Gluttony

I am so stuffed. I have that very full, very contented, and slightly sleepy feeling that comes after a good roast dinner. I’ve installed myself on the sofa with my feet up and a blanket over me, laptop on lap. Thank goodness for laptops, now I don’t have to move at all.

The roast dinner in question was in fact a feast of free range turkey stuffed with lemon and herbs, brussel sprouts, purple sprouting broccoli, carrots, roast potatoes cooked in duck fat, chipolatas wrapped in bacon and gravy made with fresh giblet stock. As I say, I’m stuffed. The problem I have with roast turkey, and chicken, dinners is that I never know when to stop. Even as my tummy starts to groan and protest I still keep eating. “Just one more mouthful” I say as I aim my fork at the last potato. And then I find myself reaching out to pull some meat off the bird every time I go into the kitchen. Rob usually catches me, tells me off and takes it away from me as I look on, guiltily. What can I say, it’s my weakness.



Despite my love of them, I’m pretty sure I’ve never cooked a turkey outside of Christmas before, but this one caught my eye sitting on the shelf of the chiller cabinet in Marks & Spencer on Thursday and I bought it on a whim. It was the last one left and it looked so lonely sitting there all on its own, so you see buying it was really an act of selfless kindness. Ok, ok, you can stop raising your eyebrows like that.

In the time it’s taken to write this post the fullness is starting to subside and my thoughts are already turning to the turkey sandwiches and broth that I’ll turn the leftovers into. Forget chocolate, a half-eaten turkey sitting in my fridge is my idea of a treat. Happy Easter everyone!

A Fun Day Out for Foodies this Summer

This June the BBC Good Food Show Summer will be running at The NEC in Birmingham. The show is part of the BBC Summer Festival which also incorporates BBC Gardeners’ World Live, dedicated Good Homes and Countryfile magazine areas, and a new central feature bringing a sustainable future to life.

The show promises to be a great day out with lots going on food lovers. One of the highlights will be the Summer Kitchen* where celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, James Martin and John Torode will dazzle with their culinary creations.

For more information and to book tickets visit www.bbcgoodfoodshowsummer.com.

*Tickets to the Summer Kitchen cost £1.50 and must be booked in advance. Visit the website for a timetable.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli with Mint

I'm so pleased that the beautiful purple sprouting broccoli is in season. I love this delicate spring vegetable which brings promises of the brighter, warmer days that you know are just around the corner when it makes its appearance.

I wanted to try something a little different with the bunch of purple sprouting broccoli I picked up yesterday so I thought I’d try teaming it with mint, which is also in season now. I cooked it in simmering water for a few minutes along with a sprig of mint, just as you would new potatoes. The mint worked really well and gave the broccoli a lovely little tingle.

Scott (my ‘In the Bag’ partner) and I like purple sprouting broccoli so much that we’ve stuffed March’s bag full of it. Head over to Scott’s blog, Real Epicurean, to join in the fun.

Sausage, Red Pepper and Potato Bake

Me: ‘What shall we have for dinner tonight?”. Rob “I don’t know, what do you fancy?”. Me: “I don’t really know, how about you?”. I’m sure you recognise this conversation. Tonight was one of those nights where you either opt for takeaway or throw something together from what’s left in the fridge. Having already had takeaway this week the fridge won. It wasn’t exactly bare; there were pork sausages and minced beef sitting in there, but they left me distinctly uninspired as I wasn’t really in the mood for either. The problem was I didn’t know what I wanted but rather than either of us going out to get something different I opted for the sausages. Things seemed a little more promising when I discovered the small pot of sour cream and the red peppers in the back of the fridge and in fact the resulting dinner, this sweet and comforting bake, was really rather nice.



Sausage, Red Pepper and Potato Bake

Ingredients
6 Pork sausages
5 or 6 potatoes
1 onion
1 red pepper
A small tub of sour cream (about 140ml)
Marsala (about 140ml)
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200c. Brown the sausages well and fry them until they’re almost, but not completely, cooked through. Remove them from the pan and cut them into bite sized pieces, then put them into an oven proof dish.

2. Halve and slice the onion and sauté it in the sausage fat until starting to colour. Next chop the pepper and add it to the pan with the onions. Cook for a few minutes more.

3. Add the marsala and allow to sizzle for a minute or so to cook off the alcohol, then add the sour cream. Stir well to mix everything together and allow to cook and bubble for a few minutes more. Season well then pour the mixture over the sausages.

5. Peel and slice the potatoes about ½ cm thick, parboil them then lay them on top of the sausages and onion mixture. Season the potatoes and drizzle over some olive oil, then put the dish into the oven for about 30-40 minutes until the potatoes are golden.