Celebrating Christmas in the middle of Australian summer requires some alternative Christmas cooking than the heavy winter foods that I'm used to in Finland. I love experienting with the same ingredients, but creating something more fresh to suit the hot weather here.
Here is one of the recipes that everyone seems to love:
Spiced Christmast Salad - Swede, Parsnip, Capers and Cranberries in Lemon Herb Marinade
2 swedes (approx. 250g), peeled and shredded
2 parsnips, peeled and shredded
2/3 cup dried cranberries
50 g capers, drained and roughly chopped
4 tbsp chopped parsley
4 tbsp chopped dill
8 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tsp mustard
1 large garlic clove, crushed
2-4 tsp honey (depending on how sweet you like it)
salt and pepper to taste
Place the shredded swedes and parsnips in a mixing bowl. Add all the rest of the ingredients. Massage everything together with your hands which helps the flavours to absorb. Ideally store in a fridge for an hour before serving.