Adventures in Edibles

I'm finding one unexpected side-effect of being on lock-down is that my cooking is getting more adventurous. I think there are a variety of reasons for this. Firstly for once I have the time to experiment and try out new recipes. Secondly, we are trying to keep to a once-a-week shopping trip, and we are using smaller local shops rather than big supermarkets (as we assume the bigger shops will inevitably have higher footfall and hence more chance of coming into contact with the Coronavirus). The downside of this is that the smaller shops have a correspondingly smaller choice available, so I have to be inventive. We're also using a local supplier who obligingly delivers our fresh fruit & veg. Although I usually try to eat seasonally, shopping from someone offering mostly seasonal produce has made me realise how often I bend my own rules when confronted with a wider choice! Finally, the restrictions to what we are able to buy are leading to me digging out some of the more esoteric items lurking at the back of the larder. I am finally getting around to using the mushroom ketchup, bottled Datterini tomatoes and tinned jackfruit! In fact I highly recommend this recipe that I made from a tin of jackfruit the other night, it was delicious and will be definitely going on my 'make this again!' list. 

We've been foraging too of course, and have enjoyed a lot of nettles (in soup and other guises, including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Nettle Risotto with Sorrel), and Spring Herb Salad. I'm planning to gather and dry plenty of nettles while they're still young and tasty so that we can add them to soups and stews later in the year (we're also planning ahead by whipping the vegetable patch back into shape and planting lots of veggies to keep us well-fed in the coming months).

The other thing we've found is that with a restricted choice of food available it has become more important than ever to not waste anything, using every last bit of food. Here are a couple of my favourite 'use every last bit' recipes that I've been employing recently. In fact I had the first for breakfast this morning.

Banana Pancakes

I don't know about you, but I'm not fond of over-ripe bananas. But luckily they do make great cakes, or even simpler, banana pancakes. Luckily because of the chickens we always have fresh eggs, so this is my favourite easy way to use up past-it bananas. Most recipes say to use a ratio of 1 banana to 2 eggs, but to be honest because both bananas and eggs vary in size there is wiggle room here. This morning I made them with 1 banana to 1 egg, which yielded two pancakes. 

Ingredients  
Banana(s)
Egg(s)
Butter
Cooking oil
Cinnamon (optional)

Method
Peel the bananas and mash them together with the eggs. In a non-stick frying pan melt a knob of butter and a little oil (I like the flavour of the butter and if you use a little oil too it raises the smoking point of the butter and avoids a burnt flavour. But you could use just oil if you prefer). When the pan is hot, add a small ladle-full of the banana/egg mixture. It's better to cook it in small amounts as this makes turning the pancakes easier. After a minute or two when the pancake has firmed a bit, lift the edge with a spatula or fish slice to check if it's browned. If it has, and it's firm enough, slide your spatula underneath and turn it over to cook the other side. Slide onto a serving plate, sprinkle with a little ground cinnamon (if liked) and enjoy hot, while the next pancake is cooking. You could experiment by adding ingredients like chocolate chips or raisins to the mixture or serve with a smear of Nutella or a drizzle of maple syrup. 

Marinated Broccoli Stems
I love broccoli and will happily cook and eat the stems too, but IB isn't keen on them so I have started using them up this way, which I discovered in a vegetarian cookery book by Martha Rose Shulman way back in the 80's. 

Ingredients
Broccoli stems
Salt
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Garlic

Method
Trim and peel the broccoli stems (this will get rid of any stringy bits) and slice them into rounds about ½cm thick. Put into a lidded container (I use an old jam jar) and sprinkle with salt. Put the lid on, shake well and put into the fridge overnight, or for at least a couple of hours. The next morning, drain off the brine that will have accumulated and rinse under the tap. Return to the jar and add 1tbspn olive oil, 1tbspn balsamic vinegar and a crushed garlic clove. Shake the jar well again and leave to marinate for at least a couple of hours before serving. They're a great addition to a salad or as something to nibble. 

I'll post more gourmet left-over ideas as I think of them!