Midorigreen

Summer has definitely arrive on my allotment. I came back from my plot with potatoes, spring onions, spinach, and strawberries. Sag aloo suggested itself as the ideal recipe. I decided to use the recipe for from indian cookery from Pebble Mill at one by Lalita Ahmed. It’s a cracking little book. Very matter of fact.

It might have helped if I’d actually started following the right recipe and not in an absent minded fashion gone along with the potato curry in gravy on the opposite page.

However the end results were good, if a little spicy. I think some flatbreads will be making an appearance with other servings to offer a contrast in texture and taste.

Sweet, fresh strawberries were very, very welcome for dessert.

I’m wondering what other recipes I can create using the four ingredients from my allotment. Potato salad? Some kind of frittata?

To read: My Amish childhood by Jerry S. Eicher

Arcadia, which I read last week included some Amish characters, but you only caught a glimpse as if they weren’t of much interest to our main character (a pity as his community surely had much in common with theirs – they ‘d just been doing ti longer). Anyway it seemed fitting when this turned up on my ‘to read’ pile. Admittedly I wasn’t expecting a tale of a new Amish commute in South America but it’s opened my eyes. I wasn’t entirely surprised by an Amish community that was so trusting and calm, but was expecting the struggles to adapt to a modern world and the questions about the direction their religions should take.

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Summer has definitely arrive on my allotment. I came back from my plot with potatoes, spring onions, spinach, and strawberries. Sag aloo suggested itself as the ideal recipe. I decided to use the recipe for from indian cookery from Pebble Mill at one by Lalita Ahmed. It’s a cracking little book. Very matter of fact.

It might have helped if I’d actually started following the right recipe and not in an absent minded fashion gone along with the potato curry in gravy on the opposite page.

However the end results were good, if a little spicy. I think some flatbreads will be making an appearance with other servings to offer a contrast in texture and taste.

Sweet, fresh strawberries were very, very welcome for dessert.

I’m wondering what other recipes I can create using the four ingredients from my allotment. Potato salad? Some kind of frittata?

To read: My Amish childhood by Jerry S. Eicher

Arcadia, which I read last week included some Amish characters, but you only caught a glimpse as if they weren’t of much interest to our main character (a pity as his community surely had much in common with theirs – they ‘d just been doing ti longer). Anyway it seemed fitting when this turned up on my ‘to read’ pile. Admittedly I wasn’t expecting a tale of a new Amish commute in South America but it’s opened my eyes. I wasn’t entirely surprised by an Amish community that was so trusting and calm, but was expecting the struggles to adapt to a modern world and the questions about the direction their religions should take.

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This seems at first glance a warming, hearty dish, and so surely inappropriate for the height of summer. However as we’ve experiencing our usual changeable weather with a good dose of grey it actually suited summer vey nicely.

Plus it’s very easy to put together. It’s a vegan version of this Butter bean, parprika and chorizo stew. It’s a very forgiving recipe which happily adapts to the ingredients at hand, and you pretty much just chuck it in a pan. Mine included gently fried onions, garlic and peppers. Then I threw in parprika and rosemary, gave it a good stir and finished off with a can of tomatoes.

I served with toast, lettuce, radishes and advocado.

To read: Arcadia by Lauren Groff

With most of the actions taking place on a commune it’s a delight to find a book where the characters are pretty much all vegan. As a result a reference to quesadillas filled with mushrooms and soy cheese, or squash ravioli is a meal that I can really relate to. We follow Bit through his hippie childhood until utopia falls apart. And then we pick him up in his adult life when things don’t seem to be much more stable. Yet the thing that makes this so enjoyable is Bit’s ability to appreciate small delights. From his observations of nature on the commune to the feeling of connection that domestic lights create in a city.

Posted with Blogsy

This seems at first glance a warming, hearty dish, and so surely inappropriate for the height of summer. However as we’ve experiencing our usual changeable weather with a good dose of grey it actually suited summer vey nicely.

Plus it’s very easy to put together. It’s a vegan version of this Butter bean, parprika and chorizo stew. It’s a very forgiving recipe which happily adapts to the ingredients at hand, and you pretty much just chuck it in a pan. Mine included gently fried onions, garlic and peppers. Then I threw in parprika and rosemary, gave it a good stir and finished off with a can of tomatoes.

I served with toast, lettuce, radishes and advocado.

To read: Arcadia by Lauren Groff

With most of the actions taking place on a commune it’s a delight to find a book where the characters are pretty much all vegan. As a result a reference to quesadillas filled with mushrooms and soy cheese, or squash ravioli is a meal that I can really relate to. We follow Bit through his hippie childhood until utopia falls apart. And then we pick him up in his adult life when things don’t seem to be much more stable. Yet the thing that makes this so enjoyable is Bit’s ability to appreciate small delights. From his observations of nature on the commune to the feeling of connection that domestic lights create in a city.

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Colchester held their first vegan festival on 10 May so I popped along with some of the Chelmsford Veg Up Group.

The event was held at the Arts Centre, a former church. It was certainly atmospheric with some quirky decor.

There were a variety of stalls including 2 breweries. Us Essex folk do love our ale.I sampled the Hellhound Brewery (Twisted Blonde was delightful – almost a light wine/beer hubrid) but alas Pitsfield had run out before I made it through the crowds surrounding their stand. Maybe I’ll get a change to try their wares at the London Vegan Beer Festival.

There was hot food in the form of Ken’s curry. It must have been good as the queue was almost out of the door.

The cafe area was well placed to look down on the fair activity. Tea and cake was provided by Ruby’s vintage tea party. I was delighted by the vegan cake on offer but less than chuffed at the none china being used to serve it.

Same time next year? Yes please.

Posted with Blogsy

Colchester held their first vegan festival on 10 May so I popped along with some of the Chelmsford Veg Up Group.

The event was held at the Arts Centre, a former church. It was certainly atmospheric with some quirky decor.

There were a variety of stalls including 2 breweries. Us Essex folk do love our ale.I sampled the Hellhound Brewery (Twisted Blonde was delightful – almost a light wine/beer hubrid) but alas Pitsfield had run out before I made it through the crowds surrounding their stand. Maybe I’ll get a change to try their wares at the London Vegan Beer Festival.

There was hot food in the form of Ken’s curry. It must have been good as the queue was almost out of the door.

The cafe area was well placed to look down on the fair activity. Tea and cake was provided by Ruby’s vintage tea party. I was delighted by the vegan cake on offer but less than chuffed at the none china being used to serve it.

Same time next year? Yes please.

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I delighted to stumble across Dash while visiting Vegan X.

I was only looking for coffee so it was real bonus to find somewhere that offered excellent coffee, had friendly knowledgable staff, and who catered for vegans.

The he,pful chap who helped me decide which coffee to enjoy assured me that they were looking into getting some vegan cake. They hadn’t found a supplier they liked yet (but it seems that they haven’t met Ms a Cupcake either).

It’s certainly nice to see another vegan place in that part of town, so I might be back for another loyalty card stamp!

Posted with Blogsy

I delighted to stumble across Dash while visiting Vegan X.

I was only looking for coffee so it was real bonus to find somewhere that offered excellent coffee, had friendly knowledgable staff, and who catered for vegans.

The he,pful chap who helped me decide which coffee to enjoy assured me that they were looking into getting some vegan cake. They hadn’t found a supplier they liked yet (but it seems that they haven’t met Ms a Cupcake either).

It’s certainly nice to see another vegan place in that part of town, so I might be back for another loyalty card stamp!

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The thing I really like about trying to eat in a seasonal manner is how the variety in my diet massively increases as the summer gets closer. I was very happy when I got the market last week and was able to pick up new potatoes, asparagus, and radishes. This was a nice easy lunch to throw together with some tofu and a few bits from my allotment.

Salad – boiled new potatoes, boiled asparagus, raw spinach, raw rocket, radishes, fried tofu (Dragonfly brand – and a particularly tasty batch). Dressing made with oil, cider vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper.

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