And this week ... I bought

Cool and quiet again this week at Borough. In some ways it was like when the market had just started - lots of space to move around, stalls overflowing with good things to try, stallholders cheerful and chatting to each other to fill the time between customers. It's much brighter these days with a greater sense of permanence - in the early days, particularly in the winter, it was like shopping in the gloaming. The whole market was housed in the main hall and you wandered from trestle to trestle, light bulbs and fridges and the occasionl hot pan run off snaking extension leads creating pools of light and clouds of seductive smells, and nothing was established except that the food was amazing.

For a change our first stop was at Farmer Sharp's to buy a couple of lamb shanks - they had a mountain of them for a not entirely successful - ie not as good as the ones in Marrakech at xmas! - morroccan style spiced chick pea soup for dinner Monday and Tuesday - £4.20

Then Ginger Pig for a lovely piece of topside Sunday roast and cold for lunches and half a dozen chicken wings more ingredients for soup - £20.80

Fish was a theme again this week - I'd found a good recipe for red cooked fish that I wanted to try and Furness had sea bass at £3.50 each so bought one and made a fabulous red cooked fish Saturday night with stir fried broccoli and steamed rice for a very elegant supper indeed

Wandered over the other side to the Green Market where I sampled some truffle oil from the stall next to the french cheese stall - seriously good. I have some at the moment but may well buy some next time I have the need

Bought some pasta shells for pasta salad at the Gastronomica shop - £1.20

Just for a change bought an apple juice but no apples from Chegworth - £1.50

Fancied salami for lunch Saturday so went to the Gastronomica stall and got some napoli - my favourite - £2

Bought more ostrich sausages from Gamston Wood - they were lovely for dinner from the freezer last week, grilled with beetroot salad and carrot with chilli dressing and crusty hot bread they make a simple, quick supper - so thought they'd be a treat to have some more for the freezer £4.80

Booths for veg - carrots soup and lunches, rocket salami sandwiches and lunches, cabbage Sunday roast, sweet potato still in the veg rack, swede Sunday roast, celery soup and lunches, peppers lunches, aubergine still in the fridge, bananas lunches, broccoli Saturday supper, parsley soup, spring onions red cooked fish on Saturday - lots of stuff - £11.20

The smoked salmon people were back - on toast on Sunday for lunch - with prices up a little but the quality still the same - yay!- £5

Scotch egg from Ginger Pig for brunch after the market- £3

Milk and a piece of stichelton from Neals Yard - I've been reading a little about this unpasteurised blue cheese that allegedly is at least as good as Colston Bassett stilton so really wanted to try it - it is really very very good indeed - £8.20

A little cottage loaf - toast! - and an almond croissant brunch Saturday - from Flour Power completed the shop - £3.20

All together a reasonable £68.60 for the week

This time last year we were mostly eating penne with zucchini and ricotta - most fine it was too. And roasted winter vegetables the year before - same as this year as they are just so good.