Newsletter 16th August 2010
We’ve had decent weather when we needed it this week, with a particularly nice day for the Balerno farmers market last Saturday. The market was very busy as the newly renovated Main Street was being officially opened. I managed to pick enough of our own carrots and onions for the stand, so some of you may get them in the bag this week, although, I think I’ll need to give most of the crop a little longer as too many are a bit on the small side. They are looking great though. I hoped to put pea pods in all the large bags this week, but I think we’ll run out part way through. I’ve tried a new variety this year, called Palco and the pods are really big. The only downside appears to be that there are a lot less of them on the stalk. There are plenty to come over the next month or so. We should get them in the large bags at least in the next couple of weeks. I’ve never yet managed to grow enough to put hem in the standards as well. It takes a lot of pods to make a decent portion.
In the field, it’s harvesting from dawn to dusk at the moment. The boys are back at school this week. So the day is broken up with school runs again. It’s certainly a lot quieter. The weather isn’t really the best at the moment. Wet heavy soil makes lifting potatoes a lot more of a chore than it needs to be. We could do with a dry week or two.
Here’s a list of what’s in the standard bag this week. As I’ve noted already, substitutions may occur.
Potato Solanum tuberosum. Tatties this week are Orla, a good general purpose potato. It’s so good to have our own tatties again. We’re bagging them straight from the field at the moment so the sizes will vary. They are very easy to prepare when they’re as fresh as this and really only need a wash and a scrub. 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. The new season onions are quite small, so are a bit more of a fiddle to work with. 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. The salads are growing well this year. There’s a mixture of lettuce, endive, eraclea and herbs. 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.
Broad Beans Vicia faba As well as be3ing an excellent source of phytochemicals, beans are also a good source of Vitamins A, B1, B8 and C. They are also good for phosphorus and iron. Basically, all you need to do with them is shell the pods and mix the beans into salads or cook them into any sauces or soups. Here’s a recipe to try Penne with Broad beans, bacon, mint and cream. Shell your beans from the pod and boil them in salted water for a few minutes. Cook 350g of pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, fry 100g of smokey bacon in butter until just beginning to brown and add a crushed clove of garlic. Stir for a minute without letting it colour. Stir in 200ml double cream, a roughly chopped bunch of mint and the beans and simmer for a few minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of parmesan and season to taste. When the pasta is done, drain, toss with the sauce and serve immediately.
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. If you take a cucumber and chop it into cubes, take the radishes and trim and quarter them and mix them in a bowl the heat of the radish is balanced by the cool of the cucumber. As a dressing you could heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a pan add a teaspoon each of mustard seeds and cumin seeds and cook for a minute until the seeds begin to pop. Add a chopped chilli and cook for 30 seconds, remove from heat and leave to cool. Pour the mixture over the radish/cuc mix add2 tblspns of lime juice, 75g of cashews and a tablspn of chopped coriander, season with salt and toss to combine. It makes a great Cucumber and radish salad.
Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum. Good for Vitamins A and C, potassium and iron. To cook tomatoes are used for many peoples favourite soup, they are added to casseroles, folded into omelettes and served grilled with a little butter and salt and pepper on top. Obviously, the most common usage at this time of year is fresh in salads.
In the field, it’s harvesting from dawn to dusk at the moment. The boys are back at school this week. So the day is broken up with school runs again. It’s certainly a lot quieter. The weather isn’t really the best at the moment. Wet heavy soil makes lifting potatoes a lot more of a chore than it needs to be. We could do with a dry week or two.
Here’s a list of what’s in the standard bag this week. As I’ve noted already, substitutions may occur.
Potato Solanum tuberosum. Tatties this week are Orla, a good general purpose potato. It’s so good to have our own tatties again. We’re bagging them straight from the field at the moment so the sizes will vary. They are very easy to prepare when they’re as fresh as this and really only need a wash and a scrub. 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. The new season onions are quite small, so are a bit more of a fiddle to work with. 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. The salads are growing well this year. There’s a mixture of lettuce, endive, eraclea and herbs. 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.
Broad Beans Vicia faba As well as be3ing an excellent source of phytochemicals, beans are also a good source of Vitamins A, B1, B8 and C. They are also good for phosphorus and iron. Basically, all you need to do with them is shell the pods and mix the beans into salads or cook them into any sauces or soups. Here’s a recipe to try Penne with Broad beans, bacon, mint and cream. Shell your beans from the pod and boil them in salted water for a few minutes. Cook 350g of pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, fry 100g of smokey bacon in butter until just beginning to brown and add a crushed clove of garlic. Stir for a minute without letting it colour. Stir in 200ml double cream, a roughly chopped bunch of mint and the beans and simmer for a few minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of parmesan and season to taste. When the pasta is done, drain, toss with the sauce and serve immediately.
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. If you take a cucumber and chop it into cubes, take the radishes and trim and quarter them and mix them in a bowl the heat of the radish is balanced by the cool of the cucumber. As a dressing you could heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a pan add a teaspoon each of mustard seeds and cumin seeds and cook for a minute until the seeds begin to pop. Add a chopped chilli and cook for 30 seconds, remove from heat and leave to cool. Pour the mixture over the radish/cuc mix add2 tblspns of lime juice, 75g of cashews and a tablspn of chopped coriander, season with salt and toss to combine. It makes a great Cucumber and radish salad.
Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum. Good for Vitamins A and C, potassium and iron. To cook tomatoes are used for many peoples favourite soup, they are added to casseroles, folded into omelettes and served grilled with a little butter and salt and pepper on top. Obviously, the most common usage at this time of year is fresh in salads.
posted by thewholeshebag at 11:31 PM
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