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.