Newsletter w/c 7th January 2013

Happy New Year – All the Best for 2013

In case you were one of the many customers still on holiday last week I’ll re-iterate the news. After holding our veg prices for over 7 years, we’ve reluctantly been forced to increase the bag prices from the first of January 2013. The new tariff is at the foot of this newsletter and basically is a £2 increase on the veg bags and a £1 increase on the fruit bags. Eggs and milk prices will remain the same. The rise in fuel costs is affecting us in all sorts of ways and to keep the business moving forward and guaranteeing quality produce each week is getting more and more expensive to manage. I hope you won’t think this is out of order, we really do need the extra income to help cover cost increases.

Cut-backs are affecting the dairy as well. If you usually receive milk, you’ll have noticed that the deliveries have not been as reliable as usual over the past couple of months. I’ve just been informed this evening that we won’t be getting a Monday delivery any more, which means I won’t have any milk or cream for delivery this Tuesday. I am hoping to organize organic milk from another dairy by next week, but I have to apologise to all of you who are expecting their milk to arrive tomorrow as I don’t have enough time left to organize an alternative. Other delivery days will not be affected.

I had plans to get plenty of work done in this mild weather, but I managed to pick up one of the bugs that are going about at the moment and ended up vegetating in the house for a couple of days – so frustrating! I’m through it now though so deliveries wont be affected this week.

It’s been quite a relaxing time, but with the boys back to school, rugby training starting back up, and band practice back on, it’s back to our normal busy parental taxi service.

Please let me know if you need help in changing any standing orders or direct debits to take the new prices into account.

This is a list of the vegetables included in the standard bags this week. Substitutions may occur.

Potato Solanum tuberosum.. The variety for the most part 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.

Brocolli Brassica oleracea Italica Group Excellent source of Vitamin C and folic acid. Also contains Vitamins A, B2, B6 and phosphorus, fibre, calcium and iron. It is best eaten raw or quickly blanched in boiling , lightly salted water. Also good in stir-fries. Please use as quickly as possible as it doesn’t keep well..

Parsnip Pastinaca sativa. Source of Vitamin C and Folic Acid.  Peel the root thickly and slice the flesh. Boil in lightly salted water for 30 minutes. Alternatively, parboil for 10 minutes then roast for 20 – 30 minutes. Here’s a recipe I found for: Fried Parsnips; Trim the tops and roots off the parsnips then peel and cut in half lengthways. Put the parsnips in a pan of boiling water ( lightly salted)  and cook for 15 minutes. They should still be firm and not quite tender. Drain thoroughly. Lightly beat an egg and dip the parsnips in it before coating them with breadcrumbs seasoned with salt and pepper. Melt 2oz(50g) of butter in a frying pan and shallow fry the parsnips until they are golden and crisp on both sides, turning once.

Garlic  (1head). Use a clove of garlic to flavour savoury dishes. Split a clove off of the bulb, peel off the skin and crush or chop finely. Mix with butter and spread on bread or  toast to make a tasty snack.

Pumpkin . The pumpkin in the bag this week is a very versatile vegetable. It can be roasted or cut into stews. It makes delicious and hearty soup, but can also make a dessert pie. We quite often make a curry with ours, so just google yourself a recipe. Cut the pumpkin into quarters remove the tough outer peel and the inner seeds and cut up the inner flesh to your desired recipe’s requirements.