I am reminded of the Victorian idea of banquets, or of celebratory dinners.
In the older days, Victorians stuffed on two or three times too many dishes at the groaning table.
There had to be a soup, and a wine with the soup. Bread and rolls came with the soup. The roast bird was stuffed with yet another meat, or even with a smaller bird.
Excess and glamourous, fussy decoration were considered to be polite, and expected of a household.
One of my favourite things to do, these days, is to serve a table with a bowl of fruit salad first. A refreshing appetizer, simple and luscious fruit salad is not stuffy, like too many rolls with butter. For a starter dish, when celebrating, a few fruits cut into a fresh fruit salad will do.
My favourites are a combination of fresh pineapple chunks, blackberries, strawberries, and a small hint of Kiwi fruit. I cut up a whole pineapple, add a half pint of blackberries, half a basket of sliced strawberries, and then one kiwi, for some extra colour and tanginess. I preserve the fruit with freshly squeezed lemon juice, and a dash of lime juice.
I never stop enjoying the mouth-watering burst of fresh taste, at the beginning of a meal.
I use a punch bowl, which has a pedestal base, and set it, glamourously at the end of the table. Coupled with flowers and candles, the colours are warm and inviting.
You cannot go wrong with the benefits that Blackberries will give to you. The Blackberry is very good for your respiratory system, and also for your bloodstream.
All of these fruit offer plenty of protective Vitamin C, a must as we begin to suffer from less sunshine and fresh air, more stale indoor air, and definitely less raw foods.
For some reason, salads just don't get prepared so often as soon as the cold weather hits, and that steaming macaroni and cheese, or stir-fry looks a lot more tempting, since it is warming.
Strawberries will never stop being an important food for the health of your digestive system. Pineapple might even be a factor in maintaining and rebuilding your musculature.
There is no need to check for all the healthful qualities that fruits can give to you - just eat, and enjoy them!
Sparkling Gingered Apple Slices
Buy a bottle of Ginger Wine (you will love it!) from the LCBO.(or, Your Liquor store)
You will only need to pour a few dashes of this onto peeled and cored apple slices, kept about half an inch wide as chunky shapes.
After tossing the apples in Ginger Wine, toss again with a capful of Roses Syrup, or Rose Water, obtainable from the pharmacy.
Take each apple slice and dip three quarters of this into strawberry-flavoured sparkle sugar.
Arrange the slices onto a sparkling platter, and garnish according to your sense of mystery and romance.
Garnishes
FRESH CRANBERRIES When you are decorating your platters for a savoury buffet, try tossing some glowing cranberry fruit around a plate, with a few mint or basil sprigs.
TANGERINE ROSES Carefully unwind the peel from a tangerine, in one continous peel. Then, fairly tightly, wind these into a spiral form, which will make a scented tangerine rose. Secure this with a toothpick. You can arrange scented tangerine roses around your platters, or skewer them to add to a formal, arranged centrepiece
STAR FRUIT If you add slices of star fruit, the combination of the three is very appealing.
Whatever fruit pie you make, consider first boiling a handful of St. Johs' Wort and Goldenrod flower tea. I make mine in the summer, and freeze the tea into ice cubes. The lipid, sensual quality that the flowers add to fruit in any pie, will offer the juiciest pie experience you've ever had!
Always keep Orange Flower Water on hand, for festive occasions. The taste of this, or of Rose water , added to fruit salad, is sophisticated and exquisite.
Who doesn't want something expensive and luscious, when party time rolls around?
For this dessert, you can buy a flat of meringues, flavoured vanilla, coffee, lemon; your choice.
I remember from my childhood, though, how Mom used to make really large, home made meringues, not the tiny and dry shaped meringue one finds in the bakery.
To make real, sumptuous, gooey-on-the-inside meringues, you will need:
Have a nourishing, and above all else, happy and peaceful holiday time!
Bye for now,
Sue
copyright Sue Risk Northdays Image 2003-9