Christmas

Christmas day started off just like any other December day, picking raspberries- the difference being the pager would not beep.. Or would it- Yes someone had forgotten to pick up their order and turned up. Once the order was organized it was back to picking. As is usual my mind wanders down many paths while quietly picking those plump ripe berries, the background is filled with birds getting on and the occasional frog. December is a time when clouds of the common brown butterflies fill the orchards. As I picked, I watched them flutter from tree to bush, stopping to feed on the flowers. Then my mind drifs and I wonder why the world is so artifical when there is so much beauty just outside the door. Soon its all picked ,time to pack and store as we will be opened again tomorrow.





With all the berries picked it was time to relax. Lunch was easy to prepare, a simple affair, fresh greens from the garden including the first harvest of beans and cucumber, sprinkled with blackcurrants dressed with Nirvana raspberry vinegar, A platter of goodies including homemade quince paste, pickled olives, walnuts, gooseberries, jostaberries, cucumber plus a couple of local cheeses and almonds. The highlight was the goose liver pate, one of our specialty celebration dishes served with Deb’s special 4 grain sourdough bread.




Lunch was a long slow affair celebrating all those wonderful flavours while relaxing on the verandah overlooking the orchards.









By late afternoon it was time to taste the chestnut cake. It was delicious, moist, rich, and very yummy. This cake is sure to become part of future celebrations. The recipe came from 'The Biodynamic Food & cookbook' by Wendy E Cook. (Well worth a read)



By this time Quentin had the goose, stuffed with chestnuts cooking. While we relaxed on the verandah listening to music and a couple of Goon shows. The goose was presented roasted to perfection along side equally perfect roast vegetables especially the sweetest parsnips from the garden. We could manage a small taste and look foward to a few more meals featuring roast goose.

All in all an enjoyable day off.