Nice surprise

I have just stuffed myself with raw peas.  I have such a soft spot for raw peas, and obviously they are only usually on the market for a few months in summer.  Today the veg box arrived and it included a small paper bag with peas in the pod.  I ate the lot in a few minutes and enjoyed every mouthful.  It was only a small paper bag, but very welcome.

OH enjoyed unpacking the box with me.  There is a really gruesome looking celeriac that will be amazing in a stew, crisp celery, a paper bag of mushrooms, parsnips out of the field today, garlic, huge red onions - lots and lots of stuff.

To use up the veggies I can see a lot of soups and stews for the next few weeks, and a lot more veggies on the plate.  In view of this I purchased a microwave steamer to help with the influx of veggies.  It was inexpensive, about £5, and I thought it would also be inexpensive on fuel.

Tonight I plan to steam the fresh runner beans (which look gorgeous) and the broccoli that came in the veg box and serve with potatoes and pork chops (on offer from Mr S).  Tomorrow is looking like broth from the inexpensive bacon joint cooked in the slow cooker with barley and veggies, using up the swede and making the most of the celery.  This will be followed by apple and pear crumble, using up apples and pears, as I think that you need something solid this time of year.  When I serve the bacon there will be sweet potato, from last week, and red onion cooked in the remoska, possibly with the parsnips.  The lovely firm butternut squash will probably become soup.

I have a habit of relying on soups and stews, which bear is currently rejecting (though will probably be keen on them next week) but I need to rethink this, I think, and have more bits of meat with the veggies.  I am not used to cooking just a chop and after some bad experiences, if we have steak I hand over to OH.  Mind you, I think we last had steak in 2010.  It's like being able to cook a souffle but failing completely with fried egg - and yes, I cannot fry an egg and the only reason darling father has boiled eggs is because I have an automatic egg boiler.

I'm loving this challenge, and so are the family!