Newsletter w/c 23rd January 2012

I feel like I’m starting to make some inroads into the list of jobs I’d written at the New Year. I managed to re-patch the shed roof last week but before I could get the time to put battens on it, the strong gusts at the weekend ripped the felt off again. I was up on the roof again this morning and the felt is on and there is so much battening on the roof there appears to be more wood than felt. The remains of the poly-tunnel have been bent back into a shape that resembles what it once was. I’ll leave the polythene off until I need it and then I’ll start to remove the sheet in the autumn to avoid the same thing happening again.

Finn and I took his new bike and my old one, to Glentress last Saturday and had a great day, despite wintry weather conditions, with my friend Charles and his son Alistair. We had about 2 hours of climbing up the hillside, then about an hour skelping back down through the trees. It’s a fantastic day out if you’re into cycling, and the facilities couldn’t be better with hot showers for you to get cleaned up, a jetwash to clean up your bike and a cool café to relax in and relive the high points.

There are jeruslem artichokes in the large bags this week and everyone will get them next week. I think we should have them for another couple of months yet. We obviously didn’t grow the red peppers that are included this week, I just like to give you a bit of a treat out-of-season once in a while.

This weekend is going to be huge for a lot of Ayrshire people. Not only is it Burns Supper time, but Kilmarnock are playing Ayr United in the Semi-Final of the Scottish League Cup, (it’s got a sponsors name now, but I can never remember it, so it always the League cup to me). The two Ayrshire teams have a huge rivalry but due to the fact that Ayr can’t match Kilmarnock in league results they have been in a lower league for years, so the clubs hardly ever meet. So, there’ll be thousands of football fans trecking up the M77 to Hampden stadium on Saturday all hoping to be making the trip back up in a couple of months for the final. It’s extra special for Finn and Keir as it’s going to be their first experience of being at a football match. We’re hoping for a Killie win, but the last time I mentioned a match in the newsletter we lost 5-1, I hope I’m not jinxing the team.

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.

Jerusalem Artichoke Helianthus tuberosus Source of Vitamin B1, B2, B3, calcium, potassium, iron and fibre. To cook scrub off the worst of any dirt on the root, then boil for a couple of minutes without cutting off the root or the top. This loosens the skin and allows you to rub it off quite easily. Then boil in slightly salted water for a further 15-20 minutes or until tender. Add lemon juice to the water before boiling to keep the roots white. Can also be roasted after parboiling, and makes very good soup. All you really need are the artichokes, some onion, simmered together until soft, add a stock, boil for 30 minutes maybe a little nutmeg. Puree it then reheat with a little milk added and bob’s your uncle. Delicious soup.

Calabrese Brassica oleracea Italica Group (1 head). Calabrese is and excellent source of Vitamin C and phytochemicals and also contains Vitamins A, B2 and B6, Phosphorus, fibre Iron and calcium. Here’s a recipe for Roast Calabrese with Chilli and Soy that I gave a couple of weeks ago as a romanesco recipe. It is fairly versatile. :

Toss 350g of Calabrese, broken into florets, in a tablespoon of olive oil. Cut the stalks into thick batons. Spread them all out on a baking tray and roast in a preheated oven for 10 mins at 200oC/Gas Mark 6 for 10 mins.Add 2 thinly sliced cloves of the garlic, ½ a red chilli, finely chopped and ½ a tablespoon of sesame seeds and mix through. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, sprinkle with soy sauce and serve. I haven’t tried this one yet but I hope to this 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.

Pepper Capsicum sp. (1 head) Good source of vitamin C. Wash the pepper, then slice off the top. Scoop out the seeds and membranes. Can be eaten cooked or fresh in various dishes including pasta sauces, pizza, salads. Peppers can also be stuffed with various fillings.