An accidental Lent

April, and a budget month in our house.

That one glorious week of sun turned foul just in time for the Easter break, spoiling everyone's fun.

I ring my mother in the perfect one day better the next state of Queensland and she says it's 28 and gorgeous. She's having a barbie and has a rolled neck of pork stuffed with fennel and herbs and has made an upside down fig cake. She is putting up her pretty Indian outdoor parasoles, I imagine their twinkling bells in the distance daintily mocking me here, sat on the floor with my back to radiator.

Mum says what are you doing for Easter and I haven't thought of anything. I haven't bought chocolate eggs, don't even know when you are supposed to give them, but Gareth and I have had a few hot cross buns for breakfast. Mum admonishes me saying my kids can't be the only children in the world who don't get Easter eggs and tells me that you dye real eggs on Friday, eat chocolate on the Sunday. So I google how to make real Easter eggs, gather the kids for an Easter-themed mission of buying food colouring and let them choose chocolate bunnies for the Sunday.

Dyeing the eggs was fun. It filled in another miserable grey afternoon and the kids actually begged me to let them eat hard-boiled eggs. Thanks mum.

The reason we are skint is we spent up in March with a trip to London to celebrate my 39th and River's 5th birthday. I got to dine at Nopi, River got to see real Egyptian mummies.

Nopi was amazing, everything and more than what I expected from Yotam Ottolenghi. We dined downstairs at one of the communal marble tables, where I could spy the kitchen staff so serenely going about the business of sorting leaves and podding beans. River and Phoebe spent the entire evening in the ladies toilets where the hexagonal surround of mirrors shot their reflections out like some disco video of the early eighties. I might be kidding myself but I also think the maitre-d mistook me initially for Stella McCartney, but that's another story. Let's just say I was looking and feeling good that night.

River and Phoebe loved London, especially the tubes with their resounding buskers and huge elevators of ascending and descending people all in lines, their maze-like tunnels and the whoosh of outgoing trains. Everything that I was worried about for the kids was what they loved; the mass of humanity all rushing, pressing, charging, quick quick quick, Gareth weaving us around the streets and platforms like the old Londoner he once was - thrilled and delighted them. Mention the word London in our house now and River says I LOVE London! It's sparkling crown jewels, dinosaurs and ruined civilisations made it the best toy ever.

Anyway, it's over now. We are skint and I am cooking with what is in my dry store and what is in the fridge. No quick dash to the shops for a special ingredient - that ends up costing £20 because I always buy more when I'm there. I did a big shop at the beginning of the week - the supermarket, the organic grocer, the bakery, and that's it - I am making it work.

It's kind of liberating actually - that old theme of liberation through restriction - because, in order to use an ingredient before it gets tired I have cooked in ways that I never have before. (That pear with the brown spot's going in a crumble)

Take this lunch I just whipped up out of a quarter bag of spinach leaves that were hanging about, still fine, but may have been forgotten and thrown out in more frivolous months.

I wilted the spinach in a small pan, added a tiny splash of extra virgin olive oil, some black pepper, sea salt and a teaspoon each of some pesto I had made a few days ago and single cream. It's piled on to toasted sourdough, topped with avocado (39p each at the organic grocer The Unciorn this week! I bought 3!) and chopped parsley.

The aubergine is providing the most value-for-money. So far from my Value Bag of 4 aubergines I have made a smoky aubergine and lemon risotto from Yotam (again). I never thought the squidgy, sometimes blandness of aubergine would go well with the squidgy, sometimes blandness of risotto, but I trust Yotam and was fascinated. The trick is charring the whole aubergine on a gas flame, and using the softened, smoky flesh to fold through the rice. Topped with shredded basil, lemon zest and small chunks of fried (or roasted) aubergine and it is equisite.

The second dish I made was a tomato pilav with dill, feta and aubergine (recipe to follow). I followed a basic recipe from Claudia Roden's Middle Eastern Cookery book and added what I had hanging around: it really upped the ante of our usual baked rice dishes.

The third aubergine was thinly sliced and fried and added to a bolognese style sauce with cubed potatoes and layered with pasta and bechamel by Gareth for his and the kid's dinner one night that I went out. I still have one aubergine left that needs cooking soon or else it will go soggy and sour - a batch of baba ganoush may be on the cards.

I was initially miserable at having no money to play with over the holidays, a bit sulky actually, but it's OK. I am realising how often we waste food, buying when we already have plenty. The kids have played  together in the house, making up elaborate games of vampires and animal worlds and who can stuff as many cuddly toys as possible in their pillow case before the police-man comes (an over-sized Lego torch).  I went shopping and tried on lots of clothes I loved and had the strength to turn away. Getting ready for a dinner party that night I re-styled an outfit from my wardrobe and felt fab. We've cut back but not been compromised. A kind of accidental Lent really.

Tomato pilav with dill, feta and aubergine
(Serves two greedy adults having seconds with enough for a left-over lunch for one, or 4 respectable, moderate eaters)


1 brown onion, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and whole
500g tomatoes, skinned, seeds removed and chopped
1 medium aubergine, cubed
1 bay leaf
3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 cups long grain rice, washed
some water
4 tbsp feta, crumbled
some chopped parsley and dry oregano to garnish (optional)


Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200 Degrees Celsius
Place the aubergine on a baking tray and drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over it, turning each piece over in the oil with your hands to make sure it all gets coated. Place in the oven and cook until golden brown (about 15-20 mins depending on your oven). Set aside but keep the oven on, turning it down to 180.
In a large casserole dish fry the onion in the rest of the oil until soft and golden. Add the garlic.
Now add the tomatoes and season generously with salt and pepper.
Saute the tomatoes, squashing them with your spoon, breaking them down, pour a little water over them, enough to just cover, add the bay leaf and simmer gently for about 30 mins, checking to make sure they don't dry out - add a little more water if needed.
Taste the sauce - it should be nice and rich in texture and flavour - add the rice and cover with enough water to double the volume and now put the roasted aubergine in the pot with the fresh dill.  (I also added a sneaky pinch of vegetable boulliion)
Bring to a gentle boil, put the lid on and put in the oven for about 25 - 30 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
Serve in bowls topped with the finely crumbled feta, a sprinkle or dry oregano and fresh parsley.