Become Pro Vegetarian Chef

A few weeks back, we went to Gloucester.  We stopped.  I like these vintage fruit and vegetable jars, I have a number - but no purchasing of them as I have a number of my own including beetroot when I made beetroot hash and crying onion showcased when I made White Broccoli Risotto , so these were for admiring only.  I saw this up-cycled bottle with a peacock and little gems at a rural craft market in this corner of Wales.  I was so close to treating myself to it, but resisted.   A little part of me regrets its, a big part doesn't as I had no place to put it in my home.  Once a week, in my lunch hour I visit Healthy Planet - Books for Free , I have come back with a number of (cook-) books (and did the good deed and donated some too).  I will share with you some books added to my burgeoning  bookshelf, but it was this up-cycled book that caught my attention - if you look close - READ.  This was made by one of their volunteers, very coo...

I do love the versatility of the beetroot - from home-made beetroot granola to sweet homely  cakes  and bakes to vegan spreads and seitan ' steaks ' . To world-wide inspired  curries   to wobbly  jelly   and simple, but colourful robust tarts - like this one.  As you can see, I have used two different beetroots in this tart.  A  Golden Beetroot  and the  traditional crimson-red .   I sliced the beetroot, then doused it generously with some good olive oil and good balsamic vinegar and allowed it to roast until it was tender.  I must emphasize the importance of good olive oil and good balsamic vinegar here, its essential as these two ingredients make the beetroot the star of the dish, without them, although aesthetically pleasing, the flavour  would just be too earthy.  Whilst it was roasted Balsamic Beetroot slices were cooling, I got on with making the shortcust pastry, blind baked it .  T...

A couple of weeks back, I went on holiday for a week in Marseille, South of France .   I have a lot of holiday photographs to share, for readers of my blog, also for family and friends to look at, but today I share some photographs of Marseille Street Art.  I do have a load and I mean a load more to share, but lets begin with these.     l am liking this one very much.  Its of a young kid dressed wearing a Marseille Football shirt.  I like his and his dogs goofy smile. Around the corner is either his brother or friend.  If you click on the image, the houses in the pictures, are cleverly done - many were 3D. Marseille Fisherman with sardines. One of D's favourite movies: The Kid starring Charlie Chaplin.   Was on this door - see upper right.  This street art was the size of my hand. You could easily miss it, in fact I did. If you enjoyed these, then you will be pleased to not that ...

I don't have very much to share, sadly the only squash I had growing in the garden collapsed and rotted.  The garden is a proper mess, like an abandoned allotment plot.  We are hoping to tidy up the garden plot on Sunday. Oh did  I mention that we were away for a week a couple of weeks back to the South of France, Marseille to be more specific.  Anyway, these are the last lot of tomatoes harvested from the garden. Most of them are fine and dandy, but as you can see some are split - especially the Black Russian variety.  Other than the odd raspberry here and there, the only colour in the garden is coming from the nasturtiums.   I am loving the way  they are trailing along the border of the path and trying to creep over.     Moreso, it was lovely to see a bumbling bee bull dozing in and out of them - just look closely.  Plenty of shredded green leaves, but kneel down and you will find some Brussels Sprouts.  I harves...

Here are some more photographs from my holiday in  Marseille Street Art .   And some of Marseille Streets   I liked this one as it has a sticker of one of the movies that had an impact on me: La Haine  (1995) and here is a relatively recent article by The Guardian on what has changed 20 years on ?   Here is a link to the trailer if you interested. Brick City