Friday, September 11, 2009

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


A couple of weeks away in sunny France feasting on all things duck and other lovely bits somehow makes it difficult to make a plan for week night suppers in a decidedly autumnal London. There is lots in the freezer that I'd like to be using ahead of more shopping but think a Saturday night treat may be in order. Something fishy I think had aromatic steamed cod with pilau rice for a delightfully pale and interesting supper. Sunday we are going to see Prick Up Your Ears in the afternoon oh no! the tickets are for this week which we discovered when we arrived at a closed theatre... so I'm wondering about having roast beef and lots of veg did do that and it was perfect with daupinoise potatoes and a red wine gravy as we have a roast already in the freezer. Then cheese on toast for tea afterwards had a little spag bol in a tub in the freezer so had that on toast topped with a little cheese. Monday more theatre so Tuesday could well be a spanish rice dish that I have most of the elements for, including stock in the freezer a fabulous paella indeed that we reheated Wednesday night. Wednesday I am back at French class so a quick pasta dish after would be good, probably involving both green chillies and basil as I have loads of both in an otherwise much diminished garden. Thursday I think jerk chicken with rice and peas from the Levy Roots series chicken is still in the freezer as we had zucchini pasta with fresh basil which was nice but not great. Friday possibly definitely omelette.

Oh. My. God. Borough Market has completely changed. Network Rail have started work thereby closing about half the main market hall. Just gone. Very very weird. And the trustees have shaken up the rest of the stalls, put a new roof onto the Jubliee Market and moved a load of traders into there. It's like visiting a whole other market - one where I don't know where anything is!

Thankfully the Ginger Pig is still where it always is and I bought some chicken but only that much to the surprise of the guy serving me. But then I explained about all the stuff in the freezer and we got into a conversation about how clearing the freezer can be one step forward and two back by the time you use that pack of minced beef to make a fabulous batch of spaghetti bolognese half of which goes into the freezer for another day, using twice as much space as the original meat. However I am determined there will be space. Soon. Chicken cost £6.80 and, obviously went straight into the freezer when we got home!

Then to Booths for potatoes Sunday lunch, sugarsnaps lunchboxes, carrots, leeks Sunday lunch, lettuce steamer liner Saturday night and salad, and courgettes pasta Thursday for £4.80

Then it all got a bit more complicated. There are signs pointing down a new pathway next to the cider people, tempting people with the promise of more this way. The new Jubilee Market has a see through roof which makes it feel big and light but there is still a feeling a vaguely temporariness about it, which presumably will disappear with time. We found Lizzie at her new, much bigger stall for Wild Beef with two new helpers. She finds it much more work to set up as she can no longer park the van next to her stall but must drag everything from the carpark near Vinopolis through the market to where she is now. No doubt it will get easier with practice. I bought a dozen eggs omelette Friday and banana cake Sunday that sadly I took out too soon and the centre was raw like a dark oozing bruise - £3

I wanted a tin of olive oil and so we searched through that section of the market but couldn't find the Italian oil stall. We went over to the Green Market which seemed like someone had taken all the stalls and tossed them up in the air to see where they would all newly land. The bioveg people were where Wild Beef used to be - making me wonder why Lizzie had to move - there was a new coffee stall two pitches away from a new much tinier Monmouth, Teds Veg had migrated to the middle with a much bigger stall, no sign of Turkish olives. And the oil people were in exactly the same spot they always are. Most confusing. Bought a large tin for £15.50 but was disappointed to learn they don't sell walnut oil.

At Furness, another stall reassuringly where it should be, I bought some Whitby cod for Saturday night - £8.70

A pork pie late lunch Saturday after seeing Hurt Locker at the cinema which was good but a long way from great from Mrs Elizabeth King's stand - £5

Then had to have some smoked salmon from the Irish stall across from Brindisa for a breakfast treat - £5

Peppers and spinach both for the paella Tuesday night from Tony - £2.50

Then to Neals Yard, who also don't sell walnut oil, for pasta shells and milk - £5.90

A loaf for toast from Flour Power - £1.10

Couldn't find Chegworth for apples, didn't see L'Artisan du Chocolat, don't recall seeing Gastronomica's cheese stall though I wasn't looking for it but will be devestated if it's gone. Realised as we walked past the boarded up section of the market that Maria's café was inside. How bizarre that her caff in the market has closed while the one she was moved out of in Stoney Street is still standing and indeed operating as a caff run by someone else.

An interesting morning left me feeling a bit discombobulated by the time we'd finished. Spent £58.30 altogether.

No recipes this week as it was all food I've written about before. Next week inspiration may well strike!

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