Such little treasures make my day so thank you so much for taking the time Flora.
The plums mark the beginning of my little bartering sideline; so if you have any unwanted apples (including crab apples), under ripe green tomatoes, plums, damsons or
pears growing in your garden please do get in touch!
Ask gingergirl:
Hello Gingergirl,
Like many others, I am making an effort to budget more. In terms of food, I do try to use leftovers but other than having the same meal twice I have no idea how to turn them into a proper meal! Can you help?
Maire, Punches Cross.
Hello Maire,
I recall someone somewhere talking about cooking once, eating twice and I think this is what they were talking about.
I use leftover chicken to make a mid-week curry or to make soup stock. I always seem to make too much mashed potato so I make potato cakes, potato salad or fish cakes and leftover ham or pork is perfect in frittata or quiche.
Italian cooking springs to mind when looking at the cooking once, eating twice mantra; day old crusty bread for Panzanella, crostini and bruschetta, beef for ragu and parmesan rind in soups such as Minestrone.
Rustic Minestrone Soup.
Olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 sticks of celery, chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon of dried chilli flakes
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
2 courgettes, chopped
1 large tablespoon of tomato puree
400g can of tomatoes
1 piece of Parmesan rind
Black pepper
410g can of cannellini or borlotti beans
1 quarter of chopped green cabbage
When preparing the vegetables, try to cut into roughly the same size.
In a large saucepan heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil, add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes until the onion is soft.
Add the carrot, celery, garlic, chilli, potato and the courgette and stir occasionally for two to three minutes.
Add the tomato puree and chopped tomatoes, then fill the empty tin three times with water and add to the soup.
Add the parmesan rind and some freshly ground black pepper. Turn up the heat and allow the soup to simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook gently for up to two hours.
Drain and rinse the beans and add to the soup after one and a half hours.
Twenty minutes before you want to eat, add the cabbage. Once cooked, add some grated parmesan and enjoy with crusty bread. As with lots of food, this soup will taste even better the next day.
Write to me at gingergirl c/o The Limerick Leader, 54 O'Connell St. Limerick or email helen@gingergirl.ie
Michelstown Food Festival 2009.
Michelstown's 'Bringing Home the Bacon' Festival takes place over the weekend of August 28, 29, 30. This year's festival will be bigger and better than ever and will focus on the promotion of Irish Pork.
The weekend will include a workshop on 'Irish Pork, from Farm to Fork', a Family Fun Day and a Food Producers Market. Check out: www.mitchelstownfoodfestival.com for further details.
Contact gingergirl
www.gingergirl.ie
email: helen@gingergirl.ie
Letters to 'gingergirl' c/o The Limerick Leader, 54 O'Connell St. Limerick.
Be sure to visit gingergirl at: U.L.'s Farmer's Market in the student's union courtyard every Tuesday from 12 – 5.30pm and at: The Riverside Market on Bedford Row (Limerick City) every Sunday from 12.30 – 5.30pm
You can follow gingergirl's tweets on Twitter – under: gingergirlfood.
