And this week ... I bought

Happy new year! And may your year be filled with an abundance of good things to eat as life swirls around you.

After a break away from the frenzy that is London at xmas it was a real pleasure to go to Borough on Saturday. The traders were generally cheerful and relaxed and the hoards had stayed away - at least early on in the day -making for perfect conditions to shop. (Not something I've ever experienced in Tesco's)

Started at Wyndhams - who now sell meat as well as poultry - what I was wanting was a guinea fowl pot roasted ofr supper on Wednesday, they are a little cheaper than chicken with a lovely rich flavour and I fancied a mid-week pot roast. Frugality and flavour. - £5.50

Then to Ginger Pig which was blissfully quiet - not like the mania pre christmas according to John, who was looking much happier with the new year. I must be a bit out of practice because I bought some diced beef for an aromatic stew for dinner Saturday night with rice and green peppers strifried with black beans then bought a piece of rolled shoulder of pork to roast Sunday and have cold for lunches in the week. John held up a lovely piece and I asked him for half of it, which he duly cut for me. - £12 the lot.

But the piece of pork I bought was too small to accomplish so much. As I continued my shopping I worried away at how to have enough for lunches as well as eating well over the weekend. Maybe cook the pork and the spiced vegetables but only for lunches and have the guinea fowl Sunday, but then that was the same as cooking two complete meals at the same time, and what of the left over fowl? One of the added benefits of pot roast in the week was possible lunch cold next day. I wondered about buying a piece of gammon for lunches, but Ginger Pig had none unsmoked and Silfield Farm was expensive at £12.95 a kilo ready cut into largish pieces (£20ish) and still I'd be cooking more than one meal in the midst of a busy weekend. There was a small leg of lamb in the freezer as well - my lovely man suggested having that Sunday night, cook the pork as well to have cold and still have the guinea fowl mid week - by this time it was hurting my head working out the possible permutations. Then I was struck by the obvious - buy more pork. One meal to cook and plenty leftover for my lucnhboxes. And so we had to go back, explain the situation to a highly amused John, and buy the other piece. £8 - a bargain for lunches, no?

Bought a pork pie from the son of Mrs Elizabeth King - who was unperturbed at the quietness of the market as their pie sales remain fairly consistent - 'you're not a faddy eater if you enjoy a good pork pie' - a sentiment that cannot be argued with in the end it went into the freezer as we had plenty of snacks and it would be a terrible thing to waste it - £4.90

As a stab at ultra healthy lifestyles we bought a juice from total organics with aloe vera, melon, apple and pear - not great... £4

No cheese this week - not sure why no reason really, and no Wild Beef but they are just having a well earned rest.

Needed coffee from Monmouth - £8.50 for dark roast Columbian beans

Parma ham and mozzarella for the delight of a pre theatre/post market lunch - then off to see the extraordinary Ian McKellan as King Lear - £8.90

Apples from Chegworth lunches and tried their apple and beetroot juice which was very good and bright pink but didn't buy any this week - £1.20

Booths for veg - brussel sprouts and carrots Sunday roast and carrots in lunches late in the week, cabbage pot roast with guinea fowl and parsnips and turnips roasted Sunday with the butternut I had at home and chilli and ginger to go with hot roast Sunday and cold for lunches for a couple of days, beetroots to make a salad to have with ostrich sausages from the freezer Friday night, clementines lunches, onions and sugarsnap peas lunches, we had butternut at home from before xmas and no potatoes for a week or two while we try and lose a little weight as seems to be de riguer for January. At the till we discovered that Roxie had left - she was always a delight, with a smile and a bit of chat - but I can see how it would be mighty cold in the winter selling veg, it can be bloody freezing just buying them! We spent £5.20

Went to Neals Yard for milk and bread and eggs because I had none - £6.20

And lastly an almond croissant for my man because although he agrees it is a good idea to go on a diet he is on a different one to me... £2.20

£66.60 - but not the devil's work...

This time last year we were mostly eating spicy black eyed beans and millet with broccoli - still sounds healthy now! For a little indulgence it was tagliatelle with porcini and sage.