D made some lovely tomato soup yesterday. This morning, he lovingly reheated it and poured it into a flask for me to take into work for lunch. So in order to make more of a lunch of it. I decided to walk over to the local supermarket to pick up some bread rolls. While I was in a queue waiting to pay, the cashier says to the woman she is serving:
Do you know what kind of melon this is?
Woman responds confidently: Yes, honeydew.
Cashier says: Are you sure?!
Woman responds: Yes! Of course
But it was not, it was Galia, the mottled rough callous skinned melon, not the smooth, gold, scented Honeydew melon. I felt like ‘butting in’ and telling her ‘no, no it is not a honeydew melon, it’s a…..' but I decided not to. Some people just do not take kindly to being pointed out as wrong, especially in public. So she ended up paying £2.00 for what should have cost her around £1.00
I don’t know much, but I know the difference between these two melons. I'm not a food snob, am I?
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Sweet and Savoury Tomato Spring rolls
This version came about after conversing with Kella about the Sweet and Sour baklava. Rather than spend time layering the pastry one on top of the other in a baklava style, how much easier it would be to do individual portions, hence the spring rolls. I think they worked out brilliantly. I was even able to reheat them in the oven (not the microwave - would be too soggy) a day or two later for light nibbles.
For a homely vegan version of these tomato spring rolls, check out this link to Kella’s blog. Isn’t it wonderful how recipes evolve!
I served these with the last of courgettes which I lovingly griddled and drizzled with some lemony dressing, and some home made traditional cucumber Tzazki. I hope you like!
Method
For a homely vegan version of these tomato spring rolls, check out this link to Kella’s blog. Isn’t it wonderful how recipes evolve!
I served these with the last of courgettes which I lovingly griddled and drizzled with some lemony dressing, and some home made traditional cucumber Tzazki. I hope you like!Sweet and Savoury Tomato Spring rolls
Makes 10 - 14
Ingredients
100ml olive oil
3 white onions, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 generous teaspoon dried dill
8 tomatoes, roughly chopped, I used a mixture of what I had
2 teaspoons tomato puree
100g melted butter
100g dates, stones and finely sliced
200g feta cheese, crumbled
Packet of ready made spring roll pastry. I use TYJ Spring Roll pastry (see below) which are available from both Chinese or South Asian stores.
MethodPreheat the oven to Gas Mark 4. Heat the oil in a large bottomed pan. Gently fry the onions over a low heat, add the garlic and cinnamon and increase the heat. Fry until caramelised. Add the dill, tomatoes and tomato puree and cook until reduced. Turn off, then stir in the dates and feta cheese.
Now take one sheet of spring roll wrap (or two if you don't want the filling oozing out like mine above), add a couple of tablespoons of the tomato filling, paste the sides with melted butter and wrap well into individual spring rolls. Do this until you have used all the tomato filling. You should end up with about 10 – 14 depending on the size of your pastry sheets. Place on a baking tray lightly greased with oil and cook for 15 – 20 minutes until golden. Feel free to turn them over halfway, if you want them to be lightly golden on both sides. Leave to cool a little while, before serving as tomato tends to retain heat. Idea inspired by Maria Elia's The Modern Vegetarian
Now take one sheet of spring roll wrap (or two if you don't want the filling oozing out like mine above), add a couple of tablespoons of the tomato filling, paste the sides with melted butter and wrap well into individual spring rolls. Do this until you have used all the tomato filling. You should end up with about 10 – 14 depending on the size of your pastry sheets. Place on a baking tray lightly greased with oil and cook for 15 – 20 minutes until golden. Feel free to turn them over halfway, if you want them to be lightly golden on both sides. Leave to cool a little while, before serving as tomato tends to retain heat. Idea inspired by Maria Elia's The Modern Vegetarian
Giving up Plot 11
As you may know I transferred to plot 45 over a year ago, and D decided to keep on Plot 11. But now two years on, some things have changed and we have to be realistic. We work full-time jobs, and it has been proving a bit difficult and overwhelming to maintain two plots. We never seem to be on top of the work, and this year especially we have really neglected to stay on top of plot 11 in relation to maintenance, weeding, planting and harvesting. We are overwhelmed with what to do with the produce from two plots. There are also times when we want to go over to the allotment and just sit down and enjoy the plot for what it is. This has not happened with us yet. We always seem to be working the plots, rather than sitting back and enjoying the sight of it.
In the summer the plot is: infested with midgies that make it hard to work, neds throwing stones over and shouting abuse, and in the winter: or even at the slight sign of rain the plot becomes both slippy and boggy that you cannot dig the earth. Also although the allotment site has got a feral cat really called Beryl, there still seems to be a lot of vermin about (coming from both the graveyard and the illegal dumping behind the site). It is perhaps the most neglected part of the allotment site as well.
Anyway, even greed cannot justify us hogging Plot 11 for another year. So we have jointly and reluctantly decided to give up plot 11. It will be sad time for us both, but it must be done. Plot 11 was our first ever plot, a real labour of love. The above A2K header image is what we started with. The plot has rewarded us well, especially with juicy raspberries that even the birds stayed away from them. Much of what we have at Plot 11 is recycled. We will only be taking a few things and plants from there such as the stacked shelves in the shed and some rhubarb crowns. We have some vegetables still growing: Scarlet runner beans and King Edward potatoes which we may be able to harvest before we vacate the plot, but the cabbages and autumn raspberries will be there for the next occupant (hopefully).
We will be notifying the committee of our decision at the next meeting.
In the summer the plot is: infested with midgies that make it hard to work, neds throwing stones over and shouting abuse, and in the winter: or even at the slight sign of rain the plot becomes both slippy and boggy that you cannot dig the earth. Also although the allotment site has got a feral cat really called Beryl, there still seems to be a lot of vermin about (coming from both the graveyard and the illegal dumping behind the site). It is perhaps the most neglected part of the allotment site as well.
Anyway, even greed cannot justify us hogging Plot 11 for another year. So we have jointly and reluctantly decided to give up plot 11. It will be sad time for us both, but it must be done. Plot 11 was our first ever plot, a real labour of love. The above A2K header image is what we started with. The plot has rewarded us well, especially with juicy raspberries that even the birds stayed away from them. Much of what we have at Plot 11 is recycled. We will only be taking a few things and plants from there such as the stacked shelves in the shed and some rhubarb crowns. We have some vegetables still growing: Scarlet runner beans and King Edward potatoes which we may be able to harvest before we vacate the plot, but the cabbages and autumn raspberries will be there for the next occupant (hopefully).
We will be notifying the committee of our decision at the next meeting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)