OT as hell: ready meals

I emailed Colmans about OK Fruity Sauce last year, asking where I could
get it, and they said it'd been withdrawn from the UK market due to lack
of demand. Five minutes on Google and I'd found it for about £1.25 a
bottle from Wing Yip, so bought 5 bottles via mail order. I know you're
big on Chinese food anyway, so next time you're there, pick up a few
bottles.

 

<VBG>

 

Snip lovely but unnecessarily complicated soup instructions. The one
I've just done followed the two steps above.

Peel and dice 4 medium potatoes, bung into pan on smallest ring,
lowest heat to sautee in some olive oil.

Chop two leeks, add them to the pan, twirl around a bit so they
soften. Bung in 12 fluid oz of veg stock, bring to boil. Realise you
forgot the garlic, chop a big clove very finely and bung it in now.
Add another 4 fluid oz of water as veg not quite covered.

Bung lid on.

Check. Only it was 15 minutes.

I whizzed, but still left lumpy bits. Eat with thick cut slice of
multi seed bread smothered in far too much butter. Yum.

I'm going to go and have another bowl.

 

That was me, only it was simmer and for chunky veg soup, with lumps of
potato and carrot.

 

Quoth the 'pedia:

The English word "asparagus" derives from classical Latin, but the plant
was once known in English as sperage, from the Medieval Latin sparagus.
This term itself derives from the Greek aspharagos or asparagos, and the
Greek term originates from the Persian asparag, meaning "sprout" or
"shoot."

 

I thought it was, and then watched a programme about how they make it, and
it seems to be so. More minerals and a more intense flavour. You need less
of it than a straight table salt. Have a gander at this:

http://www.maldonsalt.co.uk/

I've also got some wonderful fleurs du sel, whcih is a sort of moist salt
from near the Camargue.

Both of these are really flavourings, to my mind, rather than simply adding
salt?

Oh, those are gorgeous. I like skin on me taters of most varieties, tbh.

I've had Wilja, I think, but not Vivaldi. I shall seek them out.

Ali

 

Wouldn't come from the bounteous mudflats of the River Blackwater,
would it? Or have I got the wrong Maldon?

If it is from thereabouts, then only thing I can think of is that it
might glow in the dark.

 

I've not grown thhem, but they eat well, as Flowerdew would say.

Ali

 

Long time since I've tried experimenting with L&P soup. Never thought
to sautee.

No cumin?

 

I have a local greengrocer which is excellent for in-season grass.
They get it in daily from a variety of places in a less-than-50-mile
radius and it is interesting to see the differences. The Evesham seems
to be much thicker stemmed than the Newent, for example. I prefer the
Evesham, but all of it, served with bread made by the store and a
thick layer of Somerset butter, is heavenly. In fact, I pretty much
lived on it last summer..

Occasionally I go to the farm down the road from where I go riding and
get some from there.

 

On Sun, 14 Jan 2007 14:48:59 -0000, "Alison Hopkins"

I like the varieties our local Waitrose has, like Shetland Blacks.

 

Fascinating

--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
Alfa 116 Giulietta 3.0l (Really) Sprint 1.7 75 TS 156 TS S2
Triumph Speed Triple: Black with extra black bits
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

 

I think it is great fun to try out such things. Even if you later decide
they aren't quite what you like. (Not that I'm wittering that I would.)

Like that. Is it yours?

Ali

 

Alison Hopkins wrote

These are really mid season rather than true early varieties and so tend
not to be as waxy. If you prefer them to traditional early spuds then
might I suggest you look for a supplier of Foremost. Much tastier than
most earlies and much more versatile as you can actually make chips out
of them.

 

I am obliged to you, I shall try those, they sound rather good.

I thought of you on Friday night. Himself and I munched our way through a
box of Medjool dates dipped in deepest dark chocolate. Not exactly the sort
of thing you'd find in the Middle East, I know, but they were scrummy. The
dates were soft but with a crisp skin and the chocolate - about half a
coat - worked very well indeed. I bought them in Budgens as one of their
Chrimbo things.

Ali

 

Alison Hopkins wrote

If your intention is to grow your own then Foremost can also be treated
as an early maincrop and left in the ground to mature properly.

I think of me all the time.

Shame on you. Mainstream supermarket dates should be boycotted to the
max as they rip you off summat rotten. Support a small ethnic shoppe
instead and get more for your money.

 

The usage was recorded as far back as the 18th century. Even predates
uk.rec.sheds...

 

Got snipped.

 

Not in this batch, just plain. I've still 4 leeks to use up, so I'll
make a batch with the last of the wine and a spicy one over the next
couple of days. There's only a bowl left of this afternoon's lot.

 

And make sure you only buy BRITISH dates, and only when they're in
season, as they're just the best.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3 (slightly broken, currently missing)
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`