Newsletter w/c 16th April 2012

With Easter arriving, the holiday-let season really gets under way. We have a small cottage on the farm that we rent as a holiday let and we often receive comments on how relaxing and unique the setting is. The Zich family from Germany returned last week, after enjoying an easter break with us last year in glorious weather. This year the weather was the complete opposite, but I think they still had a great time. It was lovely to see them again and also to learn that they have been keeping in touch with what’s going on at Cobbinshaw, through this blog. (Hope to see you next year again if you’re reading this!) if anyone else is interested in our cottage, just send me an e-mail and we’ll get the details to you.

Our schedule returns to normal this week, with the end of the school holidays, so delivery times will revert back to what they usually are. The boys, of course, aren’t too happy about it, but they’ll soon be back in the swing of homework etc.

Lynda and I spent the night in Glasgow last Saturday, as we’d been given the chance to write a review for the magazine, Scottish Field, on one of the hotels in the City Centre. The hotel knew why we were there, so the staff made sure we had everything we needed and looked after us really well. They’ll be getting a very good review. It was a real treat for us too so I hope we get asked to review more holiday accommodation soon. It’ll probably end up being glamping in December or something, so I won’t get my hopes up too high. If we had to go back to re-review the Hotel Indigo I’d be quite happy.

This weekend, Finn’s playing in a concert with Boghall and Bathgate Pipe Band at Bathgate Academy. Gran and Grandpa are coming over to see him play too. He looks great in all his gear and the bands are very good, so it should be a good afternoon.

I’ve decided to make a real effort to fulfill a dream of running the London Marathon and am aiming to enter the 2013 race, which, if my calculations are correct, should take place on my 45^th birthday. My training starts now and I’ll let you know how the build-up goes. Let me know if you’re going to be entering, especially if you’re an old hand at marathon running. I need all the help I can get.

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 is Valor. 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.

Kohl-rabi Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group (1 head) Excellent source of Vitamin C and a source of potassium. This is my favourite brassica. It is excellent eaten raw, just peel off the outer skin and chop up the inner flesh. To cook, Cut the kohl-rabi into slices or strips and cook for 10 –15 minutes in a very small amount of boiling, lightly salted water adding butter at a rate of 75g to every 500g of kohl-rabi. Serve the kohl-rabi with part og the cooking liquid poured over it or a white sauce.

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.

Garlic Allium sativum (1 head) Good source of vitamin C and A, calcium and iron. Adds heightened flavour to any savoury dish and crushed and sauted in a pan with butter, is an excellent base in which to cook the mushrooms for a simple Garlic Mushrooms.

Chard Chard is great nutritionally. It contains Vitamins A, C, B2 and B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, phytochemicals and protein. Most of you will get one giant leaf, but it will cook into curries and other dishes. To cook it, treat it much the same way as spinach for the leaf and like celery for the stem,although the flavour is quite different Immerse the chard in a large bowl of cold clean water, lift them out and repeat the process with fresh water, two or three times more. Chard has a high water content , so it is sufficient to cook it only with the water adhering to the leaves from the last rinsing. Sprinkle lightly with salt, cover with a lid and cook gently for 7 – 10 minutes until soft. Drain the chard thoroughly, squeezing out as much water as possible with a potato masher.