IN SEASON
Cooking on a BUDGET
IS IT POSSIBLE TO CUT DOWN ON WHAT WE
SPEND WITHOUT COMPROMISING ON QUALITY AND PROVENANCE?
he last fi ve years haven’t been kind to the economy and we could all do with making a few savings here and there. But does being frugal on your food shop mean you have to miss out on tasty, local, seasonal produce? Certainly not, we say! To give you a head start we offer top
T
frugal eating tips from West Country blogger Nick Livermore, resident foodie Katy shows us how to entertain on a budget and Pyne’s of Somerset suggest some meaty cuts that won’t break the bank.
Top 5 tips from Frugalfeeding
Nick’s blog (
www.frugalfeeding.com) isn’t about eating as cheaply as possible; it’s about eating good, well-sourced food as economically as possible. With that in mind, here are his top 5 tips:
1
Seasonality is both frugal and tasty. This may seem obvious,
but buying ingredients when they are in season, and therefore in greater abundance, can save you an awful lot of money. Another advantage to buying in season is that the taste of the food will be noticeably better since it won’t have been forced or shipped in from an obscure part of the world.
2
It takes a little planning. By planning a weekly menu in advance you can avoid purchasing unnecessary items. Be wary of
20 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
the allure of ridiculous supermarket offers, it is likely that you’ll end up buying food that will ultimately be wasted. There’s nothing more expensive than sheer waste.
3
a time – producing double portions can go a long way to saving you time and money. It’s important to remember that buying in bulk is often cheaper, so plan what you’re going to make and take advantage of seasonal ingredients. Cooking one meal and then reheating it will also require less energy and time than preparing two separate meals.
4
similar ingredients in different meals throughout the week you can save a little money and use up every last ingredient. Happily, this also avoids potential waste, since most fresh ingredients don’t enjoy sitting around waiting to be eaten. It’s also worth being conscious of which fresh foods can be frozen - bean-sprouts, for instance.
5
There’s nothing wrong with a little familiarity. By using
Bulk, bulk and more bulk. Help make your food go that little bit
further by bulking-up stews, casseroles and other one-pot dishes with lentils and fi nely chopped vegetables. A stick of celery or a handful of red lentils can go a long way and may help you squeeze an extra serving or two out of each meal.
Cooking in advance goes a long way. Meals needn’t be prepared one at
TO GET YOU
GOLDEN ALE VEGETARIAN CHILLI Serves 4
STARTED HERE
ARE TWO GREAT FRUGALFEEDING RECIPES
❤ 15 dried red chillies, soaked overnight and roughly chopped
❤ 3 onions, roughly chopped ❤ 2 green peppers, roughly chopped ❤ 2 cloves of garlic, mashed ❤ 3 tbsp oil ❤ 4 bay leaves ❤ 3 tsp cumin, freshly ground ❤ 1 500ml bottle of golden or pale ale ❤ 20g dark chocolate ❤ 2 tins of plum or chopped tomatoes ❤ 1 tsp tomato puree ❤ A generous handful of red lentils ❤ 1 tin of kidney beans ❤ 1 tin of chickpeas ❤ 1 tsp of salt
1 Gently fry your chillies, onions, peppers and garlic in oil for around 10 minutes. Set aside the water used to soak the chillies. Add the cumin and bay leaves and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
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