Veg from the Garden....

As NO-SHOP February continues, last night (as part of the meal) I roasted some veg (all grown by us) - parsnip, pumpkin, celeriac, and garlic, served up with chopped fresh parlsey (also from the garden) and for an added zing, some ver jus, (made last autumn and stored in the freezer), some black pepper, and a few chilli flakes.

I have now used up all my carefully rationed onions, and completed all the meals through to the end of the month.  I will be pleased to go out and buy some carrots, some apples, and some brocoli (and more onions).  I look forward to some fresh, raw, crunch.... ..and menu planning that doesn't involve a cut of pork.  I managed to make our supply of beef mince, turkey meat, and prawns run to a meal or two a week, but my menus have been heavily influenced by left-over ham and cold roast pork, or meals based on dried peas and beans.

It has been a great exercise and I have to say I have not missed one bit the weekly scramble at the supermarket.  And much to my dismay, despite serious efforts, I don't appear to have made much inroad on the stored food.  Apart from the aforesaid shortage of fresh crunch in the diet, and the prospect of a pork based tedium we could potentially carry this on a good while longer.  I suspect I might have been taking far too seriously (and more deeply ingrained than I realized) the 'store cupboard' life-style of my youth; in which we 'went to town' about once a month for shopping,  spent days/weeks freezing or preserving excess, and lived off our own meat, eggs, and vegetables to a very great extent.

Perhaps I should feel more confident that I have secured our survival and change my shopping habits in future - buy less but buy better.