The last few weeks have been really busy an we have been out of London meaning I haven’t been to the market so I thought I would write about something a little different.
Like most people who love to cook I have lots of kitchen equipment crammed into our tiny kitchen however one of the most useful things is pretty humble and often free with its contents, the jar!
My love of the little glass container began when I was at university living in Victorian terraces due to the constant Manchester rain and our reluctance to pay for heating they were always a little damp. When you are sacrificing your pub money for the organic flour the last thing you want is for it to go mouldy in its paper bag!
The jars in our kitchen come from all over the place, some where bought, others recycled jam jars, coffee tubs or pretty ones I received as presents. One day I would love to have a more open kitchen with beautiful ingredients displayed in jars but for now I will leave that to pinterest.
These days my life is thankfully damp free, jars are used as a practicality to contain all my grains, lentils and baking ingredients, they keep them fresher and the cupboards a lot cleaner. They are also great for half used cans of ingredients such as coconut milk or beans keeping them fresh for days in the fridge.
My favourite use of my jars is to transport my meals and snacks to work. They are more reliably liquid tight than tupperware and often the perfect serving size for breakfast, great for taking smoothies, Bircher muesli, or the recipe below to work.
Over night oats – a jam jar size portion.
- 3/4 cup Porridge oats
- 1 tsp Chia seeds
- 1 cup of Nut or coconut milk.
Simply add all the porridge ingredients to the jar stir well and refrigerate over night.
Add your toppings in the morning and enjoy!
Today I added pecans, pistachios, giant raisins and honey.
Topping suggestions
- Honey and nuts
- Stewed fruits – I particularly like stewed plums.
- Jam
- Fresh berries
- Dried fruits
- For a Friday treat: stir ½ a tsp of raw cocoa powder in with the oats at the making stage, top with a little maple syrup and a tablespoon of dried cranberries
Fruits, Roots & Shoots 