Newsletter w/c 14th June 2010

It’s been a week of ups and downs as far as the veg production goes, but that happens every year. We never seem to get everything growing just the way we want it to. There seems to be a little beetle in the field (well a few thousand of them) with a voracious appetite for anything that is green. Weeds and vegetables alike are getting annihilated by the little pest. There are whole areas of the field that are bare earth. Andy was congratulating me on my weed control until I pointed out I hadn’t touched that part of the field except to sow carrots that certainly germinated well, but have since disappeared. Radishes and turnips and spinach have all suffered quite badly so far, but I hope later sowings may fare better. On the plus side the onions and shallots and garlic are all looking splendid, I’ve managed to keep the jerusalem artichokes from taking over everything around them and they’re growing well, the tatties are looking great and broad beans look really strong. So I’ve no need to get too despondent, it’s just annoying when we don’t get the benefit of the time and energy spent preparing the ground and sowing these plants just so they can be eaten by a beetle
Last week I planted a lot of brassicas and a few salad varieties, although there weren’t quite as many ready for the field as I thought. So this week I’ll get them planted and a whole batch of leeks that are ready too. There are also some herbs to go in. I’ve fallen behind a bit with the pricking out of seedlings so I need to get a move on with that too.
The urgency to get finished is due to the fact that Andy is off on holiday next week, so I’ll be carrying out all the deliveries. The week after that we’re taking our summer break for 1 week. Andy will deliver the bags that he usually does, however, I won’t be able to do the deliveries I usually do on the Wednesday ( June 30th). We usually take our holidays in the UK but this year,. Lynda, the boys and I, are off to Carcassonne near the French/Spanish border to sample continental life. Everything should be back to the normal routine by the week beginning the 5th July.
I had my stall at Balerno farmers market last Saturday and had a good day in lovely weather. The market has moved back to the newly renovated Main Street again. I didn’t have any young helpers with me, as both Finn and Keir were away at Edinburgh Zoo with their Cub and Beaver packs.
Here’s a list of what you can expect in the standard bag this week. Substitutions may occur.

Potato Solanum tuberosum. Tatties this week are Cara 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.

Fennel (1 head) This stem base can be chopped raw into salads or simmered in a stock. Here’s a recipe for Buttered Fennel: Trim the root base and cut in half lengthways and rinse in cold water. Put the fennel in a pan with a minmal amount of boiling, lightly salted water and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until just tender. Overcooking reduces the sweet aniseed flavour. Drain thoroughly in a colander and keep warm on a serving dish. Now, melt the butter. Season the fennel with pepper, then pour the melted butter over the top and serve. Your cress would be a fine garnish for this dish. Goes particularly well with grilled fish or roast chicken.

Milan Turnip Brassica rapa Rapifera Groups (300g) Contains Vitamins A and C, folic acid and calcium. Trim off the top and the root, then peel thinly. Boil in lightly salted water for 20-30 minutes. Drain thoroughly, toss them in butter and chopped parsley and serve immediately. An alternative is to prepare as above, but cut into small chunks, then do the same with an equal amount of carrots. Melt 3oz (75g) butter in a pan, add 2fl.oz.(50ml) white wine and add the turnip and carrot, a little salt and pepper, cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes. Spoon the buttered vegetables with the juices into a dish and serve hot.

Cucumber Cucumis sativus. (1/2 head) Good source of vitamin C and A. Also, a good source of potassium. Wash thoroughly, dry, then slice up to use in salads. Occasionally used in soups.

Radish Raphanus sativus (1 bunch) A good source of vitamin C, potassium and fibre. Wash your radish, cut the top and tail off and cut into salads. Give a fine burst of colour and a little kick to the taste buds.
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