My five this week are five fruits of my labour from the kitchen.
One.
I have for awhile been making the effort to be less wasteful and use all the leftovers. Or indeed, cook enough food for two instead of for an Army. Here is one of the meals I made using the leftovers from Sunday lunch.
All chopped, slithers of gammon added heated and then a fried egg popped on top.
Most enjoyable.
Two.
Pickled onions have been added to the store cupboard. I didn't bother to make my own spiced vinegar this year I used a shop bought pickling vinegar. It will be interesting to know if they taste any different. I intend to do the same with the red cabbage.
Three.
The last of the herbs have been gathered from the garden, tied and hung to dry. Mint and sage added to the basil.
The Rosemary was dry and crumbled easily between my thumb and forefinger so I have used it to make a Rosemary salt rub.
Another preserve ready for the store cupboard.
Four.
I got lucky with some yellow sticker nectarines from our local store so I quickly made them into jam.
Adding a little ginger for the last few minutes to give it a little warmth for the Winter months.
Five.
Finally, soup is a regular make in the Mercantile kitchen. I make batches twice weekly for my parents. One batch this week was leek and potato, I made a granary loaf in the bread maker and baked some cheese scones. Delicious!
I have started to browse some of my Christmas cook books for pudding/mincemeat/cake recipes but will probably stick to the tried and tested. Although I am enjoying the journey of the research.
Hope you enjoyed the peek into my kitchen this week and pop over to see what everyone else has been up to.
See you soon.
Oh my, everything looks so delicious!
ReplyDeleteCooking for two... the other person must be very happy. :)
Thank you for the inspiring post! Have a lovely weekend! xx
You put me to shame. I seem more in a crochet , knit mode at the moment. Time I did some pickling and preserving. Yours look very good. Have a lovely weekend. B x
ReplyDeleteA very productive week, I might have to do some pickled onions now, I bought a lovely herb dryer at the car boot a few weeks back for 50p x
ReplyDeleteI agree on making sure you use up all 'leftovers'. I had 1 parsnip, half an onion and 1 potato lying around after cooking a meal a few days ago I turned it into a sort of pommes boulangere side dish. It was extremely tasty. I could have made soup - but I did parsnip and apple a few days earlier so I didn't want almost identical again.
ReplyDeleteDid someone say cheese scones?!! Yum, my favourite. You have been busy. I bet those herbs smell wonderful.
ReplyDeleteOhhh so good! You have definitely been economical and industrious! So satisfying to know there's lots of good food in the pantry!
ReplyDeleteI'm having to adjust my quantities now that there's only the two of us at home, it's so easy to forget and make more than we need. I'd have never thought of nectarine jam, that's a new one on me.
ReplyDeleteMy pickled onions were done a few weeks ago and although I am tempted to do more I don't think we really need them. So this week I have pickled beetroot and I am wondering whether or not to pickle some eggs.
ReplyDeleteY our kitchen goings on look as cosy as mine have been.
Have a lovely weekend-x-
Wow, so busy. I don't pickle or jam, but I have been making soups just recently. Curried Parsnip is my favourite at the moment.
ReplyDeleteXx
I am also learning to adjust to cooking for 2. Very interesting post about pickles, dried herbs and jam making. We do not have winter and we tend to take our fresh veggies, herbs and fruits for granted.
ReplyDeleteI love the jam and pickled onions! Have a great Friday ♥
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Wow, you have been busy. It is years since I have made jam, one of these days it is something I would like to try again. My Mum used to make over 100 jars of jam every year. xx
ReplyDeleteAt first read I thought you were making leek and potato SOAP! Needless to say it took a second read to see you were making soup. Makes much more sense now :) I hope you can stop by:
ReplyDeletehttp://collettaskitchensink.blogspot.com/2016/10/tea-time-fall-foliage-and-demelza-10716.html
Colletta
A superb 5. love the bags you dry the herbs in, do not think we have that here in the UK, but am going to see if I can hunt some down x
ReplyDeleteGood idea to use left overs ! I do it too, usually I scramble eggs and put them over the left overs, add some grated cheese and that's good !
ReplyDeleteboy, you've been busy in the kitchen! I had left overs yesterday and felt great that we ate them in time before their end of use date :) It's not easy cooking for two!!
ReplyDeleteIt all looks delicious and I feel distinctly hungry now! I had never thought of making a Rosemary salt rub and must give it a try this weekend.
ReplyDeleteWonderful cooking goodies. I used to love Pickled Onions. I remember going to the chip shop and buying one of the huge ones they used to have in jars on the counter. My Mum used to pickle her own and I couldn't get enough of them. I find it harder to eat them now. Sad, but true. I guess taste buds change as we get older.
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing back memories with your Five on Friday
Such a productive days! Your recipe looks delicious and so healthy. I love healthy meals and leftover cooking too!
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend to you!
Wonderful! Everything looks delicious, especially the soup. I made some applesauce, but have mainly been playing with my yarn.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Betsy
I love soup! You've really been busy, very productive. Pickled onions ... yum! I bet the rosemary salt is wonderful. Happy Friday!
ReplyDeleteFood looks delicious! I just love a great soup! I have never seen herbs dried in paper bags before, very interesting! Is there anything special you need to do to them? How long does it take to dry them that way? Thanks! Have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Jill
Yum! Thanks for sharing all the good ideas, Mama! I might try making the rosemary rub. Also, you have reminded me of the British use of eggs over various interesting ingredients...something I have yet to try. And in my comments lately I think I managed to miss typing that your card making is lovely and encouraging me to get back to making some, too. Oh, and somehow I can't see a large photo of Honey in her fish tail on the posts, just the little one...but I have probably clicked on the wrong something :) xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a busy girl you've been! I feel like a sloth. I also feel like a dunce. What is gammon?
ReplyDeleteI did....I did enjoy this!! Very much. You've been very busy, and all the work and effort from soups to jams is inspirational. I would love to taste that nectarine with a hint of ginger. Yum.
ReplyDeleteYum - bubble and squeak with an egg on top - thats what we call leftover veges we reuse like that. If I get nectarines cheaply enough, I like to make Nectarine and Vanilla jam - my hubby loves it.
ReplyDeleteWell done !!!!
ReplyDeleteHave a relax weekend !
Hug
Anna
You certainly have been productive. Your food dishes are making me smack my lips. Delicious. I like the idea of drying your herbs in those bags...
ReplyDeletePickled onions...yum!
I'm like you, either cooking for two or for family members when they come around a couple of times a week. My husband and I share the cooking and we often make extra to give to our local daughter who works long hours and appreciates a ready-made bolognese or plain tomato sauce for pasta during week days. Wishing you a good weekend.
ReplyDeleteUsing up leftovers and leftover ingredients, not wasting food, takes constant effort for me. If I don't make a conscious effort ... well ... not good. Love the sound of that soup right about now! I posted my mincemeat recipe last December. http://www.delightfulrepast.com/2015/12/mince-pies-but-first-mincemeat.html Thought you might want to check it out along with your cookbooks.
ReplyDeleteYou have been very busy in the kitchen. Your pickled onions inspire me and I think what I'll make is pickled beets.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos and great ideas. I try to use all leftovers as well.
ReplyDeleteYou have shared some wonderful recipe ideas. Those pickled onions look wonderful. Have a fun filled weekend! Pat xx
ReplyDeleteYou sure have been working in your kitchen and being fruitful in preserving foods. I will probably pick up another box of apples tomorrow as they are $1 pound and make applesauce out of them next weekend. It tastes so good! I need to make jam as well soon. Not sure if I'll get apples dehydrated this year. Oh too much to do and not enough time to do it! Happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteI liked this peak in your kitchen, always something interesting to learn. I never pickled onions before, I might just do that. x
ReplyDeletelove ready about preserving and preparing food and spices on your blog. I'm afraid my mother lacked all those skills so nothing was passed down to my sisters and I. Reading your blog has opened a whole new world of domestic goddess-ness!
ReplyDeleteI am always impressed with your hard work and hominess. I wish I could taste your nectarine jam!! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteEverything looks delicious, especially the nectarine/ginger jam.
ReplyDeleteWow, you have been busy cooking. I too have been trying to cut down on wasting leftovers now that it is just the two of us. It isn't always easy.
ReplyDeleteEverything looks very tasty indeed. I have never made any pickles but might try onions to start with. Your number one is a great idea too!
ReplyDeleteI also try to cook for two and it is very difficult to do. Your food sounds very interesting to me. One thing I enjoy doing is reading about the way other people cook. What do you do with pickled onions? And I have never heard of "granary." I enjoyed reading this post.
ReplyDeleteCindy Bee
I have never had pickled onions before. Sounds like something I should try.
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