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.