Newsletter w/c 3rd October 2011

Last weeks good weather was a real treat. Delivering veg bags in warm sunshine is far better than the constant soakings I’ve had this summer. I even managed to time my lunch-break so that I could have it on Portobello beach on Thursday. The dry weather couldn’t last, of course, and the field, although drying out a bit on top, is still very wet underneath. It hasn’t really made digging tatties much easier yet. We still need a prolonged dry spell. Growers are finding it very difficult, this year, and one chap I spoke to last week, has decided to give up. He can’t afford to keep planting crops that won’t give him a return. Hopefully he’s just temporarily scunnered, I’m sure he’ll be planting again in the Springtime.

The boys were staying with friends and relatives this weekend as Lynda and I had a couple of nights in Glasgow. We had a good time catching up with friends and just wandering about in the warm rain. When we all got back to Cobbinshaw on Sunday, our old dog Mollie, wasn’t out at the car greeting us, as she usually would have done. We found her still in her bed, unable to get up without help. So she went to the vet on Monday and was put to sleep. We’ve had her for over 14 yrs and it was a hard thing for all of us, but hardest for the boys to understand and they were pretty upset. The only one with a slight smile on his lips was Kipper the cat, who now gets a whole bed to himself.

With no markets on this weekend, I’m hoping to get plenty of tattie-lifting done, but this is completely weather-dependent. My fingers are crossed for fair weather and a drying wind.

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.

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.

Broccoli Brassica oleracea Italica Group (1 head) Excellent source of Vitamin C, folic acid and phytochemicals and good for Vitamn.B6. Also contains Vitamins A, B2, B6 and phosphorus, fibre, calcium and iron. It is best eaten raw or quickly blanched in boiling , lightly salted water. Broccoli is also good in stir-fries as it has a lovely crunch to it if you don’t cook it for too long.

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.

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.