Eat like a Autumnal King for €100 per week

Autumn is here and its gorgeous, and the extra warmth with our Indian summer, makes it even more heavenly. The leaves on beech trees are on the constant move towards gold, some horsechestnuts are almost there. The Autumnal landscape is starting to look stunning here inIreland.
All these wonderful seasonal changes call for warming soothing food and hot cups of tea,along with
weekends foraging for mushrooms, and hedgerow goodies.

Below are suggestions with a 7 day menu for busy families, using as much seasonal produce as possible.
Think about planting a fruit tree this autumn, if you can,  to provide an edible landscape for future generations to come.

As always the weekly budget is €100 for a family of four, shopping in Aldi, Lidl and a local butcher,
cooking with seasonal produce, which helps to keep the bill down.


Treat for the week!
Nothing beats great homemade icecream. This time of year calls for hazelnut,  " Nocciola" in Italy, which you can buy in almost every Gelateria.
It is a firm family favourite.

Hazelnut Icecream
Hazelnut paste:
Toast 200g of hazelnuts for 3-4 minutes in a hot oven (200C).
Remove shells and allow to cool. Blend with a handblender and 3 egg whites.

Milk base
350ml Milk
350 ml single cream
150g caster sugar

Place the milk and cream in a pan, heat over a low flame and when the milk starts to steam,
add the sugar mixture in a steady stream, stirring all the time. Remove from heat and
allow to cool to room temperature.
Blend the hazelnut paste into the white base and put in a container,put in the freezer and stir after two hours and again after a further two hours.


Saturday

Lunch
Potato and herb soup with french baguette

Dinner - homemade pizza - Children love the whole process of making dough to putting their own toppings on. This is a great way to get them interested in learning about cooking.
Mozarella and salami pizzas, aubergine, tomato and ricotta

To do 3pm - make pizza dough with Italian 00 flour
To do - make hazelnut icecream

Sunday 
Lunch  Picnic in the wood - (see picnic in the wood post)
Dinner - Soup, baguette, ham,cheese and pickle

To do - make pork dish for monday
            make carrot and orange soup for lunch

Monday 
 Packed lunch - chopped carrots and humous, ham sandwiches, raisins, apples
Working from home -  Carrot and orange soup with french baguette
Dinner - Pork cooked in apples and cider -Normandy style. Yoghurt with fruit

To do - make cashew pesto for tuesday dinner

Tuesday
Packed lunch - tahini in breadrolls, plum and raisins, oatbiscuits
working from home - carrot and orange soup with toast and tahini
Dinner - Courgettes with Cashew pesto and spahgetti. Yoghurt with fruit

To do - make potato and thyme soup

Wednesday
Lunch - potato and thyme soup
Dinner -  Roast chicken stuffed with lemon, bay, sage, oregano and garlic, with roasted beetroot,carrots and potatoes. Yoghurt with fruit

To do 
Make pastry for quiche on Thursday
cook off courgettes and keep in fridge
soak beans over night for casserole on Friday


Thursday
Packed lunch - Roast chicken sandiwiches, banana, cheese and oatbiscuits
working from home - potato and thyme soup

Dinner  - Courgette and mint quiche with salad. Yoghurt with fruit

To do -
 make sausage and bean casserole
make chard and potato soup
make red cabbage - slow cook for 2 hours at 140degrees.

Friday
Packed lunch - Roast chicken sandwiches, raisins, apple, oatbiscuits
Working from home - chard and potato soup
Dinner - Sausage and bean casserole with mashed potatoes, green beans and red cabbage. Yoghurt with fruit.

Enjoy!