By Christine Salins.
Country Women’s Association cookbooks are not what they used to be. They’re a lot more sophisticated and a lot more on trend than the CWA cookbooks of old.
Gone are the text-only books that were chock-a-block with recipes from Aunty Gertrude or Mrs Davis next door. Just as the association itself has had to work to remain relevant, so too has it had to increase the appeal of its recipe books.
A hardback volume complete with photos of beautifully styled dishes, From Our Kitchen To Yours (Murdoch Books, $36.99) can easily compete with all the other lovely cookbooks on the market.
Produced by the Country Women’s Association of Victoria, its 185 recipes have stood the test of time. Many were previously published in CWA community cookbooks to raise money for good causes.
From Vegetarian crumble, Moroccan-inspired lamb soup, and Spicy Chinese-style pork ribs, to the Plum and rosemary lamb shanks featured here, there’s something for all tastes.
Not surprisingly, there are loads of baking recipes and preserves, since CWA members are renowned for their baking talents and their tasty jams and preserves.
Who can pass up old favourites like Anzac biscuits, jam drops, scones, carrot cake, chocolate chip biscuits, economical fruit cake, and never-fail sponge? Still, it’s the ‘Italian tipsy cake’ that has me reaching for the baking pans.
From Our Kitchen To Yours is perfect for Mother’s Day gift giving. Call it comfort food with a stylish touch.
Plum & rosemary lamb shanks
Serves 4
2 tablespoons plain flour
8 small or 4 large French-trimmed lamb shanks
2½ tablespoons olive oil
1 brown onion, finely sliced
3 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves
2½ cups (625 ml) chicken stock
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1½ cups (480 g) plum jam
salt and pepper to taste
chopped parsley, to garnish
Place flour and lamb shanks in a bowl and cover shanks with the flour.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy-based flameproof casserole dish. Brown shanks over medium-high heat, cooking in batches for 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer shanks to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium and heat remaining oil. Add onion, rosemary and thyme and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is tender.
Add chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce and plum jam. Season with salt and pepper, return shanks to the pot, bring back to the boil, cover dish with a tight-fitting lid and put in a low oven (160°C) to bake 2 hours.
It is better cooked the day before needed. Skim off any fat that sets overnight and reheat in a slow oven for about 40 minutes.
Serve sprinkled with parsley. Delicious with steamed green beans and lemon wedges.
Images and text from From Our Kitchen to Yours by The Country Women’s Association of Victoria, photography by Cath Muscat. Murdoch Books RRP $36.99.
