast uncovered until the berries are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature. (TIP: It will thicken more as it cools. For a thicker, syrupy consistency, mash a few of the berries into the sauce.)

For the Whipped Mascarpone:

1. Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Use a handheld electric mixer to beat just until it starts to thicken to the consistency of softly whipped cream. (TIP: This happens very fast, like within 30 seconds or so if your ingredients are at room temperature. DO NOT over-mix or your mascarpone will have a curdled texture.) 
2. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

To Serve:

1. Divide the whipped mascarpone between 6 individual glasses and divide the cooled blueberry sauce on top.

Storage

• Baked blueberry sauce – Cool to room temperature, and then store the blueberries in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
• Whipped mascarpone – Store whipped mascarpone in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you want to serve it, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, then gently fold it so it’s creamy again (TIP: do not re-whip it or it will curdle). Better yet, if you want to make it ahead, spoon the whipped mascarpone into individual serving glasses before refrigerating so you don’t need to stir it again before serving.

Baked Blueberries and Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frequently Asked Questions

More Food Perfect For an Elven Feast

• Creamy Fava Soup With Fresh Dill
• Lentil Salad With Herbed Goat Cheese
• Asparagus Salad With Basil and Pine Nuts
• Pistachio Crusted Salmon
• Plum Crumble Bars
• Mini Victoria Sponge Cakes
• And if the elves are hosting hobbits, you won’t want to miss these elevenses food ideas!