Anyway, I go there and get some seasonal fruit and veg. This morning I bought one spring cabbage, a large bunch of rhubarb, a few baby leeks, a big bunch of beetroot, a pack of rainbow chard, and a huge bunch of radish. I also bought 6 eggs from the same stall. Total of £11. Mind you, they are all organic.
You notice that I use the words 'big' and 'huge' here. They really are, and that's what I like about farmers market. The other thing is all the root vegetables have their leaves left on, which means that I can make one dish out of the root bit and another with leaves bit. Waste-free. Clever, eh?
Then I bought a multi-coloured bunch of tulips for £2.20. I always like to have pretty flowers around the flat. Other stuff I bought includes 5 large organic sausages for £5 and one huge Italian bread, called Pugliese, for £3.
I then get home and sort out the vegetables. I don't leave vegetables (apart from potatoes and onions) in the fridge for more than a few days as they start to look sad. I'd rather not eat sad veg, so I cook and prepare them on Sundays. This saves me a lot of time during the weekdays. When I don't have time, I just dress them with olive oil and lemon juice with salt and pepper and eat.
This activity of dealing with vegetables is immensely calming to me. It's not like I'm slogging through this job. This is the most serene moment in my life, actually. And why do I write how much I spend? I just wanted to figure out the 'cost-effectiveness' of going to a farmers market. I spent £21.20 and that's about how much it costs me to feed ourselves for a few days and to be a cool and self-possessed person.
Today's recipes (double bill) actually relate to what I've written, for a change. Beetroot tops become delicious pasta, and radish leaves come together with beetroot as a salad.
Ingredients (for pasta for 1 person):
100-150g linguine
a small handful beetroot tops (about 10 leaves)
a handful of breadcrumbs
3 anchovy fillets
1 garlic, finely sliced
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
Cook pasta in salted boiling water.
In the meantime, cut the stalks from the leaves and put the stalks first in salted boiling water. Cook for a minute and add the leaves. Cook for another minute and drain. Chop them into bite size.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil and add anchovy fillets. When they start to disintegrate add chilli flakes and garlic slices. Fry for a minute and add the breadcrumbs. Keep frying until brown and crispy. Take it out onto a plate. Add some more olive oil and fry the beetroot tops for a minute. Season to taste.
Add the cooked pasta into the beetroot top. Season and stir around a bit. Put the pasta on the plate and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture and some parmesan cheese.
Ingredients (for salad for 1 person):
a handful of radish leaves, thoroughly washed
1 large or 2 small beetroot
a squeeze of lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
some shavings of Lancashire cheese (or any goats cheese)
Beetroot takes a loooong time. I have six of them today, so I top and tail, wrap in a foil, and cook in an oven at 200C for an hour. Cook and dress with a squeeze of lemon juice and olive oil. Leave to cool. My beetroot is organic, so I don't bother to peel.
Arrange the radish leaves on a plate. Slice the beetroot thinly and put on top of the leaves. Scatter some cheese, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle some olive oil.
Ingredients (for pasta for 1 person):
100-150g linguine
a small handful beetroot tops (about 10 leaves)
a handful of breadcrumbs
3 anchovy fillets
1 garlic, finely sliced
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
Cook pasta in salted boiling water.
In the meantime, cut the stalks from the leaves and put the stalks first in salted boiling water. Cook for a minute and add the leaves. Cook for another minute and drain. Chop them into bite size.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil and add anchovy fillets. When they start to disintegrate add chilli flakes and garlic slices. Fry for a minute and add the breadcrumbs. Keep frying until brown and crispy. Take it out onto a plate. Add some more olive oil and fry the beetroot tops for a minute. Season to taste.
Add the cooked pasta into the beetroot top. Season and stir around a bit. Put the pasta on the plate and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture and some parmesan cheese.
a handful of radish leaves, thoroughly washed
1 large or 2 small beetroot
a squeeze of lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
some shavings of Lancashire cheese (or any goats cheese)
Beetroot takes a loooong time. I have six of them today, so I top and tail, wrap in a foil, and cook in an oven at 200C for an hour. Cook and dress with a squeeze of lemon juice and olive oil. Leave to cool. My beetroot is organic, so I don't bother to peel.
Arrange the radish leaves on a plate. Slice the beetroot thinly and put on top of the leaves. Scatter some cheese, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle some olive oil.