I think I've done a bad thing...

[oysterpots]

I thought i was being clever and sensible doing a humungous sainsbury's order but it's just arrived and far from being frugal I feel a bit sick at how much stuff there is

what was I thinking? now I'm worried i have a load of food we'll never get through and have to throw away.

arghghh, what an idiot! tell me it'll be ok. mr oysterpots will go mad

[dietstartstomorrow]

Don't worry. Im sure you can freeze some of it.

What sort of things do you think may get wasted?

[oysterpots]

ok, the things i'm worried about are:
head of broccoli
1kg sweet potatoes
1.5kg carrots
a swede
a butternut squash
a savoy cabbage
2.5kg potatoes
2 leeks
2 bulbs of fennel.

in our house there is me, mr o, and ds - 18mo. we are vegetarians. there aint much room in the freezer (mainly on account of me buying 16 teacakes - oh the shame )

[CatIsSleepy]

sweet pots and butternut squash will keep for ages at room temp, spuds too, carrots will be good in the fridge for quite a while

brocolli-doesn't keep that well but should be good for a week or so, ditto leeks, fennel, cabbage
you could make a whole load of soup...

[littlerach]

Make soup?

Or a veg bake with the root veg?

Mashed potato pie with veg?

[cyteen]

Butternut squash keeps for aaaaaaaages, seriously, it's indestructible. Stick it in the veg rack and don't worry about it.

Could you make and freeze a big batch of leek and potato soup?

Sweet potatoes will keep longer than carrots and cabbage, ditto swede (I should think).

[oysterpots]

ok, so squash can be eaten last, sweet potatoes, potatoes and carrots will be ok.

i'm happy to eat up the leeks,fennel and broccoli. but what's the best thing to do with cabbage??

thanks. feeling a bit better now...

[bellavita]

Cabbage will keep for a bit, I had my shopping delivered last Thursday and still have half a cabbage in the fridge, which I am going to use up in some soup tomorrow.

[cyteen]

you could make a big veg stew (thus handily using up some spuds/carrots/swede) and then chuck in shredded cabbage towards the end. it's a great winter warmer

[dustbuster]

Savoy cabbage keeps really well in the fridge - should still be perfect after a week.

[veg box veteran emoticon]

[ilovelovemydog]

You can cook the brocolli and put in bags in freezer

[OrmIrian]

Most of those veg will keep in the fridge, or even out of it in the case of the potatoes (and sweet potatoes?). There is very little that is going to go off within a few days. I'd have been more concerned about salad leaves etc.

[Horton]

Cabbage very nice in a chinesey noodle soup (stock, add ginger and star anise and soy and chilli, heat, cook noodles, add cabbage shredded and cooked meat).

[moondog]

Do stuffed cabbage in tomato sauce.
Big curry with the squash and pumpkin and whatnot.
Stirfry with broccoli
Soup with leeks

Good for you for going seasonal.

[oysterpots]

thanks everyone, those are great suggestions. Mmmm, stuffed cabbage in tomato sauce - that sounds awesome. got a recipe moondog?

i'm half way through making huge vat or r this: www.waitrose.com/recipe/Ribollita.aspx

lush.

[moondog]

I would combine cooked rice with onions, pine nuts,cinammon, cumin,parsley and maybe some omelette strips (or minced lamb and raisins for non veggies)
Wrap mixture in each leaf and fit tightly into a dish (wide and fairly shallow) Pour mix of tomato juice and stock over and cook for maybe 45 mins on fairly low heat.

Serve with Greek yoghurt mixed with mint and cucumber.
Summat like that.I just make it up as i go along.

[Horton]

Sorry just realised you are veggie. Fried tofu would be just as nice in the chinese noodle soup.

[oysterpots]

Cor, that sounds amazing moondog. will try it tomorrow. like the sound of the soup too, horton, that's on my list as well.

why do they put so few things in each bag? think that's what flipped me out - wasn't actually that much...

[Horton]

The stuffed cabbage sounds gorgeous. I'm going to try that too.

[MadameCastafiore]

Leek & Potato Soup
Cook and mash the rest of the potatos and mix with the precooked cabbage and freeze for bubble and squeak - good middle of the week meal with bacon and fried egg.

Cook, mash and freeze the sweet potato also in portions for a quickness in the week - you can ping it and it will be fine.

Make brocolli and stilton soup which can also be frozen.

ALso cook and freeze the carrot and swede mixed together.

I would bin the fennel hate the stuff and bloody butternut squash!

[Horton]

I usually make the noodle soup with homemade chicken stock, but you could use veg or fish stock too.

Get a big pot of stock hot in a pan. Add a star anise, some slices of root ginger, a little soy sauce and a chopped fresh chili if you like things spicy. Simmer very very slowly with the lid on for half an hour or so, then fish out the bits.

Chop cabbage, spring onions, lettuce, carrots, mushrooms finely (any veg that is nice to eat only v lightly cooked basically) and divide between bowls. Add cold cooked meat or prawns if you want, too, or fried tofu. You can also add more fresh chili at this stage.

Bring stock to the boil and add dried egg noodles. Cook for a few minutes until the noodles are done. Add noodles to bowls and pour boiling hot stock over the veg and noodles.