After a few years, some additions to our home (like a gas oven!), and figuring out how things work here, we're starting to be able to diversify our diet a bit.
The oven has meant we can actually bake things! Marianne had been yearning for a particular recipe for a couple years now..."Herb Scones with a Light Touch". They take plain yogurt (also not in Pader) and green onions...and an oven!
Well, on furlough, we learned how to make homemade yogurt. Our co-worker, Patel, was growing onions in the compound, so we could use the stems to substitute for green onions. And now we have an oven! And so, the dream of "Herb Scones with a Light Touch" was finally realised...alongside another new recipe we've added to our repertoire - creamy tomato and rice soup - inspired by Mike's Omie and a soup she served us in Canada last time! (And it was a delicious meal!)
Regarding "figuring out how things work", what we mean is how to get a wider selection of vegetables more often. The staples in Pader are tomatoes (which, of course, is technically a fruit, but hey!), eggplant, and cabbage. Sometimes you can get carrots, but they are sporadic, small, and limp. Whenever we would go to Kampala or some other larger town, we would always try to come back with some green peas, french beans, cucumbers, and carrots. However, we don't go to those places very often, so what to do?
Well, as we've learned over time, being here is all about RELATIONSHIPS. One day we called up a friend who runs a stall in the market. We asked where she gets her produce from. "Kampala," she said. Kampala!? That's where the biggest variety is! "Can you get us a couple kilos of ______, please, and we'll make sure we cover the cost of transport?" DONE! Now, carrots, cucumbers, and the like are just a phone call (and a couple days wait) away!
Recently we've acquired a potential cheese supplier as well. However, we will probably use that connection less often, because cheese is really expensive here!!