Kitchen Tales Part 2 Saturday 13 January 2018

Well I went to the Veg shop and really stocked up especially in view of the fact that we are due another period of snowy, cold winter weather.  As both of us have been unwell recently I am determined that we are going to have fuel for the inside to keep us both going as damp weather does no one any good at all.  As the last fresh veg I stocked up with was before Christmas I needed topping up on several staples.  I keep a lot in the fridge especially things like broccoli, spinach etc and get as much shelf life out of it as I can.

I already have a sack of potatoes in.  During the winter months I keep a large bag of potatoes as we go through quite a bit. They keep relatively well and they are delivered by the fruit and veg shop's son to my back door.  This helps me an awful lot.  I would advocate keeping a sack of spuds in during winter as you can make some many meals from them.  Some people don't like the idea of keeping a sack in as the are not fresh.  Potatoes are not fresh and are stored in clamps to keep them viable and they may be many weeks if not months old by the time we buy them in the shop.  Its cheaper to buy potatoes in this way.  I have mash, roasties, colcannon, champ, boiled potatoes, rosti and dauphinoise potatoes planned for this little lot just as starters.  There are then home made chips which are the best.

Today I have bought the following:

2 bowls of cherry tomatoes - going to turn into cherry tomato pasta sauce for the freezer.

3 bowls of fresh plums.  Going towards fresh eating and also a plum crumble and stewed plums with custard.

4 bags of clementines.  Some to go toward curd, some towards marmalade and some toward eating.

I bought six separate larger clementines with their leaves on for OH to eat fresh.

2 bowls of pears reduced.  Towards fruit salad and also for baking.  Pear and Almond slice which can also be served as a pudding (Has frangipane mixture in a pastry case with pears on top).

3 swede.  So many because I have stew on the cards, and I also want to get some carrot and swede crush prepared for the freezer.  This costs so much for a paltry portion in the shop and yet it is easily made at home.  Cheaper although time consuming to prepare but you get more for your money all the way round.

A new tray of eggs for eating and baking.

Cooking apples.  Apple sauce or apple pudding of some type.

Sweet potatoes for roasting with Rosemary or for doing in the microwave.

Parsnips for stew and for roasting.

2 Cauliflowers - Cauliflower cheese intended for these.  I have plenty of cheddar to use up in the fridge.

Savoy cabbage as a side for dinners planned.

Leeks also for incorporating in meals and also as a side vegetable.

Net of Onions.  I rarely cook without onions as they give so much flavour to a dish and I use them in many ways.

Red onions.  Same with these although I am particularly fond of these in sarnies or toasted sandwiches.

2 red peppers. For use in stir fries and with chicken and also squash.

A squash love these roasted and in soups.

Spring Onions; I use these in sarnies and also in potato for Colcannon and champ.  Also use in Bubble and Squeak.

I have since nipped up to Waitrose as I needed one or two things.  I have added a mixed salad and rocket salad, some kale, cavalo nero,  some spinach, some spring greens, some shallots and some pickling onions (which I also use in cooking) to bring the roasties on a bit more and it helps caramelise them.So I am pretty well set up for veggies this next week to ten days or so.  Oh I also bought some Red Rooster potatoes which we both love.  They are a tad expensive but I bought them as a bit of a treat more than anything else.

I have also been to the fish counter and bought some herring roe to have fried and then spread on some nice hot toast.  This is an old favourite of mine.  We used to have it sometimes for Saturday night tea when I was little.  I have also bought two pieces of plain haddock which are destined for Monday's night's tea.  OH is not hundred per cent at the moment and I am trying to tempt him to eat.  We think his body has been trying to pass a kidney stone (which he has had problems with before) as he has been in a lot of pain.  So I am trying to tempt him to eat a little.  With that in mind I bought a couple of dressed Cornish crabs for our tea this evening.  Just served simply with some good bread and butter.  It was delicious.  Did not think OH was going to eat it he ate a little and then put it down.  He has however since demolished it.  I am just glad he has had a little to eat.

I have also ended up buying some more puff pastry, cream, cream fraiche and fromage frais.

At the meat counter I bought some different sausages to try.  We know what we like on the sausage front and these do not look too bad they are Waitrose's own but we shall see what the flavour is like first.  I also bought some sausage meat to make some sausage rolls with some of the puff pastry.  When I go to the Butchers next I will buy in some more and freeze it.  We do not like the frozen ones that you can get so it makes sense for me to make a couple of batches and pop them in the freezer uncooked.  Which reminds me I need to make a list of things that I would quite like from the Butchers on the meat front.  I want to make some Scotch Eggs as well, will need some beef skirt for Cornish pasties, I need to sort out some meat as well for some meat pies and home made pork pies.  If I go armed with a list and the quantities I need  then I can have a cooking set too when we get in and make some home made goodies to go in the freezer which will be ideal.  I need to have a big session either once a month for the whole day or split between the rest of the month and do some batch cooking.  Things like quiches or at least the pastry crust as well.  I have also bought a gammon and a hock which will be cooked for meat and then be used up in pies and quiches and soups so nothing goes to waste.

So now I must get on and do a bit more.

Have a lovely evening.  Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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