Fete de la pomme de terre

Went to a local village fair today, the fete de la pomme de terre.

Had a wander around in the sun (hitting 30°C again today - a real Indian summer), and took a few photos.

No chance of a winning pumpkin this year, my measly 25 kilos is nowhere near the current first place of 42 kilos.

For the first time in a while I felt very photographically inspired so took my camera and took several shots and actually loaded them onto flickr and redbubble straight away.

Feeling smug so off to beat Thea at Monopoly now.

Day 9 - Not Corned Beef Hash with salad in mustard vinaigrette

Not corned beef hash because I don't have any corned beef, nor do I actually like it, but the principle is the same.

Cook some peeled and diced potatoes until they are ready for mashing, drain and leave to one side for the moment.

Take some chorizo sausage (thisis a piece I had left over from the pasta bake the other day that I found nestling in the back of the fridge), remove the skin and chop into little pieces.

Fry in some garlic oil in a large flat bottomed pan with a large finely chopped onion, then add the potatoes, and season well.

Squish the potatoes flat to make a sort of omlette, now if you are feeling adventurous you can try flipping it over. Because I have the co-ordination of a ham strung baby giraffe, I cut the 'omlette' roughly in half with a spatula and turn gently instead.

Serve with some salad leaves in a whole grain mustard vinaigrette and freshly baked bread.

For the vinaigrette, in a small bowl, take a teaspoon of whole grain mustard, add a table spoon of onion vinegar (or red wine vinegar), then pour on 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and whisk vigorously with a fork, taste and if still a bit sharp, add a bit more olive oil.

And a quick photo of my vinegar jar.

What do you get when ............

................ you cross radish seeds, chinese red leaf salad and a month of rain?

Well four foot tall plants of course.

Here is Thea modelling the salad poly tunnel, in the foreground the chinese red leaf that is now over a metre tall, and just behind her are the radish plants, gone to seed but again over a metre tall. You can see from the hoop height how tall the plants were supposed to be.

Today has definitely been a gardening day, what with an hour and half of grass mowing, then some potato care, first a bit of colorado beetle squashing, then a quick spray around with copper sulphate solution. After all that rain, and now the temperatures rising, the risk of mildew is very high.

Day 3 of the Larder Challenge - Carrot and Potato Thai Green Soup

It seems ridiculous that I am considering making a hot soup to eat in June, but with the constant rainfall, a winter warmer soup is just what I need.

And with the Rayburn lit for the hot water as the solar panel is 'resting' (posh actor's euphemism for not working - due to lack of solar input), I thought a hot soup bubbling away on the hot plate would raise our morale from the sodden depths.

Raiding the depths of the veg basket - I should have considered stocking up on fresh veg before starting this challenge, oh well too late now, I found a handful of sorry looking carrots and a couple of spuds.

Carrot and Potato Green Thai Chili Soup


Peel and chop into smallish chunks a handful of decidedly limp carrots and a couple of spuds about to sprout (you could use fresh ones but this is what was left in my larder)
Boil in a litre of chicken stock until they begin to disintegrate, then either blitz with a stick blender or use a potato masher to achieve a puree
At this point you may need to add some water, taste to see if you need just water or seasonings as well, a strong stock would be fine but if you are using a cube you may need the additional seasonings.

Now stir in a heaped teaspoon of green Thai chili paste

Leave to simmer away gently for half an hour  until serving or cover and stick in the oven for later, then serve with some bread.



To make your own paste:  Green Thai Chili Paste

Blend all the ingredients together to make a small
jar's worth that will keep in the fridge for a couple 
of weeks, or can be frozen in teaspoon sized dollops
on a tray in the freezer to use another time.

• 1 small onion or a shallot
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1 thumb-size piece of ginger
• 1  cup chopped fresh coriander leaves & stems
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground pepper 
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 3 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 3-4 Tbsp. coconut milk or double cream
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 1-3 green chilies depending on how hot you like your curry