Newsletter 23rd August 2010
The crop of milan turnips has been excellent this year and has been in the bags a lot more often than I had planned. Last week we ran out of radish mid-way through the week so had to put turnip in as a replacement again. It’s good for us that we had a substitute, but not so good for you if you’re not a great fan of milan turnip. Our stocks have depleted now to a point where I think I can safely say that although they may appear in the large bags now and again, there won’t be any in the standard bags for some time. I do have one more batch coming on, but they are so far behind that they may not mature before the colder weather comes in.
Talking of weather, we haven’t managed to get much potato lifting done yet, it just won’t stop raining long enough to get machines on to the field. It doesn’t sound as though we’ve got much chance this week either. Still. there is plenty of time yet, although we could do with a nice dry spell for a couple of weeks.
The boys are back at school now, so we’re trying to get back into the old routine. We were all down at Biggar rugby Club on Sunday as the two of them have started training there with Gregor, their cousin and a load of schoolmates. We made the most of the bit of sunshine available on Sunday afternoon to have a picnic in the park afterwards. It would have been relaxing if I hadn’t been thinking it was excellent tattie picking weather!
Andy’s off on Friday, so I’ll be carrying out the deliveries myself. Then next day, I was hoping to make an appearance at Linlithgow Farmers Market, however, it’s Finn’s birthday next week and he’s having a party on Saturday, so I wouldn’t want to miss that. Maybe next month. On the subject of Farmers markets, I’ve been asked along to the Livingston market on the 2nd Sunday of each month, so I’ll be there in September. That’ll be the day after Balerno market.
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 either Maris Peer or Orla, both are good general purpose potatoes. 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.
Kale Brassica oleracea Acephala Group..(200g) Excellent source of VitaminsA and C and phytochemicals. Also contain calcium and copper. To cook, strip the leaves from the tough stems and treat like spinach or add to soups. Here’s arecipe for Garlic Kale Wash the kale in cold running water then strip the leaves from the stems. Cut the leaves into strips. Boil in slightly salted water for 2-3 minutes until slightly wilted and drain thoroughly. In a wok, heat a tablespoon of oil and 50g (2oz) butter then add 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 finely chopped onion and about ½ inch of ginger root, finely chopped. Saute until the onion is softened. Add the kale, toss to combine then cover and cook until kale is tender, probably a couple of minutes. Sprinkle some lime juice over the top and plenty pepper.
Garlic Allium sativum (1 head) Good source of vitamin C and A, calcium and iron. Adds heightened flavour to any savoury dish and crushed and sauted in a pan with butter, is an excellent base in which to cook the mushrooms for a simple Garlic Mushrooms.
Calabrese Brassica oleracea Italica Group (1 head).. Calabrese is an excellent source of Vitamin C and phytochemicals and also contains Vitamins A, B2 and B6, Phosphorus, fibre Iron and calcium. Here’s a recipe for Roast Calabrese with Chilli and Soy:
Toss 350g of Calabrese, broken into florets, in a tablespoon of olive oil. Cut the stalks into thick batons. Spread them all out on a baking tray and roast in a preheated oven for 10 mins at 200oC/Gas Mark 6 for 10 mins.Add 2 thinly sliced cloves of the garlic, ½ a red chilli, finely chopped and ½ a tablespoon of sesame seeds and mix through. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, sprinkle with soy sauce and serve.
Talking of weather, we haven’t managed to get much potato lifting done yet, it just won’t stop raining long enough to get machines on to the field. It doesn’t sound as though we’ve got much chance this week either. Still. there is plenty of time yet, although we could do with a nice dry spell for a couple of weeks.
The boys are back at school now, so we’re trying to get back into the old routine. We were all down at Biggar rugby Club on Sunday as the two of them have started training there with Gregor, their cousin and a load of schoolmates. We made the most of the bit of sunshine available on Sunday afternoon to have a picnic in the park afterwards. It would have been relaxing if I hadn’t been thinking it was excellent tattie picking weather!
Andy’s off on Friday, so I’ll be carrying out the deliveries myself. Then next day, I was hoping to make an appearance at Linlithgow Farmers Market, however, it’s Finn’s birthday next week and he’s having a party on Saturday, so I wouldn’t want to miss that. Maybe next month. On the subject of Farmers markets, I’ve been asked along to the Livingston market on the 2nd Sunday of each month, so I’ll be there in September. That’ll be the day after Balerno market.
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 either Maris Peer or Orla, both are good general purpose potatoes. 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.
Kale Brassica oleracea Acephala Group..(200g) Excellent source of VitaminsA and C and phytochemicals. Also contain calcium and copper. To cook, strip the leaves from the tough stems and treat like spinach or add to soups. Here’s arecipe for Garlic Kale Wash the kale in cold running water then strip the leaves from the stems. Cut the leaves into strips. Boil in slightly salted water for 2-3 minutes until slightly wilted and drain thoroughly. In a wok, heat a tablespoon of oil and 50g (2oz) butter then add 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 finely chopped onion and about ½ inch of ginger root, finely chopped. Saute until the onion is softened. Add the kale, toss to combine then cover and cook until kale is tender, probably a couple of minutes. Sprinkle some lime juice over the top and plenty pepper.
Garlic Allium sativum (1 head) Good source of vitamin C and A, calcium and iron. Adds heightened flavour to any savoury dish and crushed and sauted in a pan with butter, is an excellent base in which to cook the mushrooms for a simple Garlic Mushrooms.
Calabrese Brassica oleracea Italica Group (1 head).. Calabrese is an excellent source of Vitamin C and phytochemicals and also contains Vitamins A, B2 and B6, Phosphorus, fibre Iron and calcium. Here’s a recipe for Roast Calabrese with Chilli and Soy:
Toss 350g of Calabrese, broken into florets, in a tablespoon of olive oil. Cut the stalks into thick batons. Spread them all out on a baking tray and roast in a preheated oven for 10 mins at 200oC/Gas Mark 6 for 10 mins.Add 2 thinly sliced cloves of the garlic, ½ a red chilli, finely chopped and ½ a tablespoon of sesame seeds and mix through. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, sprinkle with soy sauce and serve.
posted by thewholeshebag at 2:27 AM
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