Investment Strategies

I used to have savings. They used to live in a building society in which, quietly and without drama, they did their stuff. Then the building society got eaten by a larger building society. Then the resulting combo turned into a bank (and handed Lunchista a few shares, which were promptly flogged off). Then that bank merged with another bank, and just this year, in a move that made headlines, the resulting bank-combo was bought out by a bank whose services Lunchista had been studiously avoiding using for years.

It all looked a bit like that video game in which you're a fish and you get bigger by eating smaller fish, while trying not to get eaten by a bigger fish in your turn. Good job I'd long since taken the money and run.

And now for something completely different. A few months ago the Yorkshire Post was offering free organic seeds. Talk about an Offer I Can't Refuse! The new front bed at Chateau Lunchista is now full of Purple Broccolli, Sunflowers and Beetroots. For once I must be doing something right, because they're all enormous. And, might I add, tax-free. The beetroots are called "Detroit". In an effort at Cold War reconciliation, we dug them up and made Borsch.

It's dead easy. Get four beetroots, chop off the roots and the leaves (leave a couple of inches of the stems), wash them, put in a big pan (about 2 litres or 3 pints) of water and bring to the boil. Now either simmer it for an hour, or get a box full of crumpled newspaper, carefully put the pan in, put more newspapers around it and close the flaps, leave it and go to work for the day (or sleep for the night). Return to find nicely-stewed soft beetroots in purple liquid. Lift the beetroots out, grate them back into the purple liquid, add salt and heat up again. Serve poured over diced cucumbers (and diced boiled eggs for a more substantial dish), with a spoonful of Smetana (or plain yogurt) on the top. You can eat it hot in the winter (and make it even more substantial by putting in any scraps of cooked meat you happen to have) or chilled in the summer.