Snow Day

Our neighbours tell us that, about 15 years ago, they were stuck in their house for two weeks during a snowfall. Helicopters had to throw food and cigarettes down to them.

We’re not quite at that point yet, but we are snowed in, about ten minutes away from Glendalough in Co. Wicklow, and quite high up in the mountains.

The storecupboard is well-stocked, and there’s some frozen vegetables in case things get really bad. There’s enough fresh food to see us through to Thursday lunchtime. Disturbingly, I’m very low on chocolate; I was reduced to begging for chocolate biscuits from Barbara, my lovely landlady and neighbour.

For dinner, we ate that auxillary ham we keep in the freezer for snow days, but we’d hardly any milk to make a parsley sauce – my regular, rather bland, accompaniment. So, we had to improvise, and it led to a deliciously decadent Tuesday dinner. But hey, why not? Itsa snow day. I’ll put up our dinner recipe later.

It requires some mental adjustment to accept that you must make do with the food you have, but it’s very liberating to break loose of shopping’s grip.  There’s no prospect of popping out to pick up something from Centra while perfectly good food begins a journey towards the bin. And of course, reducing food waste is one of the surest ways of keeping your food bill low. Cheers, Siberian weather front, you are truly a wise teacher.

Today, food may involve a tin of tomatoes, or some more coconut milk, and the depleting vegetables. If things get really bad, it might even be a fish finger and vegetable curry.

The snow is now blocking my front door. I’m sure if I get desperate someone will dig me out. Maybe a CheapEats reader will resuce me, or a helicopter will come to our aid. Otherwise, I may eventually resort to a tin of tuna with mustard and ketchup. That, or cannibalism.