This is a Lidl's wonky vegetable box, bought this morning, for £1.50. Not a wonky or mouldering vegetable in sight! Everything is fresh, firm and wholesome.
Broccoli spears, asparagus, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, onions, a swede, clementines, satsumas and lemons. Excellent value, wonderful quality.
Today was beautifully mild and sunny, once the early morning frost had cleared away. Toby found himself being taken for some extra walks, for I find it impossible to stay indoors when it is fine weather.
Just as well I made the most of it, I hear the weather is going to break at the weekend.
Wooster and Dolly were making the most of the sunshine and couldn't be bothered to do more than half open an eye.
The last time I took that route, a few days ago, Dolly refused to leave her stable at all, but Wooster insisted on coming over to have a conversation and a nose rub.
I don't know much about Dolly, but Wooster is about 30 years old. He looks his age these days, but he had his glory days and won lots of competitions in his youth.
He is a lucky lad, getting to live his life out in peace and comfort.
Dolly, who is as round as it is possible for one little pony to be, keeps him company.
He is content with his lot.
This is what I am reading today. Published in 1935, it is a collection of history, tradition, folk lore, flower names and herbal lore, gathered together by Members of Dorset Women's Institutes. Not a recipe in sight!
So far I have only had a quick skim through but it looks fascinating - no recipes, perhaps, but I have just discovered a couple of pages of old remedies...violets to treat cancer, Madonna lily to treat whitlows, and Groundsel as a cure for boils.
"Here's to you and yours
The good you and yours
Done to we and ours
If it be in our powers
To do the good to you and yours
You and yours done to we and ours
We'll do it."
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Anything in your book for indigestion, lol. I could do with a remedy.
ReplyDeleteMy son has a couple of horses and loves them to bits but sadly a lot of horses go the rounds in their lives don't end up so lucky.
Briony
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I'm sure there are lots of country remedies for that, Briony - not sure you would really want to try any of them though! Just for fun, I will find some up and post them in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, Rennies, perhaps?
DeleteYou are right about the horses, they are much loved by their owner; she wants to move house, but won't until the inevitable happens, she doesn't want to upset old Wooster!
Those vegetables look like jewels!
ReplyDeleteHave to look up, what a "swede" is...
So lovely that Wooster has such a lovely old age home. Just so heart warming... And someone is doting on Dolly too. :-)
Delightful book!!!!!! Not going to miss some recipes, with all that, to read!!!! ,-)
The vegetable box was a delightful find, all in perfect condition.
DeleteWooster is a proper old gentleman, he likes a bit of attention and then he 'talks' to Toby, Dolly is very cute but doesn't really want a fuss. Two content and well kept animals. Today is very warm and sunny, they will be enjoying it.
More grocery stores should do that instead of trying to sell the perfect fruit or veg.
ReplyDeleteThey certainly should, Marcia. I would have been perfectly happy to have the wonky ones, but I think these had found their way there simply because they had reached their sell by date, which is nonsense. There is far too much waste.
DeleteThe wonky veg box looks super. I must confess I now shop at Aldi and their veg. are far superior to Waitrose. The ready to eat avocados are just that, and last so much longer their first cousins in Waitrose who are not only more snooty, but cost considerably more for an inferior product.
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I am a total tart. Where I shop depends on where I am that week. I try to shop only once a week - so I am not loyal to any of them. My husband couldn't really get his head around why I was so delighted with my vegetable box purchase. 5kg of fruit and veg, all in tip top condition, £1.50. Brilliant.
DeleteHow is that leg of yours doing?
All wonderful. Beautiful veggies, and stay away from those whitlows! It's nice to see happy horses again, and an old horse and a pony at that. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteNasty things, whitlows. I remember having one as a young girl, and jolly painful it was, too. I would happily have given Madonna lilies a chance, but knowing my mother she probably applied a cabbage leaf, to draw out the infection! It was her cure for most things, that or salt water. We all survived!
DeleteMy goodness what a bargain buy on those veg. Sadly, we don't have a Lidl.
ReplyDeleteYou may not have a Lidl, but you do have the most beautiful beaches in the world to feast your eyes on!
DeleteOh dear...I wouldn’t even make the wonky box if people were categorised as such! x
ReplyDeleteLove it! Same here! Seriously though, those boxes are amazing value.
DeleteWhat a bargain veg box, who cares if a veg is not quite straight or perfectly formed, they mostly get chopped in some way or other anyway. Intriguing book, lovely to read and back in the day they had some really good remedies to pass on. The horse and pony look contented in their retirement xcx
ReplyDeleteThe asparagus and broccoli spears were delicious. I never buy asparagus unless it is home/locally grown, but this was the perfect excuse to indulge out of season.
DeleteLots of lovely vegetables in your wonky box. We have a new Lidl recently opened near the library we use, I must pop in to see if they have the boxes. I love the illustration on the cover of the Dorset book you are reading:)
ReplyDeleteI think you could probably enjoy a happy hour or two reading that book, Rosie. I don't know Dorset very well at all, but I feel as though I would like to track down some of the places mentioned in the stories.
DeleteOh, what a sweet looking old horse. I would love to have one just like him to talk to and rub his nose. I'm terribly afraid of horses, to ride them, but I love them so much! Those are beautiful vegetables!
ReplyDeleteYou would enjoy meeting old Wooster, Henny Penny, and he would enjoy your conversation and attention. He is a real old sweetie. Dolly probably is too, but she has other things on her mind - like where her next snack is coming from!!
DeleteI can't believe they refer to that lovely pile of vege as wonky! And I cannot believe that price, either! My mother has a great recipe for Swedes - peel, dice and boil, then mash with butter and rum! It was the most popular side dish on the Thanksgiving table when we were kids (most likely the lure of the 'rum'). I so love old horses.
ReplyDeleteNow that sounds like an interesting recipe. Before my body rebelled, and decided that almost all alcohol, no matter how little I imbibe, would give me a migraine, I would love to have tried it. As it is, I simply boil and mash, adding lots of butter (naughty!) and white pepper. It is one of my favourites.
DeleteI didn't know Lidl were doing wonky veg boxes. I bet they don't have them in my nearest one, just as the Asda in town doesn't. We seem to miss out on cheap stuff
ReplyDeleteJust a word of warning, the veg boxes were nowhere near the vegetable section. We had checked out, when I spotted them piled up on a table at the back of the check-outs, by the front windows. Now that I know where to look, I will be watching out for them. I hope you find one.
DeleteI'd take that wonky box every time! Good that you know where to look for them in the store now. That fresh fruit is awesome! Great pics of the horses, and it's wonderful that you get to say hello to them on your walks with Toby. Hope there are many wonky boxes in your future!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely looking pile of fruit and veg in that box. Our Lidl, a newly opened one, doesn't do the wonky veg, sadly. I'd buy it like a shot if they did, and it looked like yours.
ReplyDeleteYou have to wonder if any of the cures work though I have to admit there is some truth to some of the cures of old. Warts for intance, there seem to be a lot of them around, my attitude is forgetthem they will go on their own
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