Free or frugal: fresh fruit & veg

Do you have a farmers' market near you?

Because here in France, if you arrive right at the end, just as the stallholders are packing up, they often leave behind crates of produce that is very ripe and will be too ripe to sell the following day.

If no-one grabs it right away, the road sweepers move in within a few minutes and it all gets trashed, so you might as well take it and use it, rather than letting good food go to waste!

Why waste it?

Many people I know will systematically throw away anything that's passed its "best before" or "use by" date. In fact, I even know people who throw things out a couple of days earlier to avoid taking any chances!

The truth is, food didn't always have a date printed on it. Fresh farm- or home-grown foods don't either.

It's not that difficult to tell if a food is no longer fit for consumption. For packaged foods, a swelling of the packaging is usually a good give-away. Smell, apperance and taste are also pretty useful indicators.

Role-models and reminiscences

I had two very good role-models growing up - my two grandmothers!

Grandma Kathleen was a champion baker and even now, many years after her death, distant relatives and old acquaintances still reminisce over her Christmas cakes, buns and also her Yorkshire puddings.

She even made my wedding cake and people still mention it to me, 12 years on!

Welcome to my world

Hello and thanks for taking the time to come and read my blog.

I love to cook and I also love to eat, but most of all I love to talk about cooking and eating!

I'm lucky enough to have spent most of my life living in France, where gourmet meals are a part of everyday life.

I don't claim to be the next celebrity chef - my inspiration is more Dave Ramsey than Gordon Ramsey - but many people over the years have enjoyed meals I've cooked and asked me to share my recipes and menu plans.

After wondering what all the fuss was about, I've finally realised that not everyone actually cooks the way I do - a pinch of this, a dash of that, and a good dose of whatever's lying around and needs using up!

Despite being on a low budget and working full-time, whilst raising 3 young children on my own, I love to cook nutritious, balanced and varied meals, using simple, cheap ingredients and ensuring nothing EVER goes to waste.

Some of my best dishes were created from rotting vegetables found in the back of the fridge, fruit found lying on the ground outside and leftovers from previous meals. Hopefully you will enjoy frugal French food as much as we do :-)

Bon appétit!