Food, Finds & Forays
Hey there....
How’re you doing? My week's chugging along well. Last night I photographed a beautiful of group of young women off to their school formal. Gosh the joy and spirit of the young is magnificent to be around isn’t it? We’re in good hands in the future with their generation I think. Being in their orbit has left me very uplifted and excited for the months ahead.
But first Christmas!!
I made a start on that Christmas cooking and gift giving I aspired to last week. Two different batches of chutney done and a plan made for Christmas dessert. I also have another round of gift cooking to go that looks pretty delish. I’ve shared my list for you to check out too. Also if it also feels a bit overwhelming, as it often can at this time of year, I have a little podcast suggestion to get you in the mood. It totally did the trick for me, hopefully it does for you too.
This week I have a warm summer fruit pudding you might like to try. An alternative to some of the more traditional desserts we’re used to at this time of year, it’s light and delicious but perfect for the unseasonably cool nights that pop up sometimes. I know warm fruit can be controversial but it’s worth a try.
Hopefully you find something here to get your Christmas bells jingling and you have a great weekend. I may or may not have added to the cookbook family so that’s me sorted for the weekend.
Stay happy till next week,
Sal x
Food
During my life I’ve had a rather complicated relationship with peaches. I know…melodramatic much! As a child it was the ‘fur’ and later as a young woman a very small window of ripeness during which I’d crunch on one. Yes crunch. Almost slightly like an apple, I had a preference for yellow clingstones a day or two shy of juicy and ripe. I was, what amounted to, a stone fruit neanderthal.
Fast forward to February 2019 when I attended a food and photography workshop in Orange, NSW (you can read about that here) when I was converted. Plump, juicy orbs of amber coloured summer jewels warm from sunshine, nectar running between fingers I was almost embarrassed at my foolishness. Emiko Davies prepared her pesche ripiene for the group and I suddenly understood the ardour others held for the seasonal joy of a ripe peach. Needless to say I’ve spent the last few years catching up.
With the addition of fresh summer cherries this pudding makes a lovely addition to December menus, because goodness knows it can be blazing hot one minute and freezing cold the next here in Melbourne. Ripe, juicy peaches tumbled with cherries and topped with a thin layer feather light sponge it’s a festive alternative for guests who aren’t ones for the more traditional Christmas dessert fair.
Finish with a snowfall of icing sugar laced with Christmas spices and serve with creamy ice cream and or thick cream or just ‘and’ because it’s Christmas and there’s never enough creamy embellishments to a fruity dessert. Pop a little glass of dessert wine nearby and prepare for that full bellied Christmas dinner sigh.
Ingredients:
4-6 juicy ripe peaches the size of the ones you start craving in late spring as the weather warms up
200 grams of cherries pitted and halved
1 tb caster sugar
Zest of an orange
80 gm caster sugar extra
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
¼ tsp ground ginger
90 gm sifted plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
Method: Preheat oven at 180c. Grease a round 20-22 cm ceramic ovenproof dish.
Slice peaches, add cherries, 1 tbs caster sugar and zest. Tumble the fruit mixture into the prepared baking dish and allow to sit while you prepare the sponge.
In a stand mixer with whisk attachment combine the extra caster sugar, vanilla and eggs. Mix on high speed for 5 minutes or until doubled in volume, the colour of cream and almost meringue like.
Sift flour, baking powder, ginger and salt over egg mixture and very gently fold through until only just combined.
Gently dollop all over fruit without spreading. Just dollop all over. We’re trying to preserve as much air as possible.
Place in heated oven and bake for 45 minutes. Check the oven after half an hour to ensure it’s not browning too much.
Serve warm with whatever creamy additions you desire.
Finds & Forays
As December dawned last year I really struggled to get my bells jingling merrily. It had been a long year with frankly a good bit of uncertainty simmering in the background. We were newly emerged from lockdown (sound familiar?) and adorning the house with Christmas vignettes was almost a bridge too far. This year as the distant tinkling of the season’s merry bells grow louder and the last page of the metaphorical calendar is turned I feel far more festive. There’s hope and joy bubbling up all over this year and things feel a little more normal and familiar. Not completely so but certainly a lot closer to a life remembered, though not that long ago. Do you feel that too?
You might recall, a number of weeks ago, I mentioned my excitement to hear a new podcast called Something to Eat, Something to Read. Food and books are two of my greatest loves so this one definitely sparked my interest. I’ve been loving finishing my weeks with the Friday drop of new episodes but was particularly enamoured with the Christmas edition. Episode 5 blew a beautiful full breeze into my Christmas sails setting me off and running with that Christmas cooking list I mentioned last week. I’ve started with Sophie’s chutney I mentioned in last week’s newsy and also made this gorgeous one from Nigella. We did a taste off with some barbecued chicken fillets last weekend and can’t decide which we love more.
When I was asked to share a Christmas book recommendation last week (you can read that here) I was reminded of my fave Christmas recipe. Also a Nigella creation, It’s a hybrid of pudding and cake, rich, fruity and full of flavour. Super moist it will last for days after the big fella has been down your chimney. Leftovers are frequently enjoyed on Christmas camping trips and is lovely served warm or cold.
Something different for homemade Christmas pressies I might also try this week is this incredibly pretty festive treat. Isn’t it one of the prettiest dishes? It will look so gorgeous zhooshed up for gift giving.
At this time of year I often imagine myself as a crafty type. I’m not sure why I think it’s a good idea to add projects to what is always a busy time but being surrounded by natural bushland and native gardens I’m always tempted to try and make my own Christmas wreath. This makes it look fairly easy so maybe this year will be the year.
Photo credits:
@katysfoodfinds
BBC Food
