annanotbob2's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Food, glorious food Just been looking at my stats and would like to wave a big wave at Grimsby Lincs and Mountain View CA, or to whoever has ip addresses there. I've looked at both places on Google maps, being basically very nosy. As soon as I saw this head of broccoli at the allotment on Friday, my mouth started watering for a proper roast dinner, cooked by me, following the principles of Saint Delia the Smug, with all our own veg. A proper roast dinner requires a big piece of meat (or a nut roast for veggies, home made), roast potatoes, three other veg, gravy, and sauces appropriate to the meat. It can be as tasteless and textureless as shit, but if you get the timings right it is a meal of simple delight. I didn't attempt to fit anything else in all day, so it was short bursts of activity and longish rests reading the paper. Step one was to go up the allotment and dig up/pick the veg. I realise I may be becoming a bore, but I am so thrilled to be eating vegetables fresh from the soil. Of course it was seriously pissing down with rain, but somehow that made it even better, more elemental. No one else was there, just me in my big coat with the hood and slippery green crocs, setting off up the muddy hill wielding a sharp knife and a big gardening fork. The soil is very chalky and thin, but in that much rain it had turned from grey to a deep, rich brown. In went the fork, pushed down under my foot. A quick jiggle about to loosen the soil, a tug on the base of the massive wet leaves and up came a gleaming white parsnip, and another and another. Ah man. Such a good feeling, to be doing something so basic, that humans have done for centuries but that we have let slip out of our lives. We sowed a few seeds. watered them through dry spells, and look what we have now! Parsnips, beans, broccoli, onions and potatoes. I bought a chicken, made sage and onion stuffing, bread sauce, and gravy from the juices, managed not to overcook anything and served it to Sdig, TinyM and Bloke with a feeling of great satisfaction and peace. YD and BF went out for a romantic meal as it's their anniversary - yes they're still here, but planning to go home tomorrow. Apparently. Laters xx 11:12 p.m. - 23.09.12 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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