Newsletter w/c 06th August 2012

The rain just keeps falling! We had 2 and a half days of dry weather last week and managed to get some bits and pieces done in the field. Even our road is being mended so lots of long-awaited jobs are being sorted out. The field is a real mess with weeds everywhere – it’s going to take a while to get it back to any neat state. The potatoes are really slow this year, so we’ve still nly got 1kg of potatoes in the standard bags, but hopefully we’re not too far away from our own crop again. If the rain keeps up and keeps me away from the field, I may start to try to get the log store up this week. I cleared an area for it at the end of the Winter, but haven’t been back to since. The wood I’ve collected has been sitting out all summer so as you can guess, it hasn’t had much dry weather to season in. The sooner I get it under cover – the better.

This week Finn and Keir and their friends from 6 SCOTS will be involved with the Piping Live Festival in Glasgow’s George Square, with a workshop to encourage more people to take up piping and drumming. They’ll be in the marquee every morning this week giving instruction and demonstrations, so come along and try. Any age, any background – you may have a hidden talent. If anyone would like nformation on joining the band, let me know and I’ll give you details of our tuition nights. It’s a really relaxed organization. If you would like to learn more about them their website is http://www.6scotspipeband.co.uk/. The week after Piping Live, the band are off to France for 10 days to a music festival. You’ll be glad to hear that I’m not going to france, so your deliveries will continue as usual.

I’d just like to point out that this is the hardest time of year for us, as we await our own crops coming to harvest, the quality of the produce shouldn’t drop at all but if it does, I need to know about it to be able to put it right. Please don’t feel awkward about complaining, you’re doing me a favour and I take it constructively – Honest!

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 Contains Vitamin C, folic acid and potassium. Beetroot can be eaten fresh, cooked or pickled. Much of the beet I sell at the market is going to the juicer fresh, although I have never tried this, it is the most beneficial way to eat beetroot. Cooked it can be boiled, stewed or roasted, and of course, after boiling, can be pickled. The time for boiling depends on how big the root is. A golf ball sized beet would boil in 20 mins, while a tennis ball size may take over and hour.

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

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.

serve as an accompaniment to grilled fish or roast meat.

Aubergine egg plant Traditionally used to make vegetable lasagnes or moussaka, the aubergine has more versatility than that. For example, they can be great barbequed in stacks as follows: Cut the aubergine into 1cm thick slices and score across with a sharp knife, brush with olive oil and roast at 170oC for 15 minutes. Spread the aubergine slices with a tomato sauce and then a slice of mozzarella, roughly the same size as the aubergine slice.repeat the process til you have a stack of three or four aubergine slices and skewer. I’ve heard it done with rosemary twigs but kitchen skewers will do. Place on a tray over the BBQ and heat through untilt he cheese is beginning to melt but not collapsing and serve with basil leaves and salad and some nice fresh bread.