What would you do with these ingredients?

[DorotheaPlenticlew]

Have most of a biggish bag of potatoes, and a big bag of onions as well; I would like to do something with them, but what? Also have 1 courgette, a bulb of garlic, a few carrots, a lot of tins of tomatoes, quite a big bunch of fresh basil.

If there was some chicken or something I would just make it all up into something or other, but I need to create a sort of side dish or something that we can make use of ...

In my head it doesn't add up to anything obvious. I am rubbish at this. Any ideas?

potato gratin/dauphinoise type thing with the potatoes onions and garlic?

Onions - make up some relish, esp good if you have any xmas cheese left. Other than that onion bhajis or french onion soup use up lots of onions.

Potatoes - try something a bit different like lyonaised potatoes or hash browns. Hash browns can be frozen.

Grab some pinenuts and olive oil and the basil and garlic will make some great pesto, which can also be frozen.

Everything else plus some more onions and garlic will make a great stir fry. Add some rice or noodles to make it more filling.

have you got a cupboard full of spices?

If so you can make bombay potatoes.

-cook onions in oil for a good 20 mins until brown.

-have you got any fresh ginger? If so that would be great. If you have put large piece of ginger plus 6 cloves garlic and good splash of water in a blender and blend til smooth. If you haven't any ginger just do the garlic, then add to onions.

then add heaped teaspoon of following - ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinammon. If you have fresh chillis add a c ouple of these (chopped), alternatively 2 some chilli powder, hot paprika, cayenne, anything spicy.
Plus lots sakt and pepper.
-add tin tomatoes. Then dice up loads of poatoes any old how then add. Make up approx 500ml stock and then add enough to make a thickish stew.

-cook for couple hours on lowish heat. Then take lid off and boil fiercely to thicken, if it is too thin take a couple of the spuds out and mash them up and add back in to thicken.

-5 mins before serving add couple teaspoons garam masala.

You can make tomato soup followed by a big fritata, assuming you have eggs that is.

Thanks all ... lots of good ideas. Sadly no ginger and no pine nuts, hardly any cheese; but I think there are numerous spices and some fresh chillies actually, so will try the bombay potatoes.

I just hate the way these big bags of pots/onions linger, get gradually used and then get scrappy and old towards the end. Want to use 'em up in a oner this time.

Also if you have a cinammon stick/cassia and bay leaves, shove them in along with the onions.

Top tip is to fry the onions for a lot longer than you would think as this really does add to the flavour.

I have bay leaves

Was just thinking the other day thought that I do struggle sometimes to believe in bay leaves. Maybe because they always get taken out, and they look so dry and hopeless ...

Lol at struggle to believe in bay leaves!

Often I forget to remove them. So some poor soul has a withered leaf in their curry.

Get a bush then!!!! They do grow here, in a sheltered spot.

Minestrone stew or curry or harvest vegetable soup