Fresh festive recipes

Make the most of your summer produce, with these easy ways to clean out your pantry stores and preserve your seasonal harvest. 

Use what’s seasonal

December in Australia is filled with bumper crops of juicy summer fruits, such as cherries, watermelon, mango and stone fruits. You might not have all of these growing in your garden, but you can still explore the culinary possibilities of what’s in season in in your climate zone. 

Try our fruity deserts in 30 minutes resource for just over 20 simple, fruit-based deserts suitable for all skill levels. The classic seasonal fruit platter is a colourful no-cook option — the only limitation to this dish is your students’ imagination.  

Use up your reserves

Set yourself up for success in the new year with a big end-of-year pantry clean-out. This is a great chance to get creative and figure out how to use up the last rations of flour, rice or polenta. Here’s a versatile recipe to help you rethink some of your dried goods – the Polenta fruit slice. Make use of dried fruits, nuts and seeds in this swift tray bake.  

Preserve produce for future use

Summer can be a time of great abundance in your kitchen garden, but what do you do when you have too much of a good thing? This resource provides tips on preserving your excess fruit and vegetables, alongside everyday recipes to use up your summer crops in your Term 1 menus. 

If you’re new to preserving, check out this story full of tips from the Shared Table community. If your school or service has access to a dehydrator, this is another fantastic way to help keep food for longer. You can experiment with drying out all kinds of produce, from peaches to quondongs. 

We hope you’ve found some new inspiration to make the most out of your summer harvest and pantry staples. Here’s a summary of all the recipes mentioned above and more. 

Don’t forget to share your creations with us on the Shared Table or by tagging us on Facebook and Instagram.