Friday, May 01, 2009

I wanted...I bought...I made


Still have very little appetite at the moment after being ill last week so there's not a lot of pleasure in thinking a lot about what to eat. Which is usually one of my favourite activities.

Still have the makings of a lamb casserole and moorish lentils so that's two nights sorted. But it is bank holiday so it seems a shame to not have a few special things though the snooker final is also on the tele so a few plates of cold collation will probably keep the man happy... Do that for Saturday special I think, things you can pick at and eat with your fingers if there's a napkin handy. Including asparagus. Sunday some chinese perhaps burgers in fact with mince from the freezer and fabulously decadent potato salad with garlic mayonnaise and Monday lentils would be good made a spectacularly good braised tofu puffs casserole with shitake mushrooms and cellophane noodles and the leftover stock that I had frozen after slow roasting pork in chilli and fennel. Tuesday last weeks lamb casserole finally made the lentils but the lamb remains in the freezer, Wednesday a quick pasta salad with duck friton but no dressing so it didn't really meld, Thursday duck salad pasta experiment with courgettes, bacon and breadcrumbs that needs a little refining, Friday could be almost anything as we are going to the Real Food festival at Earls Court so there will be grazing and high hopes of purchasing of something particularly sublime.

Had been thinking I'd like spare ribs and coincidentally the man expressed the same desire and then, oh no! there were no spare ribs to be had at Borough Market. Not at Ginger Pig, not at Northfields or Silfields or anywhere. Bugger. Bought pork mince instead thinking Balls! And now it's in the freezer where half will be made into spicy balls and the rest is split into small amounts for adding to stirfries £8.50

The fruitless search for ribs ended on the other side of the market where we discovered the stall for Rhodes bread which I had failed to find last week. As we stood dithering about what to buy Jeremy turned up - he is the fine young man who, should I need to buy lunch on Thursday or Friday, cooks me a hot chorizo, peppers and rocket roll (using Rhodes bread) on Whitecross Street. He was working for Artisan Food's stall for the day - so that was an unexpected surprise. We eventually bought a dark rye which was very good plain and toasted and a small campagne which I had planned to have with supper but the man wanted an English stick to it's in the freezer and will crispy up nicely perhaps this weekend - £5.20

Then to Wild Beef for eggs scrambled on toast as brunch after the market and sausages - we ate the pack we had in the freezer Friday night and I do like having some more, just in case - £5.50

There was a new farm stall selling asparagus and I bought a fat bunch fabulous dipped in garlic mayonnaise - just the one though I was tempted to buy two(!) - £3.50

At Gastronomica cheese stall I bought a rochetta still in the fridge and a big lump of truffle cheese snacked on with a glass of wine and in a sandwich for lunch Thursday - £13.50

Then at Gastronomica meat stall I bought braesola - the collation plan coming together - £5

Since it is now officially spring I bought strawberries at Chegworth for the first smoothies of the year - £3 for two sweet smelling punnets

From Shellseekers I got a tub of fresh pink little schoolies already peeled Saturday night treat was getting better and better - £4.80

At Booths I bought bananas, cucumber, lettuce, ratte potatoes, green beans, courgettes, garlic and carrots for £9

From Tony I bought 3 red peppers a pound and the man noticed that Farmer Sharp was selling packs of air dried mutton for £5 - we'd never tried it so here was the perfect opportunity

The next generation are joining in creating the excellence at Mrs Elizabeth King with hot pies to accompany the fine pork pies that we eat so many of. There was a first place prize for the new steak and kidney pie. The man loves nothing more than a hot S&K pie and I simply adore a good steak pie so that sorted lunch Saturday and my little ozzie heart was filled with joy at just how good they are - £5

Needed yoghurt for smoothies as well as milk and an english stick from Neals Yard - £6.70

And that was all - no brownies! Cost £75.70 Also bought spring onions, butter and tofu and a stick of bread from Comptoir Gascon.

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