Newsletter w/c 25th June 2012

At long last we’ve managed to sort out our holiday dates. We’ll be away in the Lake District for a week in July. There won’t be a delivery during week commencing 16^th July 2012. We don’t cancel the deliveries for the week, they’re just postponed til the following one. This means everyone skips one week of veg bags whether they are due a bag that week or not.

Our Lake District trip is our main family holiday for the year, but Lynda and the boys are getting an extra trip in August with the 6^th Scots Pipes and Drums. The band has been invited to take part in a music festival in Brittany which lasts a whole week. Don’t worry though. You’ll still get all the veg deliveries that week. The Whole Shebag will be delivering as usual that week and will also have to cover any holiday let changeovers as well, so there will be plenty to do to keep us occupied.

Thanks to everyone who donated to Lynda’s ‘Race for Life’ sponsor page. You’ll be glad to hear she managed to get round the 5K course, and even plans to do some more runs in the future, so the experience can’t have been too bad. Her sponsor page is going to remain open for a little while yet, so if you would like to donate to Cancer Relief and haven’t done so already – have a look at her page. The link to her sponsor page is: www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/lyndamavor .

We spent Saturday at the Royal Highland Show and when we woke up and looked out at the stormy weather, if we hadn’t already bought our tickets, we’d have hibernated for the day. However, we had, so we ventured out to Ingleston. It was a good thing we went early as we got a car-parking space near a hard surface which meant we didn’t need towed out by tractor later on. Once in the site we passed a lot of stall-holders rushing to get at the wood-chip pile to cover the base of the stands with the chips so that customers wouldn’t get too muddy. We spent the first 2 hours in the food hall, dry and warm and very well fed with all the tasters and samples on offer. I was driving so avoided the nips of whiskey, but I’m not sure I could have faced them at 9.30am anyway. It was the same story with the wine tasting, however the sausage stall was very welcome as were the people dishing out haggis. Lynda had baked and cooked all Friday afternoon to provide us with a 5-star picnic which we ate in the comfort of the main stand as we watched the bull judging. It dried up a little in the afternoon and we managed to get around the outer fringes of the show and left in the early evening having had a great day. The car park was a complete churned-up mess but we managed to drive out with no problems and no need of help. It can’t get as bad as this again I’m sure – we’ll be geared up to go again next year.

Here’s a list of whats 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.

Cucumber Cucumis sativus (1/2 head) Source of Vitamins A and C and also a source of potassium. Cucumbers are generally eaten fresh in salads. Just give them a wipe over and slice or cut into chunks. For an alternative to this, try peeling the cucumbers thinly, then slice crossways into slices 0.5cm thick. Cut the seeds in the centre out to form a ring. Melt some butter in a frying pan and add a little salt and the cucumber rings. Saute for about 10 minutes or until the cucumber is tender but still crisp. Serve hot.

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

Mixed salad various –Excellent source of phytochemicals and a good source of Vitamins A, B and C, calcium, fibre and potassium. The ground was pretty wet when we picked the salad so some grit may be mixed in. Rinse it well. To store, it is best to rehydrate the lettuce. Rinse well, two or three times, renewing the water with each rinse, then drain thoroughly in a colander or salad spinner. Store in the fridge and you should get it to last all week

Kohl-rabi Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group (1 head) Excellent source of Vitamin C and of potassium. Peel the outer skin off of the swollen bulb then eat either raw or cooked. Here’s a recipe for Sugar-browned kohl-rabi Peel the kohl-rabi and cut into finger-wide strips. Blanch for 5 minutes then refresh in cold water. Return the kohl-rabi to the pan with a small amount of boiling lightly salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Drain and allow to cool slightly. Melt 1oz (25g) sugar in a heavy based frying pan without stirring, until it bubbles and is pale brown. Add 1oz (25g) of butter and stir until blended. Stir in the kohl-rabi strips and shake the pan frequently to coat all the strips evenly with caramel.

Newsletter w/c 18th June 2012

Thanks to everyone who donated to Lynda’s ‘Race for Life’ sponsor page. You’ll be glad to hear she managed to get round the 5K course, and even plans to do some more runs in the future, so the experience can’t have been too bad. Her sponsor page is going to remain open for a little while yet, so if you would like to donate to Cancer Relief and haven’t done so already – have a look at her page. The link to her sponsor page is: www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/lyndamavor .

The boys were supposed to be playing with the band at Kirknewton Gala Day, but it was cancelled due to the adverse weather conditions. It certainly didn’t seem like June at the weekend.

It’s been hard to get much done in the field this week so I’ve spent a few wet days out with my new strimmer – annihilating weeds. I especially like wiping out nettles and docks which are a constant nuisance around the field and garden perimeters. Constant strimming is just about the only thing I can do for weed control organically.

We have new potatoes in the bag this week so quantities are halved, just until we get our own supply of new potatoes through. We also have salads which should be in the bag each week now until at least October. If this is too much for you, just let me know and we’ll alter your bag to suit.

Here’s a list of whats 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.

Beetroot Beta vulgaris Beetroot can be eaten fresh, cooked or pickled. The least messy way to cook them is to wash them but boil them before you peel them. After boiling the skin rubs off very easily and the flesh doesn’t bleed all over the place. The small beetroot we have this week will cook in only half an hour. They can be used for soup, grated into risottos, boiled and eaten as an accompanying veg, pickled or roasted. Very versatile indeed.

Mixed salad various –Excellent source of phytochemicals and a good source of Vitamins A, B and C, calcium, fibre and potassium. The ground was pretty wet when we picked the salad so some grit may be mixed in. Rinse it well. To store, it is best to rehydrate the lettuce. Rinse well, two or three times, renewing the water with each rinse, then drain thoroughly in a colander or salad spinner. Store in the fridge and you should get it to last all week

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.

White Cabbage Brassica oleracea Capitata Group..(1 head) Excellent source of Vitamins B6 and C and also a source of potassium and fibre and phytochemicals. To cook, cut into quarters, cut out the hard core shred and wash under running cold water, then boil or steam for 7-10 minutes. The heart of the cabbage has a crisp texture and slightly nutty flavour which makes it ideal to shred or grate for use raw in salads or homemade coleslaw.

Newsletter w/c 11th June 2012

I thought I’d put a newsletter in all the bags this week for a couple of reasons. The first is to re-assure you that a newsletter is written each week (well, almost each week) and posted online on our website under the ‘news’ link. There are copies of the last 120 newsletters on the blog site, so if you didn’t know they were there, you can catch up on all the news there.

The second reason for the newsletter is to help spread the word that Lynda is running the Race for Life in Edinburgh this Sunday in aid of Cancer Research and would like as many sponsors as possible so asked me to spread the word amongst you. Every little helps so even if we all gave £1, cumulatively, it would be a fair amount, so please give Lynda what you can for this important cause. The link to her sponsor page is: www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/lyndamavor . It’s more impressive as Lynda has always hated running but is getting a bit more sympathetic since I started trying to train up for the London marathon next April. Training has been going well but I do seem to pick up a lot of niggly aches and pains that I’m never sure if I should just ignore or take a little time off til they go away. I’m into my 9^th week of training now and feeling the benefits and losing a bit of weight and feeling quite fit. I’m a bit scared to actually race, yet, I want to get 3 months training behind me first. On the plus side – I’ve re-joined the running club I was a member of when I was a teenager, so I’m once again a Kilmarnock Harrier. Hopefully I can be some sort of asset to them.

Last weekend we had Saturday at Blackburn Gala Day with the boys. Finn was playing his bagpipes and Keir was taking a turn at the snare drum. We had a quick turnaround at home then headed over to Kilmarnock to visit my Mum and Dad. They were celebrating their 45^th wedding anniversary. The boys decided they were spending the night camping in the back garden and lasted til 5am when they came in for a heat. You don’t expect temperatures of 2 degrees in June, even at night. Later in the morning we all went along to the newly opened athletics arena. An open day was being held to emphasize the benefit the facility could be to both able-bodied and disabled sportspeople. At one point Keir ran a 400m lap to see what time he could get and was pipped at the line by a young lad who propelled himself round on a sort of tricycle. It turned out he was a World Champion in his event. The two of them had another couple of runs together and there were coaching staff teaching kids how to do all the field events as well. It’s a great facility and even has a 100m indoor track for winter training. With a picnic in the park then a visit to the rugby club for an open day where we met at least half a dozen people I hadn’t seen since school, then out for dinner with old friends, it’s been a busy weekend, but a really happy one.

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.

Courgette Cucurbita pepo (1 head) Source of Vitamins A and C , calcium, iron and fibre. Prepare by wshing and trimming both ends. Courgettes can be coked whole or in slices, or they can be cut in half lengthways filled with stuffing and baked. Boil courgettes in lightly salted water for 15-20 minutes. Sliced courgettes may be steamed in butter for 10 minutes. Halved courgettes may be parboiled for 5 minutes the finished in the oven, in a well-buttered dish for 25 minutes at 190oC (375oF) Gas Mark 5.

Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum. Can be eaten fresh in salads or cooked into sauces, the famous soup, or for the unhealthy option fried for breakfast. A good way to store them is to go along the sun-dried tomato line. Put a tablespoon of oil in a baking tray. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Lay them on the baking tray, sprinkle over another tablespoon of oil and put in an oven at 150oC and cook for 45 minutes. Take out of oven and leave to cool. You can either eat them like this in salads or pasta, or store them in a jar filled with good quality olive oil. They can be stored like this, unrefrigerated, for up to 6 months.

Celery (1 head) The central stalks of the celery are best fro eating raw, while the outer ones are probably best cooked or braised or cooked into stocks or sauces. Here’s a recipe for a Waldorf Salad. Put 85g of raisins in a bowl and cover them with hot water. Leave it to soak for an hour then drain the raisin. Peel and core three apples and slice them thinly. Put them in a bowl with half the raisins, 50g of walnut halves that have been lightly toasted in a dry frying pan and 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced. Add enough mayonnaise to coat, season to taste, toss weel to combine. Arrange some lettuce leaves on a serving dish and place the salad on top. Sprinkle with the remaining raisins, plus one tablespoon of chopped parsley and some celery leaves.

Chard Chard is great nutritionally. It contains Vitamins A, C, B2 and B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, phytochemicals and protein. 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.