Newsletter w/c 5th September 2011

The van is on the road, fully functioning and MOT’d, so with any luck, we can have a relatively trouble free and ‘on-schedule’ veg run for the foreseeable future. Wednesday customers may notice that delivery times have been a couple of hours later in the past few weeks. This has been due to me staying in bed until a more reasonable hour than I used to.

Our camping trip to Peebles went ahead at the weekend despite the poor weather forecast. It was dry when we put up the tent. The campsite was reasonably quiet, so the five boys we had with us were able to get out on their bikes and burn off some energy while Lynda and I set up camp. The rain stayed off til we’d got into our sleeping bags and it hammered down all night. It’s great lying cosy in a tent with the rain drumming against the fly-sheet. It wasn’t quite so good for Alistair who had managed to roll himself into a puddle of water at the edge of the door. By the morning his sleeping bag was soaked and he hadn’t had a lot of sleep. The campsite had a tumble dryer, so we got it dried in no time. On the Saturday morning we set out for the Mountain-bike trails at Glentress. I hadn’t experienced much mountain biking before, but you couldn’t wish for a better place to learn the techniques. There are miles and miles of trails through the forestry and hills, graded in the same way as ski-slopes are, for beginners to experienced and then on to trails that would test anyone’s ability. They’ve got a beginners area set up to practice before you hit the longer trails. Both Alistair and I fell off our bikes on this bit, but apart from a few grazes and bruises we were fine. After lunch we took to the trails and spent a couple of hours climbing up through woods and hurtling back down again. There are little obstacles and jumps to take if you want to, but even just cycling through the woodland, taking in the scents of conifers and moss and the anticipation of whats round the next bend is exhilarating without the added stunts. We are already organizing our next visit. The boys were asleep very early on Saturday night.

On the farm it’s all potato lifting at the moment and will be for the next few weeks. I think we should have a decent crop as long as none of the varieties have been affected by the wet conditions. The signs are good so far.

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.

Garlic Allium sativum.( 1 head) Good for Vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. A crushed clove of garlic can enhance many savoury meals. May be substituted with pepper if you received garlic last week.

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

Beetroot Beta vulgaris Beetroot can be eaten fresh, cooked or pickled. The least messy way to cook them is to wash them but boil them before you peel them. After boiling the skin rubs off very easily and the flesh doesn’t bleed all over the place. The small beetroot we have this week will cook in only half an hour. They can be used for soup, grated into risottos, boiled and eaten as an accompanying veg, pickled or roasted. Very versatile indeed.