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

Summer on a plate

Long weekend! Yay! Sunshine a definite possibility. Unlikely but would be lovely. And the man's birthday - good excuse for a little decadence.

So we shall continue a tradition we've had for a few years now with rare roast beef and single malt whiskey. Thinking Saturday night it was a fine feast Saturday night but didn't cook the asparagus with asparagus and new potato salad and roasted vegetable salad. Then prunes in port with thick cream and a side of shortbread which I faffed about making then managed to overcook... Sunday we are off for a walk in the sun in the Chilterns so we need a picnic sandwich and dinner will be was asparagus and potato salad ready on our weary return. Monday it's posh lunch at Corrigans to celebrate the event in style so won't need much for supper lunch was indeed fab and dinner was very fine rye bread and rare beef sandwiches. Tuesday is theatre at the Royal Court for a dull piece so nothing more to plan till Wednesday finally made lamb and chickpeas and very fine it was with rice. Some spicy stirfry I think. Then Thursday the man is out but the man was in so we had some of the leftover lamb with penne so I shall have grilled pork chops as it's been a while and then I think salad Friday night with the pork chops - damn I have to share! - with some crusty bread.

Saturday was indeed sunny - just absolutely lovely with everyone cheerful to go with it. First stop at Borough was Ginger Pig who seem to be having a little trouble with queue control so now have lots of signs saying 'queue here' and 'no service here'. Apparently some people are offended when told they can't just come to the counter and be served if others are already waiting and so they storm off in a huff. Their loss methinks. Anyway I had no trouble waiting to buy a lovely piece of top rump for a week of party food first as dinner Saturday then in lunchboxes for the week and a couple of glorious pork chops Friday night with salad for £25.50

Then to Booths for potatoes - jersey royals as it's a very special dinner - aubergine, courgettes, garlic roasted vegetables, cucumber, carrots, bananas smoothies and lunchboxes, sugarsnaps lunches and baby plum tomatoes roasted for £8.60

At Wild Beef we bought eggs one broke on the way home so we had two scrambled on toast for breakfast then a couple into mayonnaise for salads from Lizzie - £1.50

Then lovely dried kuru sele olives from Taste of Turkey - £3.60

The asparagus farm stall was nowhere to be seen this week so we bought a bunch for Sunday night from Ted's Veg for £3.50

A small dark loaf of rye a whole platter of sandwiches to share with David on Monday night with a last glass of party wine from Rhodes - £2.80

Fennel salami picnic Sunday in the sunshine in the Chilterns from Gastronomica - £2.50

Strawberries smoothies and an apple juice from Chegworth - £3.50

Peppers and a box of blueberries from Tony's - £2.50

Bread, spaghetti, milk, yohgurt and cream from Neals Yard - £18.40

A brownie for the man as well as a cottage loaf from Flour Power - £3.10

So I spent £75.50 and also bought onions, another aubergine and a couple of courgettes, butter and a baguette from Comptoir Gascon

Nothing much thrown out except the last of the roasted vegetables - I was a touch over enthusiastic(!) and I cooked a little too much pasta to go with lamb Thursday night but I suspect I will never develop the ability to judge those kind of quantities