With the pandemic keeping everyone inside, it’s no surprise that ‘cottagecore’ is on the rise among teens on TikTok. ‘Cottagecore’, or ‘Grand Millennial’, is a movement sweeping the youngs, inspiring them to go forage for mushrooms, cook stews, and learn to crochet. Emboldened by fourteen year olds trying to live a simple, hobbit-y life, this entire week will be dedicated to things you can do to feel a bit more cottagecore. First up: food!
Cottagecore as an aesthetic has been criticised as being a bit euro-centric (ie: ignoring the fact that rural Asian foods, aesthetics and traditions are just as interesting!), but here at the Thousand Dollar Journal we never pass up a good soup recipe! We’re going to be making my favourite soup, pea and pesto. Just one edit from Nigella, though: I’d throw in a big handful of mint just before blending, which lightens up an otherwise claggy soup, especially if you live somewhere hot. The mint also means it tastes nicer chilled, too, so added benefits for the Southern Hemisphere this time of year.
Another great cottagecore activity is making jam. Jam is a great way to preserve any fruit that you may have in your fridge as their seasons end, from anything as basic as strawberry, to as adventurous as pineapple, jackfruit, or banana. For a basic rule of thumb, though, just throw in double the amount of white sugar for the weight of your fruit, a squeeze of lemon juice, and the zest of one lemon to make any jam that will last in your fridge for up to three months. You could also freeze the jam into an icecube tray to make it last even longer!
You could also get back to basics with making your own cheese. Sold in little single-serving pots and often marked up, cottage cheese can quickly add up if you’re buying it every day for weightloss reasons. What if I told you that it’s almost as quick to make at home? Farmer cheese is something I learnt to make at school during a science lesson, and used to whip up on days I wanted something filling, fun, and peppery. I like to douse mine in black pepper, but I knew people who would chop up tinned pineapple onto the cheese for a sweet treat. (Don’t worry about how much cheese it yields — I would scale down the recipe to make just a serving size on toast with a quick squeeze of lemon juice.)
If you’ve got any traditional recipes, why don’t you let us know on the Thousand Dollar Facebook page or Instagram? We’d love to try them out!
Photo by Sarah Pflug from Burst.
