And this week... I bought

Thinking about next week I have no idea what to have Saturday - possibly fish - probably let the man decide. Sunday the niece comes again so will buy a piece of gammon and have ham and salads for lunch, pasta I think for supper - possibly some fresh from Gastronomica that I have been idly eyeing up for months. Monday we will go out for Mamma Mia and pizza and Tuesday we are out to watch the niece perform at Sadlers Wells with dinner before. Wednesday I think curry and rice or dahl, Thursday noodles and Friday salad of some kind.

Saturday dawned cold and threatening rain - again. Perhaps summer really is behind us. Borough Market is definitely quieter first thing - though perhaps people are simoly on holidays. Started at Ginger Pig and bought a lovely piece of unsmoked gammon that I cooked for lunch with salads Sunday and then for lunches till Thursday though possibly should have bought a bigger piece and also half a kilo of minced pork to split into small parcels in the freezer used a couple Thursday night for stirfry noodles with cabbage to add flavour and texture to occasional Chinese dishes - £19.60

Then across the other side for eggs brownies and sausages with salad for supper Wednesday night as I had some potatoes from last week that needed using and also the last of some rice salad from Wild Beef - for £5.50 - where Lizzie had a terrible story about TB. They have a pregnant cow that been tested a number of times with a different result each time - negative, positive and borderline - with the upshot that it will be slaughtered 'just in case'. The brother of this cow tested the same way last year, was slaughtered and was then found to be completely clear of TB and it is extremely likely that this will be repeated again now. It is outrageous that there is no reliable test and yet the farmers must submit their animals to slaughter with the likelihood of the death being pointless. Lizzie is hugely upset at the prospect of losing this cow and her unborn calf - and powerless to affect it. Just madness.

Decided against buying tomatoes from Isle of Wight - they are fabulous it is true but the punnet size seems to have halved and the price has remained the same and, this time of year, good tomatoes are not difficult to come by

So bought apple juice from Chegworth - who have now opened a shop in Notting Hill apparently - £3

Went to Gastronomica for some filled fresh pasta to see what it's like simply served with hot sage butter it was sensational - £5

Mussels Saturday supper sorted cooked with chorizo from the freezer and the other half of a bunch of coriander left from earlier last week from Furness Fish - £4.50 a bag

Then to Booths for tomatoes, celery, satsumas, peppers, fennel, sugarsnaps, garlic mostly salads but still have fennel and tomatoes plus courgettes from last week so will make chick peas with roasted vegetables for lunchboxes next week - less than usual as we still have potatoes, cabbage and some salad bits left from last week - £7.90

Smoked salmon Saturday lunch, mmmm lovely from the Irish stall which I now know is called Derreensillagh Smokehouse based on the west coast of Ireland in the Ring of Kerry. The business was established by a man called Tim Youard and his wife called Bron - making it close to perfect - £5

Then to Neals Yard for milk, cream it was a shortdated special so it's in the freezer till I need some to cook with, yoghurt and bread - a Swiss loaf for a change which is a mix of rye and brown - £9.80

Then to Flour Power for a cottage tin loaf - it really does make great toast - and a couple of croissants - £3.70

Total this week is an even £64 - I am trying to spend less and seem to be succeeding but then we are out a lot this week so that too is a factor. Apart from butter and chocolate and caster sugar for the brownies I also bought some sesame oil and noodles for stir fry, and a couple of oranges to make some spiced orange oil as we had run out. The end of one loaf of bread went in the bin as did the yoghurt as, sadly, it was off when I opened it.

This time last year we were mostly eating spiced cauliflower and roasted peppers with preserved duck eggs to push my envelope...