Winter Draws On

as they used to say in the Carry On films.

In addition to the chillies I bought some Brussels sprouts AND some purple sprouting broccoli, the first I've seen this season. Polished off some of the sprouts with a big rump steak, and some broccoli with a couple of sausages - and there are still runner beans to have with most everything else.

Beware though, check the price of the broccoli, it was NOT cheap.

I had to confess in the farm shop that I'd been unfaithful with another man's sausages, and begged for forgiveness. I'd spotted some sweet chilli sausages in the butcher's and tried them, but was rather unimpressed, they had too much rusk which tasted like brown bread. She pointed out that they also sold them, but in the freezer cabinet rather than the fridge or the counter, so I might try theirs when I next get bored with the Gloucester Old Spots.

No sprouts last week but more (still expensive) PSB, some ordinary broccoli for when I get bored, and runner beans still going strong.

Did I mention the herrings?

Yes it's a bit early for sprouts yet, I once tried frozen ones never again YUK! 

My mother would have a conniption fit about buying them before they were frosted but the more recent varieties seem to be edible before the frosts strike, so plant breeders do get some things right, like also the extended strawberry season (well some varieties) and the things like Gazanias and Nicotianas that now overwinter, which they never did in the past.

Agree about the frozen ones though, peas and spinach OK and she used to buy the frozen mixed veggies of various types, oh and I also get frozen broad beans. I guess the sprouts improve with frosting but unimprove again rapidly with prolonged freezing.

Better luck this week, sprouts were back, also more PSB although £6.99/kg so I didn't buy much. Runner beans still going, and I bought another selection of chillies, and something that isn't really a winter veg but they hadn't stocked for a while - oyster mushrooms.

The best news is that Vacherin Mont d'Or cheese is back early, and deliciously runny, so I treated myself to a big slab. You can almost taste the K2 and CLA and feel it doing you good!

I also bought more lamb's liver, and chicken breast, and have been ringing the changes, liver, bacon, ordinary mushrooms, and chicken roasted wrapped in bacon with the oyster mushrooms fried up with peppers and assorted chillies, each with the different greens.

Still to come, pheasants, partridges and chestnuts.

Also I went to the farm shop, and my cute little Thai friend told me they had big packs of sausages in the fridge cabinet. Not five, not six but SEVEN! I'm sure that's against the Geneva Convention because it leaves one over (I usually eat two at a time) which means I have to go back early to buy more. I also tried some of their sweet chilli sausages, well they were in the freezer and haven't defrosted yet so I didn't eat any yet, but I will.

Yesterday I decided to have chilli beef so fried up the bacon, peppers and chillies, and oh dear I forgot to buy any ground beef! I don't really recommend that combination, tasted rather weird. In retrospect I suppose I could have chopped up the spare sausage and used that.

No herrings this week so I had a kipper along with the regular hunk of salmon. Best thing about autumn/winter is the food.

Chris wrote:
"Best thing about autumn/winter is the food."

Yes, there is a great variety available ... the Autumn Harvest is wonderful.

Talking about cheese (well Chris mentioned Vacherin Mont d'Or), we treated ourselves to some Époisses from M&S it was delicious. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89poisses_de_Bourgogne

All the best Jan

Oh, looks like one I'll have to try.

Not such a good week, no PSB or sprouts. Well I bought some sprouts in the Co-Op and they were better than I expected - often the supermarket veggies are bland compared to the local ones. They did taste suspiciously sweet though, I wonder if they were washed or soaked in sugar water.

The good news, herrings were back on the van and the first one had a hard roe. I'll neck the second one shortly, wish me luck.

Still a fine collection of chillies and this week I remembered to buy the ground beef. Forgot to buy more peppers though, I'll do a different farm shop tomorrow and check to see what other winter veggies they might have.

Among other great vegetables I bought some broccoli and sprouts ... noticing the slight increase in prices! Do they ever go down

We enjoyed half of the sprouts yesterday and I cooked them just right! Eddie said so LOL! Still with a slight bite to them ... memories of my Dear Mum ... she wouldn't have enjoyed them not cooked enough!

All the best Jan

I do like sprouts though there's nothing worse than overcooked soggy ones 

I also got the sprouts spot on! More today in the veg shop, but no PSB so I got a small tree of ordinary broccoli. They were out of some of the more exotic chillies but are expecting more later in the week, I probably have enough to last until nest week now. Also two more herrings and once again a hard roe!

IMO most veggies are better slightly undercooked than overcooked. Beef too I prefer grilled just until it has nearly stopped mooing, lamb (I have chops!) is better crispy.

I bought a small tree of ordinary broccoli today, and a small swede to do some mashed, with plenty of butter!

Casserole cooking slowly at the moment, the weather today has been dull, wet and wintery  


... aren't lamb chops extra delicious if the surrounding fat is crispy

All the best Jan

Just love lamb chops and they are useful for testing the smoke alarm 

graham64 wrote:Just love lamb chops and they are useful for testing the smoke alarm 

Yes, they are aren't they ...

Dinners ready when the smoke alarm goes

All the best Jan

After I finished grilling the chops I'd add birdseed and some peanuts to the fat collected in the bottom of the pan and let it congeal. Unfortunately next door's rats liked it as much as the birds so I had to stop putting it out.

That helped keeping the pan clean. The smoke (and occasionally flames) is worse the second time around.

I've added some more Gloucester Old Spots, ground beef (for the chillies) and smoked ham and manchego to the collection, but didn't bother going as far as the runner bean grower's. Well you can have too much of a good thing!

Tonight's sprouts were boiled to absolute perfection with half the rump steak, grilled slightly more than would have been best. Chillies are coming to an end now, no Scotch Bonnets or some of the other weirder ones, but plenty of the "ordinary" red green and orange ones.

Best news - I am promised pheasants by next week!!!

With Chris talking about perfectly cooked Brussels sprouts ... we had some perfectly cooked and lovely cauliflower the other evening and some buttery mashed swede, they went well with pork tenderloin

Out shopping the other day, I think Sainsbury's had just replenished the vegetable racks - it looked so good - and I thought we are very fortunate to have this wonderful array of vegetables and fruit , such a wide choice.

All the best Jan

Yes, we remembered to alter the clocks last night ...
But it was so dark by 5pm this afternoon

Also there seems to be a definite chill in the air ... time for soup perhaps!

All the best Jan

When they told me the pheasants would be in this week they failed to tell me not until tomorrow. Oh well the chestnuts have arrived, from Spain, a welcome addition to the sprouts. I have liver and bacon and mushrooms, more oyster mushrooms which I just had with chilli beef and halloumi and the usual peppers and bacon, and gazillions of sausages, and I necked the first of two herrings, with a massive hard roe again, along with toasted almonds. That'll be enough to keep me going for a while.

Yes it's getting a bit chilly (pun intended) and dark too.

... a good reminder for me to get some Halloumi, thanks Chris.

With the change in clocks I still find it hard that by 5pm it is quite dark.

A friend of ours said that when she picked up her grandchildren from school this week the youngest, who is five, wanted to know is it time for bed yet ... she couldn't understand why it was so dark and she'd not had dinner!

Firework night tomorrow although there have been many displays that have been and gone!

Enjoy the weekend

All the best Jan

Old local saying

"Ennit getting late early?"

I first recall this from Ronald Blyth's book "Akenfield" set in a Suffolk Village, and later filmed by Peter Hall in an actual Suffolk village not a million miles away.

Also the mornings have become suddenly a lot darker, in fact the days have become shorter very quickly and we've finally had a few colder days and cold nights.

The good news is that I have my first PHEASANT! Some were still a bit scrawny but I found one with a nice fat breast. I didn't eat it yet because I came away with yet another Hereford rump steak. Disaster! I replenished the supplies of Brussels sprouts and purple sprouting but didn't buy any more chestnuts - obviously I overestimated the quantity I had left.

This will need to be remedied. Meanwhile I have a huge slab of Vacherin Mont d'Or and a small piece of Brebirousse d.Argental, a nice soft sheep cheese, along with the remaining Red Storm and the Halloumi.

No herrings on the fish van this week so I have a hunk of smoked haddock, and some baked salmon with chillies, which is good because it only needs warming rather than actually cooking. Well you can eat it cold but the flavour comes through better at body temperature.

I found some similar salmon in the Co-Op but like so much commercial food it was far too sweet. Since they have been doing another store reorganisation, while trying to find the things I wanted to buy I was thumbing through some of the many things I didn't. Jesus, you wouldn't believe how much stuff has added sugar - or how much stuff contains wheat, and/or soy, and of course "vegetable" oils.

Winter weather sure hit many parts of the UK with a vengeance this week ...
Like many we have had snow, and many of the neighbours were out building snowmen and having snowball fights! Everyone seemed to be having a grand time.

The heating is keeping us warm and some lovely soups and casseroles - low carb of course - are tasting great!

If you'd like to read some more interesting winter facts have a look here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter

All the best Jan

Yes it hit us too. First snow got washed away fairly quickly as it turned to rain. The last lot didn't though, and it froze severely last night.

I had to take the yard broom and two kettles of hot water to the car. The roads weren't as bad as they might have been, our council does a sterling job with the gritters out overnight, so I managed to get myself downtown to load up with peppers, mushrooms, sprouts, lamb's liver and ground beef to add to my collection. One slice of liver and a mushroom with some of the sprouts and bacon made it down my neck already. Fine winter fare.

Later I might force myself to eat a couple more sausages with purple sprouting. Such terrible deprivation! I must have an eating disorder.

Had a visit from one of our sons who was amazed to see we still had the remains of snow ...
Yes the snowman that had been lovingly built by our neighbours was just about still standing! LOL!

They've been out gritting our local roads again ... just as I thought it was due to get a little warmer!

It will soon be our shortest day December 21 at 16:28
www.shortestday.co.uk/

All the best Jan

It has been a bit warmer here didn't feel the cold as much when stood at the bus stop 

I was going to go out on Saturday, but at only 2 in the afternoon I washed the car's windscreen and the fluid froze immediately. Not so much fun. It was properly thawed by Sunday though.

No matter, I have food.