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Writer's pictureKerry Clingham

The man behind the green overalls....

He didnt like rabbit or fish with to many small bones, he always used a certain fork and always had his tea in a certain cup with like a teaspoon of milk. He had his morning tea and sandwich at 10, lunch at 1, dinner at 8 while he was listening to the local news (and if we ever made a sound😑😑) he would come in from the garden at 4 for a cuppa tea. around 6ish he would come in and he was done for the day. He liked strawberry jam on his sandwich but not with to many big bits of strawberry in it, he didnt like the slice bread to be sliced to thick either (oh nana how did you do it lol)🤣😂

He watched the skies and could tell when it was gonna rain better than any weather man lol....... reason? nana always had washing on the line.

He would bring me barely just ripe tomatoes from the garden cos he knew i didn't like the really ripe ones, i still don't. He would wash carrots straight out of the ground for me. We watched fbi files and csi on Thursday nights, and he always told me that wwe wasn't real.....

He worked hard in the garden to provide for us and the people on the island who came to him for veg,

Anyone that called to the house would always leave with a big bag of whatever veg he was growing at the time, he was generous that way.😘

He was a man of few words but when he spoke you listened. i was 16 years old and was ready to go out in my lil skirt and top, lipstick on, feeling good " get back down to the bedroom take of that belt you are wearing and clean that crap of your face or you aint going anywhere!", no arguments back down to the bedroom and changed into jeans and cleaned of the lipstick 😂😂😂

Every athletics day i would run, barefoot (i know dont ask i just went faster that way and i i remember we all ran a sprint like that) and every time he would sit there after i got home and pick the tiny lil prickles out of my feet, He would save the last drop of tea in his cup for me and would tease me and say you know your not the baby isabell is (which she was) but i was having non of it as i sat there on his knee on a Saturday morning in his chair next to the table

The one meal i know he liked was Pilau (plo) and as promised i will be making that today, but for now ive to finish the list of things i didn't get done yesterday.......... be back soon

A few hours later... lol. list still ongoing 😪😪

So this is what you will need.....

bacon

cabbage

carrots

pumpkin (butternut squash)

curry powder

onion

rice and water to cover. (boil the kettle first)

spuds

Lets cook.......

Dice everything up lol

Fry the onion in a lil oil for a few minutes, adding in the diced bacon (you can also add ribs or chicken wings)

Let fry together for a few minutes then this is where i add the curry powder, it can be as hot or as mild as you prefer. Ive used mild, but will add chilli sauce to mine, nice and spicy.

I left it to simmer away for a few minutes then i added a dash of water to make like a paste, let cook away for a few more minutes,

Add in your veg, stir all together,I leave mine to simmer away for a few minutes and then i add the rice, i added 1 1/2 cups. I covered all with boiling water.

Let it come to the boil and then turn down and let simmer away. Stir every now and then. season to taste at the end.

Nana always said do not stir it until its starts boiling, she said it would stick.....im not gonna test put that one lol. she was always right!!!! 😁😁

Add salt if you would like but check first, bacon can be salt enough.

I think every family on the island takes this dish and makes it theirs, adding a lil something or taking something away, i remember a lot more veg being in it, chow chow was one of them but i haven't seen that since i left the island. This dish can also be done without the curry powder and i remember mum cooking this one really spicy, adding chilli and pepper and lots of parsley and thyme. This was a meal that was made on camping trips over an open fire, or in the boot of someones car for after a night out.

In our house it was certainly a throw whatever veg you have in there and go lol. Its next to impossible to make a small amount of this, i always end up with a massive pot full, well that's lunch and dinner for tomorrow too. plated ready to eat, note to self use more curry powder next time............... same great taste



The most generous man i know


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