Long slow boring drive to Norwich through some of the flattest but now greenest landscape that is Lincolnshire. And the worst part - the asparagus bunches that were being sold in some of the roadside 'stalls' were more expensive than in local shops!! One would have thought that with little food miles for these spring vegetables, they would be a bargain. But no.
Are there any PYO (Pick your own) farms where one can go and pick vegetables on the A17 and A46? Needs investigating. Hmmm ... will definitely break a boring journey to acceptable chunks. No dearth of farm shops though along the route. Freshly picked vegetables and fruits on a warm summer's day - ahhh!!!! life is full of little pleasures that one can dream about.
The warm weather held. Children had a lovely afternoon of games and fun. Children? Ladies and girls had fun too.
jelly treasure hunt with mouth - no hands!!
hoops all around
the grown up boys - keeping pace with the girls
even more merriment for the audience!
grandfather grandson - sharing a moment in time together
I may be the youngest but .....
But even better was the food as usual. Started off on arrival with home made potato samosas and lamb samosas with mint chutney and a chilli chutney. Cousin Fiona made the samosas using a Gordon Ramsay recipe, home grown mint chutney was the creation of my uncle, Bipin Dada, and mother made the green chilli chutney. Samosa pastry was delicious - just like the ones made in India. Not the filo pastry that is used by restaurants, supermarkets and countless others. Those made with filo pastry cannot be classified as real samosas - so say the 'connoisseurs' in the family. At least the children are being 'educated' as to what can be classified as a real samosa.
Children had an early 'tea' at about six in the evening - still find difficulty with Yorkshire dialect - the word 'dinner' is used to signify the lunch time meal and 'tea' for the evening meal. Anyway, a wonderful child friendly spread that even the adults nibbled - ham sandwiches and jam sandwiches in the shapes of dinosaurs, mini sausages, hot dogs in buns with tomato ketchup, cucumber crocodile speared with cheese and pineapple cubes, heart shaped jam and white chocolate biscuits, apricot cookies, pink and white layered coconut 'ice', a range of cupcakes including egg free chocolate ones, Swedish rosette cookies, hula hoops, quavers, bacon bites, orange, strawberry and lime jelly boats in fresh orange shells and the grand finale - a beautiful castle cake with pink icing. Birthday baby too enjoyed the spread - she has eight teeth and is only a year old!!
never smile at a crocodile .....
crocodile getting ready to ......
Dinner for the adults was a grand affair. Auntie Sue and Uncle Bipin Dada cooked the Assamese meal. Here follows the menu :
Masoor daal with tomatoes and green beans
Urad daal assamese style - maati daal
Chicken with potatoes
lamb curry
potato and tinda fry
ladies fingers with dried green mango powder - bhindi with amchoor
sea bass fish curry - masor tenga with tomatoes and potatoes
tomato and red onion salsa with coriander, fresh lime juice and finely chopped fresh green chilli
after the babies were in bed!
the dessert 'trolley'
Tomato and Red onion salsa
No definite measurements - make as much as you want. As long as the ingredients are the freshest possible. Most Assamese meals are accompanied by little portions of salad or relish and some are sometimes seasoned with raw mustard oil - a rarity in this country. Feel free to use extra virgin olive oil but the salad is simply delicious even without any oil - totally healthy and fat free if one desires. The heat of fresh chillies make this salad utterly delicious and is a must. Forget the oil, remember the chillies. Can serve upwards of four people as part of an Indian meal
Ingredients
500 grams sun ripened or vine ripened tomatoes - chopped
200 grams red onions - chopped finely
1 bunch of fresh coriander - chopped finely
4 fresh red or green chillies
sea salt to taste
fresh lime juice - for this amount, at least one, more can be added to taste
1 tbsp mustard oil or 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil - optional
Method
Mix all the ingredients together gently and serve as soon as possible.
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end of the weekend partying ....
Auntie Sue, as I have mentioned in previous entries, is a fantastic cook. She has mastered Assamese cooking and will make many a native Assamese woman cringe. We never fail to recall how on one of her visits to Namti, Sibsagarh in Assam, many years ago, she was lucky enough to have sampled red ant eggs (amloi tup) scrambled with duck eggs. It made her sick and then the family dogs licked up the vomit!! Yaaaarghhhhh!!
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