Pete and I have been together so long that his family has become my family too – I’ve known them since his youngest siblings were just ten years old (they’re now nearly forty).
They’ve all been here this weekend (with the exception of his youngest brother Greg), and we’ve been feasting. This morning, their cousin Emma and her family joined us for brunch, and in an hour or so, our friends Kevin and Carol will be dropping by. It’s a busy, joyous time of the year, which we’re enjoying enormously after a couple of long, hard months.
I haven’t been online very much, but wanted to pop in quickly to say hi, and to share with you some of the glorious food we’ve been eating…
As I mentioned in my last post, we glazed a large leg of ham. This year we just melted a jar of Pete’s quince jelly with a few tablespoons of dark brown sugar to form the glaze. The fat was scored and studded with cloves, and then half the glaze was painted on. The leg was baked on a rack over a pan of water at 240C with fan for 20 minutes, then removed from the oven and coated with the remaining glaze, before returning to bake for a further 20 minutes at 200C with fan.
My brother-in-law Ray declared it to be the best ham he’d ever tasted…
On Saturday morning, Penny, Ray and I took an early morning trip to the Sydney Fish Market. We came home with Pacific oysters, scallops on their shells, calamari rings, prawns, Moreton Bay bugs and rainbow trout.
The trout was baked in foil bags, the calamari was crumbed and deep fried, and the scallops were topped with a little garlic chive butter, then cooked on a hot griddle for five minutes until tender…
I was up early this morning to finish baking these ciabatta loaves – I’d mixed up the dough last night and left it on the kitchen bench, so all I had to do this morning was to shape the loaves and bake them…
I made a zucchini slice, using our Lebanese zucchinis, leg ham, eggs, onion and King Island cheese. It’s a really easy recipe to have on hand for this busy time of year, and it never fails to please…
Penny and I assembled this blackberry crown together…
Each ball of dough was filled with Pete’s rhubarb and blackberry jam…
I must fly – have to bake some kifli before Kevin and Carol arrive.
Lots of love. xx
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Yummy, Celia!
Thanks Lizzy! Hope you’re having a fabulous weekend down there! :)
Feasting is the word!
Oh my!
What a wonderful celebration!
Our friends Kevin and Carol have just left – they brought over Italian cannoli – it has been a truly glorious weekend filled with happiness and loved ones, Heidi!
Wow everything looks wonderful, lucky family.
My BIL Ray bought most of the seafood Glenda, so really, we’re the lucky ones! :)
And after all this you managed to blog: you DO get my vote! Wonderful looking ham . . . and [living in the country] . . . do envy you at the Fish Market! Enjoy!!!!
Thanks Eha! Ray and Penny were down from the country, so the Fish Market was a real treat for them too!
All so amazing Celia…just look at that blackberry crown! I also envy your access to the fish market, in the nicest possible way! Happy Sunday to you.
Jane, the crown was great fun to make, I’m sure you’d enjoy it! Hope you’ve had a fabulous weekend!
Looks absolutely delicious, Celia. I’m busy baking too – honig kuchen, mincemeat, shortbread and my late Xmas Cake and Pudding.
Happy Xmas!
Meg, I had to look up the honig kuchen, and it sounds delicious! You’re good to get to a cake and pud – we didn’t make it this year! Have a wonderful Chrissie! :)
That ham is indeed magnificent. The zucchini slice recipe is just what I need for my veg box contents this week. Enjoy your family and this fabulous feasting time. You are the queen of feasts Celia.
Thanks Sally! The zucchini slice is surprisingly popular – it never lasts more than a meal. Our garden has zucchinis galore at the moment, so I think this will appear a few more times on the menu before summer is out! x
Celia, I don’t like Ham, but you’re one looks splendid and I actually salivated! So that’s a bonus “thumbs up” for you! Just wondering if the sourdough Starter for the Ciabattas starts with exactly one cup of water & one cup of flour,kneaded together & then added to the rest of the ingredients? A bit slow today for me, must be the 41 degree heat in West sydney !! LOL.
Lina, sorry if that was confusing – you need to HAVE a sourdough starter first (I bought one from the US), and THEN feed it at a ratio of one cup water to flour. You can’t just use flour and water to make the starter straight away (although you can make your own starter, but it usually takes a couple of weeks, and I’ve never done it).
If you want to try the ciabatta recipe using bakers yeast, the recipe is here:
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2011/06/22/pane-de-casa-a-tutorial/
Isn’t it hot today! :)
Thanks Celia! You’re so kind and giving! God bless you!
Thank you, Lina, that’s very kind of you. We are indeed blessed! :) One thing about the recipe – if you don’t have semolina flour, just use all bakers/bread flour – it will still work well! You might want to reduce the water just a little bit though, as regular bread flour doesn’t absorb as much water as the semolina does. Have fun! :)
My stomach is grumbling as it all looks so good!
Thanks Tandy! Hope you’re enjoying the season! x
What a lovely spread Celia! That ham looks incredible. Oh, and that blackberry crown…Pete’s family sure is lucky to be staying over! Enjoy :)
Emilie, we were lucky to have them here! We’ve had a fabulous weekend! :) Hope you’re enjoying yours too! x
Happy Holiday’s Celia! We celebrate Christmas Eve with my family by going to the local carniceria and getting a mess of stuff for tacos. The zucchini slice looks especially yummers. Hugs, Maz
That sounds like a perfect way to celebrate, Maz! I was dreaming of your paper geese last night. :) And the zucchini slice would be perfect vegetarian fare with the ham left out! Happy holidays, darling! x
I can smell that ham just looking at it. The smell of ham baked with cloves makes me homesick!. I like the idea of your blackberry crown. I think I will try it with marmalade and sultanas.
Liz, if you’re baking the crown in an aluminium bundt like I did, you might want to drop the temp just a little from the original recipe to make sure all the sugar doesn’t burn. Marmalade and sultanas sound wonderful! :)
Celia, your food looks absolutely wonderful; especially the blackberry crown!
Tomorrow is the day to bake your Christmas fruit and nut bars…..I will be baking in a brownie pan 23 x 23 x 3.75 cm, with a detachable metal divider that sections the pan into 12.
I’ve never baked in this pan so maybe I should hover by the oven.
Oooh Elaine, I hope they went well! We have been so busy that there’s been no fruitcake of any sort in our kitchen this year. I do miss it! But not enough to stress myself out over it. :) Hope the festive season is going well for you! :)
How nice to have family gather, Celia, no matter the time of year. You really have put out a feast for everyone an your table must have been one tantalizing sight!
John, it wasn’t all my hard work – we were all in the kitchen prepping and cooking, which made it all the more fun (as you know!). We also had a fabulous potato salad, but all the food was eaten so quickly that I didn’t really remember to take photos! :) Have a wonderful Christmas, I’m so glad to have met you this year! :)
I want to come and stay at your house! *drools*
I’ve set a place for you, Sue.. :)
A feast indeed! The blackberry crown looks sensational.
Now you can start on Christmas! ;)
Aaah, someone who understands. Yep, Suelle, now to get ready for Christmas! :) Have a wonderful festive season! xx
Great idea leaving the bread to rise over night! I absolutely love the look of the Blackberry Crown. I can’t wait to read the post and maybe even attempt one myself.
Clare, the crown was a huge hit – the nice thing is that you can pull off cooked balls to serve, so it doesn’t need to be cut. It’s a bit like brioche and pannetone! The bread wasn’t the best I’ve ever made, but we were so rushed that it was just easy to leave it on the bench – I didn’t even knead it once! I just squelched it all together covered it and went to bed! :)
Just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed reading your stories and recipes this year, that I hope you have a continuing fun and festive Christmas season, and that the Christmas Doctor Who episode is up to scratch – we are all addicted and anticipatory!
Claire, thank you for your kind words! I’m dying to see how they work the new companion into the Christmas ep – especially after killing her off in the first episode of the season! :)
Hope you’ve had a great time with the family. We’ve just had a day of friends over for drinks, and are having a very quiet Xmas with just us and the kids (and my Mum). Love the look of your ham – very nice indeed. Hope you have a lovely Xmas and a happy and much better new year.
Amanda darling, thank you! All the best for Chrissie and a wonderful 2013 to you and your family! It’s a great time of year, isn’t it?
What a delicious looking spread! And how lucky you are to have such wonderful people to share it all with! Hope you have a joyous festive season and safe New Year!
Thanks Kate! I am very lucky to have such great inlaws! Have a great Christmas and an even better 2013! :)
You are really busy,enjoy your family,there’s nothing pleasing than enjoying the festive season with the family. Enjoy!
Sponge, that’s so true – nothing better than spending time with family and friends at this time of year! Hope you’re enjoying the festive season! x
I love your style – family, friends & feasting… and the best of it is, not just in the festive season :)
ED, thank you! It’s time to party! Hope you’re having fun too! :)
Can I pop over for dinner too? It all looks so wonderful and how lovely too be surrounded by family you love. Have a glorious time together sweetie :) xox
Darling, of COURSE you can. We would love to have you! Hope the Chrissie build up is going well! :)
Oh to be in your family Celia. Love the feasting! Enjoy every minute and have a very Merry Christmas! x
Claire, sounds like you’re having fun too – all the best to you and Will for a wonderful Christmas and New Year!
Feasting? AGAIN?
Life is short, dearheart. Party hard! :) xx
OK so I’m putting in papers to get Mr NQN and I adopted by you and Pete. Just letting you know ;)
Hahaha…is there a ceremony involved? Will there be food? :)
What glorious, happy abundance Celia – without doubt I would be arm wrestling somebody for that blackberry crown. Miss Celie, you a Legend!
Jan, it was so much fun! And SO much food! There was plenty of crown to share! Merry Christmas and all the best for a fabulous 2013, thank you for being such a lovely and supportive friend! x
I’ve nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award!! Thank you kindly for reading my blog! Congratulations!!
Linda, thank you – I don’t do blog awards, but it’s kind of you to think of me.
The link to your blog doesn’t work? Celia x
Oh Celia, what are you doing? I’m drooling, and my stomach is growling :) This is torture!
Sorry Tes! Hope you and your gorgeous family are enjoying the festive season! xx
All looks so good and festive!! Loved the blackberry crown! The French would call your zucchini slice “un cake”. Strange, no?! Anything savoury and backed like a slice or in a loaf tin is un cake. Sending festive cheer to you all!!
You certainly have been eating well and wonderful while enjoying your family. Everything looks wonderful.
Dear Celia,
That leg of ham looks seriously awesome and I’ll probably agree with your BIL. Not bad that you’re feasting more than a week before Christmas, we’re only off to get our Christmas ham today :) Merry Christmas to you and your family!