Yes, its been raining, again, just when we get all fired up and thrilled by some sunshine, it vanishes and the wet stuff comes again. Its been too wet to get out on the land to continue our planting, but Ive been out today buying my french bean seeds , green beans, and ever more beetroot, its turned into a main crop for us as Rik LOVES it so much, we eat it hot as a veg with cheese sauce, hot garlic butter or just cold boiled and peeled like apples... he also eats kilos sweet pickled every year... I bought more Basil too...
Crisis struck last night... I used the last of our peas from the freezer, hehehe Rik was horror struck, he loves peas, I refuse to buy them, so he only gets what we can grow, I extend the length of our 'season' by freezing surplus, but its never enough. I dont mind really, I think it makes us appreciate the new crop when it comes, as with all our stuff, there's nothing quite like going to the garden and picking the first new peas and eating them straight away, or pulling the first beetroot ... the fact that we've done without them for a while makes them all the more tasty.. thats the trouble with supermarket veg, its always on tap, and it gets taken for granted, it may have travelled half way round the world a couple of weeks before you buy it as well... it can never never match our veg for taste, goodness or cost...
So... he'll wait with anticipation and watch the young peas spouting up...
I'm having my frugal cooking skills stretched to the limit at the moment, the freezer and store cupboards are getting low, we've still loads of food, but its all very much the same stuff... courgettes, aubergines, tons of toms , pumpkin, loads of sliced peppers,fruit, plus a few other odds and ends of bags... so making meals using this is getting a tad boring... but Im determined not to buy in food when we still have lots to eat... We also have a lot of soya granules, dried beans, lentils and herbs... (and bags of cubed stewing beef) I'll just have to get more inventive!!
Ideas please???
Frugal living in the Portuguese countryside,Eco-tourism, Agri tourism, recipes,family life, self sufficency, eco living, vegetable growing, tips and self help ideas for country living.
