idun Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 With so much talk of cutting things out, I've made a dinner that shows no sign of deprivation at all. Lamb in red wine, mash, choux de savoie, carrots and parsnips, all with a rich red sauce. And treacle sponge and custard to finish. No starter, doubt we could manage one and no cheese either. I suppose if I was cutting down, I 'd have the lamb and a little sauce and the veg but no patates and ofcourse no pud. As it is I'm going to be very happy with tonight's meal and maybe a little glass of wine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suej Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 Miam Miam! Sounds bliss from this side of our low-fat, Sugar-and-salt free diet..........Well done that cook! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 If you were cutting down there would be no lamb.It's an absurd price in this area where there is almost no agriculture other than vines and some market gardening.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
confused of chalus Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 No better here- and I can see a field of sheep from the house! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted November 27, 2011 Author Share Posted November 27, 2011 When we first got to France there was no NZ lamb, and then amazingly, and I'm not saying that there is any coincidence at all, there was the Rainbow Warrior and suddenly there it was in the freezers. I didn't like our local lamb in France, it was too gamey, and I prefered NZ. This was british lamb today, and even NZ isn't so cheap anymore.Why shouldn't I eat lamb then, if I was cutting back? I thought it was a cholesterol thing and my cholesterol is 4 so I'm not worried about that and I love lamb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 Sorry I mis-read cutting things out as meaning cutting back on the budget. Silly me. [:$] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted November 27, 2011 Author Share Posted November 27, 2011 Tell me about it, I'd have lamb regularly, but cannot. Same with some fish, has to be treats these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Last weekend we had pork belly...done in the oven sitting on a bed of cubed parsnip, butternut squash, swede, sweet potato and carrot. The bottom of the pork belly I spread with wholegrain mustard, then added just enough water to half-cover the veg. Once the meat and veg were cooked I mashed the root veg without draining off the smallish amount of remaining juice and served with green beans and baby potatoes.The meat, which comfortably served 3 of us, cost just under £2..I think I can do recession cooking.[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suej Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 We too used to buy NZ lamb out here because we preferred the flavour- it used to cost about 8 euros a leg. I looked at some on Saturday in Super U: 27 euros!Suffice to say yesterday we had Day 1 of our 3-4 day chicken dishes.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 [quote user="You can call me Betty"]Last weekend we had pork belly...done in the oven sitting on a bed of cubed parsnip, butternut squash, swede, sweet potato and carrot. The bottom of the pork belly I spread with wholegrain mustard, then added just enough water to half-cover the veg. Once the meat and veg were cooked I mashed the root veg without draining off the smallish amount of remaining juice and served with green beans and baby potatoes.The meat, which comfortably served 3 of us, cost just under £2..I think I can do recession cooking.[:)][/quote]You try doing it for that price in France, sweet potatoes are €3.80 minimum per kilo and I have to travel 35 miles in the hope of finding some, usually one time in 3 I will succeed, even veg thought only suitable for cattle (maybe swede is included in that) are a silly price, topinambur at €1.95 per kilo [:-))]I confess to never having seen a butternut squashe here despite going to the city fruit and veg market several times a month, I bet it would cost £2 alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Considerably more than €2. I bought one once. It cost an arm and a leg. I only bought it because I was entertaining vegetarians.But I thought everyone grew their own in France? [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted November 28, 2011 Author Share Posted November 28, 2011 LOL I bought sweet potatoes for the kids at the ecole maternelle to try. Handed the bag to the teacher, explained what they were, gave cooking instructions and she took them home and fed her family. Twas the last time I took anything into school to try.So what do the picardiens, picardais [8-)]?? eat then? I usually put food on the table quite cheaply, but I do like treats sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 I will give you a clue, in a town serving a community of more than 200000 there are no longer any restaurants, just friteries and a kebab shop, the only culture that will drag people out is une soirée pâtate et pinard [:(], and that is from the horses mouth from one of the dynamic few who try to put on cultural events and get the community together.Re growing your own, well the only thing that grows on my concrete and block paving are weeds, people do take pity on me and give me veggies occasionally when they have a surplus, the topinambur was a surprise, they had grown them for the flowers but they had spread like wildfire, a whole tray of them came from only one pied, they are only considered as edible by bêtes or L'anglais but i really like the taste of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frecossais Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Out at friends' house at the weekend, we had Tartiflette for the first time. Only meat was lardons, but it tasted delicious and was very filling. I don't think that can have been very expensive, but I'd certainly recommend it. got the recipe to try out when I'm back in England.Chancer, I read in our local paper that topinambur was the new veg of the moment even in France. You are a trendsetter it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted November 28, 2011 Author Share Posted November 28, 2011 Topinabour was served in the good restos around us a few years ago. I love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Yes, it has come right back into fashion again, after being dropped post war as people had been forced to eat rather a lot of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 [quote user="Frecossais"]Out at friends' house at the weekend, we had Tartiflette for the first time. Only meat was lardons, but it tasted delicious and was very filling. I don't think that can have been very expensive, but I'd certainly recommend it. got the recipe to try out when I'm back in England.Chancer, I read in our local paper that topinambur was the new veg of the moment even in France. You are a trendsetter it seems.[/quote]Take back the real Reblochon cheese to put in it.You know it was one of those apparently traditional dishes which were actually dreamed up by a promotional team (In this case marketing for this cheese)Delicious though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Reblochon is not exactly cheap. About 8 euros for the usual size about 6 inch diameter, I suppose.In the interests of economy, I use the Reblochon-type cheese from Lidl. Under 4 euros.Once cooked in a tartiflette, the taste is excellent and, unless you are some sort of tartiflette connoiseur(se), you wouldn't know the difference. At least I don't know the difference![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pommier Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Ah - Jerusalem artichoke! (had to look it up). I don't eat any nasty green things, although I do eat salad.We had shoulder of lamb on Sunday. It was Irish and the cheapest I've seen for ages at €5,95 per kilo from SuperU. Two shepherd's pies are now in the freezer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 They're not green, Pommier; they're a root veg - like knobbly potatoes!I saw them for sale in HyperU on my last visit to the Vendee. Used to love them, when I grew them on our London allotment.Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 They are delicious. Come to dinner Madame Loiseau and they shall be on the menu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 This is beginning to sound like a very cosy little Vendee gathering! Are you inviting Pommier too?I have a yummy recipe for them, simmered with tomatoes, onions and parsley.Actually I am not sure that topinambours are fit to be eaten in polite company. My stepsons used to call them "f*rtichokes".Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 They are indeed that!It would take something very potent to up my methane production which was already at a critical level due to all the fruit, cabbage etc but the fartichokes have taken me to new heights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted November 28, 2011 Author Share Posted November 28, 2011 So have you enjoyed the artichokes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Hate to say it but lamb and mutton are the worst of all meats for anyone with cholesterol or diabetes problems because of the high fat content. Its a no-no in that case. Wish it was cheap like it was when we were children,we used to have it midweek and for roast on sundays back then. Now its perhaps once per year if the lamb steaks are on special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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