Food, glorious food

I think I mentioned towards the beginning of lockdown that food and mealtimes seemed to have taken on a new importance. Many people we talked to felt the same way, and also confessed that their alcohol intake appeared to have increased.... But what about two months down the line, surely things will have calmed down a bit? Not in Chateau L! At lunchtime we continue to query the chef as to what will be served for dinner. It has become something of a running joke. Similarly there are animated discussions on the weekly menu, and a continued keen interest in online shopping from all five of us.

Yes, we are greedy so-and-sos.

Happily online grocery shopping seems to have sorted itself now, and whilst certain things continue to be very hard to get (we find flour and mozarella to be the least likely things to actually arrive in the weekly delivery) for the most part things are going well. Our vegetarian diet lapsed a bit during the early period as we were grateful to get any food at all, but as things have got back to more or less normal and more vegetables start coming into season the variety of dishes that we can make is going up and up. This is great news.

Recipe books are pored over, ingredients checked and debated. Usually there is at least one objection to something, but democracy always prevails and whatever child it is generally manages to eat it despite their initial reservation. Whilst complaining loudly of course, it would not be a family mealtime without someone moaning. Our new obsession with food also means that I end up photographing some of it, not necessarily with blogging in mind, but of course there is an ever-increasing need for 'fillers'. And that is exactly what these are.

This is Pistachio Pasta from "Simple" by Yotam Ottolenghi, and is mange-touts, pistachios, anchovies (source of most objections), trofie pasta and parmesan

This is Green Bean and Courgette Salad with Tahini Dressing from the "River Cottage Veg Everyday" by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Tahini seems to be the most hated part of this, but courgette runs it a close second.

This is Pasta with greens, garlic and chilli from the same River Cottage book. The principal objection is the amount of chilli, One child would prefer none at all, another lots.