You say tomato, I say potato

The potato ring from last night was a surprising success. It wasn't the most exciting flavour ever, but it was savoury and filling, so I can't complain. The ring was actually two rings, the second being thrown forward to tonight's meal. I'll reheat it in the oven, covered with foil to stop it burning.

With it I'm serving the vegetable mince I invented previously. I've started by halving a dozen tomatoes, sticking some garlic into each one and putting them in a medium oven for an hour or so. This was so successful last time that I'm also doing this with the mushrooms and the carrot.

In a pan, I'll melt a small amount of my combined fat ration - well under an ounce, perhaps just half a teaspoon. I'll fry off some onions, then add the roast mushrooms. A little gravy powder to make a roux, then two thirds of the tomatoes. Add chopped potato and leave to slow cook covered. At the end, I'll add some gravy browning to give it the mince colouring.

With the remaining tomatoes, I'm making cream of tomato soup. I'll melt another tiny piece of fat and fry off some more onion, make a roux, add some stock, the usual. In with the tomatoes and the ubiquitous chopped potato. In with a small tin of evaporated milk (on points but worth it) and top with stock. Bring to the boil and leave to cook (off the heat if I've got time) until the potato is cooked. Strain the veg out and blend (or pass through a sieve). Reunite the soup and the pulp, bring back to the heat and serve.

Meanwhile, the stout from last night was very nice, although I could taste it all day whenever I burped, so I'm having another pint tonight. In further news, I had blood tests the other week for my high cholesterol (due to genetics, not due to a high fat diet). It's much reduced, thanks to six months of statins and the World War Two rationing of fat - the latter making my doctor cry with laughter at the very thought. So perhaps this is insanity, after all: even the medical establishment thinks I'm mad.