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.
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.
posted by thewholeshebag at 12:55 AM
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