My (now adult) children (& a couple of friends) have hit on a sure-fire way to bring a smile to my face at Christmas time – they buy me food (& drink!) So on Christmas morning I had the most humungus pile of gifts as each item was individually wrapped and each little package revealed new delights and in several cases comestibles that I had never tasted before.
Of course I’ve eaten some already – and before I thought to take photographs – so they are almost a distant memory even after just a week (a pack of spicy ramen noodles eaten with the addition of a pack of enoki mushrooms. a pack of vegan kabanos and marmite crackers) but others will provide joy for weeks to come. My eldest had done most of their shopping in a Polish deli whilst my son had opted for a chinese supermarket so there were a range of flavours and future recipes to contemplate – part of the joy.
So from Rowan a pot of jam meant not your regular strawberry or raspberry but sea buckthorn – a fruit I have never tried but is on my list of wants to grow on my plot. Not sure I’m getting the full hit of this fruits flavour in a jam that is so full of apple juice as a sweetener but its enough to keep it on my want list. And despite never having eaten meat themselves they bought me ‘nduja pesto (personally i think pesto should only be based around basil, pine nuts, parmesan and olive oil and anything else is just a sauce or even a spread – but I’m not called a pedant for nothing!). Another new one for me was a jar of sorrel for use in Polish soups. I’ve always grown sorrel but now can indulge my love of its lemony acidity even whilst my plants are dormant. And I can make some more quick but tasty pasta dishes with the roast pepper and chilli sauce and a jar of asparagus spears.
And from Aidan there are some big bold flavours to use (possibly in moderation!) including a lethal looking black bean paste and pickled lettuce in soy sauce (peering inside the jar I wonder if this is actually sliced stems of celtuce which I grew in 2020 and may include in my growing plans for this year too). There is also a pack of dried ingredients containing items that I would not be able to identify by sight and am still not certain about despite having read the info on the back – Glehnia root? Diascora opposita? and Jade bambo all of which can be used to make the basis of a broth for soup. Since I have started growing a wider variety of ‘oriental greens’ including chopsuey greens, mustards, celtuce etc on my plot I have wanted to do more than simply throw them into a generic stir fry so am looking forward to experimenting with some of these products and finding some specific recipes that highlight their individual flavours.
And to wash it all down I have a bottle of gooseberry and elderflower wine – not a flavour combo I have tried before but if I like it I may try to make my own this year.
So although my offspring have once more returned to their respective homes I shall continue to enjoy their gifts for some time to come – and hope they remember its my birthday in just 6 weeks time 😉
My Plenty Food Project 