Sunday morning
Good morning all. Much nicer this morning with lovely sunshine and no real wind. Yesterday started badly but cheered up by lunchtime. I am pleased to report that the turnips worked out well and hidden in the melange of other vegetables no one really noticed. I am glad I am not the only one who is not too keen on turnips. My box next week will have kohlrabi and I would like to try it in cheese sauce as advised by Annabeth. It is quite handy that they send me an email with the contents of the next box so I can make some plans and I can also add things I think I might need. I have added strawberries and cream which I really need!!!
I then decided to watch trouping the colour which is quite a spectacle. The weather was kind to them so no fainting soldiers and the horses were well behaved. The queen did look very lonely in the carriage by herself we are so used to seeing her with Philip at her side. He will be 98 on Monday and it crossed my mind that if he makes it to 100 he will get a letter from his wife!!!!
Today Denzil is out on a long day so it will be just James and I for lunch but all three of us for supper I have a ham hock in the freezer so as I haven't soaked it I wondered if I put it in the instapot frozen and cooked it for a few minutes under pressure I could then change the water and continue cooking with some vegetables and hope it is not too salty. If it all goes to plan I would then have some nice stock to make a lentil soup with. I will let you know if I get away with this shortcut or if it is a disaster.
The garden is looking lovely now that it has had a substantial drink and it has saved me watering pots. I have three really sturdy tomato plants and I now will have to find some sort of support for them in their pots, fortunately, I grow tons of bamboo so I can always cut a few canes as I need them.
Well, that is the plan for the day lets hope I succeed with ham hock. Have a great day and enjoy the sunshine I think it is not destined to last.
I'm pretty sure your ham hock will not be too salty if you give it the treatment you have planned. I don't even soak it at all before boiling, but it sort of depends on how much water you are using.
ReplyDeleteAs for turnips, I find they go very well with duck or lamb. Roasted in duck fat in the oven, for example, or cooked in a navarin (lamb stew) with other vegetables, or just boiled and then sauteed in the duck or lamb juices if you have pan fried the meat. And they are of course an essential ingredient of a pot au feu or couscous. You could try adding a teaspoonful of sugar to the water if you are boiling them, it makes for a sweeter and thus milder taste. Yesterday we were having duck confit for lunch, so I roasted a mixture of turnips and sweet potato to go with it (in duck fat of course). Very tasty!