Newsletter w/c 7th June 2010
The warm weather seems to be back again, with some much needed rain too, so all the plants (including weeds) are starting to make a bigger impression now. I’ve been planting brassicas most days and should finish the batch I’m on, this week. Andy has just finished pricking –out the next batch and I’ll try to sow another one tomorrow if I get time, or one of those really heavy showers comes on. I can sow the seeds while sheltering in the tunnel. I need to get started on the salad bed this week too, as the first batch of lettuce and some of the herbs, are ready to go out into the field. We still need to continue weeding and pricking out whenever we can as well, but more of that later.
One apology I have to make this week is that the newsletter sated wrongly that you were getting leeks last week, they are in the bag this week instead. It was ginger that should have been mentioned on the newsletter, although I’m sure you figured that out for yourself.
We’ll be at Balerno farmers Market this weekend. I believe the venue will be back to it’s original site. So from Saturday morning at 9am, til 1 pm, we’ll be manning our stall, and hope to see you there.
As I mentioned earlier, one of the main jobs at the moment is weeding. I spend about 3 or 4 hours a day at the moment hoeing up and down the rows of vegetables. It keeps the seedlings free from competition from weeds and also lets me see how they are doing as far as moisture and pest damage are concerned. I get up and do an hour before I go back to the house and get the boys ready for school, then at night, after they’re in bed, I go back out and hoe for another couple of hours before it starts to get dark. I took an hour off of hoeing tonight to wander round the fences and walls with my strimmer, cutting down any clumps of nettles I found. It is a great time of year to do it as they are already starting to produce flower heads which will very quickly go over then spill seeds all over the place. Cutting them now prevents this. The other good reason is that the young tender shoots make a nice soup. See under Garlic below for the recipe.
Here’s a list of what you can expect in the standard bag this week. Substitutions may occur.
Potatoes 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.
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. As promised, here’s the recipe for Nettle Soup Take 8oz of nettle shoots. Wear rubber gloves to pick them and only pick the first two leaves and the bud. Don’t use flowering stems. Wash the nettle shoots. Melt 4oz butter in a large saucepan, then saute 1lb of sliced onions for about 10 minutes. Add 6 chopped cloves of garlic and cook for a further two minutes. Add the nettles and 2 ½ pints of chicken or vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 5 minutes the puree. Season with salt and pepper then serve with a dollop of crème fraiche as a garnish in each bowl
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.
Leek (Alllium porrum) Leeks are 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.
Beetroot Beta vulgaris Contains Vitamins A and C, folic acid and calcium. Beetroot is great for juicing, but mainly used as an accompanying vegetable. Simply boil it first, with skins and tops on for somewhere between ½ hour to 1 hour or until the beet is tender. Serve on it’s own or mixed in to salad ( once it’s cold of course). Can also be roasted in the oven as well.
One apology I have to make this week is that the newsletter sated wrongly that you were getting leeks last week, they are in the bag this week instead. It was ginger that should have been mentioned on the newsletter, although I’m sure you figured that out for yourself.
We’ll be at Balerno farmers Market this weekend. I believe the venue will be back to it’s original site. So from Saturday morning at 9am, til 1 pm, we’ll be manning our stall, and hope to see you there.
As I mentioned earlier, one of the main jobs at the moment is weeding. I spend about 3 or 4 hours a day at the moment hoeing up and down the rows of vegetables. It keeps the seedlings free from competition from weeds and also lets me see how they are doing as far as moisture and pest damage are concerned. I get up and do an hour before I go back to the house and get the boys ready for school, then at night, after they’re in bed, I go back out and hoe for another couple of hours before it starts to get dark. I took an hour off of hoeing tonight to wander round the fences and walls with my strimmer, cutting down any clumps of nettles I found. It is a great time of year to do it as they are already starting to produce flower heads which will very quickly go over then spill seeds all over the place. Cutting them now prevents this. The other good reason is that the young tender shoots make a nice soup. See under Garlic below for the recipe.
Here’s a list of what you can expect in the standard bag this week. Substitutions may occur.
Potatoes 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.
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. As promised, here’s the recipe for Nettle Soup Take 8oz of nettle shoots. Wear rubber gloves to pick them and only pick the first two leaves and the bud. Don’t use flowering stems. Wash the nettle shoots. Melt 4oz butter in a large saucepan, then saute 1lb of sliced onions for about 10 minutes. Add 6 chopped cloves of garlic and cook for a further two minutes. Add the nettles and 2 ½ pints of chicken or vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 5 minutes the puree. Season with salt and pepper then serve with a dollop of crème fraiche as a garnish in each bowl
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.
Leek (Alllium porrum) Leeks are 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.
Beetroot Beta vulgaris Contains Vitamins A and C, folic acid and calcium. Beetroot is great for juicing, but mainly used as an accompanying vegetable. Simply boil it first, with skins and tops on for somewhere between ½ hour to 1 hour or until the beet is tender. Serve on it’s own or mixed in to salad ( once it’s cold of course). Can also be roasted in the oven as well.
posted by thewholeshebag at 12:37 PM
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