newsletter w/c 05/07/2010
We arrived back from Carcassonne this afternoon, to hear that we’d missed quite a storm over the weekend. I’m happy to report that the poly-tunnel has stood up well to it’s first wind-speed test, with only one door blown off it’s hinges. I think that’s not too bad. The rain that fell with the wind must have been gratefully received by the plants, as they were already showing signs of stress before we left. I have to say a big Thank-you to Andy, Finlay and the team for keeping things going without too many hiccups. It makes it less stressful to go away when you can trust the people left behind to handle whatever problems may crop up.
Our holiday was a real success. The boys were a bit wary about trying to speak French to begin with but by the end of the week they’d quite happily go into a shop and work away at making themselves understood with a mixture of sign language, a little French and a good deal of pointing. I have to admit it was pretty much the same for myself, but I’m determined to be a better French speaker for the next time I go back. The weather was pretty hot for the whole week, up to 35 degrees some days, so it took a bit of getting used too. We spent most of the week, walking around the city, exploring during the cooler part of the day, going for a rest, then spending time at the open air pool. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday were market days in the square just around the corner from our rented flat and it was a nice change to be able to walk round the stalls for a change. It was great to see the different produce available in such a warm dry climate and also encouraging to see the veg that we grow ourselves, not too far ahead of our own.
So there has been a bit of growth at Cobbinshaw in the last week, and we’re going to have to put in a lot of effort to catch back up with the weeds which have really taken off while I’ve been away. We’re getting to the end of the main plantings now, so that will free up time for the job. The signs are encouraging though, the tatties are starting to flower now so I should be able to start picking some early tatties soon. We’ve also got lettuce at last so that means we can start giving you salad bags. You should get salad in your bag this week. I hope you enjoy the freshness.
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.
Mixed Salad various. Our mixed salad bags have been really popular this year. When you receive your bag, rinse the salad leaves thoroughly to remove any traces of soil that may have attached, then drain in a salad spinner or colandar. Pop back into a sealed bag or box and store in the fridge until ready for use. Will keep for over a week easily. If you’d like more, let us know.
Aubergine Solanum melongena Source of Vitamin C, potassium, iron and fibre. Serve cooked. This is a member of the same family as tomato and pepper and is widely used in vegetable lasagne. We tried a recipe, last week, where we chopped up an aubergine and pan fried it til it was a golden brown colour, then added a chopped up onion til it softened. Then add a couple of tomatoes a crushed clove of garlic a tablespoon of your finely chopped parsley, a pinch of spice, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Simmer for 5 minutes transfer to a baking dish, sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs and bake in an oven at 190oC375oFGasmark5 for 30 minutes
Cucumber Cucumis sativus (1/2 head) Source of Vitamins A and C and also a source of potassium. Cucumbers are generally eaten fresh in salads. Just give them a wipe over and slice or cut into chunks. For an alternative to this, try peeling the cucumbers thinly, then slice crossways into slices 0.5cm thick. Cut the seeds in the centre out to form a ring. Melt some butter in a frying pan and add a little salt and the cucumber rings. Saute for about 10 minutes or until the cucumber is tender but still crisp. Serve hot.
Leek Alllium porrum (1 head) 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.
Our holiday was a real success. The boys were a bit wary about trying to speak French to begin with but by the end of the week they’d quite happily go into a shop and work away at making themselves understood with a mixture of sign language, a little French and a good deal of pointing. I have to admit it was pretty much the same for myself, but I’m determined to be a better French speaker for the next time I go back. The weather was pretty hot for the whole week, up to 35 degrees some days, so it took a bit of getting used too. We spent most of the week, walking around the city, exploring during the cooler part of the day, going for a rest, then spending time at the open air pool. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday were market days in the square just around the corner from our rented flat and it was a nice change to be able to walk round the stalls for a change. It was great to see the different produce available in such a warm dry climate and also encouraging to see the veg that we grow ourselves, not too far ahead of our own.
So there has been a bit of growth at Cobbinshaw in the last week, and we’re going to have to put in a lot of effort to catch back up with the weeds which have really taken off while I’ve been away. We’re getting to the end of the main plantings now, so that will free up time for the job. The signs are encouraging though, the tatties are starting to flower now so I should be able to start picking some early tatties soon. We’ve also got lettuce at last so that means we can start giving you salad bags. You should get salad in your bag this week. I hope you enjoy the freshness.
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.
Mixed Salad various. Our mixed salad bags have been really popular this year. When you receive your bag, rinse the salad leaves thoroughly to remove any traces of soil that may have attached, then drain in a salad spinner or colandar. Pop back into a sealed bag or box and store in the fridge until ready for use. Will keep for over a week easily. If you’d like more, let us know.
Aubergine Solanum melongena Source of Vitamin C, potassium, iron and fibre. Serve cooked. This is a member of the same family as tomato and pepper and is widely used in vegetable lasagne. We tried a recipe, last week, where we chopped up an aubergine and pan fried it til it was a golden brown colour, then added a chopped up onion til it softened. Then add a couple of tomatoes a crushed clove of garlic a tablespoon of your finely chopped parsley, a pinch of spice, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Simmer for 5 minutes transfer to a baking dish, sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs and bake in an oven at 190oC375oFGasmark5 for 30 minutes
Cucumber Cucumis sativus (1/2 head) Source of Vitamins A and C and also a source of potassium. Cucumbers are generally eaten fresh in salads. Just give them a wipe over and slice or cut into chunks. For an alternative to this, try peeling the cucumbers thinly, then slice crossways into slices 0.5cm thick. Cut the seeds in the centre out to form a ring. Melt some butter in a frying pan and add a little salt and the cucumber rings. Saute for about 10 minutes or until the cucumber is tender but still crisp. Serve hot.
Leek Alllium porrum (1 head) 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.
posted by thewholeshebag at 3:13 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home