Newsletter w/c 30th January 2012

Today,we woke to a lovely crisp frosty morning, which is great encouragement to get outside sharp and get plenty of work done. Bright weather makes all the usual chores that bit easier to get through. I even attempted to get the tattie lifting machine to help with the Jerusalem artichoke harvest – but the soil is just too heavy and wet for it to cope with. I had to revert to digging with the fork as usual. They looked so good I had to take a few in the house and make some Jerusalem artichoke and carrot soup – delicious!

The boys and I joined my Mum and Dad, Brian, Alison and Scott at Hampden on Saturday to watch Kilmarnock eventually win the Ayrshire Derby to reach the Final of the League Cup. That’ll take place in the middle of March against Celtic. The boys had a great day at their first match and we all met Lynda and went for dinner in Kilmarnock before we came back home. It’s a big thing for a team like to Kilmarnock to reach a final – it doesn’t happen very often. Next weekend is a big sporting weekend too with Kilmarnock playing Hibs, in the Scottish Cup this time, and, the start of the 6 Nations rugby with England the visitors to Murrayfield. I’d promised Finn ages ago that I’d take him into Edinburgh to try busking with his bagpipes for some pocket-money and he still seems to be keen to give it a go, so we’ll try to work that in and have a day in Edinburgh, soaking up the atmosphere. It’d be great to see Scotland doing well in the 6 nations for a change.

I’ve got some Seville oranges for sale if anyone is interested in making some marmalade. Get in touch and let me know how many kilos you need and I’ll let you know the price. They are always really popular so don’t hang around or you may miss them.

As I said earlier, the artichokes were looking really good when I lifted them today. They are a reasonable size, so far less foutery to work with. It’s a real mid-winter bag this week, with sprouts, swede and leek accompanying the artichokes. The days are starting to lengthen now though! Roll on the Spring!

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.

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.

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.