Newsletter w/c 20th February 2012

The poly-tunnel renovation is taking longer than I anticipated. The obvious damage caused by the storm didn’t look too bad, but once I got down to re-positioning the clamps and brackets, I found a lot of them are damaged and bent out of shape, so it’s taking quite some time to get each section to fit together again at the correct angle. I will get there though. I’m hoping to be sowing seeds by the end of the week.

I’m not short of jobs to do though, as the road has taken a pounding from all the winter weather as well and is needing a day spent on it to fill potholes and save the bone-jarring journeys we all have to face, just to get to the main road. I’ll try to get it done by the weekend too.

On the veg front, we have Jerusalem artichokes in the bag this week. I think this will be the second last lot I’ll manage to harvest this year. I’ll have them in the bags again in three weeks time and then I’ll lift the rest for seed and re-plant them. We’ve also got Brussels sprouts again too. There has been a really good crop of them this year and I’ve probably got 2 more pickings than usual out of them. I just hope it’s not too much for you all. This should be the last picking of this season, so savour them. It’ll be the last we’ll have for about 10 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.

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.

Fennel (1 head) This stem base can be chopped raw into salads or simmered in a stock. Here’s a recipe for Buttered Fennel: Trim the root base and cut in half lengthways and rinse in cold water. Put the fennel in a pan with a minmal amount of boiling, lightly salted water and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until just tender. Overcooking reduces the sweet aniseed flavour. Drain thoroughly in a colander and keep warm on a serving dish. Now, melt the butter. Season the fennel with pepper, then pour the melted butter over the top and serve. Your cress would be a fine garnish for this dish. Goes particularly well with grilled fish or roast

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.

Brussels Sprouts Brassica oleracea Gemmifera Group.. Excellent source of Vitamin C and phytochemicals and also contains Vitamins A and B6, potassium, fibre and calcium. These sprouts this year are so sweet, I’m sure we can convert all those sproutiphobes out there. To prepare, 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. They are mini-cabbages and as such can be shredded and stir-fried. Here’s an example; Heat some oil in a wok and add an onion, 2 cloves of garlic and 1 chilli, all finely chopped, and fry for 2 minutes. Add the sprouts in your bag, shredded and a piece of fresh ginger, cut into fine strips. Stir whiel cooking for 2 minutes, add 3 tablespoons of water, cover and steam for 3 minutes. Season to taste and serve.