And this week ... I bought

The foot and mouth effect reached Borough this week - the Ginger Pig had no pork. A difficult concept to comprehend. As each customer looked at the counter full of beef and lamb and chickens and asked for one cut or another of pork, the butcher serving would say we have no pork this week. And the customer would invariably reply - what, none at all? (I am guilty of exactly this conversation) And the butcher serving would, with rapidly diminishing patience, say because of foot and mouth there was no slaughter this week. I was there about ten - can't imagine how much they were hating this same conversation by closing. I bought a chicken - meant for Sunday but stuffed and roasted Monday night for dinner and then cold in lunchboxes for the week - and some smoked bacon - for a not entirely successful stirfry with tofu Tuesday night - £14.40

Then it was rush rush rush as I was running late and shopping alone - not my favourite combination but the man had gone to Paddington to collect his sister and her kids and there was no other way

From Mrs Elizabeth King I bought a pork pie - half for lunch on Saturday with our guests the rest for lunch with salad on Monday - £4.90

From Wild Beef I bought eggs - in fried rice Wednesday night and an omelette Friday - £1.25

From Isle of Wight I was pleased to buy baby plum tomatoes - really missed them last week - every day in my lunch - and two big heads of garlic - practically everything I cook - as they have returned as well - £6.90

Chocolates from Maison du Chocolat - for the man's mother - £2

Gianni at Gastronomica was his usual charming self as I tried a couple of hard cheeses and opted for a pecorino - still in the fridge - then added a rocchetta - Saturday lunch - and he gave me a slice of a toma - with a glass of wine Sunday night - I hadn't tried so a good selection for £10

At the meat counter for Gastronomica I bought mortadella studded with truffles which I adore and the man can't stand, some ham roasted with herbs and, as an afterthought a sheet of mixed salamis -all meant for lunch Saturday, our visitors adored the salamis particularly, but there was ham and mortadella leftover so we had it with potato salad for supper Sunday - £9.20

No strawberries this week but had to have another tub of cooked berries for breakfast - £2.90

Coffee beans from Monmouth - every day - £8.50

Booths for veg - broccoli - unused and possibly unusable now, potatoes - salad Sunday, roasted Monday, carrots boiled with dinner Monday, rocket, oak leaf - Saturday lunch salad, beans - cooked with sesame and garlic to go with omelette Friday, sugarsnaps - lunches, peppers - stir fried with black beans as part of dinner Tuesday, cucumber - lunches, celery - fried rice on Wednesday which was then added to lunch boxes Thursday - £6

Then I remembered I had forgotten to buy smoked tofu - for stir fry with smoked bacon Tuesday which wasn't great but not the fault of the tofu - from the tofu stall in the green market so rushed back there through the swelling crowds swinging shopping bags like the udders on an unmilked cow and bought a block - £2.50

Then I rushed back the other way to Neals Yard for yoghurt - breakfasts, bread - Saturday lunch then stuffing for chicken Monday night - and milk - £6.90

Bought two brownies and a slice of banana cake to feed the littlies at lunch - Saturday- £4.50

Lastly - and near as I would get to the straw that broke the camels back - a melon from Elsey & Bent - because the one last week was special - and this one was just as lovely for breakfasts - £1

Then I staggered off to the bus stop with my haul for the week having spent £80.95