Raiding the Vegetable Patch!

I took time out last weekend to spin down home and raid the vegetable patch.  I didn't want to see all those fresh fruit and veg. going to waste while the parents were away. Dad has always worked hard at maintaining a good supply of the best potatoes, onions, lettuce, runner beans, gooseberries, blackcurrants, raspberries and courgettes, to name but a few. For as long as I remember we have been treated summer after summer by Dad to the freshest garden produce, with the support of a key ingredient - quality local manure!

The lettuce is always crunchier and more flavourful than anything I have ever bought.  The courgettes will range from baby to full-on marrows. And I will always make a particular effort to seek out the new potatoes.  At the age of 10 or so I remember being incredibly impressed by the combination of boiled new potatoes, real butter and little pinch of salt.  Prior to this I had no appreciation of salt's importance to bringing out the best in food.  It is still a summer favourite!   

The berries are put to good use too, with jams and fools making a particular mark at family gatherings and events.  Gooseberry fool is an essential addition to weekend desserts, and credit goes to the gooseberries as much as the lashings of cream.  The blackcurrant jam is likely to feature in sponge cakes or bakewell tarts throughout the rest of the year. 

Rosemary Garlic Potatoes

The great majority of my favourite recipes are ones that can just be thrown together with little or no care for weight or measurement.  For the evening that's in it - post-work, wet and just a bit mucky - I needed something simple to see me through the 3rd place World Cup match tonight.   

Chop up as many potatoes as you are hungry - not too small that they will dry out in the oven but not too big that they take too long to crisp up.  Lace the chips in olive oil, chop a few cloves of garlic into the mix and lots of fresh rosemary.  Add a little salt and pepper too.  Throw it all onto a hot baking tray and leave them in the oven - 200 degrees or so.  Generally about 45 minutes will do it, and tossing them half way through helps the crispiness. (A little cheese - Parmigiano Reggiano or just a bit of Dubliner cheddar - grated on top is a nice addition).