Tuesday 1 September 2015

in my kitchen :: thrifty finds, comfort food and repurposing an old pine wardrobe





Did you know that potatoes are related to tomatoes? I didn't. I suppose the clue should have been in the name...the 'toes' bit. After our potatoes flowered we noticed two little green fruits that looked just like tomatoes growing on one of the plants...curious. A quick google query 'fruits that look like tomatoes on a potato plant,' revealed that they are the poisonous fruit of the potato plant that carry seeds. Apparently they only produce this fruit when growing conditions are perfect and if you sow the seeds they'll  produce a variety different from the one that you planted and it might be difficult for them to germinate. I think that I'll stick to planting potatoes when they start shooting out little roots in the vegetable basket the same as we do with the onions. 

In case you wondered...also in the kitchen:
  • Quick summer crumbles. Lots more, including peach, egg plum and cherry. I think apricot is still the favourite. I have to stop now before I get crumbled out...
  • Bay leaves from the garden to stock up kitchen herb supplies. 
  • Vintage shopping...I can't resist white pillow cases. Especially if there's a lace border or even a peep of broderie anglaise to be seen. And a cute little stoneware pie funnel. It will hopefully encourage me to move on from crumbles to pies.
  • The teeniest, weeniest frog spotted jumping on the kitchen floor. It must have hopped in when the door was opened. I began to think we had a mini plague after we rescued two on subsequent evenings. Now I think it was the same one that just liked our kitchen so much that it popped back in again...
  • A solid old pine wardrobe that was a real bargain from a charity shop. I have been scouring the auctions for months since I left a bid on a larder cupboard and lost it for just £2 above my bid. Had I been there I would have gone much higher and still had an amazing bargain. But this one is still very cheap even though more than twice as much as the one in the auction sold for and the money will go to a good cause. With the clothes-rail removed and shelves added it makes the perfect pantry. Hey presto from wardrobe to larder cupboard in an hour. We're not quite sure whether to paint it to blend in with the rest of the kitchen. What do you think?
  • Seeds collected from the garden ready for next year. My mission is to avoid buying as many seeds as possible. (Do you like my classification? 'green spiky')
  • Comfort food...more risotto. Another green one, this time with spinach and mange tout.
  • Haleem, Persian chicken porridge...more comfort.
  • Mini omelette made from lovely local free range eggs.
  • There's also been lots of sewing but I'll show you that later...

Haleem, Persian chicken porridge

To make enough for three to four people place a teacupful of oats into a saucepan or porringer and a good pinch or twist of sea salt. Poach a chicken breast in salted water until just tender but not dry. (I usually reserve the cooking liquid to make chicken stock.) When cool, shred the chicken with your finger or two forks using the same method used in Chinese restaurants to prepare duck with pancakes. Add this to the oats in the saucepan.  Gradually add  cold water into the oats and cook over a moderate heat, feeding the water in, in the same way that you would a risotto.  This is one of those dishes where you need to stand and stir...a bit of cooking therapy...After a little while you can add milk instead of water to give a much creamier texture. Cook until the oats are broken down into a smooth porridge.  

I like to eat it with the traditional spoonful of butter. It's also served with the addition of a little cinnamon and sugar or clotted cream stirred in but I prefer to keep it savoury.

That's just a bit of my kitchen chaos...I wonder what's going on in yours. 

Oh and about painting the pine cupboard. I really would appreciate your advise...what do you think? To paint or not to paint? 
debx

13 comments:

  1. I knew that potatoes and tomaoes were both part of the Nightshades family, but I had no idea that potatoes produced tiny tomato-like fruit...very interesting! Thanks for sharing that bit of information.
    Your pillowcases are beatiful!!! I can never pass of a vintage pillowcase either...my bed has a menagerie of white pillowcases that I have collected over the years. And what a sweet little pie funnel!
    Your cupboard is perfect for you kitchen..I love it! I too would have a hard time deciding whether or not to paint it...I would leave it for a bit, enjoy the lovely bare wood for awhile, and when you are ready for a fresh new change give it a coat of paint.

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    1. Hi Emily.
      We wondered what was happening with the potato plant when we spotted them. It's a good job that we didn't eat them before checking!
      Thank you. I can't resist vintage bedding especially when they are bargain finds like these ones. I have my own little menagerie too...
      We've been looking for a larder cupboard for ages but they are so expensive. I was really pleased that we found this wardrobe at last. It's very sturdy so should last forever. Thank you for your advice about painting it. Such a good idea.
      debx

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  2. I LOVE your home Debby and is it terrible of me to be envious of your sink? :)
    On the pine cupboard I vote no paint. I have spent many hours stripping furniture
    because years ago someone thought it was a good idea to put paint over gorgeous
    wood.

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    Replies
    1. Oh thank you Tracey. You may be even more envious when you find out that we didn't pay a penny for the sink! When Ahmad was teaching at a school in Oxford the kitchens were having a big makeover. All the lovely old sinks were discarded outside where they were getting broken. Such a waste. He rescued this one and a small one too. We kept them for ages in the garage at home thinking that we'd use them one day. At last this has a new home and is very useful and the little one has been fitted in the garden so we can wash plant pots and wellington boots. I'm so glad that we brought them along with us. I hope that you find one too.
      Thanks for the advice about the cupboard.
      Take care,
      debx

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  3. Hi Debby! Thanks for the recipe. Never thought to make oatmeal a savory meal, but it sounds like it would be a very hearty, stick-to-the-ribs sort of thing. I love eyelet lace also. So sweet. I wouldn't paint that cupboard either. The pine has the quintessential English cottage look to it. Love it!

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    1. Hi Jane. I love it now but have to say the first time I tried it I wasn't very impressed. I think that it had lots of sugar and cinnamon in it. It makes a great hearty breakfast that keeps you going for ages. Thank you for answering my question. It's good to have a second opinion.
      debx

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  4. I love your home too, really i do!! I might be asking a silly question but your sink on the left has a square opening on the side, what is it? what is it used for?? lovely photos and the porridge looks yummy!!

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    1. Oh thank you Karen. It's for draining water out if the sink gets too full. To stop it from over flowing. The opening is quite high so the sink would have to be really full for it to overflow. Useful for me though because I have been known to leave a tap running when I've been in a rush...Usually a bath tap that twice resulted in water dripping through the ceiling!I hope I don't do that again...I think I've learned my lesson now...
      Have a good week,
      debx

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  5. I think the sink that is going in to our addition is going to be similar....can't wait. Love the look!!! And DEFINITELY NO PAINT!!! My goodness. It's gorgeous just the way it is!!!
    Now, I'm off to make an end of the summer crumble! :) thanks

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    1. Oh I think that you'll love it Steph. It's really useful for washing fruit and vegetable. I still have to sort out the drainer though as I have a oak work surface. I'm torn between a wooden one and a ceramic one. Not sure which way to go.
      Thank you for your opinion on the cupboard. It's so reassuring to have good online friends to ask when I'm not sure.
      Enjoy your crumble.
      debx

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  6. No paint too, the pine looks too good to cover up. Love the cupboards in the second to last photo also. I have a similar sink but I find cleaning the overflow real tricky, have to use a bottle brush even that's a challenge. Have you found a better option?

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    1. Oh, hi there. Thank your for your advice. I took it on board.

      I'm sorry that I didn't reply sooner. I started to write, then got distracted by something else and never managed to get back. I know it's annoying about the overflow. I have the same problem. Water gets trapped. I've been told that the only real solution is to have it re-installed. I'm fortunate that we have a long hose on the kitchen tap so I try to flush it out regularly with the water on high pressure and use a brush to clean it. It's a pain.

      I'll let you know if I find a better solution.
      debx

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    2. Hi again. Your question inspired me to a bit more research. I've just bought an alternative to the bottle brush that might be more effective. Here's the link:
      http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kitchen-Craft-Overflow-Cleaning-Brush/dp/B002AT7QJ2

      I'll let you know how if it works.
      dx

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