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.
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.
posted by thewholeshebag at 2:46 PM
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