What's Cooking Today??

@noisette47 When we moved here the first veg we planted was asparagus crowns. We also are in heavy clay soil. They did really well for many years but then gradually they gave up. Bizarrely spears started to appear in an area that we had not planted. The spears are really strong and fat. We decided to plant some new crowns last year but it will be a couple of years before we get any return. Agree white asparagus just does not compare with the green. It doesn't have a taste to our minds but freshly pulled green spears certainly do. Hope you find a space for some new crowns.

 

@noisette47 We had our first picking of asparagus today. And didn't they taste wonderful. These were from the "rogue" crown and we had 6 spears of decent length and thickness. More coming up.

 

Looks like our asparagus has given up the ghost so I shall order more plants and prepare a new bed for them to plant next autumn.

Meanwhile, I found some French grown green asparagus and we had it on Monday with salmon poached in a light cream and tarragon sauce. I steamed it lightly then finished it in the oven with some grated cheese over the stems - the only way Possum will eat it.

 

I've got a few rogue plants in the borders, too, OTL They're amazingly healthy and productive, so they're going to have to tide us over until I get a new row planted. @Obelix-Vendée do you find crowns available in the autumn there? Asparagus crowns round here seem to be sold during a very short window in spring. It's unusual, because most things do better planted in autumn! If I am likely to be able to get hold of some this autumn, though, I'll gee-up OH on the bed preparation

 

Haven't looked yet @noisette47 . Just assumed autumn was best.

 

Local strawberries on offer at Vergers de Vendée today so I bought 3 kilos to make jam. Have never made strawberry jam before. The result tastes great but why - please, anybody - has the fruit all settled at the top of the jar?

Sweet and sour pork tonight and I'm prepping an Indian potato pie and some marinated Shawarma chicken for a BBQ tomorrow.

It's the Fête des Voisins where neighbours get together for a pot luck lunch. Our hostess likes curry after spending a university year in Hull and she's converted her husband. I'm also making black pudding and sausage rolls for the apéro and a spicy sardine dip cos sardines are a local speciality too. Manchester tart for dessert.

 

First outside BBQ cook of the year

Chicken legs, belly slices, bratwurst hot smoked/roasted, while resting grilled the veg. Bit early for homegrown veg apart from some garlic scapes I threw on. These are the left overs

 

Made some focaccia, based on a focaccia baresi recipe. Used durum wheat for it. Not exactly the prettiest

 

Picked some kale and pak choi from the polytunnel. Can't do kale outdoors as the whites attack it before we have a chance so the harvest in the polytunnel at the moment is good. Put them with chillies dried from last year and then garlic from this year. Stirred fried and the smell was lovely. Adding this to the potatoes (not ours) which have different herbs from the garden. Nice dinner.

 

Hamburgers.

 

Breaded plaice fillet with baked potatoes and salad.

 

Mac and Cheese topped with crispy bacon , yummy.

 

Love it ... on my way ...

 

Sicilian sausage (crushed), green olives and canellini beans in a tomato sauce served with penne pasta and parmesan.

As I'm off to Oxford for a couple of days I've made a pig of myself today. I went to Panelle for an early lunch - melanzane a parmigiani