And this week ... I bought

I'm facing the prospect of home alone this week as the man has gone to Hong Kong for work. I'm deeply jealous - could easy do a week of shopping and noodles, dim sum and the occasional high end hotel supper. Instead I'm here in this endless bleak 'summer' and the idea of shopping for one for the week at Borough was a change. I eat differently if it's just me. There were a few things that needed using up - a butternut squash I bought about a month ago that has sat proudly erect in the vegetable rack ever since surrounded by the ebb and of onions and garlic, bananas and tangerines. There was too some cheese in the fridge that we hadn't finished - a small piece of fontina and the very last of a chunk of Montgomery cheddar. Cheesy is good when you're eating alone.

I started as ever at Ginger Pig, my heart set on steak for dinner. I would normally buy rump but went for a thick slice of rib eye - dinner Saturday night with tomato and rocket salad - just for a change, then bought a couple of pork chops - supper Friday - and, the real treat, two barnsley chops - which were decadently fabulous grilled and eaten in glorious solitude on Tuesday night with new potatoes and steamed zucchinis- the lot cost £21.60

I bought eggs from Wild Beef - Lizzie was saying it's almost ten years since the market began - seems extraordinary that I have had access to this amazing food for so long. Obviously the market is vastly different to that dank December weekend but it remains a source of exceptional ingredients. The eggs - spinach and rice loaf, and scrambled for breakfast Friday as I'd run out of yoghurt - were £1.25

Then some onions, cabbage and fennel - not used but fine for the weekend - from Ted's Veg - £2.40

Mortadella studded with truffles because I really enjoyed it last week - and loved it again this week on Sunday on ciabatta with rocket and tomatoes for lunch - £2.20

Brindisa for almonds and chick peas - thinking of a spanish salad - and now I'm thinking of Spanish salad this week as I started to realise I had bought too much for myself for the week - £5.75

Booths for potatoes - with grilled lamb Tuesday night, sugarsnaps - lunch, rocket - salad and sandwich on the weekend (we have some in the garden but it grows very slowly in this weather - harvested enough for salad Wednesday night), peppers - salad, zucchinis - steamed Tuesday night, parsley - didn't make the spanish salad so will make a parsley salad tonight to go with grilled pork chops, spring onions - stir fried noodles Monday night - nothing too heavy! - £5

Spinach from Tony - in the fabulous rice and spinach loaf- filled a bag but only weighs 500g - £1.50

Hot sausage roll from Ginger Pig - lovely piggy me brunch Saturday while I read the paper - £3

Milk, bread and yoghurt from Neals Yard - £6.20

The lot for £48.90 - not bad!

So there is more left over this week - a whole cabbage, some potatoes, fennel, a pepper, the last of the cucumber, a bunch of parsley - because though I was conscious of only cooking for myself this week it didn't translate entirely into the shopping - guess I'm out of practice