I didn’t meet Ed Sheeran but…

I spent a wonderful weekend in Ipswich with local artist Lane Mathias.

Beautiful walks, the docks, local shops and great company. The joy of lively conversation, good food and a visual feast of vibrant artwork. Too good not to share.

Lane Mathias

https://lanemathias.com/

Laughter, good conversation and heavenly vegan food. With age, I recognise the benefits of just hanging out and talking! We go back a long way, so we have a lot to chat about and it’s amazing the ‘zig-zag’ conversations we have, putting the world ‘right’ in a comical, reflective and with ‘hindsight’ way. But ultimately, laughter. It felt great.

What has happened to conversation? In a world of soundbites, one liners and emojis, does anyone really talk and agree to disagree without causing offence? Develop an opinion, explore an idea or follow a line of interest?

How do we feel when we are sharing with others? Validated, experimental, noticed, comforted, challenged, secure or insecure? How do we negotiate what other people believe, say or think compared to our views?

Are we living our life through the lenses of Instagram, Facebook or social media? Has life and conversation become one big filter to only show the best bits?

After a wonderful weekend of walks and talks, I realised this was a luxury. In our hectic lives, the joy of conversation is not only like a form of therapy, we learn too. To ‘see’ people, to ‘read’ movements, to expand on our interpretations and go deeper with social and emotional learning. People are interesting and often, have a lot to share!

It's good to share!

This was just so good! Super tasty and easy to make.

Lane Mathias Roasted Vegetable and Chickpea Tagine

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp ground cumin

1tbsp harissa paste

3tbsp vegetable oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 medium onion

400g butternut squash, peeled and diced into small cubes

1 aubergine, diced into small cubes

1 medium red pepper

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

250ml

vegetable stock

400g tin of chickpeas (wash and drain)

Zest and juice of a lemon

30g of dried apricots, roughly chopped

1 pomegranate, seeds knocked out and cleaned (optional)

1 pack of coriander (add to taste)

Half tsp ground ginger.

-Mix together the dried spices and the tablespoon of harissa paste.

-Heat the oil in a large saucepan or pot on a high heat and add the garlic, sliced onion and cook for a few minutes until translucent.

-Then transfer the garlic and onion to the bowl with the paste mix and return to the heat.

-Add the remaining oil to the pot and the butternut squash, cook for three to five minutes. Then add the diced aubergine and cook for a further two minutes. Then add the diced pepper and cook for a further two minutes.

-Next add the chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock (it should just cover the vegetables).

-Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for further 30 minutes or until the butternut is soft and tender. Stir occasionally to stop the vegetables breaking down and getting too soft.

-Lastly, add the washed and drained chickpeas and roughly chopped dried vegetables for a further 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the juice and zest of the lemon.

-Serve with chopped coriander and a scattering of fresh pomegranate seeds if desired.

*tsp-teaspoon

*tbsp - tablespoon