Tins and Turkey

First of all, a big apology. On my post “Delicious Pesto and Lovely Spoons” I forgot to add garlic to my list of ingredients! I have now updated it because it’s definitely tastier with garlic. I hope it hasn’t caused any disappointment.

It’s been a mixed picture to the start of the month. Gentle sunshine and then heavy downpours. That’s British weather for you!

The garden has an air of winding down. Some late flowers to come though. Asters, for example, are favourites with their purple daisy flowers. Buds are fattening, ready for the show. Meanwhile, some bits and bobs have caught my eye.

The summer vegs are growing well too and I’ve been thinking of ways to use them. The yellow French beans, carrots and kohl rabi are producing tasty treats.

They combine well in my one-pan meals.

A favourite is turkey breast with cranberries. Yes, I know it’s not Christmas but I often buy a frozen turkey breast to provide a few versatile dishes and I always have delicious dried cranberries in the cupboard.

A small turkey breast is a great stand-by in the freezer. Normally these are cooked in the oven but I do them in my thermal cooker. Easy, economical and still as good to eat. I talk about my thermal cooker on a previous post with the title, “Soup and Still Life”.

Instead of almost two hours in the oven it only takes 20 minutes on the hob, then I leave it in the thermal cooker for two or three hours, without power, to continue cooking. Economical and results are brilliant. Then I have a turkey breast to use in various ways.

For my one-pan turkey and cranberry meal I put a small amount of water in my lidded frying pan, stir in half a vegetable or chicken stock cube, add French beans, carrots and this time, cubed kohl rabi, a crushed clove of garlic, some frozen rice, a sprinkling of dried, sweetened, cranberries and chunks of cooked turkey breast. I put the lid on and let it cook for about 12-15 minutes until the water has reduced and the vegs are tender.

The cranberries are sweetened with fruit juice so they’re a healthy ingredient and they taste so good. I use either Whitworths or Ocean Spray “craisins”.

Precise quantities are not necessary with these meals but the stock cube is an essential ingredient. The vegs cook mainly in steam so the flavour is rich and all the goodness stays in the meal. So simple, nutritious and enjoyable.

The cooked turkey breast keeps well for a few days in the fridge and makes the most delicious sandwich filler or topping. Sliced thinly and placed in a bowl, salt and pepper added and a spoonful of mayonnaise then mashed and spread on bread. Really good.

Good equipment is essential in the kitchen and of course should be as perfect as possible for hygiene reasons but I also have a fondness for old things like pottery and tins. Some of my old tins are battered but their shabbiness is pleasing. I just keep these to look decorative.

Ones in good condition are very useful and I use them all the time, like cake tins and a couple to keep stock cubes dry.

Homely things are always pleasing. They’re what make a house a home and especially make it our own unique place. Items collected over a lifetime have meaning. They stir memories and satisfy the eye. My little embroidered picture at the top of the page is something I treasure. I sewed it over 50 years ago when we were living far from home. I can’t imagine living in a bare house. It might be easy to clean but for me it would lack soul.

I hope you’re enjoying the last of the summer and have lots to look forward to. Bye for now. With you again next week. Please feel free to leave comments. I love to hear from you.