Monday 24 October 2016

All things Autumn











We had some frost on the field one morning last week so I guess it's officially Autumn in Cornwall.  Sunday roasts are on the menu most weeks now, no getting away with a bbq outside so the bearded one has hung up his pinny for another year.  I have been fiddling with the lentil bake that gets trotted out regularly to go with the roast for us veggies in the family and so far this is my favourite version of it.  If I don't write it down somewhere I will forget what I actually put in it and it went down so well I'm thinking of making it for our Xmas dinner.  Nothing fancy but something all of us like (which is a flipping miracle in our family)  It is gluten and oat free so I can eat it, no mushrooms which youngest hates and no nuts which both of them hate.  As usual my cooking involves throwing in whatever I find and not measuring anything so these are rough measurements.  Adjust them to your own tastes, excuse the terrible photo, everyone was too hungry to wait for me to faff around with the camera.




LENTIL AND SWEET POTATO BAKE

A couple of cups of red lentils (very approx, )
2 small red onions
1 large sweet potato
1 sweet pointed pepper
handful of spinach
1/2 tsp of thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
2 - 3 oz Grated cheese

Cook the lentils in your usual way, drain well and set aside
Cook the sweet potato in the microwave and scrape out when cooled and set aside
Saute chopped onions and pepper until soft,
Add herbs, salt and pepper stir well and simmer for a further minute
Put the lentils and sweet potato into the pan with the onion and mix well
Add chopped spinach and cook until wilted.
Mix in the cheese.

Grease a loaf tin and pour the mixture in, smooth the top and place into a medium oven until heated right though and the top has browned slightly.

I actually made it in the morning and put it in the fridge ready to put in the oven with the rest of the roast in the evening.  Things that can be made ahead make life a lot easier!






It has been absolutely chucking it down here today, the cows are huddled against the hedges seeking shelter while the deer seem oblivious.  We needed something warming for our evening meal, as usual despite having lots of lovely cookery books I went online and found this Moroccan Chickpea Stew from The first mess   We had cavolo nero in the veg box so that went in as well, it made a lovely warming stew that certainly hit the spot.





I am still working on my shawl, I think I must be the worlds slowest knitter and could do with wearing it this winter not next!  I am o.k. with the shawl itself but it has a frilly bit to add to it which is looking pretty daunting so I may be asking for help from the knitters out there some time soon.  It is a Debbie Bliss pattern knitted in Fine Donegal from this book.  My wool is actually more of a green/blue than the photo shows, it reminds me of the winter seas.

Work continues slowly on the house  and we are working outside at weekends (don't you just hate getting home from work in the dark!)  We are waiting for the power company to upgrade the poles to the house before we can put up the solar panels, we are also in the process of replacing the light fittings with more efficient energy saving ones.  On the day we moved in, as it got dark we realised that most of the lights were not working, it seems that as they blew they were not replaced, we could barely see a thing!







 I was delighted to see several goldfinches in the garden this morning, they were occasionally seen at our old house tempted by niger seeds, but were pecking away at the grass here.  I have also been watching the mother deer with her youngster who are often in the next field.  The baby isn't completely weaned yet and I managed to get a photo of it feeding when it was in one of the more distant fields.  Not a great photo but you can just make them out.



I hope you have all had a great weekend.

Chickpea xx






31 comments:

  1. Wonderful photo and your veggie dishes look and sound tasty and interesting.
    Mushrooms love mushrooms and nuts so very tasty !
    Have a wonderful week.

    cheers, parsnip

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  2. Your lentil and sweet potato bake looks sooo tempting. I've printed out the recipe to try so thanks so much for sharing :) I love the look of your shawl too, it's very pretty x

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    1. I hope it turns out o.k. for you, as I said I don't tend to weigh things. Thank you, can't wait to finish the shawl now so I can wear it.

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  3. Thanks for the recipe - it's already too warm to light the Rosie now, so I'm gong to try it in my solar oven 😉 Do you serve it with any kind of sauce?

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  4. Fab pictures. I am going to try that recipe (without the cheese). I am very low on vegetarian recipes, we constantly eat the same thing.

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  5. Beautiful pictures, wonderful to be able to see the deer. We often see them in the field at the back of our house but I never have the camera handy. You appear to be the same kind of cook as me. I don't weight anything out either.

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    1. My mum was the same, never weighed anything, all done by guesswork :)

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  6. Immature looking goldfinch there, doesn't have a white face yet!

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  7. Your lentil bake and tagine look delicious - just the thing for cold autumn days, I love the photo of the deer and I shall keep an eye out for the goldfinches, although we have to resort to nyger seeds to tempt them into the garden. Happy knitting. xx

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  8. I will give the bake a try, it looks yummy, and I love that shawl, the yarn is beautiful, whats the pattern name?

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    1. It's just called 'shawl with lace edging' not very imaginative :)

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  9. Lovely warming food just what you need at this time of year. The shawl looks lovely it will be ready in your time and no one else's. xx

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    1. One of the good things about autumn, back to stews and bakes :)

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  10. Hey Chickpea,
    I often cook three different versions of the same meal for my fussy tribe. I find it very frustrating. And expensive. I am envying where you live very much. Deer on your doorstep? You lucky girl. The Cornish murk has descended on St Ives, just in time for half term. There are lots of families wandering around looking hopeful and clutching buckets and beach bags. Poor things.
    Leanne xx

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    1. It drives me mad! By the times you leave out everything people don't like there's not much left. The bearded one hates onions! Onions! what can you cook without onions!!

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  11. Like the sound of your lentil bake!

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  12. The lentil bake looks delicious. The weather has certainly turned now and it's time for some winter warmers and comfort food. X

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    1. It has, will have to get out the woolies :)

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  13. we'll have to give that lentil bake a go, our 4yr old has told us he doesn't want to eat meat any more because he doesn't like hurting animals so recently we've been all out veggie to cater for him, must say that I don't miss the meat in most dishes either

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    1. My son decided at 7 that he didn't want to eat animals anymore, I had concerns myself about the meat industry so both my sons and I have been vegetarian ever since.

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  14. Hi there, I've just found you so will be subscribing as I love what I'm reading on your blog! Looking forward to following you :) Tracy

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  15. I have returned to this post , so that I can make this again ! yummy ! :)

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