We dread the “Can you duck to the shops to pick up some more ice, lemons, and a bag of salad?” request during the holidays. Battling through the aisles and the long checkout waits — you’d rather be home sipping a mimosa, right? Right. We’ve rustled up a list of essentials to stock up on to avoid the last-minute dash so you’re prepped and ready for whatever your holiday event throws at you.
1. Citrus
Lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruits make perfect garnishes atop your summer drinks and are brilliant squeezed for fresh juice. We also wouldn’t say no if you zested a little orange rind on our festive dishes like the roast beetroot with whipped fetta or our fig, leek and hazelnut stuffing. Zing!
2. Herbs
You can’t beat having an abundance of fresh herbs on hand during the festive season. Parsley, mint, dill, and coriander are welcome additions when you need a vibrant garnish or a little extra kick. Keep an eye out on our product labels, where you’ll find suggestions for the right herb to garnish your dish. To make the most of them, check out our blog on ways to use them so that no sprig goes to waste.
3. Salad leaves
A vibrant, zingy green salad. You might have seen us suggest it before because it’s one of our favourite (and simplest) sides — adaptable, much loved and suits so many dishes. A handful of mixed leaves can also go a long way tossed through our festive grain salad with cranberries, toasted almonds and lemon mustard vinaigrette or try serving our juicy prosciutto wrapped chicken, cranberry and pistachio ballotine on a bed of peppery rocket for a 10/10 presentation.
4. Condiments
Dijon mustard, wholegrain mustard, horseradish and tomato relish are all essentials on the table, but more importantly, they are must-haves to level up your Christmas leftovers. Grab a couple of slices of bread, yesterday’s glazed ham, a little Dijon, a bundle of leaves, a slab of cheddar, and a swipe of tomato relish, and you will have a cracking Boxing Day sandwich.
5. Snacks
Stock up on crackers, flatbreads and dips for a super-quick snack when a last-minute holiday get-together sneaks up on you. This way you can keep the hungry snackers at bay while you heat a tray of our duck sausage rolls with cherry and plum dipping sauce.
6. Crowd pleasers in your freezer
You know by now that nothing is predictable on the days around Christmas and New Year's. A few of your favourite Dinner Ladies meals stashed in the freezer will be lifesavers for feeding a crowd. No one goes hungry on your watch!
7. Christmas pudding accompaniments
Custard, ice cream, and double cream are essential for serving with your traditional Christmas pudding. We know there’s not much convincing needed here!
8. Fresh fruit
Aussie summer is abundant with such lush fruits — mangoes, pineapples, cherries and berries. Excellent for afternoon snacks, breakfast platters and decorating your summery desserts. Don’t skip on the raspberries as you’ll need a few to garnish your lemon curd and raspberry tiramisu!
9. A ham bag
Use a ham bag to keep your leftover glazed ham fresh. All you need to do is soak the bag in a mix of one litre of water with two teaspoons of white vinegar. Wring out the excess liquid before covering and storing your ham on a plate in the fridge. If you forgot to grab one, a clean pillowcase or large cloth tea towel does the trick!
10. Champagne
Because what’s Christmas without a bit of bubbly?! While you’re there, a couple of bags of ice as they’ll never go to waste over the holidays.