fruit: bananas, Conference pears, kiwi, Gala apples, oranges
veg: spinach, mushrooms, purple sprouting broccoli, carrots, fennel, Ambo potatoes, onions

I feel the need for lots of winter warmers this week and Gluehwein alone will not cut it!  It’s lovely to see the purple sprouting broccoli: I was looking at it longingly in the market, though left it as I try not to get too much extra stuff until it comes through in our boxes.  All broccoli is delicious with pasta and a lemony hollandaise sauce, but with the purple stuff you can also forget the pasta and just dip steamed stems into the sauce as starter.  It’s a good, quick supper dish that has family wide appeal.

We had a chicken this week so I’ll use the stock for a good old French onion soup and will use the spinach and mushrooms in a puy lentil sauce for a veggie lasagne.

I’ve been planning to preserve some lemons so I can make my own tagines very easily; my Christmas task for this week as I’ll make a couple of extra jars as presents.  In the meantime it will have to be a good old stew with the carrots, fennel, potatoes, some stewing beef, a bottle of bishops’ finger… and I may even make some dumplings to go in it.