Seasonal slump

There are many things I enjoy about autumn. The light can be beautiful at this time of year, the changing colour of the leaves is really attractive, and the days can be bright and cool rather than the unrelenting heat of summer. Admittedly this summer didn't really bring much in the way of unrelenting heat, and autumn days can also be dull, dank and chilly!

Despite all the pleasant aspects of autumn it can be a difficult time of year. There's a sense of the year slipping away too quickly, the shorter days allowing less time to do things outdoors, and the approaching festive season and all the pressure and expectation that brings. That's before we even start to consider the uncertainty rendered by life in a pandemic.

So recently I've been struggling a little. It's hard to tell if the anxiety and exhaustion are pandemic induced, a response to the change of seasons, or a combination of both. 

All this can impact attitudes to the Confined Kitchen too. When energy is limited, using it to prepare and cook a meal and then clean up afterwards can be rather unappealing. This does mean I've been reaching for some of the easy backup options - pasta and pesto, super noodles, takeaways etc. Sometimes eating something is better than eating nothing - even if it's not the healthiest option. 

I have cooked a couple of meals from the Green Roasting Tin recently, and the sense of nourishment and distraction from my thoughts has been welcome.

First up a very seasonal squash, gnocci and sage dish. Very simple cube the squash and place in the roasting tin together with gnocci, chestnut mushrooms, sage, and oil. Serve together with a tasty dressing of basil, pine nuts, garlic, and oil. Proper comfort food!

The second dish was one of the first ones I made from this cookbook, but haven't made much recently as it's not always easy to get orzo in my local supermarkets. Begin with orzo and stock in a roasting tin. Add halved cherry tomatoes (ideally on the vine, with the vines also added to the dish), bay and chopped red onion. Place in the oven for half an hour. While less seasonal it also offered carby comfort and I have leftovers for an easy dinner in the week.

Anyway onwards and upwards. LFTs and the like permitting I have one of my closest friends visiting next weekend.  Having someone else to feed will hopefully give me more impetus (and enjoyment) for cooking. The following weekend I should be dancing on the coast. I am already doubting the wisdom of those plans given Covid numbers, but at the moment it is something to look forward to. The kitchen facilities at the  weekender will be limited (Pontins chalet!) so I'm planning on doing some bulk cooking in advance to take with me. Luckily I have the week between my friend visiting and the dance weekend as leave so I should have time for domestic pottering. 

P.S. Apologies for the lack of photos - syncing up taking photos and writing blogs is actually quite tricky!