What’s Happening in Adelaide Today?

Well a lot of us are relaxing watching the cricket from the Adelaide cricket ground. Australia v South Africa 2012 test series.

Lots of folks are at the beaches or starting to celebrate the festive season with friends.

Some of us are stocking up on goods from many of our local farmer’s markets.

A friend has been making rich dark fruitcakes to share with family and friends and I am gathering ingredients to make my easy boiled in a bowl Christmas pudding which I have made for years. This is also a great recipe for young cooks to stir together ready for adults to then cook.

Jacaranda trees colour the Adelaide suburbs with their magnificent purple blooms. Many residents tie huge purple bows around the massive jacaranda trees to decorate the trees ready for street parties with neighbours.

Gardeners are still planting up their Mediterranean summer veggie gardens, tomatoes, corn, basil, zucchinis, eggplant, cucumbers, lettuce and lots more greens.

This year we still have lots of lemons and now baby figs and grapes on the trees.

Our Mulberries and loquats have just finished but I have seen an old English mulberry tree in Unley which still has fruit.

It is very hot today over 30 degrees Celsius.

Well siesta time now for some, enjoy your weekend and your festive season wherever you are.

 

I have made this easy Christmas pudding recipe for years ever since my Auntie Win gave it to me.
So it is really called Auntie Win’s Overnight Christmas Pudding. It is a light flavourful pudding and is great eaten cold the next day. Lots of Adelaide folks dry their own fruits so this would be a great recipe for them.

Ingredients
1  375 gram pkt of Mixed Dried Fruit
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of sherry or rum or brandy
Mix the above ingredients together and stand all day.
Then add
1 cup of freshly made breadcrumbs
1 cup of Self Raising Flour
1 teaspoon of mixed spice
2 tablespoons of melted butter
1 small teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon of honey or golden syrup
1 or 2 beaten eggs
Mix well .
Spoon into a greased pudding basin.
Cover with buttered greaseproof paper.
Cover with aluminium foil.
Tie these around the lip of the bowl with cotton string.
Leave to stand in the refrigerator overnight.
Next day boil the pudding for 3 hours in a pan with boiling water and a lid.
Remove from the pan, allow to stand for 15 minutes, turn pudding onto a plate and serve with custard, cream and seasonal berries.
This pudding keeps for months in the refrigerator or it can be frozen.
The original recipe had 1 cup of sugar which I leave out. Dried fruit, honey and sherry add ample sugar. I usually multiply the recipe by 4 to make 4 puddings and I substitute 1 375 gram pkt currants for the mixed fruit. Dried black currants add a wonderful flavour and richness.