A Day's Meals
I shop every day to ensure that good, fresh ingredients go into every meal. Buying food for large groups of people is a complex and sustained task with plenty of heavy lifting. I’m used to finding the food I want in many different places: large supermarkets, village shops, country bakeries, farmers, markets and catering suppliers.
Breakfast
Breakfast is usually a do-it-yourself experience, in which team members help themselves from a range
of cereals, my own Bircher muesli, toast, cheese, cold meats, eggs, fruit, juice and tea or coffee.
Lunch
As with the other meals, lunch depends on the climate and the taste of those attending the dig. It might include hot or
cold soup (always made on the day), sandwiches, pizza, quiche, frittata or a ploughman’s lunch of cheese, cold meats, chutney and crusty bread. It can
also be an occasion for dips (also made on the day) including taramasalata, tzatziki, hummous, babaganoush, skordalia and savoury bread. An important
feature of lunch is a big green salad as well as salads based on rice, pasta or tuna. In Cyprus, I dip halloumi in flour, lightly fry it and then drizzle
caramelized balsamic vinegar on top. Delicious!
Dinner
Dinner basics are chicken, meat or fish and these may be served in various dishes such as Thai or Indian curries, chili con carne,
pork spare ribs with rice and salad, beef lasagna, tandoori chicken, Thai fish cakes, pork afelia, vegetable and chickpea tagine, moussaka, spanakopita and
old-fashioned spaghetti bolognaise. And vegetarians are always catered for.
Rounding off the meal may be fresh fruit, desserts such as sticky date pudding,
citrus syrup cake or peach, apricot or apple clefoutis – depending on seasonal and local availability.
