Hurrah!

Well, we've been stuffing ruby chard down almost every day for a couple of weeks, and still not bored with it.. I think it's much better than the spinach beet, though that is good too. Our wee spuds have also cropped and now stored in the old coal hole (dark and cool). Tomatoes just baby fruits as yet, but we were blessed with our first marrow today! A big fat green baby, like some alien / faery changeling snoozing among the leaves. Anyway it got hacked in two and I made this - which for anyone confused about WTF!? to do with the things, is definitely the thing to do with it in my 'umble:


Eliza Acton's Vegetable Mulligatawny (care of Delia & poked by me)

3 or 4 oz uncooked Basmati: Boil this for about 10 mins (not too mushy) then rinse in cold water. It goes in at the end, so leftover cooked rice is fine (around a couple of cups worth).

1 dessertspoon whole coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds (I used caraway)
1 tsp cumin seeds
(I added a teaspoon Garam Masala for good measure too)

4oz butter (there is a lot of soup, but I used probably half of this amount)
3 large onions: peeled, sliced

1 & 1/2 lb peeled, seeded & diced marrow
1 large spud: peeled, chopped
1/2 lb tomatoes, chopped (I used a tin)

Water & Stock (my favourite stock is either Marigold boullion powder, or Kallo free-range chicken stock cubes - both very tasty)

First off bash the seeds up in a pestle and mortar (I don't bother with dry frying, but you can first if you want).
Melt butter then add onions and crushed seeds (that's what I do instead of dry frying).
Cook till nice and fragrant - you know..

Add veggies, and just enough water to cover.
Add your stock powder/cube then boil till veggies are soft: 20-30 mins - in theory (for some reason mine took ages, probably had it on too low).

Puree the soup. Don't faff around with a bluddy blender, do buy one of those hand blenders instead - they are as cheap as chips. But also don't blind yourself with splashing boiling liquid everywhere! Add extra boiling water if you don't like thick soups.
Salt & pepper blah blah..

Stir in cooked rice.

Serve innit.