At least four times a year I raid the freezer and fridge looking for enough food to use up before the “use by date” and make a meal for my family. Going, going, gone!
VEGETABLE SOUP WITH VERMICELLI
Ingredients
Use a 2 litre saucepan
40g butter or margarine and 10mls of oil
100g potatoes cooked or raw
2 sticks of celery
400g of assorted vegetables from the fridge and freezer
50g vermicelli or spaghetti broken in small pieces
800 mls of good stock
Salt and pepper
If there is any cooked bacon or ham to use up, it can be chopped and added to the pan.
Preparation
1. Chop all vegetables to the required size
2. Heat the oil and butter then add all raw vegetables fry until taking colour
3. Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes
4. Add the vermicelli/spaghetti cook for further 10 minutes
5. Then add all the other cooked vegetables, season to taste, bring to the boil and then simmer for a further 45 minutes
At this stage the soup is ready to serve. If it is preferred a creamed soup
6. Do not use the pasta but add 80 mls of double cream, but do not boil
7. When sufficiently hot liquidise to the required consistency but serve with grated parmesan with both varieties of soups
COTTAGE PIE WITH FRESH TOMATO TOPPING
Ingredients
500g of assorted meats, cooked and minced
300 mls of good stock
4 large beef steak tomatoes
750g main crop potatoes
1 small onion finely sliced
2 sticks of celery finely sliced
25 mls of olive oil
25g butter
70 mls of white wine
A thickening agent (I favour Bisto granules)
Mixed herbs to taste
Preparation
Use a large non stick pan if possible, if not a “sauté” pan but be careful not to burn the food
1. Heat the oil and butter and fry the onion and celery in it until golden brown
2. Add the meat stirring all the time
3. Moisten with the wine and season to taste adding the mixed herbs and the stock; bring to the boil and simmer for at least half an hour
4. During this time boil the potatoes, cream them and keep hot
5. Thicken the meat to taste
6. Turn the meat on a suitable pie dish, cover with the creamed potatoes
7. Slice the tomatoes and cover the whole of the pie with them
8. Sprinkle over some oil, salt and pepper
9. Bake in a hot oven 175ºC for 40 minutes
10. Serve the dressing separately and small crusty bread rolls
I usually serve with peas and carrots in the winter but otherwise with a mixed salad.
APPLE AND APRICOT CRUMBLE
I often have apples given to me during the “July fall” and during the winter. The surplus I cook and store in the freezer. Also during August when the apricot season is at its highest, I buy some in the local market, to store (after stoning and “blanching”), also in the freezer. That is why I have this surplus fruit for the odd crumble in the winter months.
Ingredients
250g of apples
150g of apricots
75g apricot jam
Sugar to taste
200g of SR flour
100g of butter or margarine
100g of Moscovado sugar
Preparation
1. Reheat the Apples and Apricots
2. Add sugar to taste and keep it hot
3. On a clean surface place the flour, make a bay
4. Add the butter or margarine in little pieces and then the sugar
5. Mix the whole lot well using your hands (well washed and dried)
6. Place the fruit on a suitable pie dish, cover it with the crumble well levelled over the fruit
7. Bake for 30 minutes on a pre-heated oven at 175ºC, in a middle shelf
This dish is very “yummy” with vanilla ice cream.
BUON APPETITO – Giovanni Fontebasso
