Cooking with a dash of history

11 May 2020

Families across the country are adjusting to a new way of life. Whether things have slowed down or become more hectic, we know that finding new ways to entertain children is a never-ending challenge. Let us help you with some fun ways you can keep them (or yourself) busy with a dash of history. Let’s get cooking!

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Bake a loaf of bread

Did you know bread has origins dating back more than 22,000 years¹? Today, bread is the most widely consumed food in the world². This humble staple was a regular for the Hardey family at Peninsula Farm. Unlike many other settlers, when arriving in the colony Joseph Hardey was already an experienced farmer. Wheat was one of the crops grown successfully at Peninsula Farm and the milling of the wheat into flour was a service he offered to his neighbours. Grab the kids and teach them about this fascinating, often overlooked, part of our diet. Nothing quite beats that smell of freshly baking bread throughout the house.

Recipes

Simple Wholemeal Bread

Easy Australian Damper

Make ice cream in a plastic bag

Ice cream is a delicious treat enjoyed by people across the world. In the past, however, this creamy delight would have been out of reach for many. Without refrigeration people would have had to cut ice from frozen ponds during the winter and store it with the hope it’d last until summer³. Nowadays making this delicious treat doesn’t need to be complicated and is a great way to demonstrate how ice cream was made before refrigeration. Just follow the recipe below, add your favourite toppings or flavours and enjoy. This easy recipe could be something they try on their own.

Recipe

Ice Cream in a Bag

Jam-packed

A recipe for jam can be found in the oldest collection of recipes to survive antiquity, De Re Coquinaria (“The Art of Cooking“)⁴. Jam or preserves were originally made using honey and helped families save seasonal fruits so they could be enjoyed long after they were picked. Fruit and even some vegetables would have been preserved at Peninsula Farm, Woodbridge and the oldest farm in Western Australia, Strawberry Hill. When cane sugar became more readily available in the 16th century⁵ it began to replace honey in recipes. Now a common household treat, jam can be made in a variety of ways just using fruit, sugar and sometimes a little bit of citrus. Try one of your family recipes or experiment with the ones listed here.

Recipes

Chia Seed Jam

Old fashioned Strawberry Jam

Scones

This family favourite is believed to have originated in Scotland and was first made with oats⁶. Evolving from there into the modern-day take, scones are traditionally made plain or with raisins. In the early 20th century, Australia started a new trend of scones by adding pumpkin puree to the mix. Recipes for pumpkin scones started to appear across the country with a recipe even printed in The Sun (Kalgoorlie) in 1916⁷. Once O’Connor’s ‘Golden Pipeline’ arrived, Kalgoorlie thrived growing to around 30,000 people. Whether you like them traditional or prefer a little bit of flavour these are an easy, fun family treat to make. We recommend enjoying them with your homemade jam!