Christmas Dinner

Sunday 25 December

It's fun to have an all-adult Christmas occasionally, as it means you can get up late, have meals whenever you want, and invite visitors over in the afternoon, giving you an excuse to eat smoked salmon, varied cheeses and crackers, and goat and cream cheese spreads (one lemon pepper, one arugula).

 

Dinner went on the table as soon as Busch's Amish-raised turkey was roasted, and gravy made from the drippings. 

Holt made cornbread and sausage dressing; Barbara pulled out her second-prize cranberry chutney; and we braised a sliced fennel in butter and wine.

But the star of the show was Holt's cherry pie, made with organic (though frozen) sweet cherries, thickened with some cornstarch and dried cranberries.  It had a perfect crust, and a perfect filling (not too sweet, not too tart), so it was simply a perfect pie.