We returned to Borough Market yesterday as promised and picked up some of those mushrooms that had caught our attention last week. We opted for the Buna Shimeji or Brown Beech mushrooms. These were perfect cooked in white wine and cream and eaten with some fat, juicy ostrich steaks. The flavour of the meat was rich and earthy and we cooked them rare, just like beef, as the seller suggested. Because the meat is so lean, it can be quite tricky to cut but once in the mouth, it is really tender. Next time though, I think thinner steaks will make for better eating.

We ate it with this fab yellow, round courgette, much sweeter than the standard variety. The trusty barbecue came out for the steaks and courgette slices, drizzled with olive oil and seasoning and cooked just in time before the first few drops of rain.

Ostrich Steak with Brown Beech Mushroom Sauce and Yellow Courgettes

2 ostrich steaks
An average clump of Buna Shimeji (Brown Beech) mushrooms
Dash double cream
Dash white wine
Small handful thyme leaves
Olive oil
Generous knob butter
1 yellow courgette

- Slice the courgettes, coat with olive oil and seasoning (not too much salt) and grill on the barbecue.
- Cook the ostrich steaks for 2 minutes each side, then rest in a warm place for 6 minutes or so (I keep the oven on low) until the sauce is done.
- For the sauce, saute the mushrooms in the butter and a drop of olive oil for a couple of minutes before adding a healthy splash of white wine and allowing it to reduce nicely.
- Add the thyme and a dash of double cream, remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning.

Yum, yum yum! The sauce was so flavoursome; although not overly strong, the mushrooms had a nice little kick to them. We finished the meal with one of these ‘coconut drops cakes’.

They consisted of chunks of coconut, glued together with a sweet, gingery coating, very, very moreish, although not the kind of thing you can eat all at once.

For lunch this week, we ate some really fresh, hand dived, seared scallops, served with stir fry, bacon bits and bread. The scallops were perfectly cooked and juicy. How cool is Borough Market?! I could go there every week and it would take me a very long time to tire of it. Sadly, my bank balance will not allow this. Borough Market isn’t the cheapest place to shop, but you are paying for the quality of the produce. If more people started shopping in markets and local shops, then obviously the price would go down, although this is a tourist attraction too, which partly contributes to the prices. The crowds don’t seem too bad when you are there however, because it’s just so damn impressive.Next week I’ve promised myself a different farmer’s market, but it won’t be long before I return to Borough.