Newsletter w/c 28th March 2011

We’re approaching the Easter holidays and it looks like I might have the boys with me on the delivery run a few times. They are only at school 6 days in April what with half-term, Easter, Royal Weddings and in-service days – I hope the weather is good for them. In two weeks time I’m away on the 12th and 13th of April. There will be no delivery on the 13th the Wednesday, and the Tuesday deliveries will be done on Monday instead. Apart from that the rest of the week will run as normal. Apologies in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.On the farm, we had the dung-spreader working here on Sunday, so there is a certain aroma hanging about the place just now. It’ll get ploughed in this week and then that’s the real beginning to the field planting season. Here’s a list of the produce, which barring any need for substitution, will be in the standard bags this week. Potato Solanum tuberosum. With the drier, milder weather, I’ve managed to get some of the potatoes harvested, that have been in the ground all Winter. Considering the temperature, there are a lot more than I expected. The variety is Hunter and is a yellow skinned tattie, quite round in shape. The other variety is Maris Peer, smaller white tattie. Both are pretty general purpose and will cook in any way you’d like them to. 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. Beetroot Beta vulgaris Contains Vitamin C folic acid and potassium. Can be cooked in various ways, but don’t peel the beet until you’ve boiled it as this stops it ‘bleeding’. My recipe for you this week completely disregards this, so have a pair of rubber gloves and newspaper handy. I’m going to tell you how to make Super Boost Juice – Put on the rubber gloves, spread out a newspaper and peel your beetroot and cut it into chunks. Take 4 apples and quarter and core them. Take 4 carrots and trim and peel them. Take 1cm/1 inch of fresh ginger and peel it. This is easily done by scraping the skin off with the side of a teaspoon. Process all the ingredients through a juicer. Stir and serve immediately, adding ice if desired. 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. Keep a hold of this recipe, as in a months time or so there will be plenty of young nettle growth available so, here’s a 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 White Cabbage Brassica oleracea Capitata Group There’s nothing like the crunch of bit of white cabbage with a bit of melted butter enhancing the flavour. Great accompaniment to any dish. Cabbage is a source of phytochemicals, Vitamin C, potassium, fibre , calcium and Vitamin B6. To cook, cut the cabbage into quarters, take out the central core and either cook it whole for 20 minutes in lightly salted boiling water, or shred it an cook it for 12-15 minutes. Serve up with melted butter over the top. Here is a recipe for Asian Coleslaw with Peanuts and Chilli: Combine the following for the dressing: a crushed garlic clove, ½ onion finely sliced, 1 chilli chopped, 1 tablespoon of thai fish sauce, 1 ½ tablespoons of brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and a dash of sweet chilli sauce. Whisk them together in a bowl and set aside. Mix together the following veg: ½ cabbage finely shredded, 3 carrots coarsley grated, 2 apples grated, 1 red pepper sliced, 1 tomato chopped and 2 tablespoons of crushed roasted peanuts and 100g of beansprouts if you have them. Toss the veg in the dressing sprinkle a few roasted peanuts on top and serve. Ginger This is an item we don’t have in the bag very often. Versatile and strong flavoured, garlic is used widely in oriental stir-fries and sauces. Peel the outer skin off and grate the inner flesh. As it is such a strong flavour you only need to add a small amount. It provides a ‘kick’ of spiciness to dishes. Was your hands thoroughly after preparation as if you wipe it into your eye by accident, it isn’t pleasant!! You can tell that’s from bitter experience!

Newsletter w/c 21st March 2011

It’s the 4th Saturday of the month this week, so that means that we’re over at the Juniper Green Farmers Market from 9am til 1pm. There’s a good range of stalls now with bakers, choclatieres, cheese makers, beef, lamb and pork producers and game, as well as our own vegetables. Come along and visit, especially if you haven’t been before, I’m sure the weather will be lovely.
We visited friends in Glasgow at the weekend, to catch up on all their news and to watch the rugby. A Scotland victory at last and Kilmarnock winning at football, meant a successful weekend from the sporting side of things.
On the farm I’ve got the first signs of green shoots in the polytunnel and am pressing my neighbour to get our field dunged this week if he can, to take the benefit of this period of high pressure, to plough the field while it’s in prime condition. Our seed potatoes have arrived and the onion sets are here too, so the sooner we get the ground prepared the better.
I ask this every year, but I’ll say it again anyway. If there is any vegetables of herbs you would like to see included in your bag, that you don’t seem to ever receive, this is the time of year to let me know, as we can try anything as an experiment. We won’t be growing pineapples or bananas obviously, but any reasonable request will be considered.
I’d like to get into the field and take out the last of the potatoes this week, as any that are left in the soil will be starting to sprout in the next few weeks as the soil heats up. I also need to lift the remaining artichokes to re-use them as seed. I managed to clear the last of the parsnips out last week.
I think it’s probably a good time to service the tractor as well, as it’s about to get into it’s most important time of year.
Here’s a list of the produce, which barring any need for substitution, will be in the standard bags this week.

Potato Solanum tuberosum. With the drier, milder weather, I’ve managed to get some of the potatoes harvested, that have been in the ground all Winter. Considering the temperature, there are a lot more than I expected. The variety is Hunter and is a yellow skinned tattie, quite round in shape. The other variety is Maris Peer, smaller white tattie. Both are pretty general purpose and will cook in any way you’d like them to. 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.

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.

Leek Alllium porrum (2 head) Leeks arew 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.

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.

Parsley Petroselinum sp. This flat leaved variety of parsley has far more flavour than the more common curly type, though I have to say the curly one is a far nicer plant to look at. Excellent for flavouring all sorts of dishes or cut into salads. Especially popular in our household, cut over boiled potatoes, with a little melted butter.

Newsletter w/c 14th March 2011

We had a bit of a disappointment, last week, when we found out we’d been axed from the Balerno Farmers Market, due to our heading over to Crail for Keir’s birthday, last month. Nobody actually let us know, we found out by checking the website and found we’d been left out. It feels bad when we’ve been there most of the time we’ve had any veg to sell, since it started. I’m sure we’ll get back in later in the year, which will suit us, as this is us running into the barren spell for the field, while we wait for the field to green up again with tasty crops.
I’m having a few software problems in the office too. There seems to be some breakdown between the pc and the printer, which isn’t allowing me to print off the newsletter, hence the lack of them for many of you, recently. I have been updating the blog regularly so if you haven’t received a hard copy of the newsletter, you should be able to get it from the website on the ‘news’ link.
Robbie came out to help me at the weekend and we got a lot of tidying up jobs done around the sheds and poly-tunnel. We sowed the first real batch of seeds and potted on a few herb seedlings which had survived the winter. The snow and rain stopped us from doing too much in the field, with the exception of taking out all the nets and stakes that were used for pest protection and frames for peas and beans. This means that when the dung spreader and plough get into the field – the machines will get a clear run with no obstacles. I’m hoping the the field will be ploughed the next time the ground gets dry enough. That’s the real start of the season for me.#

Here’s a list of the produce, which barring any need for substitution, will be in the standard bags this week.

Potato Solanum tuberosum. With the drier, milder weather, I’ve managed to get some of the potatoes harvested, that have been in the ground all Winter. Considering the temperature, there are a lot more than I expected. The variety is Hunter and is a yellow skinned tattie, quite round in shape. The other variety is Maris Peer, smaller white tattie. Both are pretty general purpose and will cook in any way you’d like them to. 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.

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.

Spinach: Strip the spinach from the leaf-stalks , wash thoroughly and put in a large pan with a sprinkling of salt. Cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for 7 minutes, or until soft. Drain through a colander and chop roughly. Melt 1oz (25g) butter in a pan, add the spinach and toss evenly. Stir in sufficient breadcrumbs, a little at a time to absorb the liquid from the spinach and the butter. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Serve as an accompaniment or as a light dish on its own.

Pepper Capsicum sp. (1 head) Good source of vitamin C. Wash the pepper, then slice off the top. Scoop out the seeds and membranes. Can be eaten cooked or fresh in various dishes including pasta sauces, pizza, salads. Peppers can also be stuffed with various fillings.

Parsnip Pastinaca sativa Our parsnips have been a great success this year, and it’s a bonus to be lifting veg so late in the season. We’re probably at the end of them now. Source of Vitamin C and Folic Acid. Peel the root thickly and slice the flesh. Boil in lightly salted water for 30 minutes. Alternatively, parboil for 10 minutes then roast for 20 – 30 minutes. Here’s a recipe I found for: Fried Parsnips; Trim the tops and roots off the parsnips then peel and cut in half lengthways. Put the parsnips in a pan of boiling water ( lightly salted) and cook for 15 minutes. They should still be firm and not quite tender. Drain thoroughly. Lightly beat an egg and dip the parsnips in it before caoting them with breadcrumbs seasoned with salt and pepper. Melt 2oz(50g) of butter in a frying pan and shallow fry the parsnips until they are golden and crisp on both sides, turning once.

Newsletter w/c 7th March 2011

We’ve had a really busy week last week, more for personal stuff than for work. For two nights last week I did my first bit of DIY butchery, as we were given some venison. The amount of time it took to skin and cut up was amazing, but the freezer is now full.
On Thursday morning I’d just started my delivery run, when I got a call from the school to say Keir had had an accident in the playground. Lynda went to fetch him and it turned out he’d tripped up in the playground with his hands in his pockets. He ended up in A and E with broken ( baby) teeth and various cuts and scrapes on his face. He looked like a character out of a horror movie. He’s on the mend now though. On Friday night , the school had a Scot’s night, where Finn played his bagpipes and we all got involved in the Scottish Country dancing, I took Finn and Ioni, my niece, to Band Camp on Saturday. The two of them have joined Boghall and Bathgate Pipe band, Finn on the pipes, Ioni’s going to be a bass and tenor drummer. Sunday was a rugby tournament down at Biggar where the boys play. Stewarts Melville were the visitors and we ended the day with lunch and drinks with some old friends at The Crown in Biggar, so all-in-all it’s been an busy, but fun weekend. The hard work of planting starts shortly, so it’s good to get plenty of family time in just now.
We’ll be at Balerno framers market for the first time in ages this weekend, so come along and see us there.
Here’s a list of the produce, which barring any need for substitution, will be in the standard bags this week.

Potato Solanum tuberosum. With the drier, milder weather, I’ve managed to get some of the potatoes harvested, that have been in the ground all Winter. Considering the temperature, there are a lot more than I expected. The variety is Hunter and is a yellow skinned tattie, quite round in shape. The other variety is Valor a paler skinned tattie. Both are pretty general purpose and will cook in any way you’d like them to. 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 varieties 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.

Leek Allium porrum (2 head) Leeks arew 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.

Garlic Allium sativum.( 1 head) Good for Vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. A crushed clove of garlic can enhance many savoury meals.

Cabbage Brassica oleracea Capitata Group..(1 head) . To cook, remove any damaged outer leaves, cut into quarters and remove the central core. It can be cooked in quarters like this in boiling salted water or else shredded and boiled or steamed. Here’s a recipe for Cabbage soup which will use up a few items in the bag this week: Prepare and wash the cabbage and shred it finely. Prepare and roughly chop, 2 carrots, a e leek and 1/2lb(250g) potatoes. Put all the vegetables in a pan with 3 pints(1.5l) stock and a bouquet garni, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Season to taste, sprinkle with parsley and serve at once.

Beetroot Beta vulgaris Contains Vitamin C folic acid and potassium. Can be cooked in various ways, but don’t peel the beet until you’ve boiled it as this stops it ‘bleeding’. My recipe for you this week completely disregards this, so have a pair of rubber gloves and newspaper handy. I’m going to tell you how to make Super Boost Juice – Put on the rubber gloves, spread out a newspaper and peel your beetroot and cut it into chunks. Take 4 apples and quarter and core them. Take 4 carrots and trim and peel them. Take 1cm/1 inch of fresh ginger and peel it. This is easily done by scraping the skin off with the side of a teaspoon. Process all the ingredients through a juicer. Stir and serve immediately, adding ice if desired.

Newsletter w/c 28th February 2011

It was a beautiful, sunny day on Saturday, for our market day at Juniper Green, and when the sun comes out, so do the market visitors. The car park at the Kinleith Arms was buzzing – a great atmosphere.
On the farm, I’ve been lifting parsnips and potatoes this week which have survived the cold, cold winter surprisingly well. You’ll maybe find some of the parsnips a little small, but most are of a decent size. I’ve increased the amount we’ve put into the bags, just in case there is any wastage. The potatoes look fine and the ones I’ve samled for dinners over the past few days have been delicious, but, do let me know if you find any problems at all, with any of the produce.
The family had a busy weekend too, as cousin Katie’s Build-a-Bear, Lily, was marrying Finn’s Bear, Ritchie. Many friends who have bought into the Build-aBear idea, were also invited as guests, a minister etc. Going by the noise drifting over the courtyard, it was a great success and the children had a ball. Pity about the rugby result though!
This week it’s all go with planting seeds and clearing the field. That should keep me pretty busy I think!
Here’s a list of the produce, which barring any need for substitution, will be in the standard bags this week.

Potato Solanum tuberosum. With the drier, milder weather, I’ve managed to get some of the potatoes harvested, that have been in the ground all Winter. Considering the temperature, there are a lot more than I expected. The variety is Hunter and is a yellow skinned tattie, quite round in shape. The other variety is Valor a paler skinned tattie. Both are pretty general purpose and will cook in any way you’d like them to. 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 varieties 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.

Calabrese Brassica oleracea Italica Group (1 head). I have been corrected by one of our customers. What I have called broccoli up to now, is in fact, calabrese and should be called it’s proper name. Whatever it is, it 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 that I gave a couple of weeks ago as a romanesco recipe. It is fairly versatile. :
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. I haven’t tried this one yet but I hope to this week.
Parsley Petroselinum sp. (1 bunch) This flat leaved variety of parsley has far more flavour than the more common curly type, though I have to say the curly one is a far nicer plant to look at. Parsley is excellent for flavouring all sorts of dishes, or cut into salads. Especially popular in our household, cut over boiled potatoes, with a little melted butter.

Celery (1 head) The central stalks of the celery are best fro eating raw, while the outer ones are probably best cooked or braised or cooked into stocks or sauces. Here’s a recipe for a Waldorf Salad. Put 85g of raisins in a bowl and cover them with hot water. Leave it to soak for an hour then drain the raisin. Peel and core three apples and slice them thinly. Put them in a bowl with half the raisins, 50g of walnut halves that have been lightly toasted in a dry frying pan and 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced. Add enough mayonnaise to coat, season to taste, toss weel to combine. Arrange some lettuce leaves on a serving dish and place the salad on top. Sprinkle with the remaining raisins, plus one tablespoon of chopped parsley and some celery leaves.

Parsnip Pastinaca sativa Source of Vitamin C, folic acid, potassium, and fibre. Peel thickly than cut off the top and bottom of the root then cut slice into long chunks. Boil in lightly salted boiling water for 20 minutes or parboil for 10 then roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

Newsletter w/c 21st February 2011

We’ll be at Juniper Green farmers market this Saturday from 9am til 1 pm. Hope we get a good day and a few of you can make it along to see the stalls and beautiful produce on display.
On the farm, we’re continuing our spring clean, getting all the working spaces ready for the season ahead. Sheds and the polytunnel are being repaired after winter damage and roads and walls getting mended. I also managed to get the tractor onto the field seeing we’ve had a bit of a dry spell and am getting the field cleared of the last of the veg from last year.
As a treat I’d ordered in an item of veg from the wholesaler who brings our fruit into the country as I feel that a change is quite welcome after all the Scottish Winter veg, but it didn’t turn up as planned. This has meant that we’ve had to substitute on of the items.
Here’s a list of the veg that should appear in the standard bags this week, if substitutions haven’t been required:

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 varieties 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.

Jerusalem Artichoke Helianthus tuberosus ) Source of Vitamin B1, B2, B3, calcium, potassium, iron and fibre. To cook them, I’d always been one for boiling the skins off of them, but it’s a bit of a fouter, so I’ve now changed to just peeling them witht the tattie peeler and it seems to work perfectly well. I tried this recipe for Jerusalem Artichoke and Carrot soup and it went down well with 6 under 10’s who were present. The adults liked it too I should add. So, get your soup pan and sweat a chopped up onion in melted butter for 5 mins or so, then add 450g of peeled and chopped jerusalem artichokes, 400g roughly chopped carrots and a chopped stick of celery, if you have it. Add 500ml of vegetable stock and bring to the boil and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Let the soup cool a little then puree it. Add 100ml of milk and a grated carrot, check the heat and seasoning, then serve. You could add a swirl of single cream on the top. It’s a beautiful, hearty soup for these frosty lunch times, and very good for a flaskful when you’re out and about.

Leek Allium porrum. (2 head) Leeks give a lovely creamy consistency to soups and are great in flans or quiches. Leeks are a great source of Vitamin C. Be sure to wash them very carefully though, as soil gets caught in the leaf axils as it is growing. Cut up the leek then rinse in cold running water in a colander.

Savoy Cabbage Brassica oleracea Capitata Group..(1 head) Excellent source of Vitamins B6 and C and also a source of potassium and fibre and phytochemicals. To cook, cut into quarters, cut out the hard core shred and wash under running cold water, then boil or steam for 7-10 minutes. This recipe is quite close to the traditional bubble and squeak:- Prepare the cabbage as above and put in a pan of lightly saltd boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Remove the rind and gristle from 6oz ( 175g) of bacon, chop crossways into narrow strips and put in a heavy based pan. Fry the bacon until crisp, and the fat begin to run then add a finely chopped onion and cook until soft. Add the drained cabbage, stirring continuously until well coated. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cook through.
Cabbage soup which will use up a few items in the bag this week: Prepare and wash the cabbage and shred it finely. Prepare and roughly chop, 2 carrots, the leek and 1/2lb(250g) potatoes. Put all the vegetables in a pan with 3 pints(1.5l) stock and a bouquet garni, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Season to taste, sprinkle with parsley and serve at once.

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

Newsletter w/c 14th February 2011

Our schools are off for half-term break for a few days this week, so we decided to have a long-weekend over in Crail in the East Neuk of Fife. Our youngest son, Keir, was 7 on Saturday and with cousins Ioni and Gregor with birthdays on the days either side of his, and Uncle Finlay on the Sunday, they all came up to join us. We had a great time. It didn’t stop raining much, but that didn’t stop the children playing on the beach for most of the weekend. The temperatures were pretty mild, but since we’ve come back home there has been a real change and a nip in the air. I don’t think it’s going to be cold enough to affect vegetable deliveries though, (fingers crossed!). Of course, if you have any damage to any of your veg or fruit, please let me know.
We missed Balerno market again because of our break but should be ok for next month. I’ll be at Juniper Green market on the 26th of the month. It starts at 9am. I’ve been asked to a couple of new markets that are starting up, but we’re just deciding whether I’ve got the time to commit to them or not. I’ll let you know if they’re going ahead.
Here’s a list of the veg that should appear in the standard bags this week, if substitutions haven’t been required:

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 varieties 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.

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.

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.
Leek Allium porrum. (2 head) Leeks give a lovely creamy consistency to soups and are great in flans or quiches. Leeks are a great source of Vitamin C. Be sure to wash them very carefully though, as soil gets caught in the leaf axils as it is growing. Cut up the leek then rinse in cold running water in a colander.

Beetroot Beta vulgaris Contains Vitamin C folic acid and potassium. Can be cooked in various ways, but don’t peel the beet until you’ve boiled it as this stops it ‘bleeding’. My recipe for you this week completely disregards this, so have a pair of rubber gloves and newspaper handy. I’m going to tell you how to make Super Boost Juice – Put on the rubber gloves, spread out a newspaper and peel your beetroot and cut it into chunks. Take 4 apples and quarter and core them. Take 4 carrots and trim and peel them. Take 1cm/1 inch of fresh ginger and peel it. This is easily done by scraping the skin off with the side of a teaspoon. Process all the ingredients through a juicer. Stir and serve immediately, adding ice if desired.

Newsletter w/c 7th February 2011

After the snow and heavy rain over the weekend and the beginning of the week, the texture of the soil in the field is similar to that of porridge. It’s not so much a case of digging artichokes as squeezing them out of the mud – not very pleasant. Please forgive the fact that they may be even dirtier than you’ve had before, if that’s possible. They are only in the large bags this week, so I didn’t have to lift all that many. We’re coming towards the end of the swede crop as well. There are a few smaller swede left in the field but the cold and wet is starting to make the neck rot which will eventually effect the whole plant. We’ve had the best crop of swede we’ve ever grown, this year. I can’t believe , considering the weather we’ve had, that it could be the best year for anything.
We’re off the Crail for the long weekend, for a wee break. The schools are off for half-term and it’s our big birthday weekend where we have 4 Cobbinshaw birthdays in 4 days. It’s always a good time. The only down-side is that I’ll miss the Balerno market on Saturday. I haven’t been there now since October, for one reason or another, but hopefully March will see us back there as usual.
On the farm-work side of things, I’ve bought in the first of my seed compost for this year and hope to get some seeds sown when we get back from our break. It’s our first year with the poly-tunnel and hopefully it’ll give us a good early start. My main concern was, that the structure couldn’t survive our weather up here. We’re really exposed to winds from any direction, but, so far, it has survived .
Here’s a list of the veg that should appear in the standard bags this week, if substitutions haven’t been required:

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 varieties 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.

Chard Chard is great nutritionally. It contains Vitamins A, C, B2 and B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, phytochemicals and protein. Most of you will get one giant leaf, but it will cook into curries and other dishes. To cook it, treat it much the same way as spinach for the leaf and like celery for the stem,although the flavour is quite different Immerse the chard in a large bowl of cold clean water, lift them out and repeat the process with fresh water, two or three times more. Chard has a high water content , so it is sufficient to cook it only with the water adhering to the leaves from the last rinsing. Sprinkle lightly with salt, cover with a lid and cook gently for 7 – 10 minutes until soft. Drain the chard thoroughly, squeezing out as much water as possible with a potato masher.

Pepper Capsicum sp.. ( 1 head) Cut off the top and scoop out the membranes and seeds. The flesh can be eaten fresh or cooked. There are also various recipes for stuffing peppers for which you need to retain the sliced off top.

Parsnip. Pastinaca sativa Good for Vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and fibre. Peel, then cut into chunks for boiling or roasting, also can be grated into soups or kept in chunks for soups or stews. Here’s a recipe for: Curried parsnip couscous. Prepare your parsnips and cut them into batons about 7cm (3inches) long, the thicker sections will need to be quartered. Mix together 1 teaspoon each of sea salt, paprika and ground cumin, a tablespoon each of sunflower oil and honey and a dash of tabasco sauce. Pour this over the parsnips and leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200oC/400oF/Gas 6. Cover the parsnips tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour. Turn them regularly, making sure they are tightly wrapped before returning them to the oven. Sprinkle them with water from time to time to stop sticking. Towards the end of the cooking time prepare some couscous. Serve the couscous with the parsnips, sprinkled with coriander leaves. Have mango chutney on hand, just to finish it off.

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.

Newsletter 31st January 2011

There were no newsletters in the bags on Thursday and Friday, last week, because the printer ran out of ink, and the stationary store had run out of ink cartridges. I eventually had to order some online, but they didn’t arrive in time to get the epistles out. If you ever get a bag and the newsletter isn’t included for one reason or another, you can usually find it on the website under the news link. You can also look back at previous newsletters for additional recipe ideas, there at any time too.
It’s Keir’s 7th birthday on the 12th February and as it’s half term, we’re going over to Crail for a couple of nights at the weekend. This means we won’t be at the farmers market in Balerno again. Between the weather and the time of year, we’ve missed the last three Balerno markets. I’ll make an extra special effort to be there on the second Saturday in March.
For the last week or so, we’ve had easier ground conditions for digging vegetables, so I’ve been trying to clear areas of the field, so that I can get them prepared for the coming season. It’s going to be on us before we know it, although I’m sure we’ve still got some cold weather to face yet. I always feel like we’re getting through Winter when we get to February. The countryside starts to show signs of new life and the buds on the trees are starting to swell. I’ll get the poly-tunnel tidied up and get some of the hardier seeds sown to give us as early a start as possible.
Here’s a list of the veg that should appear in the standard bags this week, if substitutions haven’t been required:

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 varieties 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.

Celeriac (1 head To prepare your celeriac, peel off the thick outer skin and chop into chunks or juliennes and leave in water with a few drops of lemon juice until required for cooking. I usually give you a recipe for soup, but here’s something completely different: Celeriac and mixed seed salad:- Heat a frying pan and add 15g of sunflower seeds, 15g of pumpkin seeds and a teaspoon of salt. Roast, stirring frequently, until they start to pop. Remove from the heat and set aside. Shred the prepared celeriac and toss it in 150g of yoghurt, a crushed garlic clove, the juice of ½ a lime, pepper, and a tablespoon each of parsley and coriander. Chuck in most of the seeds, reserving some to sprinkle over the salad just before serving. Serve with French bread and some winter salad leaves.

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.

Savoy Cabbage Brassica oleracea Capitata Group..(1 head) Savoy is an excellent source of Vitamins B6 and C and also a source of potassium, fibre and phytochemicals. To cook, cut into quarters, cut out the hard core shred and wash under running cold water, then boil or steam for 7-10 minutes. This recipe is quite close to the traditional bubble and squeak:- Prepare the cabbage as above and put in a pan of lightly salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Remove the rind and gristle from 6oz ( 175g) of bacon, chop crossways into narrow strips and put in a heavy based pan. Fry the bacon until crisp, and the fat begin to run then add a finely chopped onion and cook until soft. Add the drained cabbage, stirring continuously until well coated. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cook through.

Garlic Allium sativum.( 1 head) Good for Vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. A crushed clove of garlic can enhance many savoury meals.

newsletter w/c 24th January 2011

The weather for the farmers market at juniper Green last Saturday was a big improvement on what we’ve suffered in the last few months. The customers turned out too, and I was hoarse by the time I got home after the non-stop chatter. I don’t do any of the market trader - vocal marketing that you see on the television or at the Barras. You know the sort of thing – ‘get your leeks – two for a pound’ in my strongest Ayrshire accent. I’d be hoarse within half an hour then. I spend my time chatting to people who come up tio the stall and show an interest.
Lynda’s brother Peter had us over on Saturday for our first Burns supper of the season. I shouldn’t have had my third helping, but couldn’t help myself as the food was so good. I could hardly move for about an hour afterwards. We’re hosting one for friends locally on Friday so I’ll have to finish my run on Friday as early as I can to give me plenty of time to get prepared.
On the delivery side of things, I have, as intimated over the last couple of weeks, had to change some of the delivery days, to make the runs as efficient as I can get them, now that I’m doing the deliveries myself again. It’s mainly customers in North Lanarkshire that are affected but one or two others may see the delivery change. If you have any queries or if the new delivery time is an inconvenience to you, let me know and we’ll sort another delivery time out for you.
We have Seville oranges available at the moment, if anyone is planning on making marmalade. Let me know how many kilos you would need and I’ll let you know the price and when I can get them.
On the farm, I’ve got a busy day of harvesting veg for the bags this week. I have to try to get all the roots up for the whole week, and the jerusalem artichokes are quite time-consuming to pick. I hope we don’t have a frosty night on Sunday or that will hold me back. It’s looking ok at the moment.
Here’s a list of the veg that should appear in the standard bags this week, if substitutions haven’t been required:

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.

Brussels Sprouts Brassica oleracea Gemmifera Group Excellent source of Vitamin C and phytochemicals, and is also a source of Vitamins A and B6, potassium, folic acid and fibre. To prepare, pare the bottom off of the sprout and remove any damaged outer leaves. Sprouts taste best when they are quickly blanched in lightly salted boiling water and then served topped with melting butter.

Jerusalem Artichoke Helianthus tuberosus ( 400g) Source of Vitamin B1, B2, B3, calcium, potassium, iron and fibre. To cook scrub off the worst of any dirt on the root, then boil for a couple of minutes without cutting off the root or the top. This loosens the skin and allows you to rub it off quite easily. Then boil in slightly salted water for a further 15-20 minutes or until tender. Add lemon juice to the water before boiling to keep the roots white. Can also be roasted after parboiling, and makes very good soup. All you really need are the artichokes, some onion, simmered together until soft, add a stock, boil for 30 minutes maybe a little nutmeg. Puree it.

Mixed Beansprouts very nutritious, these sprouting seeds are excellent fresh in salads or cooked in stir-fries. If there is a punnet open in the kitchen in our house, they don’t last long because people seem to find it hard to pass them without digging out a spoonful.

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.

Newsletter w/c 17th january 2011

We’re two weeks into the New year now and having looked at the delivery runs, I’ve had to make a few adjustments to delivery days, mainly to customers living in the Nth Lanarkshire area. I’ll get in touch with you individually to let you know the details, but if you’ve received this bag on a day you didn’t expect, then this will probably be the day for your delivery for the next wee while. I just feel that the deliveries could be a bit more efficiently done, now that I’m doing all the deliveries myself.
This Saturday we’ll be at t he Juniper green Farmers market from 9am til 1pm, so come along and see us. I’m sure the weather is going to be the best we’ve had for months, it can’t be much worse, so now’s the time to try it. There are lots of meat and bakery stalls as well as our own veg.
I’ve included a swede this week for your Burns supper to go along with you tatties in accompanying your haggis. It’ll keep til next weekend if you’re having your supper on the weekend after Burns night. Finn’s got his bagpipes now and has been practicing hard to be able to ‘pipe in’ our haggis for us. Should be quite an occasion, but not a quiet one. There’s certainly a lot more volume than when he practices with the chanter.
On the farm, we’re back to clearing the field of all the crops that are left so that we can get on with the process of growing again for this years veg. There’s never that much ‘down time’ with us, always something to do.
Here’s a list of the veg that should appear in the standard bags this week id substitutions haven’t been required:
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.

Kale Brassica oleracea Acephala Group. 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.

Parsnip Pastinaca sativa . Source of Vitamin C and Folic Acid. Peel the root thickly and slice the flesh. Boil in lightly salted water for 30 minutes. Alternatively, parboil for 10 minutes then roast for 20 – 30 minutes. Here’s a recipe I found for: Fried Parsnips; Trim the tops and roots off the parsnips then peel and cut in half lengthways. Put the parsnips in a pan of boiling water (lightly salted) and cook for 15 minutes. They should still be firm and not quite tender. Drain thoroughly. Lightly beat an egg and dip the parsnips in it before caoting them with breadcrumbs seasoned with salt and pepper. Melt 2oz(50g) of butter in a frying pan and shallow fry the parsnips until they are golden and crisp on both sides, turning once.

Pepper Capsicum sp. (1 head) Good source of vitamin C. Wash the pepper, then slice off the top. Scoop out the seeds and membranes. Can be eaten cooked or fresh in various dishes including pasta sauces, pizza, salads. Peppers can also be stuffed with various fillings.

Swede Brassica napus (1head). At his time of year, we always include a swede in the bag, in case you want to have your very own Burns supper. The bard’s birthday was 25th January and although you can have a Burns supper at any point in the year, it is the weekends on either side of this date that his memory is most remembered. Haggis neeps (swede) and tatties are the usual fare as he famously wrote, ‘Tae a Haggis’. You can even recite a few lines of poetry if you feel like it too. Traditionally a claret or bottle of whiskey would be on the table and in our house, a bottle of irn-bru if there are younger members of the family taking part. To cook, take your neep and peel it thickly. Cut the flesh into cubes or chunks and boil in lightly salted water for 25 – 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly and mash with cream and butter. Delicious!