Note to self: must find time to buy some sprouts before Friday. Children (including me) will complain if there aren't sprouts with the Christmas dinner. But, plans for this week out needing revision as the children are here at the moment and I'd thought I'd be here alone. Yummy things, I'm not sure why they only regularly get served with Christmas dinner ... I should cook them more often.
Sprouts are nice if chiffonaded (sliced very thinly) and pan fried quickly. That is how I’ll be doing my sprouts. I will also put chestnuts and lardons through them.
Saw a Scottish Labour politician on the news this morning who really latex into Boris for his Brexit dealings. Nice to see the opposition doing their job.
Not when part of a meal but while preparing I can't resist munching on a few as they're crunchy and sweet. Boiled they're pleasant enough but much nicer raw and not bitter at all.
Last Christmas I helped my sister prepare the veg and ate one or two sprouts. Her granddaughter (aged 10) came in and I encouraged her to try raw sprout, her father rushed in and grabbed it from her, (almost) implying that I was trying to poison his daughter, while my sister and I protested that they're harmless and lovely.
I've never thought about raw sprouts, but since broccoli is good raw I shouldn't be surprised they're good raw. I'll add them into the mix of salad stuff to go with the cold left overs (should I manage to get to the store before Christmas, currently I'm waiting to see if I've been infected by you-know-what). Usually I just lightly steam them, so they're hot but still crunchy and tasty (boil them to a pulp and they lose flavour and texture and, well, yuck .... but I'd say the same for any vegetable).
I've never thought about raw sprouts either and as I'm not doing the cooking this year I don't have to think about them, raw or cooked. We used to keep small caged rodents as pets and they would eat raw curly kale with such gusto I thought it must be delicious and tried it.
I think the sprout supply is secure - most of the ones we eat this time of year are grown in Lincolnshire, I believe. The problem is that many other ingredients are not... chestnuts, for example. Our local greengrocer gets them from France.
I think the sprout supply is secure - most of the ones we eat this time of year are grown in Lincolnshire, I believe. The problem is that many other ingredients are not... chestnuts, for example. Our local greengrocer gets them from France.
Sprouts are excellent but tghey have to be fresh and not frozen. I like to buy them on the stick.
Some veg does OK frozen, sprouts are definitely in the group of veg that are definitely better fresh. So, I'm hoping there are enough people in Lincolnshire to bring the harvest in.
The idea of Lincolnshire being given entirely given over to the cultivation of Sovereign Sprouts™ (thanks @chrisstiles ) reminds me of P G Wodehouse's Sir Roderick Spode, and his fascist Blackshorts...
Meanwhile, Brexshit (rather like Dover) appears to be at a standstill. Perhaps another Fish Dinner In Memison Brussels is being planned?
The idea of Lincolnshire being given entirely given over to the cultivation of Sovereign Sprouts™ (thanks @chrisstiles ) reminds me of P G Wodehouse's Sir Roderick Spode, and his fascist Blackshorts...
It's typical of all those individual European nations exercising control over their borders. Didn't they get the memo that they'd surrendered that control when they joined the EU? Or was it only the right wing in the UK who thought that they'd have no control over borders?
Sprouts are nice if chiffonaded (sliced very thinly) and pan fried quickly. That is how I’ll be doing my sprouts. I will also put chestnuts and lardons through them.
Saw a Scottish Labour politician on the news this morning who really latex into Boris for his Brexit dealings. Nice to see the opposition doing their job.
Where did I get latex from? Damn auto correct. Laying was what I meant to say.
Stand up to the ERG and tell it to back down, Immediately ask for a grace period for the talks - an extension in all but name - and actually talk, instead of blustering and swaggering, bleating about sovereignty, and showing off. It should come to an agreement with the EU that isn't premised on ideological hostility, authoritarianism, isolationism and creating a deregulated state on the EU's doorstep.
Immediately prioritise freight drivers for Covid tests and set up testing stations at ports so that drivers with a clean bill of health can travel, accelerate vaccinations for those who actually keep our country supplied with food, amd meanwhile negotiate with France and Holland sensibly for unaccompanied freight to be the norm for the foreseeable future. Oh, and use appropriate experts to organise all this, not its little chums from Eton.
Will it?
God knows. I would. Any sensible person would. But this government has no sense, other than that of its own entitlement.
Sprouts are improved by bacon (we've got beechwood smoked pancetta this year) and chestnuts, but they are a fine vegetable, wickedly and groundlessly villified.
Continuing the sprout tangent, last Christmas we went to a quiz evening with some friends (oh, how reckless that seems now!) and won the Grand Prize: a whole stalk of sprouts, freshly harvested from our friends' allotment that morning.
(We like sprouts. I just don't cook them very often, because I hate preparing them.)
A stalk doesn't take much preparation. Break off the stalk, give them a wash and put in a steamer for 10 minutes. Serve. It's basically the last bit of the Christmas dinner to put on (well, maybe the mince pies go in the oven after that).
A stalk doesn't take much preparation. Break off the stalk, give them a wash and put in a steamer for 10 minutes. Serve. It's basically the last bit of the Christmas dinner to put on (well, maybe the mince pies go in the oven after that).
Today we had our shopping delivery. The prepared sprouts, OK for 24/12 ???? were already going a bit discoloured so I have had to trim them again and cook them today. Fortunately my daughter has bought 2 sprout sticks today which she will deliver to our shed in the next few days
I always cut a cross in the stem of each individual sprout to let the devil out.
Meanwhile, according to today's Times, the British side in Brussels has shifted ground significantly over fishing rights - perhaps they are hoping to get back to the UK in time for Christmas. Let's hope it's true, and won't be countermanded by a FuehrerDirektiv from the Downing Street Bunker.
I met my Young Man at a do it yourself Christmas dinner, where we were volunteered to prepare the sprouts. We got talking, and by the end of the day we were an Item - so I have very happy memories of preparing sprouts!
Well, quite - but, after all, a hard No-Deal is what the Bunker and its inmates most desire, isn't it? Looks like it, anyway.
There's also the view that Boris has calculated for a very last minute deal, can't remember why now. Maybe he has to mollify the loopy loos, so can say we drove a hard bargain and we have the French on the ropes.
Meanwhile, the caption to a BBC video of the 1500+ lorries stuck on the M20 or in makeshift Farage-Garages must have been written by a Brexidiot:
Lorries stuck in Kent as France remains closed
Now, I rather thought that it's England that's closed - to just about everyone, pest-ridden pariahs that we are...
Looks like shoddy wording to me - it should be "as French border remains closed."
Also my increasing understanding is saying that everywhere has the new mutant pestilence, it's just that we know we have it and everyone else is Blissfully Ignorant. Or something.
Wasn't there a headline some years ago in one of the more right wing rags, to the effect of: "Fog in channel: continent cut off"? About sums up the self-centred vierwpoint of the Brexiteers.
I don't generally step into such topics but I am so struck by the Sikh community delivering food (see the Khalsa Aid twitter feed) to stranded lorry drivers in Kent. Where is the Church here? Why are we never the ones to step up and take care of basic needs like bringing hot meals to cold hungry truckers as we er, approach a major feast celebrating a baby born to bring Good News to all humanity?
I know there are many Christians out there who are taking care of people day in, day out. It's been a hard year for many clergy and laypeople alike. But the public are not slow to pick up on the difference between how the Sikh community act and how we act (and Khalsa Aid already being stretched due to Punjabi farmers protesting against the Modi government's treatment of them). I'm not anywhere near Kent, but if I was I would be bloody furious at my church not doing more.
I agree that the church ought to do more, but I think it's fair to say that supplying food in this way is very much one of the key ways Sikh's serve their communities.
I’m not saying churches couldn’t do more, but every Gurdwara, AIUI, has a large scale kitchen or Langar for the regular provision of food for all comers. These will have all the statutory checks in place around hygiene etc. This is much less common in churches. And sometimes where churches do provide food on a regular large scale basis it is because they are already responding to a continuing situation of need in their area.
Our local churches are heavily involved in the foodbank (and other things that I will not bore you with). Nobody seems interested in plastering footage of that all over national media. Doesn't mean it's less important; those lorry drivers may be uncomfortable (and they have my sympathy, even the ones that voted for Brexit) but they are not actually in danger of starving to death.
Comments
I'm willing to sacrifice my share of sprouts to ensure that someone else doesn't miss out.
*strikes noble pose*
*stares into the middle distance*
People keep saying this, but if the fish were moving around so much then British waters wouldn’t be so consistently productive.
Brexit?
‘Deadline’ doesn’t seem to be a thing any more. They just come and go ...
(with due acknowledgements to Douglas Adams)
Saw a Scottish Labour politician on the news this morning who really latex into Boris for his Brexit dealings. Nice to see the opposition doing their job.
Not when part of a meal but while preparing I can't resist munching on a few as they're crunchy and sweet. Boiled they're pleasant enough but much nicer raw and not bitter at all.
Last Christmas I helped my sister prepare the veg and ate one or two sprouts. Her granddaughter (aged 10) came in and I encouraged her to try raw sprout, her father rushed in and grabbed it from her, (almost) implying that I was trying to poison his daughter, while my sister and I protested that they're harmless and lovely.
Enjoy them while you can...
To be replaced by Sovereign Sprouts.
Let's just say it's best left to the rodents.
Sprouts are excellent but tghey have to be fresh and not frozen. I like to buy them on the stick.
Meanwhile, Brexshit (rather like Dover) appears to be at a standstill. Perhaps another Fish Dinner In Memison Brussels is being planned?
This kind of thing ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShRf1svMcuA
If you are really interested you can keep an eye on the length of 'Operation Stack' via the traffic facility on google maps.
As to watching Operation Stack...I've watched the drying of more interesting paint...
Where did I get latex from? Damn auto correct. Laying was what I meant to say.
That used to be my signature on the old ship!
Sprouts are lovely fried with bacon.
(Loving the sprout tangent!)
The said sprouts can then be taken away for you to do with them what you will (shades of the unfortunate Oysters in The Walrus and The Carpenter).
(We like sprouts. I just don't cook them very often, because I hate preparing them.)
Fish, like viruses, have not been taught to read maps.
Meanwhile, according to today's Times, the British side in Brussels has shifted ground significantly over fishing rights - perhaps they are hoping to get back to the UK in time for Christmas. Let's hope it's true, and won't be countermanded by a FuehrerDirektiv from the Downing Street Bunker.
There's also the view that Boris has calculated for a very last minute deal, can't remember why now. Maybe he has to mollify the loopy loos, so can say we drove a hard bargain and we have the French on the ropes.
Meanwhile, the caption to a BBC video of the 1500+ lorries stuck on the M20 or in makeshift Farage-Garages must have been written by a Brexidiot:
Lorries stuck in Kent as France remains closed
Now, I rather thought that it's England that's closed - to just about everyone, pest-ridden pariahs that we are...
Also my increasing understanding is saying that everywhere has the new mutant pestilence, it's just that we know we have it and everyone else is Blissfully Ignorant. Or something.
Is Outrage (or Boris Johnson...)!
I know there are many Christians out there who are taking care of people day in, day out. It's been a hard year for many clergy and laypeople alike. But the public are not slow to pick up on the difference between how the Sikh community act and how we act (and Khalsa Aid already being stretched due to Punjabi farmers protesting against the Modi government's treatment of them). I'm not anywhere near Kent, but if I was I would be bloody furious at my church not doing more.