Friday, October 16, 2009

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



We are out Saturday afternoon to see Endgame a bleak, funny desolate production, so may need something cheering in the evening. If the tarka dal turns out to be good tonight (Friday) then I think it will be good cold with roast spiced lamb that turned out beautifully, roasted it with onions and carrots and had a side dish of roasted cauliflower and some baba ganoush, which will make for tasty lunchboxes for a day or two. Sunday is meant to be sunny and a walk in Cookham Wood is planned with lunch at a pub called the Jolly Farmer, which, if it comes to pass, will be a most delightful Sunday with something simple for dinner in case we're too exhausted for complicated - didn't quite make the walk to Cookham but still had a simple supper of duck fat toast topped with rocket, piquillo peppers and fried eggs. Monday we are at the theatre again for Enron, Tuesday I am delighted to have my friends Adrienne and Harold over for dinner, as they are here for a short while from Mauritius. Planning paella with pork and spinach and a plate of tasty cheese to follow - actually had a big platter of Italian cured meats and olives followed by pasta with buffalo mozzarella and finished with cheese and chocolates for one version of a perfect week night supper. Wednesday is french, so hopefully there will be the last of the rice from Tuesday to finish - had the wurst I bought last week with salad and bread which I really liked but the man, though generally a sausage lover, is less convinced by wurst. Thursday might need to have pasta bake to use the last of the basil from our summer plants had pasta and cauliflower bake to be frugal and use the half cauliflower and the rest of the caerphilly served with bitter leaf chicory salad, just lovely and Friday the german sausages we didn't eat this week - had them already so its omelette and salad for simplicity.

Definitely getting cooler stood waiting for the bus to market, nippy little breeze prompting buttoning of jackets and wondering when scarves and gloves will reappear. Borough was fairly civilised numbers wise first thing Saturday so it was easy to get about. At Ginger Pig Charlie was off that night to Sydney where the sun is shining and the temperature's rising. Lucky thing! Bought a lovely leg of lamb for dinner and lunch boxes - £14.70 - and wished him bon voyage.

Had a crisis of confidence about paella Tuesday so decided to do baked pasta with salad instead but the rocket at Booths was on its last legs so bought chicory, potatoes and red onions for £3.30

Eggs from Wild Beef for £1.50

Cauliflower and a small bunch of rocket from Teds Veg £1.70

Chocolates from L'Artisan - £2

Olives from the Fresh Olive Company, where the woman ahead of me had bought a large tub of her favourites, then, seeing me buy the melange of big green ones, tried one and had a tub of those too! - Mine cost £3.50

Parma ham and mozzarella from the Italian stall who are now over in the green market and apparently have a different site each time they set up - £11

Truffle cheese from Gastronomica, who still have no shop - £9

Milk and pasta from Neals Yard - £6.90

Bread and a chocolate brownie from Flour Power - £3.20

That's all this week from the market - a reasonable £53.50 but there is more to buy, bread from St John, ham and salami and tinned tomatoes and rocket if I can find it in the local shop as ours in the garden has packed up for the winter.

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