Forgotten potatoes

Have you experienced that moment when you start cleaning out the corners of your fridge only to discover a few, forlorn potatoes beginning to sprout?

Most people would throw them out, past their prime and starting to go bitter. I decided, late into the season I might add, they deserved planting especially as they'd tried so hard in the confines of the fridge.

I'd just finished with some pots so taking these 3 small offerings, I placed one in each pot and left them. As they grew I earthed them up but apart from that, nothing.

The saying is, 'from tiny acorns, mighty oaks doth grow', well in this case, from three small potatoes a few meals did flourish. 🥰

Next year I'll take a bit more notice of my potatoes and perhaps plant a few in bigger pots.

I hope it works

I've never fermented anything before but having been inspired by an article I saw on a gardening programme, I looked at my green tomatoes, sang the Fried Green Tomatoes theme tune ( if you've not seen the film it's really good) and set about finding a recipe.

So, let's hope it works; green tomatoes, green-ish sweet peppers and a chilli. 🤞

Hot bedding, death of an age and Ryvitas

I've always seen hot-bedding as a sensible use of resources coming into it's own on submarines and when partners have day/night shifts - one up cooking breakfast the other getting a late night snack - but hot-seating with a cat! 😳

Now don't get me wrong I'm always happy to share my living space with next door's cat but when she monopolises my chair fur can fly.

An end of an era has arrived in the UK that's for certain as we prepare to bury our late Queen and crown her son King, the third in a line of Charles's.

It heralds a final end of the post war years too, of growth, industrialisation, expansion and producing fertiliser/insecticide/pesticide rich food for the ever increasing population, to a different way of life, where the world has to face the loss of use of combustible fuels and move to perhaps a smaller, greener, more organic one. Where food begins, perhaps, to reflect its true costs of production in the shops and the variety we have enjoyed, shrinks to what's available or what we grow.

It's going to be an interesting period of transition which I fear will bring great stress and turmoil to the masses as they struggle to maintain their quality of life.

I went shopping yesterday, the cupboards were becoming bare and my fridge was virtually empty; can't make much with mixed green salad leaves, cheese and milk.

I had my list and finding most of what I wanted (nothing fancy I can assure you) I decided to treat myself to a pack of Ryvita, the fruit one. Nice with cheese and fine as a crunchy accompaniment to black coffee. 

At this point I will say I'm pescatarian and I don't eat breads, potatoes or pasta, so a pack of Ryvita is like a fresh cream cake to most 'normal' people.

I got to the aisle and the entire crispbread section was empty 😕

A sign of things to come?

Free food, cheap meals

It's been a cooking day today.

Yesterday, I managed to pick up three complete chicken breasts with the fillets still in place for £4, which, considering they were free range makes them all the more delightful.

Splitting them up I made 4 good sized meals, slow-cooking them in a tomato bravas sauce. To be honest two of the meals will probably produce two servings each so in retrospect I made 6 rather beautiful meals just requiring some vegetables or pasta to finish it off. 

As I wandered home with my cut price bargains I noticed a cardboard box on the wall of a house; free cooking apples. Happy days, so I brought 4 home and cut them up for stewing in a little water and plenty of cinnamon. 

I suspect most people these days would have turned their noses up at them as I had to cut out the maggot riddled centre, but it was nothing much and I still got plenty of beautiful stewed apple as a result.

I totted up my spend:

£4 on the chicken

30p on a tin of chopped tomatoes 

30p onion

Miscellaneous herbs + spices I already had.

50p Red pepper 

Gas to cook with.

So, £7 roughly has put a minimum of four meals in the freezer and six portions of stewed apple there too. Much cheaper than paying restaurant prices that's for sure.

When they litter the curbside....

If there are a few signs which put the swear words into full flow this is possibly one of them.

In my part of Kent they seem to be appearing like confetti and getting from one place to another is a case of avoiding........

and the truckers from UK and Europe having to follow.....

It seems Operation Brock is coming to an end but I tell you, getting from Tonbridge to Maidstone is hit and miss. 

Those in the know dive down narrow country lanes only to meet farm vehicles coming the other way and end up reversing into hedges. 

I met a combine harvester; no room for me then and the woman behind me wasn't too confident about reversing. I reversed into the entrance to a field only to discover he too was going there. 

Dance of the vehicles me thinks.

So today, they've possibly given us one route back out of the plethora of roadworks, but I'm not holding my breath, the buses go on strike shortly 😊 and I noted another set of signs indicating another main route would be undergoing roadworks.

I suppose we could all just fly? 🤔