So, finally I’ve got around to an update on my 31 Vegetables Challenge for January on this blog. Sometimes life gets in the way of the best laid plans … so I’ve not done very well documenting this challenge on here, because it’s taken me rather a long time to prepare and cook a new vegetable every day! I realised that I had largely got stuck in a rut with my cooking of late. Although I use a wide range of vegetables, as I have a Riverford Organic Box delivered weekly, they often end up as mixed roasted vegetables …and that’s not very exciting to photograph. So I’ve had numerous of my cookery books down from the shelves to pour over and scoured the internet for recipes containing the ingredients I’d already got in the fridge. But it turns out, as I’ve reviewed this as a list this morning, that I still roasted many of the vegetables … but perhaps a little more creatively!!
AND I have not missed a day so far this month – the whole story has all been documented on Facebook at #31vegetablechallenge – Stephanie Day Rhodes
So to summarise, since I last posted I have cooked and eaten the following vegetables: (recipe in the photo caption – although most often I modified slightly, which of you are interested is documented in the FB posts – and there are links to each Facebook post under each vegetable’s photograph)
Day 11 – Red Cabbage
Day 12 – Carrot
Day 13 – Swede
Day 14 – Romano Pepper
Day 15 – Cauliflower
Day 16 – Cavolo Nero (Black Kale)
Day 17 – Parsnip
Day 18 – Beetroot
Day 19 – Tomato
Day 20 – Romaine Lettuce
Day 21 – Sweet Potato
Day 22 – Potato
Boiled salad potatoes for 15 mins. Drained and then shock violently. Accidently put loads of olive oil on tray. Smashed each one with a spoon. Sprinkled with salt, pepper and sumac – rolled them around.
Baked 15 mins 200°C More on potatoes on my Facebook post here
Day 23 – Rocket
Day 24 – Savoy Cabbage
Day 25 – Leek
Day 26 – Daikon radish or Mooli
Day 27 – Cucumber
(but I skipped garlic and added taragon, mint and coriander – so more of a raita). More on my Facebook post here
Day 28 – Jerusalem Artichokes
Day 29 ….
… I’m still debating what will be today’s vegetable. But having decided to carry on for the rest of the year with a lesser challenge – 365 different plants eaten – it feels less of a finale.
Besides, it can’t be too involved as this evening I’m planning on making my first batch of Sevile Orange and Cardamom Gin which is a recipe I’ve had my eye on for months, since I received “Sour” by Mark Diacono for my birthday in June. You have a proper seasonal wait for Seville Oranges which makes it all the more exciting.
And my sourdough starter purchase from Hobbs House Bakery is hopefully getting active this afternoon. It’s part of a batch that’s been on the go for 65 years, but has sat in my fridge unopened since before Christmas. It said on the leaflet that would be OK so fingers crossed. Hobbs House Bakery bread is available online and is amazing. Worth the delivery charge if you have a freezer or eat a lot of bread and sourdough keeps very well. I decided their bread was so good, and my starter at home so unsuccessful, I’d invest in some of their magic. The older the starter the more stable it is. Here’s hoping.
Relishing Life - Eating Well 