With figs abundant throughout the region in December this is a traditional style English recipe which actually works with our in-season produce! We used frozen fig pulp and fresh figs from local fig grower John Butler which, along with Berry Sweet raspberries, are available at the Northern Valleys Locavore Store

You’ll need:

2 cups fig pulp

1 cup chopped pitted dates

2 cups water

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter softened

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons dark rum

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon baking powder

An espresso coffee

1/2 cup butter for toffee sauce

1 cup dark brown sugar for toffee sauce

A bundt tin 

Fresh fruit to garnish

Step 1:

Boil water and dried fruits in a saucepan for five minutes, then remove from heat and add baking soda. (This will froth up.)  Set aside to cool then, puree in a food processor to form a smooth paste.

Step 2: Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. 

Step 3: Cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and coffee, beating to combine. Continue beating while you add cooled fruit mixture.

Step 4: In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, and baking powder. Gently fold the flour mixture into the fruit batter. Avoid over mixing.

Step 5: Grease one large Bundt-style pan with butter. Fill with batter about 2/3 full. Place the figgy pudding cooking vessel in a large baking dish and fill the dish with hot water, about 1/2 way up the sides of the pudding dish. Bake for 25-30+ minutes. The figgy pudding is done when a skewer inserted in the thickest part of the pan reveals a moist crumb. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Step 6: Before serving, bring 1/2 cup of butter and 1 cup of dark brown sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil 2-3 minutes, thickening slightly. Remove from heat. Carefully remove figgy pudding from tin onto serving platter. Pour “toffee” sauce over the top and garnish with fruit.

Here is a fantastic recipe for beef ribs courtesy of WA Food Ambassador Don Hancey! It’s the recipe he cooked at the Angus Australia Centenary Celebrations in Gingin this September.

Don used a 60-day grain-finished beef from Lime Peaks Grazing, Guilderton. The beef was sourced via Gingin Quality Meats, who sell 100% local beef, and worked with Don to get the ideal carcass and cut for the dish.

Folks this an easy to do recipe that can be cooked simply in a crock pot or slow cooked in an oven – Don

Ingredients
• 8 Angus beef short ribs
(about 2kg)
• WA Lake Deborah Salt sprinkle
• Good crunch of black peppercorns
• Good splash (2 glasses) WA red wine, a peppery shiraz is perfect
• 300 mls approx of bbq sauce, smokey is great
• Good sprinkle of paprika
• 2 L approx of water

Method

Turn crock pot on.

Sear beef ribs in a medium hot pan both sides to give some colour.

Sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper both sides.

Place in crock pot and brush each rib with the bbq sauce.

Gently pour water on top to almost covered.

Cover with lid and cook on high for 2 hours.

Have a glass of shiraz!

Turn down to low and cook a further 1 hour…test one rib for tenderness…meat should almost fall off the bone.

If done turn off crockpot.

If not quite tender cook for a further 30mins.
Have a glass of shiraz.

Turn off crock pot and let ribs sit for 30 minutes.

Gently lift out ribs and place on a tray, let cool.

Fermented foods can make a great addition to your festive celebration table and are especially good if you make them yourself.

A quick and simple thing that you can make is mustard. Mustard can be used in so many recipes, from a simple ham and mustard sandwich, to spectacular salad dressings. Mustard is so easy to make, and is something that can be appreciated by most adults, doubling as a welcome gift.

Simple Cultured Wholegrain Mustard
¼ cup brown mustard seeds
¼ cup yellow mustard seeds
1 tbsp salt
½ cup cold water — make sure this is filtered or rain water, the chlorine in scheme water may affect fermentation.
¼ cup starter culture — can be kombucha, yoghurt whey, brine from fermented vegetables. This is not essential, but does speed fermentation up and add flavour. If not using a starter culture, make sure that more liquid is added.
¼ cup apple cider vinegar or red/white wine vinegar
1 tsp honey or brown sugar to taste

• Grind mustard seeds and salt until seeds are just cracked. You can do this in a mortar and pestle, blender, or coffee grinder. The mustard can also be blended to a smoother texture later, when adding the vinegar and honey.
• Add water and starter culture. Leave with lid on for 3 days at room temperature out of direct sun.
• Stir in vinegar and honey after the 3 days.
• Put into sterilised jars, label and enjoy or put on a ribbon and give away.

Mustards tend not to go bad, but they do dry out and lose flavour. The vinegar and salt in this recipe help maintain the flavour.
Once you know the basic recipe, the flavour options are endless. Try:

– Using different ratios of yellow and brown mustard seed
– Flavouring the water by adding wine, beer, garlic, herbs, spices or onions and boiling, straining and cooling before adding to the mustard seeds, or even use straight wine or beer instead of water
– Adding tumeric to give the yellow colour of American mustard
Mustard in the Dijon style is made with brown mustard seeds with verjuice and white wine. The wine choice is typically from the Dijon region of France, where mustard plants are grown under the grape vines as a companion crop. Mustard leaves are highly nutritious and have many health benefits, for us as well as for the soil, making them a great addition to the garden.