Posts
Failing at food photography.
I intended to write a 'wot I ate for my tea this week' post with lots of pictures but I only remembered to take photos of three meals and they all turned out really orange. A combination of harsh electric light (unavoidable at teatime in winter) and too much beta-carotene rich food. You will have to use your imaginations.
~Roast sweet potatoes and carrots with feta and fried eggs was a success -at least it was with me.
~Falafel and harissa mayonnaise with carrot and orange salad stuffed inside a pitta was also good.
~Char sui-ish pork tenderloins slow roasted and served with noodles and stir-fried veg was a hit.
There must have been other meals but I'm blowed if I can remember what they were.
Failing at estimating how much seasonal winter veg my family will eat in a week.
While we have eaten sweet potatoes and plenty of carrots we have a back-log of parsnips, beetroot and kale. Kale? Why did I buy it? I am the only one who will eat it and I wouldn't bother if it wasn't so damn good for me. I foresee a week of kale soup lunches when what I would really like is a week of cheese and butter filled jacket potatoes.
Failing at not baking.
I made scones. And ate some. And today I have made flapjacks but not eaten any.... yet.
Succeeding at learning the periodic table. Got to keep the brain working.
Slightly outraged to find that at least 30 elements have been added to it since I last studied it in 1982.
Succeeding in finding something interesting to photograph. This lichen was bright green when I picked it up from the path on Friday but it has dried out to this lovely gold (Gold -chemical symbol Au, atomic number 79).
Better start investigating kale chip (crisp) recipes on P-rest. There are plenty, and many are quite tasty.
ReplyDeleteTried 'em Lynn -not bad but again I'm the only one who'd eat them.
Delete...says she who is failing utterly at getting around to doing anything, from photography to blogging to cleaning to making interesting recipes to being a good correspondent.
ReplyDeleteKale. Bleurghhhh! I buy it and it sits in the fridge reproaching me. And it doesn't even have the decency to go slimy and disintegrate in the bag like salad (which you can then sneak into the bin when nobody is looking). Apparently it's very good for your eyes, according to my opthalmologist friend. Still bleargh though.
ReplyDeleteI've collected dozens of kale recipes on Pinterest but I don't fancy any of them now. Any way carrots are good for the eyes aren't they?
DeleteI don't care what Kale is good for, it is pretty dire stuff. Love the lichen though, beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYum, we love kale. Well, at least in the 2 recipes I use it in: one is Kale & blue cheese risotto and the other is Kale, chorizo & cannellini bean stew. both were in the Morrisons magazine so might be online.
ReplyDeleteI agree about the photographing food. It all seems like such a good idea until you have to move plates of freshly dished up food around the house searching for the best natural light. I found it pissed the family off enormously ha ha. Ne'er mind.
ReplyDeleteGood on you all scoffing so much veg.
I am jealous of all your excellent veg recipes! As for Kale, soup would probably freeze well, right? And while it's not the healthiest option, I usually fry a little bit of bacon and then saute it in the drippings along with diced onions and garlic. Then you can eat it on pita with hummus, or fold it into an omelet or frittata, or throw it on top of some pasta/rice/beans, or put it on good bread with a smear of ricotta cheese. (As a bonus, cooked kale takes up much less room in the fridge, and stays good for a week or so.)
ReplyDeleteI will admit that my children never stand up and cheer when I announce kale is on the menu, but they usually manage to eat a few bites.
Thanks for all those great ideas Erica. I'm not really short on ideas though, just short on desire to eat it!
DeleteI use kale to make bubble and squeak cakes. Lovely and golden with a rasher and fried egg or baked beans for the vegetarians
ReplyDeleteKale bubble and squeak has got to be the most appealing way of eating it Cookie. Perhaps I'll boil up a heap of spuds tomorrow and work my way through it that way.
DeleteI always freeze excess Kale, blanched briefly and then squeezed dry, in small blobs open frozen it is then tipped into a box and is there for instant use whenever I need it.
ReplyDeleteI love it best stirred through pasta with some similarly frozen and then thawed homemade pesto - instant lunch. (Add the frozen Kale to the pasta water just as the pasta is almost ready.)
Gorgeous lichen photos, there is so much beauty in the detail if we take the time to really look at things properly.
Sue xx
Thanks for that freezing tip Sue. I will do that with some of it.
DeleteLovely lichen pics. Nobody in my house seems keen on kale except me - although I think I could get it passed them with the bubble and squeak! Heather x
ReplyDeleteMmmmm, your teas sound delicious! As for the kale--have you tried making kale chips? (Confession: I've never made or eaten them, but everyone seems to go mad for them in the blogosphere, so there has to be something to it, right?) Beautiful lichen pics--I love the textures of nature!
ReplyDeleteI have made kale chips. Not that impressed to be honest.
DeleteHello Sue. I LOVE kale (and yes, I am shouting). Actually, it is one of my top veggies along with purple sprouting broccoli. Oh ok, I just eat anything! x
ReplyDeleteMy guinea pig loves kale!! Send it this way!
ReplyDeleteBeing married to a man from Halland (part of Sweden), kale is an absolute must on the Christmas table. I make a "stew" that goes with ham. My favourite way of having kale is either to eat it raw in a sallad with apples and walnuts, or to make a pie with tomatoes, ham, eggs and cream. I have grown to like it, although I didn't to begin with.
ReplyDeleteI have bought kale for a pasta recipe I saw somewhere or other. The husband turned up his nose as soon as he saw it in the fridge, and I aven't dared show the children. AND I'm the only one here who eats parsnips. I think there might be a need for a bloggers house where we can all meet and enjoy glorious veg away from the fussy eaters :-)
ReplyDeleteWe could bring cake too. Ooh, kale cake, there's an idea....
DeleteThe lichen is beautiful! I made delightful brioche muffins today, and am the only person who will eat them, as the daughters say they are not like the bakery brioche. Lesson: I should have called them something else. Loyalty to one's own baking is a must, so I shall rise to the occasion and have them all. I bet your flapjacks will be tasty when you succumb.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the lichen pictures. I work at a local school as a Chemistry Technician so I frequently use the periodic table and I'm often amazed at what I notice when I really look at things that I and my fellow technicians get ready for the pupils at school.
ReplyDeleteKim, it's been fascinating learning about it. I am particularly interested in the etymology of the elements -many are named after people, planets or places.
DeleteI had to learn the first bit of the periodic table with Mark for his homework last term - quite pleased at how much I could remember. It was also a great excuse to play him this song
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/DYW50F42ss8
This weekend was countries and capitals of South America. My brain aches. Is kale any good for grey matter?
Oh fab, thanks for that Ali. Countries of South America -easy there are only 12 of them. I recommend Sporcle for learning this sort of stuff.
DeleteUnfortunately Tom Lehrer is a bit out of date!
DeleteIf I had a Pinterest thingy I would repin that top picture of the lichen. It makes me think of a scarf I once saw and should have bought. I tried to photograph some food at the weekend too. I'll spare you the result. Potatoes bravas. Looked like roadkill.
ReplyDeleteOooh, what a lovely post, cheered me up no end with all the quirky comments. Haven't had kale for years (yuk).
ReplyDeleteWe used to grow turnips and kale for the livestock. Cattle enjoyed the latter and the sheep still enjoy grass 'n turnips in the winter, went out of cattle 10+years ago. Natures cheery yellows ARE wonderful, aren't they.
Snowy here, just going out for a bacon sarnie up the fields, yum! Happy days.
Colcannon is the best way to use the kale (try Delia). Did you see the Royal Institution lectures at Christmas? For a non-scientist (me), this was Chemistry at its best!
ReplyDeleteYou are right about colcannon -just had some for lunch. I did see one of the RI lectures and enjoyed it very much.
DeleteGlad the colcannon was a success
DeleteI steam kale lightly then mix with some chopped leeks that have been softened/sweated in butter. Delish, also do the same with spring greens and leeks.
ReplyDeleteClaire.
I was thinking, Sue, about you saying you had failed at not baking. True I suppose but wasn't the day you ate the scone a day with an S in it? So that would be OK wouldn't it, under the no-S Diet?
ReplyDeleteIf only I could remember to follow it Jayne!
DeleteHello there Sue - thanks for your kind comment on my blog. :-)
ReplyDeleteI know kale is good for me but, really, that is it's only redeeming feature - or maybe that's because I don't cook it very well...
I am failing at baking. We're still wading through the Christmas cake and until that behemoth is all gone nothing else will be baked!
Gillian x
Hi Sue
ReplyDeleteHave you tried "spinach Roulade" yet? I just make it with whatever green leafystuff I have lying around and both my kids love it - despite the fact it's green and it's leafy!
Saute a finely chopped onion, add 8oz green stuff (take stalks off) and cook on high heat until no moisture is left. Take off heat and stir in 2tbsp chopped parsley (if you have it!) , add salt n pepper and nutmeg. Put mixture on a board to cool then chop. Whisk 4 eggs until thick and creamy then fold in greens and 2oz plain or wholemeal flour. Put into a greased and lined swiss roll tin or baking tray.level the top and bake for 10-12 mins at 200c. Roll up and leave to cool then spread with 8oz cottage cheese and chives or cream cheese whatever you've got and re-roll. It's lovely with a tomato sauce and veg and not a faffy to make as it sounds!
Bev X
Another idea to add to my collection. Thank you Bev!
Delete