Many, Many years ago, back in 1990’s, I spent one year roaming around western Queensland. It was an adventure that taught me a great deal about life and people. I won’t ramble on about my adventure, but I will share a few of my favourite recipes I collected on my travels. I was in awe of the real ‘country woman’. These multi tasked woman would crutch sheep in the morning, provide smoko at lunch, return the sheep to their paddock and then head back to the homestead to prepare a delicious meal. There was no ducking into town for a couple of litres of milk or a loaf of bread. What you couldn’t make or produce on farm, you waited for the monthly trip into town.
I’m also talking of another era, when there was no mobile phone. The bush phone or two-way kept you in contact with your neighbours and also a wonderful afternoon spent listening to these fabulous woman share their greatest recipe secrets!!
STICKY DATE PUDDING (serves 8 – 10)
One of my favourite simple recipes.
Ingredients:
For pudding –
185 g. stoned dates
250 ml. water
1 level teaspoon bi-carb soda
60 gm. butter
2 eggs
184 g. sugar=(3/4 cup)
185 g. self raising flour=(1 1/2 cups)
vanilla essence
Sauce:
150 g. brown sugar
150 ml. cream
1/2 cup butter
vanilla essence
Cook dates in water until they reach jam consistency. Beat in remaining ingredients and mix well. Butter and flour a jam roll tin and pour in mixture. Bake on centre shelf of pre-heated (190 degrees) oven for 25 minutes, or until pudding is cooked.
Combine ingredients for sauce in saucepan, stir until dissolved and combined. Simmer for five minutes.
Cut pudding into wedges and serve with hot sauce and thick cream. Yum, Yum, Yum…….
PADDOCK RAMBLINGS 