Well, we're in, it's starting to look and feel like home, and I'm hoping that the stresses and anxieties of the last weeks are slipping away (albeit too slowly for this impatient nature of mine).
In good news the forecast is for another (probably too short) spell of good weather and we're enjoying the Olympics muchly. I may or may not have spent more hours than I care to admit trying to get resale tickets for today (Sunday).
As if in a bid to prove the whole world wasn't against me, Caroline from asda got in touch to see if I wanted to have a go at using some of their Summer essentials. She kindly sent me the following:
Peaches
Nectarines
Sharon fruit (my favourite)
Grapes
Raspberries
Strawberries
Watercress
Peppers
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Asparagus
Fennel
Although its not all British produce, the colours and flavours are going to give this week's menu a real kick.
Specific things I'm going to make, that I'll blog separately:
Summer fruit pavlova (using M's Mum's recipe and secret tip for meringue)
Peach, nectarine & vanilla compote to have with yoghurt for breakfast. I am toying with a WI recipe for peaches in brandy so watch this space...
I'm going to try the dieters tip of frozen grapes and see how the come out
I quartered and roasted the fennel to have with sausages, crushed new potatoes and roasted tomatoes. We did that tonight and the fennel was such a lovely flavour and not as overpowering as it can be, if like me you normally shred it and have it raw in salad - much like garlic it sweetens considerably when cooked
So, back to the meal plan...
Breakfasts: total Greek 0% fat yoghurt with stewed rhubarb and a sprinkle of grape nuts for crunch
Packed lunches: watercress, roasted tomato and mozzarella salad with basil. Then if I'm working from home at all, asparagus and softly poached eggs
Dinners:
Monday - roast chicken thighs with peppers, onions, the other half of the tomatoes with garlic, and a basil and parsley oil/ nut free pesto.
Tuesday - realistically, leftovers, maybe with pasta to eek it out a bit further
Wednesday - the mushroom risotto I didn't make last week
Thursday - again leftovers (I'm thrifty not lazy I promise)
Friday - Feta cheese and baby beetroot salad to accompany spanakopitas (I'll link up the recipe when I'm on a real computer and not the phone)
I've got a couple of thank you bakes to do: one is a rhubarb and vanilla sponge and the other banana bread for people who have got me through the last few weeks.
So that's my Essential simple summer week. Deliberately straightforward recipes that anyone can try with easily accessible ingredients.
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