Free lunch - 15th June

Getting back into the swing of 'free lunches' ie all the veg to come from the allotment or garden.




Lots of variety of salad leaves this week - red and green lettuce, the last spinach, spicy 'winter salad' that's very mustardy in taste, and some bits of rocket.



Radishes and spring onions from the allotment,

mangetout peas from the garden, some baby broad beans (eaten raw) and lots and lots of strawberries putting in an unexpected appearance

Strawberries with everything...

I've got an awkward amount of strawberries ripening at the moment - too many to just scoff down with yogurt, too few for jam - and not enough sunshine to try last year's air-drying idea

So, I'm looking for different ways to eat them up..


My favourite accompanying yogurt is peach and apricot - somehow it brings the taste of the strawberries out better than plain or strawberry-flavoured. Blueberry can be good too but sometimes it's a little overwhelming.





Breakfast - nothing improves my morning cornflakes like strawberries!





..well, unless there's a couple of mini croissants and some leftover whipped cream going spare....

But this is where most of my strawberries are going - into salads.  At first I added feta cheese - not too heavy or spicy - but I've since discovered they go surprisingly well with chorizo.

I thought this seemed a strange idea when I first encountered it but having tried them in a variety of combinations it works well. Blander salad leaves like spinach go better than hotter mustard-y ones, though a bit of rocket or basil is good.

Mangetout peas are a better mix than sharp allotment radishes,and I've decided onion should definitely be avoided.

Anyone got any more ideas to share?

Free lunch - June 8th

 I'm still trying to keep up with my 'Free Lunch' plan but with holidays and other disturbances it seems to be getting harder. Also as the year progresses I'm finding less to eat fresh at the allotment, and no enthusiasm for a cooked meal with last year's frozen veg.

I've had lots of spinach and red lettuce to be adding to salads, wraps and sandwiches but apart from occasional radishes not a lot else

for breakfast though, I have something exciting - home grown strawberries to add.

Experimenting with the strawberry surplus

 This is the first time that I've had more strawberries than I could easily eat so I was wondering what to do with them all. The obvious thought with any fruit is 'make jam'. Well, any jam I make is more likely to be eaten by Hubby, and I like those breakfast cereals with dried fruity bits....so.... here's my attempt at dried strawberry pieces.

 First I tried them on the grill, as I've done with apple pieces - but with the hot weather this week, the main oven underneath hasn't been used much.

So, here's my new idea.

Spread the strawberries out on a baking tray and leave out in the scorching sun to dry.

This is, after all, how it's done in warmer places. Hopefully this week it will work here.