It has started to become glaringly obvious to me that the contents of the large freezer in our garage might be in excess of our nutritional requirements over the next 4 or 5 months. Time, therefore, to get serious about basing all meals on something that has been stashed in the freezer.
The small truckload of greens for instance (nettles and spinach from last spring and summer) that was being added gradually to polenta and orzotto/rizotto, has come under scrutiny and hortopita has been order of the day twice in recent weeks.
I can't get 'village' phyllo here in UK so took a leaf out of the book of Angela and used the pastry available (in our case flakey pastry) - not the same texture at all but works ok as a pie.
The muffins in this case might have been rhubarb and something.
That's another stock of something for which the new season, fresh kind is nearly ready. Rhubarb, in the minds of most consumers of the stuff, needs sugar. With Mr B being diabetic now I have tried to avoid making desserts and puddings. However he doesn't seem to be taking his diagnosis seriously and is still eating rubbish and hiding the wrappers, so I have thrown my hands up in surrender and simply cook as I would always have done. I never did sweeten rhubarb. I read somewhere a few decades ago that you could cook it with banana (which works for me), or use sweet cicely - which is apparently a 'pre-sugar' approach to making rhubarb palatable. Mr B is so wedded to sugar that he doesn't find either option attractive but that doesn't seem to stop him helping himself to my rhubarb crumble when it comes out of the oven as the rolled oat and coconut 'crumble' does have a soupçon of sugar in it (I refuse to use chemically derived and highly processed sweeteners and stevia gives me banging headaches).
It is the 20 something kilos of chickpeas in the freezer that might stymie me. They are part of a group of foods that help in managing blood sugars, but you have to get the person in need of blood sugar management to eat them. I eat a lot of such things, along with lentils, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds etc, but 20+ kilos in 4 months might be a challenge too far I think. (They were purchased before I made the decision to throw in the towel here, build a house in the back of beyond and spend my retirement carving wooden spoons....)
You certainly have a challenge to meet. Hortopita sounds good - I like anything with feta:-)
ReplyDeleteI’m glad you used the flakey pastry. I use puff for pitas. And my family love it.
ReplyDeleteChickpeas can be used to make Pattie’s. Mush them up with your veggies and shallow fry. That might be an idea to use some up. Although twenty kilos is a lot of chickpeas
Hummus, chickpea (Indian) curries, Middle Eastern dishes with chickpeas, chickpeas to make bean burgers, chick peas with tamarind, chickpeas and spinach - and yes in fritters too. I bought a 25kg bag because it was about quarter of the price per kilo of smaller quantities and I do use a lot but hadn't planned on throwing in the towel here quite so soon at that stage. (I keep them in the freezer so they stay 'fresh' and don't get weevils.)
DeleteYes for ready made pastry. It's always good. But 20 kilos of chickpeas? That would make a ton of hummus. You'll have to put handfuls in every dish you make, except the rhubarb ones.
ReplyDeleteTry mashing them up and adding them to pies and stews. They'd make a great thickener
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteHumus, and lots of it. You'll get takers for that, I am sure. They are good mashed with sweet potato and made into patties (with whatever spicing/seasoning tickles the buds). Curry, of course. Blended in soups. I know you will find all sorts of ways to use them up! A shame stevia affects you that way - honey or maple syrup? YAM xx
Maybe you could convince your ‘workmates’ that chickpeas are the new avocados- they are the next yuppy ‘in food’. They’d be begging you to supply them with the wonder food. No need to wait until he greengrocer has them in stock - their supplier is righ5 there in building.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand if allowable would you transport them back to NZ?
There is very little in the way of foodstuffs that I would be allowed to transport back to NZ - I shall have to start my extensive herb and spice collection all over again too I expect.
DeleteI have many things that are ON MY MIND and most of them are issues I have no answers for. now i can be happy I don't have a freezer, or chickpeas, or any of the above veggies you mentioned. I am relieved there is something I do NOT have to fret over. I am not a butcher, a baker or a candlestick maker, and that means no baking and very little cooking other than one pot foods, or 2 if it is pasta. it is a real problem when said diabetic does not follow rules. Bob has refused the test, he has it but not been tested, and he eats whatever he wants to...
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the local food bank could help with the chickpea surplus? That's a lot, even to a devotee like me.
ReplyDeleteBonne idée, I might do that.
DeleteI thought I collected lots of stuff. No point having an half empty freezer. My pigs would like the chickpea surplus very much.
ReplyDeleteThat's an idea - perhaps I should get a pig. Neighbours would love that (especially the ones who hated our bees).
DeleteWhy not. Lots of meat and free fym for the garden with country smells all thrown in.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the middle of the exact same process! When planning the next meal, I need to go straight to the freezer first! As we're preparing to plant this year's garden next week, it's time to finish all of what's in the freezer from last year. For you it's chickpeas; for me it's okra and green peppers. I don't know if we'll ever finish them!
ReplyDelete