There are times when I feel like cooking with ingredients straight from the earth, nothing more, and nothing less.
My attempts at growing vegetables have been thwarted by pesky monkeys. Sad that I'm calling them by that name, as it's none of their doing that their territory has been getting smaller over the past couple of years. Property developers keep on cutting down bush to make way for housing developments.
Naturally, the monkeys come and raid the gardens, and sometimes sneak into the house. Fortunately, they usually come early morning and late afternoon, plus we took precautions by installing mesh on some of the burglar-proofing.
Even though they are destructive when it comes to veggie gardens, they make us laugh with their antics!
They often eat the leaves of my Jasmine, and the generous ones share whatever they've managed to scrounge!
Only time will tell what the fate of these monkeys will be, but, we're not here to talk about wildlife, the topic is food;)
Mom Lily often made what she called baby food - various vegetables that one could mash would go into a large pot, and coarsely mashed up. I used to make this for my sons when they were babies but used to strain it when they first started eating. When I was growing up, Mom had a vegetable garden, as the suburbs still had plenty of land for wildlife, even small bucks would be spotted in some areas. Fences stopped the buck from getting in, otherwise, they would have a feast. We were the ones to raid the vegetable garden, young peas especially were my favourite, or young carrots pulled out of the soil and washed under the outdoor tap so that Mom could not see!
I am fortunate to have a fresh produce vendor who buys veggies and fruit straight from the market and delivers them to his customers. I used to buy from his father for many years, but then he took over the business. Every Friday he WhatsApps photos of what he has on his shelves, and I respond with my order. That's as close to fresh as I can get unless I go to a farmer's market, but there are none close to home. This is just one side of his van to give you an idea of how he operates.
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My staff went home this past weekend, so I was on my own and had a sudden craving for Mom's baby food, so that's what I will share with you today, plus a quick Chickpea curry.
This is not quite a recipe, but more of a method. One can use veggies like potatoes, butternut, pumpkin, baby squashes, carrots, spinach, peas, or even green beans. Any other soft-cooking vegetable will do as well.
Smashed 'Baby' Veg
As you see from my photo above, I used: * 1 large Potato, cut into large cubes * Butternut, cubed * 1 large Spring Onion, diced * 2 Carrots, sliced * Pattypan Squash, quartered * Baby Spinach, diced
Sautee Potatoes and Spring Onions in a little Olive Oil till the edges start to brown Add Carrots and sautee some more
Peel and cube Butternut and add to the pot, cover with water, and salt, and cook till almost soft
Beautiful fresh Butternut!
Cut Patty Pans into quarters, and add to pot, together with diced Baby Spinach
Drain liquid into a gravy jug, add plant butter to vegetables, and mash to desired consistency
Serve on its own or with any accompaniment of choice - this was yesterday's lunch.
It made a big batch and formed part of today's lunch menu - served with a spicy Chickpea Curry as protein.
Spicy Chickpea Curry
- Mustard seeds, Jeera seeds, Star Anise and Cinnamon bark
- Half Onion, diced
- 1 Tomato, diced
- Piece Ginger root, grated
- 1 can Chickpeas in brine
- Approx 1 teaspoon each of Turmeric and Cayenne Pepper (as an alternative to red Masala - excellent for gut health)
- 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 twig of Curry leaf
Fry seeds in hot oil till they start to pop Add onion and sautee Add Tomatoes, ginger, and spices, cover, and cook for a couple of minutes Add chickpeas, a few curry leaves and salt to taste Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes
I stored Sweet and Sour Pineapple sauce in a glass bottle and added a tablespoon to give the chickpea curry a slight tang
Was it good? 'Yes!' Was it easy making this? 'Yes!' Did it take a long while to make? 'No!'
Baby food will always be one of my all time favourite comfort foods!
BON APPETIT FRIENDS!
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