end of an era

Today was my last day of work for the library. I'm kinda sad, I admit - I really did love working here. I don't think I've ever been in one job so consistently for so long.

And it feels like the end of an era in my life - and I hope it is. I'm trading the permanence and stability of my part-time library job for the (right now) only-promising world of academe. I guess the next year is up to me.

I wanted to write more about this, but I'm kinda down - watching the clock tick down my last 20 minutes...I must be getting soft in my old age.

The beetroot diaries

In an effort to actually do something with the 4-5 kilos of beets we harvested from the allotment on the weekend, I've decided to keep a record. Also, this should remind me next year of any failures - I really should have done the same thing with our courgettes, but we kinda fell into a habit of eating them grilled on whatever we were having. Tasty, if uninspiring - oh, except for the masses of zucchini bread we've made! So good... and it freezes. I'm not one for chutneys, otherwise I'd have it made as I understand you can 'chutney' pretty much all things.

Round 1:

Beetroot gnocchi (I didn't make the sauce that Gennaro Contaldo recommends - out of oranges)

I adore gnocchi. Between dying my kitchen counter pink and realising that I, with hands coated in mashed potato, pureed beetroot, and egg, needed more flour, I had a powerful sense of deja vu: I had reached this critical moment of frustration in pursuit of gnocchi before...possibly with pumpkin. And I was already disappointed that 'beetroot' gnocchi uses only 400g of beetroot to 1kg of potato...so in essence, we're talking about regular gnocchi with a lurid pinkish hue.

I also had a culinary epiphany: gnocchi are essentially my gran's potato noodles. Funnily enough, I would never think of asking gran to put beetroot or pumpkin in her dish, but 'beetroot gnocchi' had me hooked before I read the recipe.

Last night, in an effort to quickly use up yet more courgette and because we were out of pasta noodles (shockhorror), I made polenta. Generally, it's great comfort food: properly stodgy, warm, and requiring little by way of masticatory effort. I seem to be upping the stakes in the department of stodgy food - unintentionally. But I also always forget how dense and filling gnocchi are - definitely more appropriate for a starter than a main.

It was however, the most colourful thing I've ever put on the table in some ways: with grilled yellow courgette, it looked like the product of the play-doh kitchen set.

My friend G had an amazing beetroot curry at a lovely vegetarian Keralan place in Stoke Newington - and I hear tell of beetroot chocolate cake...

Beets remaining: 6lbs, 4oz

open day

Open Day on campus today - these happen every year at the same time and every year I forget about them until I get to campus where the quiet serenity of the summer is shattered prematurely by A-level students and their parents strolling confusedly around, clutching maps and the university prospectus. Luckily, I snagged a table outside in the blazing sunshine at my coffee spot and so wasn't embittered by having to sit on the steps.

I had a novel experience this morning: turning down teaching. It's a funny position to be in: I have a great schedule this year, loads of teaching and enough time to get research done, but I hate to turn anything down because I'm only secure until next July... So I end up sending very strange notes turning down teaching but asking to be kept in mind.

The weather has turned absolutely beautiful - from what I can see through the windows *sigh* Two more weeks of the library before turning directly into the teaching term: which I'm really looking foward to, in spite of the fact that due to scheduling, I will effectively be living alone for a semester - at least during the week. I've got everything from Renaissance lit to the Victorian 'sensation novel' - which is really revenge tragedy straight through to revenge tragedy... lovely! And no Hamlet! Joy of joys! Plus a conference on The Wire at the end of November. Good times ahead.