52 Comments
User's avatar
Deborah Masters's avatar

Happy Belated Birthday. I feel your pain. I miss the old Borough Market - like Neals Yard before it became a victim of its own success. The only upside is what it helped kick off. This part of South London you cannot move for Farmers markets - quite a few of my favourite stalls at BM seem to have popped up locally supplemented by the really local - Guyanese chilli oil anyone? Ghanaian curries?

Expand full comment
Catherine Phipps's avatar

Thank you! I love my local market - Ealing - as it is still very much produce based and I’ve been going to the same stalls for years - my son has even had a job on a stall and the owner remembers him in his pushchair! And some of the newer businesses are really interesting. And I love Neal’s Yard Dairy. The staff are superb, endlessly patient, friendly and knowledgeable and I love the range of cheeses, especially some of those they finish themselves like St Cera. Plus they treat the cheesemakers well as evidenced by the recent theft which left them out of pocket. It’s such a shame re Borough. So many more stalls but somehow much less choice especially with fresh produce and dominated by the likes of chocolate strawberry Turnips who have to be one of the most cynical of businesses out there.

Expand full comment
Deborah Masters's avatar

Agreed. Re Neals Yard - I thought after I posted I should have clarified Neals Yard the place rather than the dairy which is indeed excellent.

Expand full comment
Catherine Phipps's avatar

Ah, I did wonder! And yes agree. Can’t move for people taking selfies outside St John’s etc.

Expand full comment
Wool Stonecrafty's avatar

Happy birthday- Borough Market is truly hell on earth now, v v brave of you.

Expand full comment
Catherine Phipps's avatar

It is so bad. I thought it would be OK today as it is early in the week and it is usually quieter. Forgot about tourists still on Easter break.

Expand full comment
Moira's avatar

It is sad to see all the signs of overconsumption on Earth Day but hope you managed to have a happy birthday. I adore orzo so definitely going to try that one.

Expand full comment
Catherine Phipps's avatar

totally agree. I find it quite depressing.

Expand full comment
Celia Geen's avatar

Happy Birthday! Thanks for the recipe, which looks very tasty. I would love a second pressure cooker.

Expand full comment
Vinaya's avatar

Love this recipe… it has inspired me to use my old pressure cooker . Thank you 🙏🏾

Expand full comment
Kelvin's avatar

Will try the recipe as I have everything except the chard(improvise!) and a well-used PC.

Thanks for the tip about tarragon mustard at Fitz Fine Foods, a Borough Market visit is overdue.

Expand full comment
Carol White's avatar

I understand what you mean about Borough Market Catherine- we used to like to go on our rare visits to London but now it’s just so difficult to move about and buy any actual ingredients- such a shame. Hope the exams go ok - my son is starting GCSEs 😬

Expand full comment
Catherine Phipps's avatar

Thank you! Stressful times! I hope your son does OK too.

Expand full comment
Salute The Pig's avatar

Wondering if Fitz Fine Foods are open next Monday; I really need to try that tarragon mustard. Thanks (as always) C!

Expand full comment
Catherine Phipps's avatar

Couldn't tell you I'm afraid but quite a few are closed on regular Mondays, so I would call ahead!

Expand full comment
Salute The Pig's avatar

Thanks C; I wasn't expecting you to look but I'd checked and I need to pop along on Tuesday, when they open, anyway :)

Expand full comment
EML's avatar

My pressure cooker has a default of a five minute minimum cook time. Reading your vegetable recipes makes me realise that I need to either find a workaround or get a new pressure cooker!

Expand full comment
Catherine Phipps's avatar

That is so odd! What model is it? And is there no way to over ride it? And yes, I would relegate this to longer timings and get another for short - so, so many of my recipes are less than 5 minutes. Even rice is only 3.

Expand full comment
Sound practice well-being's avatar

Happy birthday Catherine

Expand full comment
Suzanne's avatar

Happy Birthday Catherine 😊 thank you for this very kind offer. I would love to participate. I love your posts. 🎂🎂

Expand full comment
JudeP's avatar

This looks delicious! Happy birthday!

Expand full comment
KB's avatar

Happy belated birthday Catherine! Thanks for introducing me to pc! We are a vegetarian household but getting lots of use out of it too x

Expand full comment
David Miller's avatar

Tarragon mustard sounds incredible! Have fallen slightly in love with tarragon since going to Georgia a few years back, where they use it with reckless abandon! Happy birthday 🎂

Expand full comment
Catherine Phipps's avatar

I love it! And yes - very popular in parts of Eastern Med/Eastern Europe - check out the review I did of Danube recently - lots of tarragon used in Romanian food.

Expand full comment
Mary's avatar

Happy birthday Catherine. Got a 5k walk done around our local lakes on Earth Day.

Would love to have your cookery book and a pressure cooker.

Thanks for the recipes.

Expand full comment
williamF's avatar

Happy Birthday!!

Expand full comment
williamF's avatar

Count me out of the competition, I have two fine pressure cookers already :)

Expand full comment
Catherine Phipps's avatar

Ha!

Expand full comment