Newsletter w/c 12th September 2011

The poly-tunnel is hanging on grimly through the tail-end of the hurricane and the roofs are still on the sheds. Kipper, the cat, has exhausted himself, chasing leaves spinning in a vortex in the courtyard. So, apart from the annoyance of not getting a lot done outside, for fear of branches falling on top of us – we’ve got off quite lightly.

We’re well behind schedule with harvesting now, but that isn’t always a bad thing, as the amount of waste in the really cold weather, last year, showed. We’ll be out lifting potatoes, at every opportunity now for the next couple of months.

We had another very busy weekend, despite the weather. Late last week I got a call to ask if I could fill-in at a farmers market in Peebles, so I agreed and was off down there again early on Saturday morning. I stood all morning in what felt like a tropical storm. The rain lashed down most of the time, but the temperature was really high. It was a very quiet market. There was a lot happening in Peebles last weekend with the Highland games on the Sunday as well as the start of the Tour of Britain Cycle race. To celebrate the race the organizers staged a race on Saturday evening for about 30 of the riders around a kilometer circuit in the town centre. We stayed to watch it with the boys and it was a real spectacle. The cyclists completed each circuit in about a minute, so they ended up doing more than 40 laps which meant it kept the youngsters from getting bored. Next day was the Biggar Minis Rugby tournament, so we got down there bright and early, with the boys and cousin Gregor. It wasn’t pleasant weather for spectators, but the boys prefer the mud for playing in I think, and they ran themselves to a standstill. It didn’t take them long to get to sleep on Sunday night.

We’re not attending any farmers markets this week, so if the weathers good, hopefully, we’ll get some tatties lifted.

This is a list of the vegetables included in the standard bags this week. Substitutions may occur.

Potato Solanum tuberosum. We’re onto our own new potatoes now. The variety for the most part is Pentland Javelin. If I came across any ‘volunteer’ plants (potatoes left in the ground from last years crop) I dug them too so there may be one or two different tatties in your bag. It’s such a nice change when we move to new potatoes from the previous season’s stored ones. 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. 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 Excellent source of Vitamin C. Particularly used to give soups a lovely creamy texture. As leeks grow they tend to lock soil into their leaf axils, so be sure to rinse them well after slicing them up. A nice idea for cooking leeks is to sweat finely sliced leeks in butter for 5 minutes, pour in a glass of red wine and simmer until reduced. Season and serve as an accompaniment to grilled fish or roast meat.

Cauliflower Brassica oleracea Botrytis Group (1 head) – Excellent source of Vitamin C and also a decent source of Vitamin B6, folic acid, pantothenic acid, fibre and potassium. To prepare, cut off the outer leaves. There is no need to remove the inner, tender leaves and the pale green base leaves. Trim the end of the stalk flush with the base of the cauliflower and cut a cross in it with a sharp knife. Boil the cauli in lightly salted boiling water for 12-15 minutes if whole or 8-10 minutes if the florets are split up.

Mixed salad various –Excellent source of phytochemicals and a good source of Vitamins A, B and C, calcium, fibre and potassium. The ground was pretty wet when we picked the salad so some grit may be mixed in. Rinse it well. To store, it is best to rehydrate the lettuce. Rinse well, two or three times, renewing the water with each rinse, then drain thoroughly in a colander or salad spinner. Store in the fridge and you should get it to last all week

Red Cabbage Brassica oleracea Capitata Group..(1 head) Excellent source of Vitamin C and phytochemicals and also contains Vitamin B6, potassium, fibre and calcium. Here’s a recipe for Braised red cabbage which uses apples rather than the orange based gravy I gave you last time. Braised Red Cabbage: Remove the outer coarse leaves and cut the cabbage into quarters. Remove the tough coresand shred the cabbage finely. Peel core and grate 2 cooking apples and mix with the cabbage. Melt 2oz.(50g) of butter in a pan, add 5fl.oz.(150ml) white wine vinegar and mix in the cabbage; coat thoroughly; then cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer over a gentle heat for 1 hour. Add a little more vinegar or water if the cabbage threatens to stick. Stir in 5fl.oz. (150ml) of red wine or blackcurrant juice, season to taste with sugar. The cabbage will have a fairly sharp flavour. Cover with a lid and simmer until tender.

the flesh. Boil in lightly salted water for 30 minutes and dash with cream and butter.