Christmas "Down Under" in Australia
Written by Libby of Low GI & Omega 3 Rich Recipes.
Christmas in Australia at 40 degrees Celcius makes me feel as if I will melt over my chair. A little planning can help to prevent the heat rising in the kitchen!
In Australia the distances are great, and often family are split between cities across the continent, necessitating several smaller events. We used to spend alternate years between Sydney and my grandparents’ wheat/sheep farm in Central NSW. Now they have moved to the city in their old age, the farm is no longer our second home, and it is alternating back and forth between my folks in Sydney and my husband’s loved ones in Melbourne.
A big part of Christmas has always been food for me - the best part about a summer Christmas is the availability of summer produce for feasting upon. Mum usually buys a case of mangoes along with a huge tray of cherries for us in the week leading up to Christmas. This year – juicy pomegranate seeds have really taken my fancy!
When we were at my grandparents farm, with at least 4-5 of my mums siblings and their families all converging on my grandmothers wood fire kitchen, my grandfather would prepare a pig to spit roast, and I have particularly fond memories of eating huge slices of watermelons he had grown while my Dad and brothers prepared the pig, and flicking the seeds across the yard while dancing on the hot concrete to stop my bare feet from burning.
It was hot – always hot – we’d drive along the side of the road adjacent to the farm till we found a pine tree that the kids thought was big enough, and that the adults thought would fit in the loungeroom. Inevitably it needed to lose a few of the top branches… then we’d put it in a bucket with some water, and as more and more people arrived, the presents would form a mountain around it. That tree would have pride of place for over a week – until the pine needles gradually fell off, along the way filling the house with that delicious aroma of Christmas.
On the day, we would be up at dawn, our pillowcases (hung on the door) stuffed with our presents, and the cool red morning calling us outside. Once the adults were up, it would be off to Church to welcome the baby Jesus in to the world, and gaze in awe at the lifesize nativity under the altar. I recall a great reverence and a sense of peace looking at his little face. This was a God I could understand.
Later, when the spit was roasting, Grandma and my mum and aunties would wrap up potatoes and sweet potatoes in foil to bury in the hot coals beneath the spit (in the outdoor BBQ pit), chop salads, prepare yabbie cocktails, and the special glassware would all come out, along with grandma’s prized trifle dish. I took special pride (perhaps I was nine?) in carefully folding the napkins in decorative fans and placing them inside the wine glasses (thanks to my origami book), and counting out the plates and knives and helping my grandma set them around the table.
We’d skim the cream from the cow’s milk; whip giant bowls of cream. We’d pull buckets of ice cream out of the deep freeze – hidden among loaves and loaves of bread delivered by the box full and lamb in all sorts of cuts. I recall being naughtily sprung drinking a glass of cream scooped straight from the bucket – and yet the taste of the smooth, thick warm milky delight lingers still!
There were presents after lunch, then backyard cricket of course – and tree climbing – and the raucous backdrop of the greyhounds wanting to join in the fun…but best of all, curled up leaned against my parents’ knees late at night when the temperature had dropped, we would linger around the fire: always a guitar playing, always bad singing, and always increasingly inebriated adults. The speech flew freely, the stories grew more fantastical, my eyelids grew heavier, and I found myself always, always rocked in the contentment of feeling held close by the night.
So what is on the cards for 2009?
This year we are in Sydney for Christmas, and Christmas day was set for the 11th December in Melbourne. My mother-in-law and I together did the cooking, and it was an intimate family affair – complete with Dan’s great-great- grandmothers traditional plum pudding (prepared ahead of time in October by her great granddaughter). You might like to try some of our recipes below, but to help you plan, the Australian Good Food and Wine Guide gives us a comprehensive list of what’s in season in Australia, along with some ideas for what to cook and Taste magazine has compiled a list of planning tips to help with making the food preparation stress free.
The importance of adhering to the traditions of the United Kingdom (where of course in Australia many of us can tie our roots to) has become less and less relevant in a country where a growing proportion of the population are second generation migrants from all over the world; and where food fashion has moved away from heavy, stodgy winter fare to favoring light fresh salads, seafood, and simplicity. By focusing on seasonal ingredients, fresh, delicious dishes can be prepared with ease, that draw on the natural flavors and combine them with sought after specialty foods that celebrate the occasion as a true feast.
Roast lamb, chicken, turkey, duck and ham are all favorites, though they might be prepared in less traditional ways. Potatoes might be cut smaller to roast more quickly, or built into tasty salads. Seafood on the BBQ like prawns, and fresh oysters are tried and tested, and form very simple appetizers.
Every family tends to develop their own sense of tradition over time. In my family, the focus has always been on love, company and food. And of course, it is the children that really bring the magic to Christmas for everyone. For our Melbourne Christmas this year, early in December on a Friday night, simplicity was the focus. I was asked to prepare a range of canapés (in place of entre) to accompany champagne while the children open presents, and came up with the following three delights. Then, rather than roasting, poached turkey with a green bean salad was served as the main course, followed by the long awaited Christmas Pudding! (Click on images below to link to the recipes published on my blog)
Menu: An Early Family Christmas in Melbourne
Smoked trout & ricotta morsels with
pomagranate on cucumber rounds.
Tree Picking
Once the menu is decided, there is all the rest of the magic to consider! In planning for the day, one of the most exciting endeavors is choosing and decorating the tree. Here are three sites with links to farms/ nurseries where Christmas trees can be purchased. This year we purchased a live potted tree from our local Bunnings. The third link to Mylor Christmas Farm is my favorite: run by the parents of a child with a rare medical condition, and the proceeds of the sales are donated to the Royal Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation – giving a little back in the true spirit of Christmas.
http://www.nurseriesonline.com.au/PAGES/Christmas_Trees.htm
http://www.sydneychristmastreefarm.com.au/
http://www.wchfoundation.org.au/Article/NewsDetail.aspx?p=16&id=56
Lights
In our Christmas tradition we don’t really get carried away with Christmas lights – but many in Australia do. Loxton, a few hours outside of Adelaide in South Australia even has a festival of the lights that lights up the town for Christmas. Online you can even find lists of streets where all the residents in the street try to outdo one another in more spectacular lighting displays decorating their homes.
Carols
In Sydney, Carols in the Domain has been a huge affair for almost thirty years, and many people travel to join in with carols and light their candles and sing along. All around the country, local schools, churches, choirs, and other organizations each organize their own carols, and the time schedules are usually published by local councils.
The aftermath
Of course, not all of the presents are favorites, and pretty much everyone is guaranteed to receive an unwanted gift from somewhere. ABC presenter Jackie Mackay suggests giving those unwanted gifts to Charity – another idea that appeals to the spirit of giving so important at Christmas time.
Leftovers
Always in high demand - though usually in such vast quantities there is the risk they will perish before being eaten. Here’s a great idea from Best Recipes for left over pudding: useful to have aside for unexpected holiday visitors (or hungry kids).
Turkey wraps are another great way of using up leftovers, and certainly an easy option on a lazy Boxing Day afternoon.
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a National holiday in Australia – While the name is derived from the Christmas “Box” that gifts are given in, we exchange gifts on Christmas day, or in some families Christmas Eve, and Boxing day is reserved for sitting around lazily, eating leftovers, watching sport if you are that way inclined (including the Test Cricket and Yacht race which starts that day, and playing with favourite presents.
And so…. Merry Christmas from lowgicooking.com
I always get a little rush of excitement when the decorations start to go up on the tree – and a great sense of anticipation while cooking and preparing the food, table, and room for the guests. For me, the build up is the most wonderful part, imagining, wondering, smelling, tasting, and planning. So – with Christmas Day rapidly approaching may I wish you the peace and joy of the season, and a week filled with all the best of love, family and food!
Please check out our previous Holiday Articles where you'll find great gift giving ideas (there's still time for 2-3 day shipping!) excellent recipes, and wonderful stories about Christmas in Italy, Germany and a tourist's view of Christmas in Berlin, Prague and Vienna (with bonus Glühwein recipe!) ENJOY! 
The Daring Kitchen 2009 Holiday Gift Guide
From the Oven to Under the Christmas Tree
Two For One Special Holiday Treats Recipe Round-up!
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