Newsletter w/c 26th September 2011

We attended Juniper Green Farmers market last Saturday and for the first market in a long time, we had good weather. Dry and sunny conditions, with no windy gusts to blow the paperwork all over the place. It was great. I had to leave a little early as we were heading over to Ayrshire straight after the market. It was Lynda’s birthday on Sunday and to celebrate, we met up with our friends, Ronnie and Jacquie, for dinner, after dropping the boys off with Gran and Grandpa. We hadn’t got together for a while, so there was a lot of catching-up to do and the night passed too quickly.

We picked the boys up next morning and they were a bit disappointed by the Scotland rugby result after getting beaten by Argentina in the World Cup, but they soon brightened up too.

The weather is still holding us back with harvesting, however, by the look of the weather report for this week, we could be in business at last. I may bring deliveries forward a bit if I think an early start will allow me more time in the field later on. So don’t be surprised if your bag has arrived before you get your breakfast.

After a couple of weeks where the veg selection has included some larger items and the bags have seemed huge, we have a slightly lighter week this week as I hope to have enough salad to do the whole week and we’ve also got kale in the bag. So there’s no real bulk in the bag this week, just plenty of nutritious greens.

Last Friday, we were invited to an open day at Damhead Nursery on the outskirts of Edinburgh. We were shown round a very well laid-out shrub and tree nursery. There were a wide range of specimens on show, all in good healthy condition, with many of them propogated and grown-on at the nursery. This means that the plants are acclimatized to the conditions here and should give a better chance of survival when planted in gardens in Scotland, which isn’t often the case when dealing with big Garden Centre chains. Look them up online if you’re interested in the ornamental side of the garden.

We’re always on the look-out for new customers too, so please spread the word about the box scheme and what we can offer. I’m constantly amazed by how many people don’t even realize that such a service exists.

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.

Cucumber Cucumis sativus. Good source of vitamin C and A. Also, a good source of potassium. Wash thoroughly, dry, then slice up to use in salads. Occasionally used in soups.

Kale Brassica oleracea Acephela Group..(1 bag) Excellent source of Vitamins A and C. Also a source of Calcium and copper. One of cooking is to rinse the kale in cold water, drain well and cut off and discard the tough stems. Cut the leaves into ¼ inch strips. In a well seasoned wok or frying pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over a moderatley high heat, add a crushed clove of garlic and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add half of the kale and cook, stirring for 1 minute, until they begin to wilt. Add the remaining kale and cook stirring for 6 – 8 minutes until the greens darken slightly and are fairly tender. Season with salt pepper and lemon juice.

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. The salad is starting to get a bit thin on the ground at the moment so we may need to have a week gap and put a replacement item in the bag.

Parsnip Pastinaca sativa Peel the parsnip then cut into quarters in lengths about 2 –3 inches long then parboil for 5 minutes before roasting them for 25 – 30 minutes in the oven.