Wednesday, April 28, 2010

newsletter w/c 26/04/2010

Planting is in full flight now. I’ve nearly filled half the poly-tunnel already, with seed trays, so, it’s going to be bursting at the seams by the time they’ve all been pricked out or transplanted. I finished the potato planting last Wednesday, as planned and also managed to get time to transplant the rest of the garlic. A third row of Jerusalem Artichokes went in as well as a half row of shallots.
I’ve made a start on the onion planting, which is the most time consuming of all the seeds. I just can’t get a machine or gadget to speed up the process, every single onion set has to be individually planted by hand. We do other seeds by hand, but none of them in as high numbers as the onions. If the weather stays fair, I’ll be planting onions all week
We’ve also been trying to get our bee-hives sorted out for the coming season, so if anyone knows any beekeepers out there who could help me out with a couple of starter colonies or swarms, I would be very grateful. Apiculture is a fascinating subject and a great hobby, made far easier if we get some decent summers. Colony numbers have reduced drastically over the past decade due to the varroa mite, so the Scottish Beekeepers Association are desperate for as many people to start-up honey production as possible.
The bags are starting to take on a more summery feel now. We’re probably only about a month away from having our first new season produce in the bags, but through this’hungry gap’ time of year, we’ll be giving you a mixture of the winter veg and some bought-in summer items, like the courgettes this week.
We’ve had a few requests to take stalls at school gala days. These have been ones that we attended last year. If you have a school near you with a gala day in the next couple of months, please let us know and we’ll see if they would like us to take a stall and whether we have room in our diary. It’s good to spread the word about our service to as many people as possible. We are in the process, thanks to our friend Anne, of designing a proper logo for The Whole Shebag, so that we can have eye-catching advertising material and properly sign-written vehicles. Hopefully this should be turned around before too long.

Potatoes Solanum tuberosum. Tatties this week are Remarka a good general purpose potato.. Potatoes are the only commonly available source of B3 and Iodine. Excellent source of Vitamin C and also Vitamin B6, Potassium and fibre.

Onion Allium cepa. Used in stews, pasta dishes, soups. Source of Vitamins A and C, Iron, Calcium and Potassium .

Carrot Daucus carota Carrots are eaten fresh in salads or cooked in just about any way you like. They are an excellent source of Vitamin A and also contain significant amounts of Vitamins B, C, D, E and K. and Potassium.

Kohl-rabi Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group (1 head) Excellent source of Vitamin C and of potassium. Peel the outer skin off of the swollen bulb then eat either raw or cooked. Here’s a recipe for Sugar-browned kohl-rabi Peel the kohl-rabi and cut into finger-wide strips. Blanch for 5 minutes then refresh in cold water. Return the kohl-rabi to the pan with a small amount of boiling lightly salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Drain and allow to cool slightly. Melt 1oz (25g) sugar in a heavy based frying pan without stirring, until it bubbles and is pale brown. Add 1oz (25g) of butter and stir until blended. Stir in the kohl-rabi strips and shake the pan frequently to coat all the strips evenly with caramel.

Courgette Cucurbita pepo (1 head) Source of Vitamins A and C , calcium, iron and fibre. Prepare by wshing and trimming both ends. Courgettes can be coked whole or in slices, or they can be cut in half lengthways filled with stuffing and baked. Boil courgettes in lightly salted water for 15-20 minutes. Sliced courgettes may be steamed in butter for 10 minutes. Halved courgettes may be parboiled for 5 minutes the finished in the oven, in a well-buttered dish for 25 minutes at 190oC (375oF) Gas Mark 5.

Celery Apium graveolens (1 head) This biennial veg is high in Vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and fibre. The stalks are generally eaten fresh or used in soups and stews. To cook it, boil it in a little salted boiling water for 15-20 minutes or steam it for 25-30 minutes. Serve in cheese or parsley sauce or smothered in butter.

Parsnip. Pastinaca sativa Good for Vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and fibre. Peel, then cut into chunks for boiling or roasting, also can be grated into soups or kept in chunks for soups or stews. Here’s a recipe for: Curried parsnip couscous. Prepare your parsnips and cut them into batons about 7cm (3inches) long, the thicker sections will need to be quartered. Mix together 1 teaspoon each of sea salt, paprika and ground cumin, a tablespoon each of sunflower oil and honey and a dash of tabasco sauce. Pour this over the parsnips and leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200oC/400oF/Gas 6. Cover the parsnips tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour. Turn them regularly, making sure they are tightly wrapped before returning them to the oven. Sprinkle them with water from time to time to stop sticking. Towards the end of the cooking time prepare some couscous. Serve the couscous with the parsnips, sprinkled with coriander leaves. Have mango chutney on hand, just to finish it off.
knob of butter, or coated in a white sauce or cheese sauce.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Newsletter 19/04/2010

Reading back my ‘to-do’ list on last weeks letter is quite encouraging. I’ve managed to at least make a start on most of the items I hoped to do and have completed a few as well. Andy has transplanted a whole row of garlic this afternoon. I have never transplanted garlic before and am not sure it will enjoy the disruption, but it’s the only way it’s going to get any chance to grow in a weed-free environment with plenty of space. I’ll try to finish the other row off tomorrow. My parents came over to babysit the kids for Friday and when they arrived on Thursday night, I enlisted my Dad’s help in planting Jerusalem Artichokes. I spent most of the end of last week, digging them up. We selected the best of them and planted them in freshly turned soil, again, in plenty of space to encourage a bumper crop. The field was ploughed on Thursday morning and, as this was the last thing holding me back, we’ve been planting ever since. I have now planted all the seed potatoes that I had and am a few bags short, so Murray has kindly let me have a few bags of his to fill up the plot. So by Tuesday evening, the potato plot should be fully planted and all we’ll be waiting for, is the sun to heat the soil a bit and get everything growing. I’ll need to target the onion situation after the tatties are planted.

The reason we needed babysitters for Friday was to attend the Memorial Service for Lynda’s cousin, Michael Mavor. He died suddenly, at the age of 62, while in Peru, visiting his terminally ill brother-in-law. He had a highly celebrated career as headmaster of some of the best known schools in Britain. He became headmaster at Gordonstoun at the age of 31, then after a successful decade there, he took the same post at, the then troubled, Rugby School. He turned Rugby’s fortunes around and then finished his career back at the school he himself was taught at, Loretto on the East side of Edinburgh. His academic acheivements were matched by sporting prowess. It seemed, whatever he turned his hand to, he could master. The service was held in St Giles Cathedral and people had to stand in the aisles due to the huge turnout. The respect and affection for a man who moulded and influenced so many lives was tangible and the service was a moving and fitting tribute.

Potatoes Solanum tuberosum. Tatties this week are Remarka a good general purpose potato.. Potatoes are the only commonly available source of B3 and Iodine. Excellent source of Vitamin C and also Vitamin B6, Potassium and fibre.

Onion Allium cepa. Used in stews, pasta dishes, soups. Source of Vitamins A and C, Iron, Calcium and Potassium .

Carrot Daucus carota Carrots are eaten fresh in salads or cooked in just about any way you like. They are an excellent source of Vitamin A and also contain significant amounts of Vitamins B, C, D, E and K. and Potassium.

Calabrese Brassica oleracea Italica Group (1 head). I have been corrected by one of our customers. What I have called broccoli up to now, is in fact, calabrese and should be called it’s proper name. Whatever it is, it is an excellent source of Vitamin C and phytochemicals and also contains Vitamins A, B2 and B6, Phosphorus, fibre Iron and calcium. Here’s a recipe for Roast Calabrese with Chilli and Soy Sauce that I gave a couple of weeks ago as a romanesco recipe. It is fairly versatile. :
Toss 350g of Calabrese, broken into florets, in a tablespoon of olive oil. Cut the stalks into thick batons. Spread them all out on a baking tray and roast in a preheated oven for 10 mins at 200oC/Gas Mark 6 for 10 mins.Add 2 thinly sliced cloves of the garlic, ½ a red chilli, finely chopped and ½ a tablespoon of sesame seeds and mix through. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, sprinkle with soy sauce and serve. I haven’t tried this one yet but I hope to this week.

Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum Source of Vitamins A and C, potassium and iron. The tomato is eaten fresh in salads or used for sauces, Britain’s favourite soup or casseroles. Here’s a recipe for Tomato and Tarragon Soup, it’s been a favourite with our family for years. Melt a tablespoon of olive oil and 40g (1 ½ oz) of butter together in a big pan and cook a finely chopped onion, a sliced stick of celery, 2 sliced carrots and a chopped clove of garlic for 2 minutes. Add either 675g (1 ½ lbs) of chopped ripe tomatoes or 2x400g tins of chopped tomatoes. Also add a bay leaf, 2 tblespns of tomato puree a tablespoon of dried or fresh tarragon, 1 litre (1 ¾ pints) of chicken or vegetable stock, a small strip of lemon rind and 1 teaspoon of sugar to taste. Simmer gently, uncovered for 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and the lemon rind, then puree in a liquidiser. Taste for seasoning and reheat. Serve with a twist of pepper. Leek Alllium porrum Leeks arew used to give a creamy texture to soups. They can also be served as an accompanying vegetable, and may be boiled, braised, steamed or fried. To prepare, cut off the root base and any damaged upper leaves. Rinse in running cold water to wash away the grit that gets caught between the leaves. Boil in minimum of salted water. Whole or halved leeks need 15-20 minutes while rings and slices need about 10 minutes. Drain then return to the pan to steam off any remaining water. Serve with a knob of butter, or coated in a white sauce or cheese sauce.

Swede Brassica napa. (1head). Cut off the top and bottom of the swede then peel thickly. Cut into cubes or big chunks and boil for 30-40 minutes or alternatively, parboil then set around a roast in the oven for the last 30 minutes of cooking time.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Newsletter w/c 12/04/10

We received a replacement cover for the poly-tunnel on Thursday so that let me complete it this weekend. We had a really calm day at Cobbinshaw on Friday, so with no other help available, Finn, Keir and I managed to get the cover on and nailed down without taking off. I spent Sunday sorting out the levels inside. It was heavy work and with the sun pouring down on the tunnel all day, I was completely exhausted by the end of the afternoon. It’s a great feeling to have it completed though, and we’ve even had some germination already from seed that I sowed last week. Lynda is a bit of a fair weather gardener and enjoys the heat so I think she’ll be working in the tunnel quite a bit.
I took a break from tunnel construction, on Saturday, to attend the Balerno farmers Market. As construction work was taking place in the High St, we were moved to the school car park and I think it was a better venue than the main street. I think a lot of the stall holders felt the same way, so maybe some pressure will be put on the council to get us in there permanently.
Andy’s off on holiday, to celebrate his father’s birthday up at Crieff Hydro, so I’ll be delivering on Tuesday this week. Delivery times may be a bit earlier than usual. I’d like to get back to the farm as quickly as possible to get on with jobs needing done.
On the farm, I’ve got loads to do, but the field is still really wet from the snow-melt from last week and the rain we had afterwards. I’ll get as many seeds into trays as I can and get them started. I’m hoping to get the field ploughed on Tuesday or Wednesday and as soon as that is done, I’ll use our new rotovator to produce a seed bed that we can plant potatoes into. I may be able to plant jerusalem artichokes and transplant garlic, which is growing away well, but in the wrong place, this week before the ploughing. I need to make a start on planting onion sets as well, as they are starting to sprout in the bags that they have been stored in. I should be planting constantly for 6 weeks now.
Potatoes Solanum tuberosum. Tatties this week are Remarka a good general purpose potato.. The tatties will be various sizes for a while until they’re big enough to go through the grading machine. Potatoes are the only commonly available source of B3 and Iodine. Excellent source of Vitamin C and also Vitamin B6, Potassium and fibre.
Onion Allium cepa. Used in stews, pasta dishes, soups. Source of Vitamins A and C, Iron, Calcium and Potassium .
Carrot Daucus carota Carrots are eaten fresh in salads or cooked in just about any way you like. They are an excellent source of Vitamin A and also contain significant amounts of Vitamins B, C, D, E and K. and Potassium.
Red Cabbage Brassica oleracea Capitata Group..(1 head) Excellent source of Vitamin C and phytochemicals and also contains Vitamin B6, potassium, fibre and calcium. Here’s a recipe for Braised red cabbage which uses apples rather than the orange based gravy I gave you last time. Braised Red Cabbage: Remove the outer coarse leaves and cut the cabbage into quarters. Remove the tough cores and shred the cabbage finely. Peel core and grate 2 cooking apples and mix with the cabbage. Melt 2oz. (50g) of butter in a pan, add 5fl.oz.(150ml) white wine vinegar and mix in the cabbage; coat thoroughly; then cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer over a gentle heat for 1 hour. Add a little more vinegar or water if the cabbage threatens to stick. Stir in 5fl.oz. (150ml) of red wine or blackcurrant juice, season to taste with sugar. The cabbage will have a fairly sharp flavour. Cover with a lid and simmer until tender.
the flesh. Boil in lightly salted water for 30 minutes and mash with cream and butter.
Parsley Petroselinum sp. (100g) This flat leaved variety of parsley has far more flavour than the more common curly type, though I have to say the curly one is a far nicer plant to look at. Excellent for flavouring all sorts of dishes or cut into salads. Especially popular in our household, cut over boiled potatoes, with a little melted butter.
Kohl Rabi Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group (1 head) – Excellent source of vitamin C and potassium. These swollen stem bases are great eaten raw, but can be cooked. Just peel off the outer skin and slice or dice the inner flesh. To cook, blanch for 5 minutes in boiling water with a little added lemon juice, then refresh in cold water. Cook the kohl-rabi for 10-15 minutes in a minimal amount of boiling, lightly salted, water, adding butter at a rate of 3oz per lb of vegetable. Serve with a little of the cooking liquid poured over it.
Beetroot Beta vulgaris (400g ) Contains Vitamin C folic acid and potassium. Can be cooked in various ways, but don’t peel the beet until you’ve boiled it as this stops it ‘bleeding’. My recipe for you this week completely disregards this, so have a pair of rubber gloves and newspaper handy. I’m going to tell you how to make Super Boost Juice – Put on the rubber gloves, spread out a newspaper and peel your beetroot and cut it into chunks. Take 4 apples and quarter and core them. Take 4 carrots and trim and peel them. Take 1cm/1 inch of fresh ginger and peel it. This is easily done by scraping the skin off with the side of a teaspoon. Process all the ingredients through a juicer. Stir and serve immediately, adding ice if desired.
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Monday, April 05, 2010

Newsletter w/c 05/04/10

I had high hopes of completing the construction of my first poly-tunnel yesterday, on Easter Sunday. The weather conditions were favourable, ie. Dry and calm, and I had my team of helpers on standby to come and help me pull the cover over and batten it down. I managed to finish all the woodwork that needed done prior to fixing the cover and called the troups in. I ended up relying on girl power, Kyrsten and Maureen came up from Woolfords, and Lynda and myself, got all the tape on to the metal hoops and opened up the big roll of polythene. Finn spotted a little caterpiller under the packaging and we were having a chat about how far it had travelled etc, when we found it had sustained itself on polythene. If you’ve got kids, you’ll know the ‘Hungry Little Caterpiller’ book. Well, that’s exactly what it looked like, one little hole burrowing a few layers into the polythene. There was no point going any further until we see if we can get a replacement. Even small holes reduce the strength of the entire sheet and reduce the lifespan of the tunnel. Maybe by next week we’ll have a complete tunnel, but the weather forecast doesn’t seem to good for this week.
Talking of weather, the snow last Wednesday was a bit of a shock. Our road up to the farm has hedges on either side of it and the snow had drifted into it and piled the entire drive 6 feet high. I was quite sure there was no way I was going to get out to do deliveries at all, when I heard a rumbling sound. It was Matthew, with his machine and front bucket, clearing the snow. It was heavy work, but he managed to clear a channel to let me get the van out. It was like driving through a canyon. The wing mirrors had to get folded in, and if I’d got stuck anywhere I wouldn’t have been able to get the doors open. Something like one of these bobsleigh tracks. However I got out and although it was a late day, there weren’t many people who didn’t get deliveries.
Potatoes Solanum tuberosum. Tatties this week are Remarka a good general purpose potato.. The tatties will be various sizes for a while until they’re big enough to go through the grading machine. Potatoes are the only commonly available source of B3 and Iodine. Excellent source of Vitamin C and also Vitamin B6, Potassium and fibre.
Onion Allium cepa. Used in stews, pasta dishes, soups. Source of Vitamins A and C, Iron, Calcium and Potassium .
Carrot Daucus carota Carrots are eaten fresh in salads or cooked in just about any way you like. They are an excellent source of Vitamin A and also contain significant amounts of Vitamins B, C, D, E and K. and Potassium.
Garlic Allium sativum ( 1 head) Excellent source of phytochemicals Vitamin A and C, calcium and iron. Cook a crushed clove with butter and spread it on french bread or toast.
Butternut Squash Cucurbita sp. (1 head) Butternut Squash is a member of the winter squash club. It is amn excellent source of Vitamins A amd C and a significant source of Vitamin B6 and Magnesium, potassium and fibre. To prepare it, simply peel the squash and chop into chunks, then roast it in a hot oven for 20 minutes. Here’s a recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash with coconut and coriander sauce. Heat the oven to 200oC/400oF/Gas 6. Cut the squash in half lengthways and remove the seeds. Make deep cuts in the flesh but not all the way through to the skin, to form a diamond pattern. Mix together 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil with1 teaspoon of tamari, 2 dashes of tabasco, a few drops of balsamic vinegar, a tablespoon of water and a crushed clove of garlic. Brush this mixture over the squash, turn the squash flesh side down on a baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the flesh is tender. Turn the squash flesh side up and bake for a further 10 minutes. While it’s cooking you can make the sauce. Take a 400ml can of coconut milk and pour it into a pan along with, a sliced clove of garlic, a sliced spring onion ( if you can get it), a handful of finely diced red pepper and a small handful of fresh coriander ( or half a teaspoon of dried). Simmer for 10 minutes then turn off the heat and leave it to infuse. To serve, strain the sauce and return to the pan to reheat. Add the same amount of red pepper and coriander again, spoon a little over each squash and serve the rest separately.
White Cabbage Brassica oleracea Capitata Group There’s nothing like the crunch of bit of white cabbage with a bit of melted butter enhancing the flavour. Great winter accompaniment to any dish. Cabbage is a source of phytochemicals, Vitamin C, potassium, fibre , calcium and Vitamin B6. To cook, cut the cabbage into quarters, take out the central core and either cook it whole for 20 minutes in lightly salted boiling water, or shred it an cook it for 12-15 minutes. Serve up with melted butter over the top.
Parsnip Pastinaca sativa Source of Vitamin C and Folic Acid. Peel the root thickly and slice the flesh. Boil in lightly salted water for 30 minutes. Alternatively, parboil for 10 minutes then roast for 20 – 30 minutes. Here’s a recipe I found for: Fried Parsnips; Trim the tops and roots off the parsnips then peel and cut in half lengthways. Put the parsnips in a pan of boiling water ( lightly salted) and cook for 15 minutes. They should still be firm and not quite tender. Drain thoroughly. Lightly beat an egg and dip the parsnips in it before caoting them with breadcrumbs seasoned with salt and pepper. Melt 2oz(50g) of butter in a frying pan and shallow fry the parsnips until they are golden and crisp on both sides, turning once.

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Newsletter w/c 29th March 2010

I’ve managed to figure out how to update the blog now, on the website, so these newsletters now appear each week on the NEWS link on our home page. If you ever miss out on a hard copy in your bag or if you don’t get a veg bag every week, and want to keep in touch, then this will be the perfect answer. I’ve even managed to write a few additional blogs in between the newsletter inserts.
I still haven’t started planting yet, which means I’m behind schedule on previous years, but I’m not really worried as the weather meant that the plants were in the ground far too early and just didn’t do very much for a long time. They ended up maturing at exactly the same time as plants planted 3-4 weeks after them. I think I’ll try to start some of the longer season veggies off in seed trays this week. Hopefully they’ll grow on well in the new poly-tunnel. I anticipated correctly, that I wouldn’t get much time to build it last week, as Andy was off on hols, but I managed to build a little of it at the weekend. The shape looks a little strange in places .
I had a bit of a set-back on Tuesday when one of the tractor tyres had a blowout. They were pretty worn out, so thought it might be time to get a new set of tyres. I was quoted £500 for the supply and fit of the tyres, and once I’d picked myself back up of the ground, from the shock, I realised there was a sale on Thursday for 2nd hand farm implements. I got up really early and got round most of the Edinburgh run and headed out to Lanark for the start of the sale. I love auctions, it’s great trailing through all the junk looking for the nugget of good handy tools and implements. I can get really carried away. However, there were no wheels of the correct size, but I did find a rotovator. Everybody seemed to want it and the bidding went ridiculously high, but I eventually won out. So it’s been an expensive week, as I also had to get the £500 tyres fitted, so that I could trail down to Lanark in the tractor, early on Saturday morning to pick up the rotovator and take it home. Lets hope it works after all this trouble and expense!
Potatoes Solanum tuberosum. Tatties this week are Remarka a good general purpose potato.. The tatties will be various sizes for a while until they’re big enough to go through the grading machine. Potatoes are the only commonly available source of B3 and Iodine. Excellent source of Vitamin C and also Vitamin B6, Potassium and fibre.
Onion Allium cepa. Used in stews, pasta dishes, soups. Source of Vitamins A and C, Iron, Calcium and Potassium .
Carrot Daucus carota Carrots are eaten fresh in salads or cooked in just about any way you like. They are an excellent source of Vitamin A and also contain significant amounts of Vitamins B, C, D, E and K. and Potassium.
Swede Brassica napa (1 head) You’ve had about a months rest from swede and you’re probably going to need the same again, as some of these swedes are whoppers. They’ll last you for ages. It’s obviously the veg of choice to have with haggis, but is also a superb veg to puree for babies. To prepare it just peel it thickly and chop off the top and base of the root. Cut it up or dice it and boil for about half an hour in slightly salted water, or until tender. Mash it with cream and a little butter.
Leek Allium porrum. (2 head) Leeks give a lovely creamy consistency to soups and are great in flans or quiches. Leeks are a great source of Vitamin C. Be sure to wash them very carefully though, as soil gets caught in the leaf axils as it is growing. Cut up the leek then rinse in cold running water in a colander. May be substituted later in the week.
Calabrese Brassica oleracea Italica Group (1 head). Broccoli, or calabrese’ to give it it’s proper name, is an excellent source of Vitamin C and phytochemicals and also contains Vitamins A, B2 and B6, Phosphorus, fibre Iron and calcium. Here’s a recipe for Roast Calabrese with Chilli and Soy that I gave a couple of weeks ago as a romanesco recipe. It is fairly versatile. :
Toss 350g of Calabrese, broken into florets, in a tablespoon of olive oil. Cut the stalks into thick batons. Spread them all out on a baking tray and roast in a preheated oven for 10 mins at 200oC/Gas Mark 6 for 10 mins.Add 2 thinly sliced cloves of the garlic, ½ a red chilli, finely chopped and ½ a tablespoon of sesame seeds and mix through. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, sprinkle with soy sauce and serve. I haven’t tried this one yet but I hope to this week.
Jerusalem Artichoke Helianthus tuberosus Source of Vitamin B1, B2, B3, calcium, potassium, iron and fibre. To cook scrub off the worst of any dirt on the root, then boil for a couple of minutes without cutting off the root or the top. This loosens the skin and allows you to rub it off quite easily. Then boil in slightly salted water for a further 15-20 minutes or until tender. Add lemon juice to the water before boiling to keep the roots white. Can also be roasted after parboiling, and makes very good soup. All you really need are the artichokes, some onion, simmered together until soft, add a stock, boil for 30 minutes maybe a little nutmeg. Puree it then reheat with a little milk added and bob’s your uncle. Delicious soup.
Brussels Sprouts Brassica oleracea Gemmifera Group.. Excellent source of Vitamin C and phytochemicals and also contains Vitamins A and B6, potassium, fibre and calcium. Wash the sprouts in cold water and peel off any ragged or marked leaves then cut an X into the base of the sprout. Cook in a minimum of boiling salted water for 8 – 10 minutes, NO LONGER, or they’ll go soggy.