Newsletter w/c 12th December 2011

When I heard that the forecasted storm was on it’s way last Thursday, I decided it was probably best to stay off the roads and to do what I could to protect things at Cobbinshaw. The poor polytunnel looks like it has gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson, but the polythene is still in one piece, although the structure is a little bent and broken in places. I’m confident I can fix it. I delivered both the Thursday and Friday deliveries on Friday last week, but, weather permitting, we’ll be back to normal this week.

Finn is still recovering from his bout of illness, but has managed to get back to school today for the first time in a couple of weeks. Hopefully, he’ll get back to his old boisterous self by Christmas.

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.

There’s a flyer in the bag this week to let you know that we have gift vouchers available for sale. Just let us know by e-mail, how much you’d like the voucher to be made out for and I’ll drop it off to you. Anyone would enjoy fresh organic veg and fruit as a present. The delivery can be made anytime over the next few months.

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. 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.

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 for 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.

Pumpkin Cucurbita sp. (1 head) An excellent source of phytochemicals and vitamins A and C. Also a significant source of fibre and potassium. Pumpkins are very versatile and can make excellent soup, peeled, de-seeded and cut into chunks, with chicken or vegetable stock and an onion, carrots and a clove of garlic. Simmer it til tender then liquidise for a hearty soup. Also good roasted. You can either cut it up and remove the seeds and roast it around a joint or chicken, or you can roast it whole, just make sure you cut a hole right through to the seed core first or it could blow up in the oven. Some mess!