Sonya's Christmas Traditions
- By Sonya Meagor
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- 21 Dec, 2018
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Christmas – people love it or hate it. A bit like Marmite perhaps? The expectations for the day can run high and often there is huge pressure leading up to it. For some, they would rather forget about it all together. If Christmas isn’t your bag then this blog post may not be for you because I want to share what I (Sonya), Founder of eco cuisine get up to over the festive season. Before you click away and hide for the next week or so, until New Year approaches, let me say Happy New Year and all the best for a restful and peaceful season.
For you Christmas fans, this one is for you……
As many of you know, I have recently had a mishap and hurt my arm which means I have been out the kitchen and a little less hands on and more “bossing” overseeing my lovely team. This means that this Christmas is slightly different to usual as I can’t travel. So, today I want to tell you about our typical Christmases:
At this time of year I am usually off on the train, journeying back to the Motherland – Cornwall. It’s a lovely route and I enjoy taking in the views, particularly by Exmouth when the train trundles by the sea. In Devon I know that I’ll soon be home and I really start feeling relaxed. Around 10 minutes away from my stop I gather my things and get ready, standing by the door, preparing to greet Truro. It’s a cathedral city and it looks beautiful and lit up, I feel like it is welcoming me home.
Christmas Eve the Meacocks meet. Meacocks is what we call ourselves - two families, long-time friends – it is the blending of our surnames. There’s usually around 12-16 of us that gather together and head to a local favourite pub – Norway Inn, for a hearty lunch. After fish pie and plenty of prosecco, the oldies leave and we continue for a few Christmas sherbets but we try to ensure no one has too sore a head for the big day.
Christmas day kicks off with a glass of bubbly and gammon ham and poached egg for breakfast. I don’t eat pork so I usually have poached eggs on toast, which I prefer anyway as it isn’t too heavy. After seeing some visitors, my niece joins us for lunch. We have a lovely traditional Christmas roast with all the trimmings, but we are very big on festive veggies. From red cabbage to cauliflower cheese, swede and carrot mash and roasted veggies too. It’s a real treat! We are normally so full that we wait until 5pm for our Christmas pudding.
When I was a young girl we used to have a huge cooked breakfast, massive Christmas lunch, cakes at 5pm and then at 9pm a feast of a supper too. In truth, I am glad it has been toned down, although I am of course a foodie, it can feel gluttonous and I loathe any waste.
What are your Christmas traditions? Whatever you get up to,
we hope you enjoy the festive break and wish all our clients and supporters a
very Happy New Year
The Millfield theatre is home to eco cuisine and the events have been held here too for that reason.
OLIO (the food app) and NLWA (North London Waste Authority) CROPDROP (local Haringey boxed fruit/vegetable scheme) plus our very own Sonya Meagor (eco cuisine) are confirmed as our first speakers and we're For each event, we support a North London based charity related to the event theme - for this event we're delighted to collaborate with The Felix Project .
TICKETS
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sustainable-food-packaging-tickets-61490383392?aff=website
With less than two weeks until Christmas and the holidays nearly upon us, the shops are stocked with delicious festive treats and people are already stocking up on Christmas food fit for a feast or two.
But, just because it is Christmas doesn’t mean we should not consider what is in season and keeping sustainability at the forefront of our minds.
So, what is in season over December and the winter seasons in Britain? Well, thankfully many of the Christmas time favourites are favourites for a reason – they’re traditionally easily grown and sourced in the U.K. over winter. Cabbage, sprouts, potatoes and onions, celeriac, celery and carrots as well as parsnip and swede are all in season this time of year. Not forgetting chestnuts, beef and venison and even guinea fowl too.
So roast dinners with all the trimmings can be environmentally friendly! Of course clementines, pomegranates and dates are seasonal favourites too and these are obviously not sourced locally.
Whatever you buy and eat over the festive season, remember to consciously consume – making informed and conscious decisions about what you buy and eat.
In the lead-up to the Christmas break we enjoy hearty, warming foods, keeping us warm in the cold weather and suitably fuelled over this busy season.
We enjoy Rumbledethumps – for those who haven’t heard of it, it is the Scottish equivalent of bubble and squeak as it is often made with leftovers, though it isn’t usually fried. It is a lovely filling dish served as a side or when served with a nice piece of fish or chicken breast can even be a substantial main meal.
Rumbledethumps
550g large potatoes,
350g swede
60g unsalted butter
250g kale, finely sliced
1 small onion diced
Sprigs of thyme
25g cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Peel and chop the potatoes and the swede and chop into large chunks. Next, boil in a saucepan tender. Drain and return to the pan.
Heat three quarters of the butter in a pan on medium low heat and cook the kale and the onions for a few minutes, until the kale is tender and onions lightly browned.
Add the kale and onions to the pan with the potatoes and swede then add the remaining butter and mash together. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place the mashed medley into an ovenproof dish and top with the cheese. Cover with a lid and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to cook for a further 15 minutes, or until piping hot and golden-brown on top. Serve with fresh thyme.
What winter dishes keep you going in the lead-up to the Christmas break? Let us know in the comments.
