Spirit of the season

FEW PEOPLE can recall going into the festive season at a time of such doom and gloom. Many of us remember when little treats were much looked forward to — a tangerine, some plasticine, maybe a few balloons or colouring pencils in our stockings.

The Dandy or Beezer annual, a game of Ludo or snakes and ladders kept us amused throughout Christmas day.

Many presents were homemade. Mum secreted herself away in the evening for weeks before Christmas, knitting and sewing and making little felt toys.

The making of the plum pudding and Christmas cake was a family affair. We all pitched in, stoning muscatel raisins, chopping candied peel and halving cherries. We all helped to stir and then we had a wish.

We did little jobs for months before Christmas to save money for the annual shopping trip to Kilkenny. The excitement was unbearable. Sometimes Daddy would give us half a crown to supplement our savings. Out of our money we bought a present for mummy and daddy and for each other. The now endangered Woolworth’s was a terrific shop and the place where I bought my first Sindy doll. Ooh, the joy!

At that time, most of the food we ate came from local shops, local butchers, neighbouring farms and our garden. It was always fresh and in season and we knew where at least 50% of our food was produced.

In these credit-crunch days, we should try to source as much of our produce locally as possible. There are wonderful fresh red cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Bramley apples and a few pumpkins in the shops. Many local farmers have free-range turkeys, geese and ducks but you’ll need to hurry if you haven’t already placed your order. Despite the fact that this kind of poultry is more expensive, the demand continues to escalate because of the greatly enhanced flavour of the meat.

If you are going to have a bird it might as well be delicious. The recipe for Mummy’s trifle can be made several days ahead but you’ll need to hide it! Don’t skimp on the sherry. The citrus fruit salad will be the most welcome dish of the season, light and delicious and virtually no calories. Enjoy!