Eking out the food

I have got carrots, beetroot, rhubarb and sprouting broccoli all ready to harvest in my garden right now.

When I was out there picking some broccoli a few minutes ago, it suddenly occurred to me that the leaves are almost certainly perfectly edible too. Google has confirmed this, so I'm going to make use of those as well. ?
I was looking at recipes earlier, but a lot called for spinach - I wonder if i could substitute it with the broccoli leaves instead?

In the past I have always shopped in person as I like choosing what looks nice on the day but now have to self isolate for 12 weeks so signed up to do an online shop. Did it early last week but first delivery slot I can have is April 8th at 5.30-6.30am. My son brought me a selection of fruit with flowers for Mother's Day. I cooked a stew yesterday and will be having it again this evening to use it up. I always have a cupboard full of tins and freezer full of meat so not worried about food just getting fresh fruit and veg. Otherwise will be making do with frozen veg and tin fruit. In July I will have lots of raspberries in the garden. I will not be setting foot outside of house until told ok to do so. I just wish others would be as obedient. I too saw pictures of people swarming to NT gardens and am glad they are now closed. I am going to bake a Victoria Sandwich cake later, whilst I still have eggs.

Does anyone know how I can keep potatoes for longer? I keep them in a special bag in a cool place but they still start to sprout after a while. If I put them in sand, would that work [or would they start to grow? I've frozen things like bananas and lemons so I can make smoothies, and bought several packs of frozen meat and casserole vegetables. I've been trying to live in a 'no waste/no plastic' way for a while now and it's coming in handy. DD has organised a milkman for people in our local villages so we will be able to get milk, cheese eggs and yoghurt as long as the supply chain isn't affected.

If shopping, I would advise against the hour set aside by the supermarkets for the old, vulnerable and NHS staff. Sounds like a bad combination.

What is it with men? I can't get mine to take things seriously. We are self isolating and online shopping is useless. He says airily "We've got plenty of stuff." I say "Not for long, so don't waste anything."

Now is not a good time to store potatoes, it is planting time and the old ones are well past their best.

Is there any way I can get my last bag of Maris Pipers to keep longer, though? I read once that they shouldn't be kept in a fridge but they do seem to keep longer that way.

I've been adding a handful of porridge oats to mince since my kids were little and funds were very limited. You can't see or taste the difference and no-one has ever noticed, even after I told them years later what I was doing. I've also boiled up a chicken carcass for a stew later on today, and am
using up some bread in a bread and butter pudding. We were brought up to be frugal because we weren't well off when we were children, and my sister's and I are very glad of the training.

Labaik you could store your potatoes as mash in the freezer.

I made banana bread with some over ripe bananas and am just eating a small slice each day. And we're making a pot of tea with one tea bag and getting a cup of tea for later out of it. I'm even drinking black tea sometimes and it's ok'ish. On the plus side my clothes are no longer tight on me; must have lost at least half a stone purely by only eating when I'm actually hungry.

Good idea georgia. Thanks.

MamaCaz, I work on the principle that if it is fit to eat just use it. Taste perhaps a bit weird but who cares? If you cooked it and it was fit to eat it's not going to do you too much harm. Having been brought up after the war with rationing I am now very frugal with what I make to ensure minimum waste. I've cut down portions too to eke out as planning on staying away from shops for next fortnight.

I made a large pie today with a small amount of beef mince, added some rice, swede, carrot,onion, couple of wilted mushrooms, then topped with a layer of baked beans, before pastry topper, should do us about 3 or 4 dinners, will cook tonight them cut up rest for freezer.

HI Found a recipe for Trench cake from WW1 - sounds bad but was snet to men in trenches have made it before light-ish fruit cake with cocoa but no eggs..google recipe not complicated at all but delish!
Have been adding lentils, beans to dishes for years love the density of flavour.. quite looking forward to trying to ek out what we have....

Our local neighbourhood site reports the supermarkets are now getting back to normal and virtually fully stocked, bar loo roll and eggs. Praise be!

I used up some stale Sourdough by making it into "eggy bread" last night! We went supermarket shopping today, and I managed to get some Baked beans (no stock in the supermarkets for several weeks now). Sadly, no Cauliflower or green beans - two of our favourite veg - so bought broccoli instead. There were no eggs and very little that could be used for baking. Hubby has been cutting down on red meat (I don't eat meat at all) so our "stock" of meat is pretty much limited to a few chicken breasts and some sausages. There was no sign of any tinned meat, or indeed, tinned anything. I might have to resort to sharing the tuna we normally buy for the cats! Our local farm shop has closed down too, so no help there!

Dear GN contributors,

I have thoroughly enjoyed nearly all the threads and I think you're all remarkable, resourceful and inventive. It is good to 'associate' with positive people who are helpful, encouraging, and who like to share.

Stay well, stay healthy and continue to be positive
granmanat

Are a lot of people now making bread because of the CV19 crisis? DH makes all our bread, but we were surprised to find that there is no bread flour available locally - the supermarket shelves are bare! Like other GNs here, I was bought up on "frugality" after the war. (We always had enough to eat and there were treats like home-baked cake, but we were very conscious of a "make do" and "waste nothing" approach.) Nowadays our household rarely wastes a bit of food.

I was just thinking same granmanat trench Cakesounds good jang .we have had beef stew two days and then there was a bit left so I blitzed it and made soup need a change tomorrow .!!

Seefah. I love the sound of your sausages, and cannot wait to make some! Thanks.

I had soup for breakfast yesterday because I needed to make some more soup, so as not to waste any veg

@*CBBL*You've just reminded me of a recipe my Mum used to make during WW2. Based on using dried up bread.
Crumble up the bread and soak it in hot milk.
Add grated cheese, finely chopped onion, tinned tuna, tinned corn etc. And eggs if you can get them.
Put into a greased casserole dish and bake in a hot oven until risen and browned.
Serve with salad veg.
I still make this sometimes, but it's a bit heavy. I suppose it's a savoury variation of sweet bread pudding.

A change of plan for tonight's meal now, so that I can use the broccoli leaves: Homemade bean burgers (made last week then frozen) served with broccoli leaf, carrot and onion slaw.

What are eggs?
Milk?

I haven’t found there is any shortage of food. I haven’t done a big shop. Perhaps it’s as a vegan my stuff is always there. I quickly learnt to avoid the big supermarkets and never in the mornings some late pop ins to waitrose in the late afternoons after dog walk means I have got what I fancy for the day. Oatley milk freshly baked seeded sourdough and cranks whole meal frozen liver for the dogs dried pulses to soak overnight for me and the dogs, the days bargains, yesterday it was aubergine and halloumi stew with bulgar wheat. Nowhere near eking out yet. Though there is just one human... and loving food the larder and freezer was always full and still is...but I enjoyed the good read

I needed the sugar then and there, LynneH, but thanks for the tip for what’s left in the packet..