Newsletter w/c 28th November 2011

Someone else beat me to the farmers market at Juniper Green on Saturday, but considering the weather conditions, I feel quite fortunate that I missed out this time. I’ve been promised a pitch at the market on the 17^th December. Hopefully I’ll manage to get along to it this time.

During the festive season, delivery days will not need to be changed. We’ll deliver as normal on the week before Christmas and the week between Christmas and New Year. We’ll take our customary festive week off over the first week of the New Year, so there will be no deliveries on the week beginning 2^nd January with deliveries starting again on the 9^th January 2012.

We’re always looking for new customers, so please spread the word about the service we provide. We still have plenty of capacity as numbers of deliveries dipped slightly a couple of years ago when the financial crisis first raised its head. We want to be working as efficiently as we can so the more deliveries in each area we have, the less fuel we use per household. Also, if you have any suggestions on how we could improve the service, please let me know.

At Cobbinshaw, I’ve been trying to tidy up areas around the sheds and the polytunnel and improve the surfaces of the storage and access areas. It’s been a bit wet for it, but we’re getting there. We’ve also stripped the floor area from our old barn to form the structure and get the levels correct for the garden around our house. It’ll give us the blank canvas we need to start turning it into an interesting, colourful and enjoyable garden for ourselves and for a wide variety of birds, insects and other wildlife.

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.

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.

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.

Beetroot Beta vulgaris (400g ) Contains Vitamin C folic acid and potassium. Can be cooked in various ways, but don’t peel the beet until you’ve boiled it as this stops it ‘bleeding’. My recipe for you this week completely disregards this, so have a pair of rubber gloves and newspaper handy. I’m going to tell you how to make Super Boost Juice – Put on the rubber gloves, spread out a newspaper and peel your beetroot and cut it into chunks. Take 4 apples and quarter and core them. Take 4 carrots and trim and peel them. Take 1cm/1 inch of fresh ginger and peel it. This is easily done by scraping the skin off with the side of a teaspoon. Process all the ingredients through a juicer. Stir and serve immediately, adding ice if desired.

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.

Newsletter w/c 21st November 2011

Everything went to plan with the Manchester trip last Friday. I delivered the Friday bags on Thursday to free up Friday, and allow Liam and I the chance to soak up the atmosphere, and a few beers, before the concert was due to begin. It turned out to be a great night and Carter USM put on a fine show.

Anyway, I got back home and back to tattie digging again by Sunday. We’ve had quite a bit of mild weather recently, and it’s been really easy to encourage myself down to the field to get things done. There has been a lot of time this summer when it wasn’t quite so appealing. The geese are on the move now and many come and stop for a night or two on the loch. The noise of the geese in their flight formation is really comical. It’s just as if they’re chatting to each other as they travel along.

I keep saying this, and then something comes up to change my plans, but I’ll try again. I am hoping to be at Juniper Green farmers market this Saturday. Even if I don’t make it, there are still plenty of interesting stalls to make it worth a look, so please try and come along if you can. It’s moved across the road now to the car park behind the dentists surgery. There are plenty of signs, so you won’t get lost.

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.

Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum. Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamins A and C, potassium and iron. This is the first of the British organic tomatoes for this year. They are eaten in many different ways, both fresh or cooked.

Red Cabbage Brassica oleracea CapitataGroup (1 head) – If the cabbage is really big this time, I will half it. This is in response to customer comments after the last red cabbages 5 weeks ago. Some of you may even have some left. Here’s a different recipe for you to try with it: Preheat your oven to 150oC/300oF/ gas mark 2. Remove any damaged outer leaves, cut into quarters and remove the stalk. Shred the cabbage finely. In a casserole, lay a layer of cabbage, seasoned with salt and pepper, a layer of chopped onions and chopped, peeled and cored apples, with a sprinkling of garlic, 1 clove should be enough, a little nutmeg, cinnamon and ground cloves and about a tablespoon of brown sugar. Repeat these layers until everything is in then pour in 3 tablespoon of wine vinegar and 1/2oz (10g) of butter. Put a lid on the casserole and let it cook slowly for 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring a couple of times during cooking.

Kohl-rabi Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group (1 head) Excellent source of Vitamin C and of potassium. Peel the outer skin off of the swollen bulb then eat either raw or cooked. Here’s a recipe for Sugar-browned kohl-rabi Peel the kohl-rabi and cut into finger-wide strips. Blanch for 5 minutes then refresh in cold water. Return the kohl-rabi to the pan with a small amount of boiling lightly salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Drain and allow to cool slightly. Melt 1oz (25g) sugar in a heavy based frying pan without stirring, until it bubbles and is pale brown. Add 1oz (25g) of butter and stir until blended. Stir in the kohl-rabi strips and shake the pan frequently to coat all the strips evenly with caramel.

Courgette Cucurbita pepo (1 head) Source of Vitamins A and C , calcium, iron and fibre. Prepare by wshing and trimming both ends. Courgettes can be coked whole or in slices, or they can be cut in half lengthways filled with stuffing and baked. Boil courgettes in lightly salted water for 15-20 minutes. Sliced courgettes may be steamed in butter for 10 minutes. Halved courgettes may be parboiled for 5 minutes the finished in the oven, in a well-buttered dish for 25 minutes at 190oC (375oF) Gas Mark 5.

newsletter w/c 14th November 2011

I’m going down to Manchester with my old friend Liam on Friday to see a band that we last saw together in 1990. It means that the easiest practical way for me to get the Friday deliveries out is to deliver them on Thursday evening instead. I hope you won’t mind getting your bag a day early.

We’ve got Brussels sprouts in the bags this week as promised. It really makes me feel like we’re getting close to the festive season as if I needed any reminder anyway. The boys started a list for Santa a month ago and if he is going to deliver everything written down I think we’ll need a bigger house.

On the subject of Christmas, delivery days will not need to be changed. We’ll deliver as normal on the week before Christmas and the week between Christmas and New Year. We’ll take our customary festive week off over the first week of the New Year with deliveries starting again on the 9^th January 2012.

Finn was away playing rugby with Biggar Mini’s in Ayr on Sunday, while I got on with some tidying up at home. He came home with a smile on his face and cracking black eye. He’s very proud of it and was a bit disappointed it hadn’t coloured up more for going to school on Monday.

We’re always looking for new customers, so please spread the word about the service we provide. We still have plenty of capacity as numbers of deliveries dipped slightly a couple of years ago when the financial crisis first raised its head. We want to be working as efficiently as we can so the more deliveries in each area we have, the less fuel we use per household. Also, if you have any suggestions on how we could improve the service, please let me know.

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.

Brussels Sprouts Brassica oleracea Gemmifera Group.. Excellent source of Vitamin C and phytochemicals and also contains Vitamins A and B6, potassium, fibre and calcium. Wash the sprouts in cold water and peel off any ragged or marked leaves then cut an X into the base of the sprout. Cook in a minimum of boiling salted water for 8 – 10 minutes, NO LONGER, or they’ll go soggy.

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.

swede Brassica napa. (1head). Swedes are one of Scotlands Winter staple veggies. It is completely frost resistant so needs only to harvested as required rather than having to be stored. The only problem is lifting when the ground is frozen I’ve seen us lifting them with pick axes in frosty weather. Cut off the top and bottom of the swede then peel thickly. Cut into cubes or big chunks and boil for 30-40 minutes or alternatively, parboil then set around a roast in the oven for the last 30 minutes of cooking time. Excellent boiled, then mashed with butter and cream.

hile, take 250g (1/2lb) mushrooms, keep whole if small and slice thickly if large. Fry the mushrooms in 50g (2oz) butter for 5 minutes until golden. Arrange the celeriac slices on individual plates, top with the fried mushrooms and sprinkle with paprika. Serve as an appetiser.

Newsletter w/c 7th November 2011

After a visit to see my Gran and my Parents in Kilmarnock on Saturday, we decided to take the boys to the fireworks display at Strathclyde Park on the way back. It was a fantastic night with live bands and plenty of entertainment to keep the boys amused while waiting for the countdown to the actual display. The boys’ faces were a picture as they were singing along to all the accompanying songs. We were all impressed by the quality of the show and will definitely be back next year.

On the farm, I’ve lifted all the onions now and stored them for drying and this week, if the ground doesn’t get too hard, I’ll get back to lifting potatoes again. I’ve still to sow the next batch of winter salads, so that’s on the list for this week too. The Jerusalem Artichokes usually get left until after Christmas, before I start lifting them, but I may have a look and see how they are progressing and might try to get them in the bags soon as we seem to have a large crop if the foliage is anything to go by. We’ll also be including Brussels sprouts in the bag next week, as they are ahead of schedule this year. I’m sure there will be plenty for Christmas as well.

We’re always looking for new customers, so please spread the word about the service we provide. We still have plenty of capacity as numbers of deliveries dipped slightly a couple of years ago when the financial crisis first raised its head. We want to be working as efficiently as we can so the more deliveries in each area we have, the less fuel we use per household. Also, if you have any suggestions on how we could improve the service, please let me know.

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.

Kale Brassica oleracea Acephala Group. Excellent source of phytochemicals and a source of vitamins A and C, calcium, copper, potassium and fibre. Don’t over do the cooking. Just needs gentle treatment. A light steam or boiled in very little amount of water until just wilting. Scatter in a few cloves for a bit of extra flavour. Can be used fresh in a winter salad, but can be a bit over-powering if you use too much.

Cucumber Cucumis sativus. (1/2 head) 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.

Parsnip Pastinaca sativa This sweet root vegetable was eaten by our ancestors in the way that potatoes are eaten today. Prepare the roots for cooking by cutting off the tops and the tapering root. Peel the parsnips thinly and cut lengthways into thick slices. Parsnips may be boiled in lightly salted water for 20-25 minutes, depending on the size or method of preparation, or they may be steamed in butter and a little white stock or white wine. Boiled parsnips can be serves tossed in butter and the cress, or Mornay sauce. They can also be roasted. Parboil them for 5 minutes and then roast for 30-40 minutes in the oven.

Celeriac (1head). To prepare celeriac, treat it much as you would a swede. Peel it thickly and slice. As you slice the flesh drop it into a pan of cold water with a couple of drops of lemon juice to avoid discolouration. Here’s a recipe fpr Celeriac with mushroom stuffing: Prepare as above but slice crossways into discs 1 inch thick. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and keep the celeriac warm under a dry cloth. Meanwhile, take 250g (1/2lb) mushrooms, keep whole if small and slice thickly if large. Fry the mushrooms in 50g (2oz) butter for 5 minutes until golden. Arrange the celeriac slices on individual plates, top with the fried mushrooms and sprinkle with paprika. Serve as an appetiser.

newsletter w/c 31st October 2011

This will be our 101st ‘e-newsletter’ and as a sort of celebration of this, I’m sending out hard copies of the newsletter for a couple of weeks, mainly to advertise the fact that the newsletter is on the blog, for anyone who thought I’d just stopped doing them. Please note that I am quite happy to provide you with a hard copy each week if you find this preferable to the blog on the website. Just let me know and we’ll add the newsletter to your bag. The newsletter can be found each week on the ‘News’ link on our website – www.thewholeshebag.com

On the farm we’re really enjoying this mild spell of weather. There a re still a lot of heavy rain showers about, but we’re managing to get things done in between. We’re going to lift all the rest of the onions this week to start to dry them out for storage and the ongoing job of lifting potatoes is always there to do too.

Deliveries were mucked up a little bit last week when the alternator broke on the van. I thought I was going to be able to limp back to the garage from Linlithgow but broke down completely in Bathgate. So, once again, the van had to get a piggy-back from a break-down truck. Thanks to the good service from both the breakdown company and the hire company I was back on my deliveries within 2 hours, but I was completely off my normal route by then, so some had to be delivered on Wednesday that should have been Tuesday.

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.

Beetroot Beta vulgaris (400g ) Contains Vitamin C folic acid and potassium. Can be cooked in various ways, but don’t peel the beet until you’ve boiled it as this stops it ‘bleeding’. Super Boost Juice – Put on the rubber gloves, spread out a newspaper and peel your beetroot and cut it into chunks. Take 4 apples and quarter and core them. Take 4 carrots and trim and peel them. Take 1cm/1 inch of fresh ginger and peel it. This is easily done by scraping the skin off with the side of a teaspoon. Process all the ingredients through a juicer. Stir and serve immediately, adding ice if desired.

Savoy Cabbage Brassica oleracea Capitata Group..(1 head) Excellent source of Vitamins B6 and C and also a source of potassium and fibre and phytochemicals. To cook, cut into quarters, cut out the hard core shred and wash under running cold water, then boil or steam for 7-10 minutes. This recipe is quite close to the traditional bubble and squeak:- Prepare the cabbage as above and put in a pan of lightly saltd boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Remove the rind and gristle from 6oz ( 175g) of bacon, chop crossways into narrow strips and put in a heavy based pan. Fry the bacon until crisp, and the fat begin to run then add a finely chopped onion and cook until soft. Add the drained cabbage, stirring continuously until well coated. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cook through.

Courgette Cucurbita pepo .(250g) Good for Vitamins A and C, calcium, fibre and iron. The courgettes may be green or yellow this week. Courgettes can be eaten raw or cooked in butter or stirfried or even roasted, so very versatile. Just give the skin a good wash first and drain it off then prepare.

Pepper Capsicum sp. (1 head) Contains Vitamins A and C, potassium and iron. Trim off the top and scoop out the seeds and membrane from inside and discard them. Peppers can be eaten fresh in salads or cooked in various ways as an accompanying veg or in sauces. Can also be stuffed and roasted.

Newsletter w/c 17th October 2011

A last minute opportunity had us rushing to organise ourselves to go on holiday, last week. We spent the week in an apartment on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh and took the chance to be tourists for a change. I was close enough to home to carry out the deliveries, so everyone should have received a bag, who expected one. I tried to leave a bit earlier than usual so that I could catch up with Lynda and the boys wherever they’d decided to go to explore, so you may have ended up getting your bag slightly earlier than usual. The Friday customers ended up getting their bags on Thursday – I hope this didn’t confuse you too much.

This will be our 100^th ‘e-newsletter’ and as a sort of celebration of this, I’m sending out hard copies of the newsletter in the next two bags, mainly to advertise the fact that the newsletter is on the blog, for anyone who thought I’d just stopped doing them. Please note that I am quite happy to provide you with a hard copy each week if you find this preferable to the blog on the website. Just let me know and we’ll add the newsletter to your bag. The newsletter can be found each week on the ‘News’ link on our website – www.thewholeshebag.com

One downside of going to Edinburgh last week was that I couldn’t make the farmers market last Saturday at Juniper Green as I had advertised I would. Apologies if this caused any inconvenience for anyone.

On the farm we’ve had more dry days than wet, so the ground is starting to dry out a little. The temperature has risen steadily since the short snow shower in the middle of last week and was quite comfortable for working in today. I had sown a load of winter salads in the polytunnel, but between the cold snap and slugs, there are virtually no seedlings left. I’ll try again with a bit more protection this time and a few beer traps scattered about.

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.

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.

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