Newsletter w/c 11th April 2011

The early part of this week is not going to run as usual this week. Tuesday deliveries will be on Monday and there are no Wednesday deliveries at all. Thursday and Friday deliveries will go ahead as usual. On the farm, the field has now been ploughed so we can get on and get everything planted, our only restrictions are weather to an extent and time. At least the days are stretching now so I can work a bit longer each day and get a bit more done. I’ve tidied up the perennial bed and transplanted a row of garlic plants. I’ve planted a row of Jerusalem artichokes and weeded round the rhubarb. I need to plant the rest of the artichokes, then plant the potatoes and onion sets and when it’s too wet to do that, prick out seedlings in the poly-tunnel. It’s a time of year when there is just never enough hours in the day to do everything. Last Saturday, our nephew, Robbie, came out to help for the weekend and on Saturday we did a big repair job on the farm road. The surface, like every other road surface in Scotland, was very pot-holed after the winter weather. I bought in some type one gravel and hired a vibrating plate and we got started. We had only been going about half an hour when both of our farming neighbours, Matthew and Alisdair had offered help with their machines. The big buckets made life a lot easier than working with the barrow. Finn worked the vibrating plate, while Keir helped drive the machine, so that kept them happy and busy too. It’s great to have a smooth-ish journey along the road now. We’re getting a bit short of net bags again, so if you’ve a stash of therm, that you’ve saved up for us – could you leave them out in the next couple of deliveries. That way I’ll know how many to buy in. Thanks 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. 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. 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. (100g) 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. Kohl Rabi Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group (1 head) – Excellent source of vitamin C and potassium. These swollen stem bases are great eaten raw, but can be cooked. Just peel off the outer skin and slice or dice the inner flesh. To cook, blanch for 5 minutes in boiling water with a little added lemon juice, then refresh in cold water. Cook the kohl-rabi for 10-15 minutes in a minimal amount of