 20 April 2025 (Easter Sunday) Up first again… it’s funny that we each go through periods of being up first, and each period can last a few days or even longer, then for no reason it switches round. After breakfast, I was down to the plot to potter and tidy, doing this, that and the other. One job I did get done was sorting out the bench by the potatoes in the raised bed, on the poly side of the plot. It’s needed sorting for ages, and weeding underneath, and now that job is fully done… Yay!! In truth, I’d been putting it off, though like many things that we put off it turned out to be a relatively easy and enjoyable job… a ‘satisfaction guaranteed’ type of job! There were a few chats with fellow plotters, as there so often is, though clearly we were all like minded and wanted to get on with stuff as the chats, though welcome, also didn't last too long! Yay again!! By the time I got back home, tossing a few broken pots into the recycling bin before putting my key in the front door, I realised I felt a tad hungry. I’d taken out some Cauldron marinated tofu from the freezer this morning, with no real thought of what I’d use it for… and on a whim as I came through the door decided I’d do some quick fajitas. I popped some oil in a frying pan and gently fried the marinated tofu pieces with a little olive oil and a small amount of homemade fajita mix. Whilst these were cooking, I washed and span dry some lettuce, took out leftover coleslaw and a tub of yogurt from the fridge, sliced some cheddar thinly, and microwaved four wraps - as I say each time, I do this just so that they're a bit more pliable. On each wrap I spread across the middle a tablespoon of yogurt, then placed on some lettuce, a little cheddar, the coleslaw, then spooned on top some hot fajita spiced marinated tofu, rolling and wrapping the wraps tightly so that nothing dropped out. I always leave one end open for easier eating… an one-open-end wrap rather than a burrito! Richard had Hart to Hart ready to go on our TV, with an episode called ‘Harts and Hounds’… we watched and we ate, and the quick fajitas went down a treat, with Richard saying “I needed that” after he’d eaten them. After lunch Richard watched Vivi’s latest upload, the one where she's unpacked most of her boxes following her move, and I listened in whilst typing up my blog. We’ll be sorting some time soon to go down and see Vivi and her new pad, or her Cottage by the Sea as it now is. For our meal I wanted to adapt an old Puglia recipe for one pot pasta, and Richard suggested I do as he did and record it as a throw together… well, it didn’t happen as I got in such a state with camera angles, our little tripod falling over, not finding a setting on my phone that Richard suggested I use… so I just got on and made it - much less stressful that way. Maybe the camera will come out next time!
Puglia Inspired One Pot Spaghetti
There are many one pot pasta recipes doing the rounds, many a copy of the Martha Stewart one from ten years ago, which itself was inspired by a dish from Puglia. I’ve been inspired to experiment with a winter Puglia recipe that uses bottled tomatoes and tomato puree, and I’ve swapped out the bottled tomatoes for a tin. Ingredients 2 tbsp Olive oil 1 Large onion, Sliced 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped 2 tbsp Tomato puree 400g Tinned tomatoes 1 tsp Mediterranean Herbs 2 tsp Marigold bouillon powder, or stock cube 850ml Water 300 g Spaghetti 75g Cream Cheese (optional) Salt & Freshly ground black pepper Method Grab a large saute pan that’s big enough to fit the spaghetti laid flat on the bottom, and preferably at least four inches deep as this can splosh! If you’ve put the spaghetti into the pan, take it out as it doesn’t go in yet! Heat the olive oil in the pan and add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the tomato puree and cook through for two minutes, stirring regularly. Now add the tinned tomatoes and herbs - I used a serrated knife in the can to chop them up a bit, though you can break them up in the pan with your spoon, or use tinned chopped tomatoes. Now sprinkle in the bouillon powder (or crumble in the stock cube). If you have your own vegetable stock do use it instead of the water and bouillon/stock cube, and add salt to taste (to compensate for the salt that would be in the bouillon/stock cube). Stir all together, and then add the spaghetti gently into the pan and bring it all to a gentle simmer. Using your spoon, nudge the spaghetti to ensure it does not clump. After a minute or two it will start softening and from this point regularly nudge and stir the spaghetti around the pan. As the spaghetti cooks it gets easier to move it around, though do be careful as it can splosh! After six minutes the spaghetti should be cooked al dente - take a strand out with a fork and check it for bite. If it needs a little further cooking, do so though keep an eye on it. If using the cream cheese, just before serving stir this through off the heat. Make sure you have warm serving plates (4 if with a side salad, two if you’re hungry!), portion out and top with a twist of black pepper. If you wish and you’ve not used the cream cheese add a grating of parmesan cheese or other hard cheese. When I made this tonight I used three tablespoons of tomato puree, though I found that too much so cut it back to two. I also used cream cheese though I’ll do it again without, as I do like a sprinkling of cheese on top. If you wanted to add a chopped carrot and a couple of diced celery stalks when you add your onions that would work I’m sure, and I think I will have a go doing this next time, and another time with mushrooms too. Just a note - when you cook pasta in water, drain and add a sauce you are removing a good bit of starch from the final dish, which does not happen with this type of one pot pasta dish. Weather: Bright start, though late morning it became overcast and felt much cooler for the rest of the day. Breakfast: Lidl Rye Bread as toast, Flora Pro-Activ Buttery spread, yeast extract and peanut butter Lunch: Quorn marinated tofu with homemade fajita mix, wraps, yogurt, lettuce, very thinly sliced cheese, and coleslaw Supper: One Pot Tomato Pasta (inspired by an old recipe from Puglia)
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 I was up early and made tea and checked on the edit of A Week at the Plot so far, and in doing this I know what running time I’m currently up to.
Richard and I were both up and at it pretty swiftly this morning, which did for an early filming of Sunday Chat, followed by the recording of a podcast for Ko-fi members for which we'd asked subscribers for questions in advance. After lunch, I was at the plot. I’m really enjoying my time at the plot this growing season... despite this week being mainly weeding jobs of one type or another, mainly bindweed and couch grass. I really feel just where I need to be in terms of preparation and what’s been sown and is germinating. I was delighted to see further tomatoes had germinated, and all else is doing fine. I’ve also been offered some Verbena Bonariensis that's self-seeded on a fellow plotter’s plot, and a marjoram, so I’ll get those tomorrow. Very late in the afternoon I made my way home, to get in and make supper before some TV… and bed with my book! Weather: Moving between overcast and sunny, and feeling cool in the house though lovely outside in the sunshine. However, the clouds rolled in about 5pm and it felt chiller at the plot. Breakfast: Bran sticks, yogurt, sultanas and a banana Lunch: Lidl No-Steak Bake and baked beans Supper: Linda McCartney Mozzarella Burger, bough bun, homemade chips and coleslaw I had a cuppa in bed as Richard was up first, though both he and I were at our desks by 7am, him editing and me catching up on this blog - the past few days have been seemingly full-on, certainly headspace wise, so I need to catch up on writing this blog!
A few hours at the plot in the morning was in breezy yet blissful sunshine, two T-shirts all that was needed up top. Quite a bit of catching up with fellow plotters, including one who’s just moved over from the Community Gardens to a paddock plot. He’s an excellent mower so I will see if we can get him on the Mowers list… Happy Days!! The afternoon became overcast, so mainly at home doing stuff, then Richard's Live, a quick supper, some TV then off to bed. I am loving my current book, Louise Penny's The Beautiful Mystery, a further book in the Inspector Gamache series, though not set in Three Pines. Weather: No frost. Sunny morning, then overcast though generally still a bright sky, and feeling warmer for sure. Breakfast: Crumpets, Flora Pro-Active Buttery spread, yeast extract and peanut butter Lunch: Vegetable Soup (tinned) and leftover rice, pitta and a little cheese. Supper: Pasta with Broad Beans, Pesto and a little cream cheese  17 April 2025 (Thursday)
Awoke first and got up, spying a light frost on the roof of our extension… and the poly was open last night, though I think all will be fine! Whilst Richard got on with editing all the photos and footage he took yesterday, I got on with work work at my desk. With the long bank holiday weekend deliveries from our usual suppliers change, so we usually need to place an order earlier than usual. I know Suma has a skeleton staff on on Easter Monday, though why not make people’s lives easier if you can by doing things in a timely fashion… work TO deadlines rather than working RIGHT UP TO a deadline! I made cheezy bean wraps for lunch - they might not look much, but they taste rather good. The afternoon allowed me a couple of hours at the plot, mainly weeding, pulling bindweed to try and keep on top of it, sowing some Dill seed (which harks back to me wanting to make the Greek Lemon & Chickpea Soup that Giorgos has at his fabulous restaurant The Life Goddess in Store Street. Giogos rents Vanessa’s house where she used to live many years ago - it’s all on the same footprint as For Earth’s Sake and the Great Green Barn, so Greek treats are rarely far off! After a gifted beer had to be returned to The Fox and replaced as the original was duff (barrel needed a change), it was back home to make supper. Hopefully the coming long weekend will be uneventful, even if filled very much with filming and a podcast for our Ko-fi members. Recipe: Cheezy Beans Wraps Drain a can of butter beans very well keeping a tablespoon of the aquafaba* (or use your own cooked ones if you have them) and mash lightly in a bowl leaving some whole if you like, then stir in half an onion and three sticks of celery, both finely diced. Add one rounded teaspoon of Dijon mustard (a grain mustard would work well too), a rounded dessert spoon of miso paste, two rounded dessert spoons of mayonnaise and stir through, then add two level tablespoons of yeast flakes and mix in gently though thoroughly. If your mixture is a bit dry add either some more mayonnaise, plain yogurt or a tablepoon of the aquafaba* from the can of butter beans. I had some Lidl wraps so I took four, heated them in the microwave for 30 seconds (this makes them more pliable, though not essentially necessary), and on each added some lettuce, then spooned a quarter of the mixture over the lettuce and then some finely sliced white cabbage. I then rolled them up, tucking an end in as I rolled (for my rolling technique have a read of Chickpea & Celery Mayonnaise Sandwich Filling). Delish!!!! * Aquafaba is simply the liquid in the can with the beans that you drain off. Weather: There was a frost overnight, though the day was mainly sunny until turning overcast and cooler in the late afternoon. Definitely feeling generally warmer now. Breakfast: Bran sticks, yogurt, stewed rhubarb, sultanas Lunch: Cheezy Bean Wraps Supper: Egg Fried Rice  The alarm went off at 6.00am, and after a bit of yawning and rubbing of eyes I was up to start the day. It was to be a Vanessa day today, for both Richard and myself, and I was hoping that since it’s now Easter break for schools the roads would be a tad less crowded than usual… but no… As we arrived, Vanessa was coming out of Small Barn where she's living at the moment, holding the pans of her airfryer. Wanting to give us a hug, she accidentally dropped one of them and it transpired that this dented it - hopefully one of her craftsmen will be able to un-dent the dent, as one pan no longer fits into where it's supposed so that she can do her cooking. Currently being a one person band, Vanessa uses the air fryer quite a bit as it's obviously a very handy kitchen appliance for a single person. I think, having watched The Secret Genius of Modern Life (BBC2) and its episode on air fryers, it's something that we’ll look at for the future in our next home. By ‘our next home’ time I think things will have developed so they're more roomy inside while still being small. It was a rather gorgeous day at Vanessa, where both of us had expected it to be grey and overcast as it was when we left London. In the end it turned out to be rather sunny with gorgeous blue skies, The Simpsons' clouds and lots of blossoms looking fabulous.  The master photographer at work in the young FES heritage orchard. During the day I did the things that I needed to do in the shop, whilst Richard got on with taking photographs of the dell area of the gardens and also of the heritage orchard, though mainly focusing on the Great Green Barn. We've had a number of events there and photos have been taken at many, and of course we had the Sustainable Wedding photoshoot back in February, though we've had no decent photographs of a bare barn so it was important to get these done as it shows how versatile the space is. Also, interestingly, none of the photos taken so far show the actual footprint of the barn which is a bit of a T shape. It sort of lends itself perfectly to celebrant and wedding ceremonies with a main area between the great doors and a nave leading off from this.
It was a nine hour day at Vanessa, it often is, and I was wrong again about cars on the road - the journey home took LONGER than it usually does… Weather: A grey start to the day, and a little chilly despite it being about 6°. Light rain in the morning gave way to sun, blue skies and fluffy clouds. Breakfast: Bran sticks, yogurt, stewed rhubarb, sultanas Lunch: Greek Lemon & Chickpea Soup (recipe to come at some point!), and toast with mashed avocado and Isle of Wight tomatoes Supper: Crackers, cream cheese, carrot batons and cucumber
15 April 2025 (Tuesday) I popped to Lidl first thing, as I had a £5 voucher that I need to use within a week. Stupid me… I didn't activate it in my app so it wasn't used and I'll have to shop again later in the week, which was likely anyway. It was a desk work work morning, and with Easter at the end of the week there were various social posts to ensure were scheduled for For Earth's Sake and its Easter opening hours. Bank holidays also bring a change in the usual delivery pattern, so I spoke to Vanessa about that too. We had Richard's rather delicious Soya Burgers for lunch - tasty and rather burger like, firmer in texture and really flavourfilled. He did say he overdid the miso and yeast extract, though I still loved them! Late afternoon, I popped to the plot and was delighted to see quite a bit of germination, including a few of the red kuri squash. I gave all the seedlings a good water, whilst everything outside was getting one too as it was raining pretty heavily; and yes, I got rather wet as I hadn't expected any heavy rain in the hour or so I was to be at the plot. I hadn't intended to do a segment of A Week at the Plot today, though I ended up doing one about germination and the rain, though with a day at Vanessa tomorrow it will have to wait until Thursday before it hits Planet Vegetaria. Recipe: Richard's Soya Burgers 
Weather: Wet as it rained overnight. Day remained grey with periods of drizzle, clearing up mid-afternoon giving sunny spells and then really poured late afternoon! Breakfast: Bran sticks, yogurt, stewed rhubarb, sultanas Lunch: Richard’s Soya Burgers and tinned baked beans Supper: Hmmm… will have to think on what we had!  14 April 2025 (Monday)
We were both up by 6.30am, and I made a tea, had a few cups, did some work work at my desk then popped down to open fully the door of the poly - it’s that time of year where the nights can be cold, though we really need the warmth of the sun and the sunshine in the poly during the day. A desk morning with work work, and then in the late afternoon I popped to the plot… and the mood took me and I filmed for A Week at the Plot - weeding bindweed out of well trodden paths! At home I was inspired to use up a vegetable I had in the fridge, hence… Broccoli, Pea & Tomato Pasta I had a full head of broccoli and a separate stem to use, and inspired a bit by a Waste Not recipe by Tom Hunt in the Guardian, I decided to use it as a basis. Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped (I used a red onion) 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tbsp miso paste (or a block of vegetable bouillon, two tsp of bouillon powder, or one of salt) 2 tsp Mediterranean herbs 4 tbsp water 1 head of broccoli, florets cut in half if large and stem peeled and chopped 100g frozen green peas 6 cherry tomatoes, halved 75g cream cheese (optional. Though adds creaminess) 250g penne (I used fusilli, though would always prefer penne) A splash of liquid aminos or a squeeze of lemon juice Grated parmesan or other cheese - we often use cheddar Method Heat the oil in a saute/frying pan and add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the miso paste and herbs and combine all. Add the water and the chopped stem to the pan and gently steam for five minutes, then add the florets, peas and tomatoes, stir and put on a slow simmer for five minutes. In a saucepan cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water until al dente (I overcooked the fusilli - something I so rarely do though do find it goes over quicker than penne). When cooked, drain fully leaving a small cup of the cooking liquid for use if necessary. With the sauce mixture over a very low heat add the cream cheese and stir through, then add the pasta and stir until all is coated. If the mix looks a bit dry add some of the cooking liquid (a tablespoon at a time) and stir through until you are happy with the consistency. Take off the heat and serve in warmed bowls, splash over some liquid aminos or squeeze some lemon over, add a good twist of cracked black pepper, and if you like some grated cheese on top. I think next time I would add a few halved olives, about ten or so, as I think this would help lift the flavour. Weather: Sunny though also pretty overcast. About 16° again, though no rain. Breakfast: Bran sticks, yogurt, stewed rhubarb, sultanas Lunch: Microwave Omelette with cucumber and radish Supper: Broccoli, Pea & Tomato Pasta 13 April 2025 (Sunday)
Sunday - so usually a slightly quieter day and it starts with editing together A Week at the Plot at just after 5am… as I woke and just knew I’d not get back to sleep. So, downstairs for a cuppa and then up to the Richard & Paul desk and computer for a few hours… After breakfast, Richard wanted to do a new headshot, which I had not factored into my day though we got the job done. After lunch, and a little rain and a delivery I did not want to miss, I got to the plot to check on seeds and seedlings. With it being cold overnight, I shut the poly door to just ajar, with a metal bar keeping it in place so it does not blow open. Then home, and a new recipe! Tempeh & Broccoli Thai Green Curry I’d taken some tempeh out of the freezer a day or so ago, so needed and wanted to use it. With some broccoli in the fridge and also a jar of Lidl Thai Green Curry paste in the cupboard I thought I would give a new recipe a tryout. Now, Thai curries are always, in my humble opinion, more fragrant than Indian curries, and sometimes I feel they can taste a little soapy. Taste wise, this one worked well, and I would do it again, though I think my Go To curry remains more to the west of Indonesia. Richard however rather liked it. Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped (I used a red onion, as that's what we had) 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 180g tempeh, diced 3 tbsp green curry paste (I had a Lidl one in the cupboard) 1 tbs miso paste (or a block of vegetable bouillon, two tsps of bouillon powder, or one of salt) 400ml can coconut milk 1 tbs peanut butter (smooth or crunchy) 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce 1 head of broccoli, florets only and cut in half if large 100g frozen green peas 1 red pepper, sliced Method Heat the oil in a saute/frying pan and add the onion, garlic, ginger and diced tempeh and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently - we want the tempeh to start taking on some colour. Add the green curry paste, coconut milk, peanut butter and tamari and bring to a slow simmer, stirring to ensure the miso and peanut butter is well dispersed. Once simmering, add the broccoli florets, frozen peas, and red pepper. Bring back up to heat and cook on a slow simmer for 6 minutes. Serve over cooked rice, wholegrain if possible. Weather: Cloudier and cooler, with a high of only about 16°. Overcast much of the day, with a spell where it got really dark and we had a downpour, for a few minutes only… Breakfast: Bran sticks, yogurt, banana, sultanas Lunch: Softened lentils with a tin of Carrot & Parsnip soup added, pitta, leftover coleslaw and thinly sliced cheese Supper: Tempeh & Broccoli Green Curry over wholegrain rice 12 April 2025 (Saturday)
I was up before Richard, though he shortly followed so no cuppa in bed for Richard, though he no longer likes a cuppa in bed as his mind starts wandering, often to places he’d rather it didn’t. Of course, Saturday’s Sunday Chat recording day, and after a crumpet breakfast and some work work at my desk, and Richard having uploaded a load of photos to our new Ko-fi Shop, we recorded… just past midday, so effectively the afternoon rather than the morning. At the plot in the afternoon for the final segment of A Week at the Plot, and then Linda McCartney burgers for supper… and an episode of Bosch Legacy (Prime)… and answering comments on Thursday's blog. Recipe: Chickpea & Celery Mayonnaise (Sandwich Filling) This is often called Chickpea Tuna Mayonnaise for some reason, and I see no sense in that other than enticing people to eat less fish, which I guess is a good thing. We don’t eat fish nowadays, other than a portion of fish and chips at the seaside. We are slowly moving our way vegan, though whether we ever give up on cheese is something only time will tell. This is a great filling for sandwiches, popped on buttered toast, in a toasted sandwich and as here, in wraps. It would also be good as the main element of a light supper, simply placed on a plate with lots of lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, radish etc. Really well drain a 425g can of chickpeas, and set aside to continue draining. Finely chop half a red onion and two or three sticks of celery and add to a bowl. Add a rounded teaspoon of miso paste (or half a teaspoon of bouillon powder), a teaspoon of Dijon mustard (I think a mild mustard is best), pop on top the well drained chickpeas, and mash all with a fork - leave some chickpeas whole for texture if you wish. After the mashing mix all the four ingredients well together, then add in the celery and stir. Add a level tablespoon of yeast flakes, a teaspoon of cider vinegar, and mix both in. Now add two gently rounded tablespoons of mayonnaise (use vegan if you wish) and mix all thoroughly. I then set this aside in the fridge for a few hours though it can be used straight away. I sliced half a red pepper into thin lengthwise slices, and set aside. I heated four Lidl wraps (the brown ones, Half and Half I think they’re called by the big brand names) for 30 seconds in a microwave to soften, though if you don’t have a microwave don’t worry about this step - it just makes the wraps a little more flexible and therefore easier to handle. I then put a quarter of the mix onto half of the wrap (looking down on it, the bottom half), though leaving the right hand 2 inches clear of any mixture. Then I laid a quarter of the sliced red pepper over the top of the mixture, and folding in the right hand edge I rolled from the side of the wrap closest to me upwards, gently but firmly. Grab another wrap and do the same process until all four wraps, the mixture and the red peppers are used up. Delicious! You can vary the ingredients here, though I would always use the chickpeas, red onion, celery (unless you’re allergic) and mayonnaise as the base. Spice up with some curry powder or paste if you wish, or add grated carrot rather than the celery. Weather: Sunny start, though definitely cooler than yesterday by a few degrees. Mid-afternoon the sky became overcast and it got rather hazy. Breakfast: Crumpets, Flora Pro-activ Butter Spread & Yeast extract Lunch: Wraps with Chickpea & Celery Mayonnaise with sliced red pepper Supper: Linda McCartney Mozzarella Burgers, buns and homemade white cabbage coleslaw Richard was up before 6am, and brought me a cuppa… so I checked my emails in bed and answered the ones I could easily manage without being at my desk.
It turned out to be more of a desk work work morning than planned, and I only got to the plot to open the poly and check on whether recently sown seeds needed watering late morning, after 11am for sure. I had an hour or so at my desk this afternoon for work work, and had then planned to sow some different parsley seeds at the plot - newer seeds as the last said to sow by 2019!! I must get rid of really old, old seeds! Anyway, instead of seed sowing a bath was needed, and had. After Richard's Live, we’re out for a quick supper, so no need to think about what to eat… and a bottle of white wine is already in the fridge and well chilled. Recipe: Pasta a la Martha Stewart Weather: Sunny from the start, and definitely still very dry with no rain. Hottest day of the year so far, hitting 24° apparently. Breakfast: Bran sticks, yogurt, banana, sultanas Lunch: Egg Mayonnaise, crackers, radish and cucumber Supper: Pasta a la Martha Stewart (apparently, though seen it done for so many years by others too and I believe originally a Puglian staple) - all cooked in the same pan. |
Paul SavidentFollowing on from A Guernsey Gardener in London, I've decided to try and write a regular blog, and we'll see how it AND 2025 go! Archives
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