Monday, July 5, 2010

Dangerous Potatoes

Day 20


Then: 15 stone 5 pounds (215 lbs)
Now: 14 stone 10 pounds (206 lbs)

No change. I’m convinced the alcohol has been the cause of my undoing. This morning I put my delightfully boozy friend Keith on the train with a sigh of relief that I won’t be tempted tonight. Back to abstinence and a renewed focus to get down below 200 lbs.

But tonight I encountered an even greater threat to my waistline. I’ve been looking at my new potatoes growing in the vegetable garden and I’ve finally decided to see how they’ve done.

These are not just potatoes, they’re Arran Pilots – the softest, fleshiest, sweetest, waxiest, most succulent potatoes you can find. You can’t buy them in supermarkets or even the best greengrocers: but I have a supplier who sells me seeds for chitting, and I look forward each year to July 1st, the day I traditionally start digging them up.


I’ve waited 5 days too long. So, despite Dr Dukan’s insistence that I’m throwing the entire diet away, I pulled half a dozen beauties out of the ground and Jo, Sam and I had them with an aged sirloin steak grilled rare and some wild rocket and red oakleaf salad from the garden. With a tomato grilled with basil and balsamic, it was a magnificent feast and, at the centre of my plate, two gorgeous white spuds, laced with fresh mint. Quite the best flavour on my tongue for nearly three weeks.

Later, Sam had a chocolate soufflé from Waitrose. I shut my eyes.

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