I often find myself binning ginger because it either shrivels up or goes rotten. A great tip I found recently is to peel your ginger and portion it into thumb-sized pieces. Pop them into a zip-lock bag and store in the freezer. They do tend to lose a little bit of their zing, so they’re not much good for juicing, but they’re fine for a curry or a soup. If you don’t want to freeze your ginger, store in a paper bag in the fridge and it will last a lot longer. Give it a try.
September 17, 2009
September 10, 2009
“Cheap” Cuts of Meat?
Did anyone watch “Economy Gastronomy” last night? It’s a new BBC cookery show presented by Paul Merrett and Allegra McEvedy which attempts to educate people on how to eat better for less money. In last night’s show, Paul Merrett stated that lamb shoulder was a “cheap” cut of meat and claimed a 2kg shoulder should cost about £12. That’s less than €14. Perhaps Paul and Allegra should pay the Emerald Isle a visit. I’ve never paid less than €20 for a shoulder of lamb. I find myself getting frustrated by reading food writers who claim that cuts of meat like beef shin, pork belly and lamb shoulder are cheap. This is absolute rubbish.
According to Tim Hayward in the Guardian, the current economic climate is the cause of rising prices for cheaper cuts, but I don’t agree. These “trendy” cuts were never cheap here. So, are we being ripped off? Again…?
Read Tim’s article here.
Come on boys, you can do it!
My dreams of slurping on carrot and coriander soup are almost ruined. With just two weeks left until harvest, my children, I mean, my carrots are not exactly thriving. But there’s still hope… Come on boys!! (Those folks at Suttons are full of shit, man… 
)
August 11, 2009
A Bumper Crop of Basil
I’m more often described as “ham-fisted” than “green-fingered“. Despite my obvious lack of talent in the garden, I’ve managed to grow a staggering amount of basil in pots on my window sill. A few weeks ago, I got a rush of blood to the head in B&Q and invested in a propagator tray and a packet of basil seeds. Moderation has never been my strong point, so I sowed all of the seeds at once and now I’m left with an obscene amount of the said herb. I don’t know what variety of basil I’ve got; it’s certainly not the Genovese variety, but I’m hoping it will still taste as good.
I’m determined to use every last leaf, but there’s only so much pesto a man can eat. So what do I do with it all? Here is my short-list of culinary possibilities so far:
- Pesto for Pasta
- Homemade Lemonade (with basil leaves)
- Pizza Margherita
- Crostini with Basil Oil
- Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Tomato & Basil Granita
- Thai Curry
- Chicken Breasts stuffed with Basil & Cream Cheese
