Bon Appetit Milly and boys.

Tonight, through total exhaustion due to work,  I am doing a Martle.  But not an Asda 

However, tomorrow an old fashioned shepherds pie here as it promises to be cold and (guess what?) wet (again)

That was most enjoyable!  It was smallest child's first eating out experience in a Chinese Restaurant.  We've had takeaways often but I've never taken him to eat in.  He loved it and battled manfully with his chopsticks.   

No harm in something quick and easy when you're tired MJ. Those Sacla jars can be quite useful, even if they're non-veggie I made a mung dal curry tonight, though I had to add mainly frozen veg to it since the fridge could only yield up a yellow pepper and a third of a courgette. Must go shopping tomorrow!

Pumpkin soup for 11.
I think that what I'll do is as follows:
1. Make stock (using celery, carrots, onion) - boil veg for 30 minutes and then strain.
2. Roast 4 (?) pumpkins (200˚c seems to do the trick) and garlic (prob a head, chopped in two)
3. Fry onions (probably something like 3 of them) in butter until they're nommy.
4. Scoop out pumpkin flesh and chop (if necessary). Chuck into the nommy onion mess and add add stock.
5. Whizz using blender.
6. Add chilli flakes to taste (the chilli should counteract the sweetness of the pumpkin to some extent).
7. Top with some toasted pumpkin seeds (you could also add bacon bits if you eat meat).
8. Serve (with crusty bread...)

That looks very authoritative, hh. I'll be writing it down!

Meanwhile...



...I can announce that, as I've just discovered,

WAITROSE



now have Shetland black potatoes in stock! Rush, rush, rush to get 'em. They also have a variety called Arran Victory which I don't think I've seen before (they're described as 'rare') - bright red skins and very 'floury', it says on the bag. Ron, have you seen them about up in your neck of the woods?

Oh um. Well let me try it first and then I can fine-tune it.
I don't know if the pumpkin will be enough on its own to give sufficient body to the soup without potato or suchlike.

I've not seen them yet, marty: but then I used to have to re-important them from the Caversham or Sandbach Waitroses on my trips north in the past, and their sole Scottish branch is down in Edinburgh, about a 150 mile round-trip. I'll call in and have a look at the farm shop up the road and see whether any of our locals have tried growing them this season, though.

Waitrose regularly have Arran Victory in season, they are very good with the range of Scottish potatoes they stock.

I am intrigued as to the size of hh's dining table to be able to seat 11 people