Newsletter w/c 15th October 2012

Well, Lynda and I managed to get the roof onto the log store at last and it’s fixed down and cut neatly so we just need one wall and the finishing touches to reach completion. We were hoping to start to chop up some of our, very exposed, wood pile and get it under cover but the garden got in the way. We visited B & Q to get some ideas for paint colours for the shepherds hut we hope to have for extra accommodation for the holiday let next summer. While we were there we noticed a big display of herbaceous plants and other shrubs that were getting sold off for between 10p and 50p each. They didn’t look their best but being perennial, they’ll be back next year as colourful as ever, so we bought the lot. We spent £6.60 and took home about 35 plants. A good deal if we can get them to survive a Cobbinshaw Winter. The main problem was that there was nowhere ready in the garden to take this amount of greenery, so I’ve spent two days clearing an area formerly used for storing building materials and turning it into a garden border. I think another couple of hours of work now and I should be able to start planting.

With the school holidays this week, my delivery times may be a bit different from usual again. Apologies if I catch you out. With no school to get the boys ready for, I might try and get on the road a bit earlier in the mornings and give myself a bit more time at home at the end of the day.

The boys are as busy as ever between school stuff, band practice and rugby and football there is never much free time but it’s good fun all the same. Finn won his first rugby tournament with Currie last Sunday. The Currie P7 team won the Stewarts Melville tournament with a great team performance. It was a day Finn will remember . I’ve had them out raking up leaves today as half the tree canopy seems to have fallen in one night. It must be due to the sharp drop in temperature last week. I managed a final cut of the grass and put the mower away til next year.

Next job this week is to get the log store finished and filled. The Shepherds hut is not such a priority to sort out right away as the demand for them has meant that we won’t receive ours until May 2013. I want to build a small veg plot around it as a pick your own option for guests staying in holiday accommodation, so I can start preparing that anytime now. There’s also the maintenance jobs like choked gutters, broken drystane dykes etc which always seem to be on the agenda.

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.

Leek Allium porrum  Excellent source of Vitamin C. Particularly used to give soups a lovely creamy texture. As leeks grow they tend to lock soil into their leaf axils, so be sure to rinse them well after slicing them up. A nice idea for cooking leeks is to sweat finely sliced leeks in butter for 5 minutes, pour in a glass of red wine and simmer until reduced. Season and serve as an accompaniment to grilled fish or roast meat.

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 chicken.

Radish  They’re excellent cut into salads. They add a hot spicy crunch to a salad and the vivid red skins add an eye-catching burst of colour. Just scrub and cut to desired size.

White Cabbage Brassica oleracea Capitata Group..(1/2 head) . To cook, remove any damaged outer leaves, cut into quarters and remove the central core. It can be cooked in quarters like this in boiling salted water or else shredded and boiled or steamed. Here’s a recipe for Cabbage soup which will use up a few items in the bag this week: Prepare and wash the cabbage and shred it finely. Prepare and roughly chop, 2 carrots, the leek and 1/2lb(250g) potatoes. Put all the vegetables in a pan with 3 pints(1.5l) stock and a bouquet garni, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Season to taste, sprinkle with parsley and serve at once.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO RETURN THE NET BAG