A farm Christmas party means cake, surprise wine, and a rooster spared the chop
I never met Grandma Peggy. She was a breeder of racing greyhounds, a wearer of pearls, a chicken farmer and a wonderful cook. I feel I should wear white conservator’s gloves as I open her copy of The 21st Birthday Cookery Book of The Country Women’s Association in Tasmania. It was once spiral-bound, but each time I open it another batter-stained page works itself free.
I try to divine things about her from pages made brittle with years of floury fingers and stray drops of lemon juice. The biggest mystery being which of the equally stained fruit cake recipes was her favourite. The page I’ve contributed the greatest patina to is the shortcake – a buttery thing cooked in a pair of shallow tins and sandwiched around whatever takes your fancy. I bake one, filled with lemon butter, for our tiny staff Christmas party – just Matt, my husband and farming partner, our mate Jess who comes weekly to weed and eat excellent lunches, and our two girls who’ll join us when the school bus arrives.
This story is from the December 2018 edition of Gourmet Traveller.
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This story is from the December 2018 edition of Gourmet Traveller.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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Not a vegetable but rather a flower bud that rises on a thistle, the artichoke is a complex delight. Its rewards are hard won; first you must get past the armour of petals and remove the hairy choke. Those who step up are rewarded with sweet and savoury creaminess and the elusive flavour of spring. Many of the recipes here begin with the same Provençal braise. Others call on the nuttiness of artichokes in their raw form. The results make pasta lighter and chicken brighter or can be fried to become a vessel for bold flavours all of which capture the levity of the season.
