newsletter w/c 15th November 2010
With Scotland 3-0 up after about 3 minutes, at Murrayfield last Saturday, things were looking good and Finn was really enjoying his first rugby international. He was almost in tears 15 minutes later when New Zealand scored their third try. Quite a few Scotland supporters felt the same way and left the ground at that point. The final score was 3-49 to the ‘All-Blacks’ and the two consolations I could give Finn were:1) it was possible that he’d never see Scotland getting beaten so badly again, and 2) He’d seen possibly the best team in the world at their best and could take what he’d learned into his next ‘mini’ game for Biggar Rugby Club. His next game was supposed to be the next day and he was practising his Haka and little ‘pop’ passes, but the snow overnight on Saturday meant it was called off. He’ll just have to wait til next Sunday.
On the farm, we’re still knee-deep in mud, the rain and snow just won’t stop. The wind’s dropped a bit though so that’s a bonus. My wee poly-tunnel has survived unscathed so far, but it’s taking a battering. I might need to plant some fast growing protection for it. We’ve been organising the shed now that it is fully functional. I’m sure we’ll be moving benches and tables back and forward for weeks, just trying to get it ‘right’. I know already that no matter how much tweaking we do, it’ll end up the way we have it to start with.
Potato Solanum tuberosum. Tatties this week are either Robinta (red skins) or Valor (large, white skins), 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. You may receive some of our own onions this week. They are the best onions I’ve ever grown. I have red and white varieites so could be either or a mixture. They haven’t been dried yet so they’re full of flavour. 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.
Swede Brassica napa. (1 head) Here’s a recipe for Mashed swede with Crispy bacon Peel your swede and cut it into smallish cubes. Put them in a saucepan and just cover them with water. Add salt, bring to simmering point and cook gently for 15-20 minutes, then tip into a colander and drain thoroughly. Return the saucepan to the heat, add 1 oz(25g) butter and fry 6 rashers of bacon which have been chopped into small pieces to it. Fry unitl the bacon begins to crisp. Now, return the swedes to the pan, add another 1oz of butter and a little single cream and mash well to a creamy consistency. Season with black pepper.
Kale Brassica oleracea Acephala Group..(200g) Some of the kale is still on its stalk so remove it before preparing. Kale is an excellent source of Vitamins A and C and also a source of potassium, copper, calcium, fibre and phytochemicals. To cook, strip the leaves off of the tough midrib, then shred and wash in cold, running water. Then steam for 10 minutes and serve with melted butter and season with pepper or ground cloves. You can make Colcannon by draining the kale after boiling then setting it aside. Take a finely chopped onion and put it in a pan with 150ml of milk. Bring it to the boil then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Blend about 375g of mashed potatoes with the finely chopped kale, then heat through gently, adding as much of the milk and onion mixture as it will absorb to give the consistency of creamed potatoes. Put in a serving dish, make a depression in the centre and pour in some melted butter.
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.
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.
On the farm, we’re still knee-deep in mud, the rain and snow just won’t stop. The wind’s dropped a bit though so that’s a bonus. My wee poly-tunnel has survived unscathed so far, but it’s taking a battering. I might need to plant some fast growing protection for it. We’ve been organising the shed now that it is fully functional. I’m sure we’ll be moving benches and tables back and forward for weeks, just trying to get it ‘right’. I know already that no matter how much tweaking we do, it’ll end up the way we have it to start with.
Potato Solanum tuberosum. Tatties this week are either Robinta (red skins) or Valor (large, white skins), 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. You may receive some of our own onions this week. They are the best onions I’ve ever grown. I have red and white varieites so could be either or a mixture. They haven’t been dried yet so they’re full of flavour. 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.
Swede Brassica napa. (1 head) Here’s a recipe for Mashed swede with Crispy bacon Peel your swede and cut it into smallish cubes. Put them in a saucepan and just cover them with water. Add salt, bring to simmering point and cook gently for 15-20 minutes, then tip into a colander and drain thoroughly. Return the saucepan to the heat, add 1 oz(25g) butter and fry 6 rashers of bacon which have been chopped into small pieces to it. Fry unitl the bacon begins to crisp. Now, return the swedes to the pan, add another 1oz of butter and a little single cream and mash well to a creamy consistency. Season with black pepper.
Kale Brassica oleracea Acephala Group..(200g) Some of the kale is still on its stalk so remove it before preparing. Kale is an excellent source of Vitamins A and C and also a source of potassium, copper, calcium, fibre and phytochemicals. To cook, strip the leaves off of the tough midrib, then shred and wash in cold, running water. Then steam for 10 minutes and serve with melted butter and season with pepper or ground cloves. You can make Colcannon by draining the kale after boiling then setting it aside. Take a finely chopped onion and put it in a pan with 150ml of milk. Bring it to the boil then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Blend about 375g of mashed potatoes with the finely chopped kale, then heat through gently, adding as much of the milk and onion mixture as it will absorb to give the consistency of creamed potatoes. Put in a serving dish, make a depression in the centre and pour in some melted butter.
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.
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.
posted by thewholeshebag at 2:46 PM
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