Tag Archives: cauliflower cheese

History Beneath the Surface

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Stir Fry Vegetables

More cauliflower cheese tonight because I roasted an entire cauliflower last night and we couldn’t face the whole thing, despite only having potatoes and sweetcorn with it. We had steak pies, potatoes and mangetout peas tonight. Julia bought a packet of cheese sauce as we had run out fo cheese until more was delivered tonight.

We had a lot of rain tonight, accompanied by over an hour of thunder and lightening, ending up with standing water in the street gutters and, in a street at the bottom of the hill, there was a flood according to the TESCO delivery driver.  They did a lot of work there a few years ago and that was supposed to have cured the localised flooding problem. It clearly hasn’t worked.

There are several car dealerships along that road and it once flooded so fast that several brand new cars floated away from a forecourt.  If I had kept a proper diary for the 35 years I have lived here it would be a bulky document full of historical trivia which would be of no interest to anyone but another collector of historical trivia. The fact that cars floated away, or a cannabis farm was once discovered half a mile away, or that Lawrence of Arabia once passed by the end of the road on his way to see George Brough and take delivery of a new motorcycle.

Haggis and root vegetables

Meanwhile, my former employer did a talk for a Derbyshire based metal detecting club. He had an audience of over 30, many of them being women. When you are used to 20 being a good number at the Numismatic Society, and just one woman, it is a good crowd. many women are active detectorists in that club, and many of the men actually take their wives. I suggested, not for the first time, that Julia might like to accompany me to meetings of the Numismatic Society. It appears, from her terse answer, that she wouldn’t like that at all.

He also went to a local open day at Meditation Centre that was originally built in 1790 by a member of the Smith banking family. He was keen on this as the Smiths are an interest of his, though it can be tricky telling which one is which. He is now, as a result of a chat with the historian giving the talk on the day, much better informed.

The header picture is home made veggie burgers with cauliflower steak from lockdown. Other pictures are also food from lockdown, when it seemed more central to my life.

Stir Fry Vegetables

In which my plans go mainly right . . .

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I didn’t feel great this morning, so used it as an excuse not to go for my blood test. It was just a walk-in at the hospital, so I didn’t have a slot and that made it easier. Not much easier, as I still had a Covid vaccination booked for 8.30. Moving slowly, as I was, it was a little marginal, but I was in line for 8.25. The system has improved a lot since the first vaccinations, and I was in and out in ten minutes, though I did have to wait in the car for fifteen minutes. It seems you aren’t insured for fifteen minutes after a vaccination, This is something the insurance company never tells you.

Then it was off to Julia’s dental appointment. This was interesting, as they have a car park, which they share with the health centre. I have nothing to base this on, but looking at the cars, I would estimate that most of the car park was taken up by staff. This something to remember when relying on the parking for my appointment. Then it was time for a trip to the jeweller for some information (and a pair of geometric white gold ear rings) before going home.

Seaside postcard c 1950s

We had lunch then – nice healthy avocados with prawns and toast (and eggs in Julia’s case. I did a little editing and then went out to collect my prescription (which I had been told would be ready yesterday). Note the technique I use here – it is called “dramatic foreshadowing”. The plan, after that, was to fill the car up, as the fuel warning light went off yesterday.

So, there I was, standing in line at the pharmacy, when I was told they had just had it delivered and were packing it now. Thank goodness I hadn’t made a special trip yesterday. It took around 20 minutes, and I was able to see many more people being messed about, so at least I know it is general inefficiency, not just personally aimed at me.

That set me back a little, but even so, it was a bit early for rush hour when I started to queue on the main road. It was raining slightly too, and there seemed to be a competition for the World’s Worst Driver going on. They seem to have had, based on what I see, several heats this week, followed by today, which, I hope, was the Grand Final.  I hope so, because I’m not sure I can keep dodging idiots as they hurl themselves at me.

The tank of fuel was £8 cheaper than it had been last time I filled up from empty. However, it was also about the cost of filling up my old Ford Escort in the late 70s. How times change.

There had been two sets of roadworks on the way, so I decided to take a different way back (I am recovering the navigational skills I seem to have lost during lockdown). The new route avoided the major queues but still took me back through two more sets of roadworks. You wonder what degree of planning goes into this. I’m sure with another couple of strategically placed temporary traffic lights hey could have brought traffic to a complete standstill.

That was the end of my day. We had ginger biscuits, followed by TV then cauliflower cheese, broccoli, sprouts and potato wedges followed by more TV.

All in all, a frustrating day, but I ma vaccinated, Julia is well on the way to completion of her treatment, I have pills and I have fuel to last for the erst of the month (we don’t drive far these days).

On the negative side, fuel is expensive, the queues were irksome, the pharmacist inefficient (surprise!) and my arm is just starting to ache a little bit at the site of the vaccination.

Seaside postcard c 1960s

Today I am using seaside postcards to lighten the mood, though they don’t seem as funny now as they did in the 1960s. This is a bowdlerised seelction, as some of the others are definitely unsuitable for the blog.

Day 55

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My apologies to all. I have been busy and have fallen behind with my reading. I will therefore be launching a reading campaign tonight, but comments may be short and banal. This isn’t too far from my normal standard, but I thought I’d get my apologies in first.

Same for the brown potato soup. It is not my best, but it is acceptable for someone working in the cold and requiring warmth and nourishment at mid-day. It is healthy and free of additives. It was, I confess, meant to be celery soup but having over-softened (burnt) the onions and added what seems to have been too much potato, the result is a reminder to look at more recipes. If at first you don’t succeed, rename the recipe. The plan was to add Stilton cheese, but I may wait until I produce a soup where you can taste the celery. No point throwing good ingredients after bad.

Tonight’s cauliflower was huge. I couldn’t cut steaks as it would have needed a machete, and I’m not sure we could manage a whole one. Not sure what we will be eating for the next few days (I’m back to a no menu/no clue situation) but I’m fairly sure it’s going to feature cauliflower.

Anyway, it’s time for the cheese sauce now, and a nice healthy meal of oven-roasted parsnips, carrots and leeks with cauliflower and cheese sauce. I’m resigned to, rather than enthusiastic about our new vegetarian lifestyle, but sometimes you have to do these things. It cheap, it’s healthy, it’s better for the planet, and it’s possibly more moral (I really don’t have a problem with killing animals to eat them). Whether it’s more fun, I wouldn’t like to say.

 

Ladybirds

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That’s what Julia found today, clustered in a gap in the polytunnel door frame. I thought they were hardy tomatoes when she first showed me the picture on her phone, but they turned out to be ladybirds. I don’t have the patience to count spots but she seems to have  a few different sorts.

Sometimes I miss the active life outdoors, seeing nature and getting lots of healthy exercise. Other times, I don’t. There’s a lot to be said for sitting inside. It isn’t exactly warm in the shop, but at least I can feel my fingers and toes. That wasn’t always the case when working outside in winter, as I recall.

That’s why I’m cooking tea – to atone for my wimpish ways in working indoors. Nothing special, just pasties with cauliflower cheese and nobby greens (that’s Brussel’s Sprouts if you don’t live round Nottingham).

The timer just went. I think that means it’s ready.

Here’s the picture again, partly  for symmetry and partly to cover up the short post.