Yule feast. What are you having?

[oldtimer]

Unusually, this year will be a family feast: oldtimer, Mrs slightly older timer, our two sons, daughter-in-law, daughter-outlaw, grandson, senior granddaughter and junior granddaughter. Our ages range from 78 to nearly two. Two are vegetarian and two have digestive problems. We have had a family conflab and I, as head chef, am willing to accommodate any reasonable requests providing it doesn't involve too much work!

To start there will be a selection of pates, meat, fish and vegetable.

Next the main course:-
When it is just us, we usually have venison. Grandson has never had venison, and is looking forward to it. I think he is under the impression that I will be shooting one of the roe deer that we track together with a longbow specially for the occasion, whereas I actually hunted it down in the local licenced game dealer!
For those who prefer it, or decide that venison is not for them, there will be a large roast chicken.
This will be accompanied by roasted potatoes, sweet potato, parsnips, carrots etc., mashed swede, brussels sprouts with chestnuts, mixed steamed green vegetables.

Next, following French custom, comes cheese. Red Leicester, Stilton, Camembert, and for granddaughters bonbel! (OK it's kiddy food but I find it lasts well in my pack when on a trek and anything tastes blood when you're hungry enough).

Then dessert, not Christmas pudding, but fresh fruit salad with sorbet and meringue.

Being fortunate enough to spend a lot of time in France there will plenty of vins de Roussillon available. Elder flower cordial and ginger beer for the children.

I'd be very interested to know what the rest of you will be eating, especially if it varies from the traditional turkey with trimming and plum pudding. Not that there is anything wrong with this, but I like trying new ideas.

So, what are you having?

 

[Man of Tanith]

Fry up as per requested by lisa.
Then evenin meal of assorted party foods

 

[Robson Valley]

Two very weather-dependent plans which would finish with apple pie and ice cream for dessert.

Warm weather: BBQ rubbed ribs with baked potatoes, both steamed veg and salads.
Cold weather: Roast chicken in the kitchen oven with either barley or buck wheat stuffing (no decision yet.)
Cranberry jelly and sauce. Baked potato and steamed veg.

Verdict:
We have -15C days and -22C nights and those classify as cold weather.

 

[Janne]

Being Scandihooligans mixed with Central Europeans, we do it like this:

Our main Christmas celebration is on 24th December, food and presents
So, 24th evening: Pan fried ducks liver, compote of cranberries, mango and mandarins.
Canuck Ice wine.
Cooked smoked ham ( British) , finished in oven - mustard eggwhite crust. Served with steamed potatoes and Brown Cabbage, Brussel sprouts.
Drink is wine, I think I will crack open a bottle Ornelaia -09
Rice porridge as dessert, with canned apicots.
Then we devastate the presents!
25th evening: Roast Goose, Red Cabbage Central Europe style. A white wine, I think a dry Riesling from Rust in Austria.
Desert - not sure yet, I think a chocolate pudding.
26th evening: Wiener Schnitzels, Austrian Potato salad. Lingonberry sauce. This time another red, a Lebanese one, Chateau Musar.

It is only myself, wife and son.

We are expecting my wifes best childhood friend on the 28th or a week, with her two daughters. Will be fun!

 

[mousey]

This year I've got two pheasant, one goose and a Turkey, so well provisioned for with meat. Just picked up a veggie box with monster carrots, neeps, parnips, brussel sprouts, potatoes, onions - all locally grown. Going on a last minute shopping raid to a larger town tomorrow which I'm dreading as it'll likely be heaving and I don't like people at the best of times

 

[Broch]

A bit contracted ....

Saturday - pheasant curry (daughter, partner and new grand daughter)
Sunday - with all the gang (son, daughter, partners, grand children), a Mexican banquet
Christmas day - a reduced sitting (son, wife and grandchildren) - roast venison with cranberry and raisin relish, red cabbage and creamy mash

I don't do turkey - I worked on a turkey farm when I first left school and can't stand the smell

Have a great one!!

 

[Toddy]

Himself is having venison en croüte, (can't get my keyboard to give me the ^ accent above the u there, sorry) with roast parsnips, roast potatoes, ginger glazed carrots, and petit pois....probably with home made plum chutney or rowan jelly, 'cos he doesn't do gravy.

Me and the boys will have the same veggies (no brassicas, Son1 insists he does not do brassicas!), but we'll also have a classic nut roast, with tomato and basil herby gravy stuff, and mini cheese sausage rolls (these have been part of Christmas dinner for over thirty years now, Son2 (he was the fussiest child about food on the planet, and refused to eat anything else for a special dinner of food he really wanted) rather expects them and is thoroughly put out if they're not on offer) and saladings.

Mince pies, and gluten free mince pies, Christmas pudding (well, clootie dumpling really), chocolate yule log (Son2 again!) kransekake (my menfolks all have a sweet tooth and not one of them is overweight either, I'll maybe manage a mince pie and the wee ring off the top of the kransekake) and a good selection of cheeses, will do for pudding.

They'll burrow through the wine rack to find something that appeals, I'll just have elderflower pressé since I'll be driving later on, and I'm not bothered since I'm not much of a drinker anyway.


.......and after we're all thoroughly stuffed, it'll be a quiet drowsy time until a late afternoon tea.


I refuse to get stressed out about Christmas dinner, I want to enjoy it too, relax and appreciate the company so I keep it simple. I don't try to do anything fancy, just make sure there's a variety that folks actually like to eat. This way we'll all be having bits and bobs (classic vegetarian food that ) for supper and Boxing day.
By Wednesday it'll be back to porridge for breakfast and salads for lunch, and hopefully everybody'll be over the sugar rush for another year.

M

 

[Broch]

I refuse to get stressed out about Christmas dinner, I want to enjoy it too, relax and appreciate the company so I keep it simple. I don't try to do anything fancy, just make sure there's a variety that folks actually like to eat. This way we'll all be having bits and bobs (classic vegetarian food that ) for supper and Boxing day.
By Wednesday it'll be back to porridge for breakfast and salads for lunch, and hopefully everybody'll be over the sugar rush for another year.

M

Well, it may get more stressful because with that list I think I'll drive up

 

[crosslandkelly]

Very simple for me, I take my womenfolk to the venue they have organised, and sit to a meal over which I have had no input.
Works for me.

 

[Janne]

Û

Very simple for me, I take my womenfolk to the venue they have organised, and sit to a meal over which I have had no input.
Works for me.

Then you are pressganged into doing the dishes.....

 

[snappingturtle]

Well for once Monday I'm off, so we are doing beef and pork with tat's and honey glaze nip's and other veg an stuffing with a port wine sauce, followed by some gateau then a easing of the belt and popping the top button an watching trash! or zombie killing!
Ho and try and make sprout's tasty so I think par boil and fry off in butter with onion.

 

[santaman2000]

I don't now yet; Nikole hasn't released the menu. She requested i pick up taters and assorted veg today though. I'll post back after I find out more.

 

[Janne]

Got the details if the menu yet?

 

[santaman2000]

Got the details if the menu yet?

Only on the veg. She asked me to bring potatoes for mash, and brussel sprouts, and Barbara wants corn. I plan on making a peach cobbler. We (Barbara and I) have only just gotten up and are having our coffee. We'll be going over to Nikole's in a bit.

 

[erehwon]

The goose that was given to me by my neighbour yesterday though it did arrive in a sack still breathing and covered in feathers............minor problem!

 

[daveO]

I'm just letting my feast go down now. This is the first time we've had xmas at home for 8 years I think but my son had an operation on Friday so he's in no state to be dragged around to relatives' houses.

I scored us a nice big free range chicken stuffed with herbs from the garden, roasted parsnips and carrots, roast potatoes, cheesy trees, swede and carrot mash, sprouts sauteed with bacon and chestnuts. Sadly the garden is a bit bare of veg this year so only the parsnips and potatoes were home grown.

I've also got a nice ham cooked up and waiting in the fridge for days of cold meats and pickles.

 

[John Fenna]

A chicken roll and a bit of choc Yule log.