Topic: What are you picking, plucking, digging, cooking or storing for Christmas?

[Jayb]

I haven’t been able to do much recently, so no cakes or anything like that but I’ve some homemade crab-apple jelly to use instead of cranberries, also some chutneys and pickles which were made earlier in the year.

I’ve made a wreath for the door from willow, holly, bay, eucalyptus and Ivy. It's the first one I’ve made and luckily it looks quite nice!

And as long as I can get through the swamp I call my veggie plot -  hopefully all veggies for Christmas day will be home-grown. Potatoes (stored), parsnips, swede, carrots, leek, sprouts, (small) celeriac, squash (stored).

Not my own pork but I’ve salted a piece of belly to have as bacon with the Turkey (buying that too!)

[Obelixx]

I'll be harvesting broccoli for Xmas dinner - no sprouts for me or Possum - and a red cabbage to cook all sticky with prunes - http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8369/spiced-red-cabbage-with-prunes to serve with slow roast belly of pork on Boxing Day.

There'll be home made chutneys and jams and mince pies and cake and ice cream and chocolate truffles.

[goodlife]

No home made preserves as such here..I do make some beetroot 'salad' to go with 'day after cold meat' sarnies
I've just made shopping list for tomorrow and luckily there is not much to get...even less now that friend  gifted us this morning with couple of mallards (so yes, some plucking is involved) and yesterday we had couple of pheasants...already plugged
Then some fresh Brussels, kale and cabbage from lottie...spuds, swede and squash, oh some onion and garlic too, from storage and it is all sorted    Basically to accompany the meat(s) we just have giant tray of roast veg and loads of red wine gravy 
Picking...hmm....perhaps few herbs to get some flavours going... ...parsley, thyme, bay comes to mind..
We don't 'do' much sweet things so odd shop's mince pies is all what is needed for sweet nibble and for pud after dinner ..apples and fruit from freezer cooked (crumble?) served with custard, ice cream or yogurt and tummy will be totally stuffed..
We still got loads of apples in tree that have ripened there, loads in storage and bucketful in house too..so plenty to go..

BURB!

[Paulines7]

No home grown veggies this year but we had some home grown broccoli tops last week.  Absolutely delicious.  Plenty of apples on the ground.  We have made cider and apple wine but there is a limit as to how many apples we need.  I leave them on the ground for the fieldfares, redwings and blackbirds.  Plenty of the latter but not many fieldfares and redwings this year.

I have and will be baking.  I have made Christmas cakes and puddings, mince pies and a Bakewell.  Still to make more mince pies, a chocolate roulade log and a lemon meringue pie. The chickens stopped laying a month or so ago so I am having to buy eggs.  I wish I had frozen some eggs now rather than giving them away when I had a glut in the summer.   

I have 5 cockerels if anyone wants them.  I couldn't kill them though.  There wouldn't be much meat on them as they are from egg laying hens.   

[pumkinlover]

Just been to allotment with Mr PKL's grandson and picked Brussels, cabbage, parsnips, carrots and celery for us and them!
Fetched the Turkey from a farmer/butcher at Matlock yesterday (20lb)! but we have it chopped into 4 portions and freeze them for later in the year.
Christmas cake was made about 18 months ago when I went on a baking spree- same with Christmas puds.
Mr PKL made mincemeat with the apples, so will be making mince pies. Do not go too mad as only got Christmas Day off work, celebrating today though - return of the  and looking forward to New Year

[pumkinlover]

I’ve made a wreath for the door from willow, holly, bay, eucalyptus and Ivy. It's the first one I’ve made and luckily it looks quite nice!

Very artistic!!

And as long as I can get through the swamp I call my veggie plot -  hopefully all veggies for Christmas day will be home-grown. Potatoes (stored), parsnips, swede, carrots, leek, sprouts, (small) celeriac, squash (stored).

Best get it today Jayb, more rain coming tomorrow

[small]

Grew shallots for the first time this year (and on my previously white-rotted patch, the magic garlic mix method worked!) and pickled a load, tried the first jar last week and they are lush...so they'll be making a star appearance, sage in the stuffing (and onion, from the same successful new allium bed), parsnips which I haven't dug up yet, and the last of the Pentland Javelins, grown as an early but a huge crop which has kept beautifully till now. And when we've eaten far too much, some nice palate-clearing poncy salad sandwiches!

[Digeroo]

I hope to get sprouts, spuds, snips and maybe broccoli and carrots as well as celery and celeriac from the plot.  And leeks.  Lets hope our thief has left me some veg .    I have red currants in the freezer to make a sauce and apples and quince to add to stuffing.  And of course squash.   I have lots of them unfortunately starting to rot so there will be plenty.

Thanks for reminding me about the herbs.  I do love carrots cooked in the oven with thyme, sage, bay and rosemary, butter and apple juice.   I did have a large patch of thyme by the front door but it has died so I will have to buy some.

In between meals we can have vast quantites of squash and/or celery soup.

[Melbourne12]

I think the only fresh veg for Christmas will be red cabbage (cooked with onion and apple, both stored).  But we've got lots of goodies in the freezer.

But the centrepiece, plucked this morning, will be two lovely Ixworth cockerels.  It's sad to have to dispatch them, but they had a good life.

[Ellen K]

I am in awe of all your creativity and your hard earned skills.

I've decided to make a Christmas cake this year - I have been at it since lunchtime and it has just gone in the oven.  I'm pooped.  I tried to follow Delia's Online recipe exactly.  "Mix butter and sugar and cream together"  EeK!! Delia, you never said buy cream and I haven't got any!!!  I had my coat on to go to Tesco when I had an "eats shoots and leaves" flash of inspiration and remembered that cream is a verb in this context not a noun.

Old dogs eh?

Happy Christmas All.

[pumkinlover]

I am in awe of all your creativity and your hard earned skills.

I've decided to make a Christmas cake this year - I have been at it since lunchtime and it has just gone in the oven.  I'm pooped.  I tried to follow Delia's Online recipe exactly.  "Mix butter and sugar and cream together"  EeK!! Delia, you never said buy cream and I haven't got any!!!  I had my coat on to go to Tesco when I had an "eats shoots and leaves" flash of inspiration and remembered that cream is a verb in this context not a noun.

Old dogs eh?

Happy Christmas All.

LOL!!

[manicscousers]

We are having a choice of meats this year, my daughter is bringing a turkey breast, sister a piece of gammon and we're doing slow roasted beef.
So, to go with the turkey, pigs in blankets, stuffing with lemon and  thyme, sage and rosemary
With the beef, red cabbage and onion cooked in red wine, yorkshires and gravy
With the ham, calabrese in cheese sauce
Kestrel roasties, celeriac mash, parsnip chips, roast squash, beetroot, carrots, yacon and oca and, of course, sprouts
My sister is bringing her Christmas cake, daughter is bringing a trifle and chocolate cake, I'm doing a fresh fruit salad so we'll all be stuffed
So glad, all the veg is from our plot, stored or frozen and saving us lots 

[kt.]

Chrimbo lunch from the plot will be sprouts, parsnips, swede, savoy cabbage,  red cabbage, leeks from the plot will be harvested xmas eve.  I have harvested the cauli this evening so it does not get nicked!

[antipodes]

The lamb will come out tonight to be defrosted ready for tomorrow evening, and the turkey is already in the fridge.

Home grown will be the spuds, onions and brussel sprouts and leeks plus the garlic and herbs for the lamb (fresh rosemary) and the stuffing of the turkey.
Home made mince pies (with own mincemeat) and Christmas pud and desserts (mini cheesecakes and tiramisu) and also home made rabbit terrine and smoked mackerel paté.

Hope everyone has a wonderful meal with friends or family no matter what you eat! that's what counts.