Monday 29 August 2011

Making a meal out of not very much at all

I've had a day in the garden today, that's after I tidied the church grounds of rubbish. I don't like going out on a Bank Holiday so I am happy to stay at home. I've mowed the lawn, biggish lawn, trimmed some bushes, and pulled some weeds up. My garden is not perfect, I like to leave some rough spots for the frogs, and places for the hedgehogs to hide.

I'm getting a bit low on food. I've got some cans and stuff in the freezer but not the right things to make a meal with. I need to go shopping.

Good job I've got the garden. These three raised beds have spuds in them. the tops have died off but the spuds will be ok in there till I want to use them. I just have a firkle with my hand and pull a few up. Last year I had enough to last till nearly Christmas.

The carrots are doing surprisingly well. There are too many of them in this bed because I just scattered the seed and let them get on with it. I am pulling up the bigger ones to give the tiddlers a chance. The sticks over the top are to keep the cats off. I caught Mayze in it trying to catch a frog, naughty girl.

Only one courgette plant survived for some reason :o( but I am getting quite a few from it.

Not quite as many runner bean plants this year, I didn't buy any fresh seeds, just used up the ones I already had. There's still enough beans for me though.

This is something new I have tried, parsnips. I sowed them a bit late, so I have no idea if they have enough time to grow big enough to eat. We shall see.

Right, what to have for dinner tonight. Amazing that I have red and white skinned potatoes in the same bed, I can't remember planting two different varieties. A few carrots and beans. I have half a courgette in the fridge so I don't need to pick another.

The vegetables go in the steamer along with two shop bought onions from a cheap Tesco Value bag. For the sauce I used a tub of frozen carrot soup, and added turmeric, garlic powder, lemon juice, squeeze of tomato puree, and a sprinkling of mixed spice. Into the microwave for a few minutes. I tasted it and it was a bit too spicy so I put a flat teaspoon of sugar in it. That did the trick, more to my liking.

I am now sitting here with an empty plate, it was delicious. The sauce was not like a conventional packet sauce, thick and gooey. It gave just enough flavour to make the vegetables interesting, without smothering them. I hate it when you lose the taste of the vegetables under a mound of sauce.

Total cost of the meal? Oh, I don't know about 25p or thereabouts :O)

12 comments:

  1. Fresh and healthy! I adore runner beans and would have a plateful as my main meal.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That certainly is a thrifty meal! I love those home grown red skinned potatoes - they make great wedges if you just roast them in a bit of olive and oil and a mix of herbs.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fanastic - you never cease to amaze - thrifty is as thrify does.
    I have a few things like that in the fridge; am going to whiz them up and make a shepherds pie of sorts - so tasty.

    ReplyDelete
  4. That's a good idea about mellowing the spicy flavour, I'm often a little on the spicy side (my sauces I mean) and couldn't remember what you did. I did try putting potato in but it didn't work.

    I had something similar yesterday, didn't know what to cook, had some breaded Camembert, made a spicy risotto and served that. Quite nice.

    Your vegetables look fantastic. I only grew potatoes and have some tomatoes outside but none ripe yet.

    ReplyDelete
  5. "Firkle"

    What a lovely word. (Any more like that?) Haven't heard it in a long while. Used here http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,51944.msg527613.html in the same context on the allotment.

    Another meaning can be "messing about" I think. As a boy we'd use "Lakin" for that. Stop your lakin about." That though would be said TO me more that I'd say it to others!

    Ahh memories of a mispent youth ....

    Thanks.

    Brian

    ReplyDelete
  6. I just learned a new word.....firkle!
    When I lived in Scotland I picked up a few....shuggle is my favourite.
    Jane x

    ReplyDelete
  7. Onions have a relaxing effect on the valve at the bottom of the esphagus, the part the keeps stomach acid etc from sloshing back up your esophagus, so when you lie down it doesn't work as well. you might try eating onions earlier for lunch not dinner, works for my husband.
    Candace

    ReplyDelete
  8. All fresh from your own garden! Great!

    ReplyDelete
  9. A lovely harvest.

    This is the time of year I really enjoy, picking the veggies from the garden and making meals around them.

    It shows you don't need masses and masses of food stacked high in the fridge to make a perfectly good, nutricious meal, and yours looks lovely.

    Sue xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. Simple, jumbled together meals are often the tastiest!

    ReplyDelete
  11. That's my kind of cooking.
    Love from Mum
    xx
    PS We keep the parsnips in the ground until we need them. They do have a long growing season so don't rip them up yet.
    xx

    ReplyDelete

Some comments will be accepted. I decide which are published.