FoodFrom4

It’s been a busy weekend down on the allotment. Now that any danger of a frost has gone I got the beans and courgettes in, removed tons of weeds and planted more spinach and tomatoes. Watering is so time-consuming now that there is so much growing and with the hot spell set to last, it looks like I’ll be up at 5am every day this week to water before work. Watering in the morning seems to work well at keeping the slugs at bay. By the time they come out after dark, the soil is too dry for their liking so they tend to stay well away.

I picked the first crop of broad beans this morning and cooked them with rice, potatoes and herbs from the garden. This is a variation on the rice and potatoes I make with my Mushroom and Tofu Stroganoff

The quantities you use depend on how many you are serving
White Basmati Rice
2-3 Medium Potatoes
Broad Beans – shelled of course
2 large knobs of butter
Bunch Fresh Oregano or Dill – roughly chopped

Place enough rice in a large pan for the number of people you are serving, Rinse in several changes of water then cover with water and bring to the boil.

As soon as the rice starts to swell, remove from the heat, drain through a seive, rinse with cold water and put to one side.

Peel the potatoes and cut into 3mm slices. Return the pan to a medium heat and add a large knob of butter. When melted, place the potato slices in layers to cover the bottom of the pan.

Now pile the rice on top of the potatoes, then the braod beans and chopped herbs. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water, the other knob of butter and cover. Cook gently over a low-medium heat for about 40 minutes until the rice has puffed up and the potatoes are fried on the bottom.

This method relies on the rice steaming so do not remove the lid during the cooking process.

Serve with home made hummous, natural yogurt and salad.