Cornish mill house garden open to the public

Camel CSA member and garden author Trish Gibson is opening her beautiful north Cornwall garden again this Sunday 3 June from 2-5.30pm under the National Gardens Scheme.

The Mill House at Pendoggett near St Kew is a 1½ -acre country garden on the site of an old mill with ponds, stream and bridges and extensive views across farmland. Entry is £3 (children free) and there will be cream teas and plant sales. 

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Seasonal local food recipe No. 147: Nigel’s brown lentil curry, beetroot raita

Beetroot is everywhere at the moment – even in cakes and sumptuous desserts. Gone are the days when it only appeared soused in malt vinegar.

Nigel Slater says: “Ten years ago, beetroot was almost a goner. Available then only in pickles or occasionally in vacuum packs of four cooked and preserved globes, it is firmly in the spotlight now. It is almost impossible to find a menu that doesn’t acknowledge its newfound popularity.”

Serves 4

Preparation/ cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients
250g large green or brown lentils
60g piece fresh ginger or galangal
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
 3 heaped tsp garam masala
 2 small red chillies
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 medium onion
400g can chopped tomatoes 

For the raita:
yogurt 200ml, natural and unstrained
beetroot coarsely grated, 4 heaped tbsp
coriander to taste

Method
Bring the lentils to the boil in a pan of deep, unsalted water, then let them simmer for 20-25 minutes, until they are quite soft.

Peel the ginger or galangal, roughly chop it then put it into the bowl of a food processor with the peeled garlic, cumin seeds, ground coriander, garam masala, red chillies, ground turmeric and enough vegetable oil to make a soft, but not runny, paste.

Peel and finely slice the onion. Warm a tbsp or two of oil in a medium, heavy-based casserole over a moderate heat. Add the onion and let it colour, stirring from time to time. When it is fragrant, golden and almost soft pour in the chopped tomatoes and a can of water, add salt, and the drained, cooked lentils and leave to simmer for half an hour or so. The lentils should be soft but still retaining a little of their texture; the sauce thick.

To make the raita, put the yogurt into a small bowl, add the grated beetroot and a few leaves of coriander if you wish, then very gently fold the beetroot through the yogurt with a fork. Try not to over mix, unless you actually like vivid pink.

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Lots of mixed salad leaves in this week’s veg boxes

All the boxes will have: -
new potatoes (Growfair)
cauliflower (Growfair)
Cornish asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)
* beetroot (Camel CSA)
* turnips (Camel CSA)
* mixed salad leaves (Camel CSA)

Standard boxes will have: -
extra potatoes
strawberries (Growfair)
swede (Growfair)
* mangetout peas (Camel CSA)

* = grown to organic principles

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Seasonal local food recipe No: 146: Felicity’s perfect potato salad

Just about all cooks, especially American ones, have their favourite recipe for potato salad. This is Felicity Cloake’s attempt at the perfect one.

If you’d like to see how she got there, along with lots of other examples, have a look at How to make perfect potato salad in her Guardian series How to cook the perfect…

Perfect with the Cornish new potatoes in our veg boxes this week. (But please – no salad cream..!)

Serves 4
Preparation / cooking time: 20 minutes (+ time to cool)

600g waxy potatoes
½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
115g good mayonnaise
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp capers, chopped
2 anchovies, finely chopped
Small bunch of chives, finely chopped
Handful of parsley, finely chopped
Handful of mint, finely chopped

Boil the potatoes in well salted water for about 15 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, whisk together the mustard and vinegar with a pinch of salt, then whisk in the oils. Cut the cooked potatoes into halves, or quarters if large and toss with the dressing, then leave to cool.

Stir the remaining ingredients into the mayonnaise, keeping back a pinch of each of the herbs for garnish, then, when the potatoes are cool, drain off any remaining vinaigrette and toss them into the mayonnaise.

Garnish with herbs and serve.

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Cornish strawberries and home-made pickle in this week’s veg boxes

As the “hungry gap” continues, we’re getting inventive. Each standard box has a punnet of strawberries and a jar of the pickle Camel CSA members made from surplus veg last autumn.

Apart from that, we’re relying on new season salad leaves, beetroot and turnip grown in our polytunnels. Also more freshly-picked Cornish asparagus, and bean sprouts from our expert grower Mark Norman.

All the boxes will have: -
new potatoes (Growfair)
Cornish asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)
* beetroot bunch (Camel CSA)
* turnip bunches (Camel CSA)
* salad bag (Camel CSA)
* sprouted mung beans (Mark Norman)

Standard boxes will have: -
extra new potatoes (Growfair)
strawberries (Growfair)
* Swiss chard (Camel CSA)
* homemade Camel CSA pickle – sweet apple and ginger, runner bean or sweet cucumber

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Seasonal local food recipe No. 145: Delia’s rhubarb and almond crumble

Everyone has their favourite version of rhubarb crumble. Danny Barry, Camel CSA’s talented treasurer, says: “I’ve got a Delia one which I loooove.”  This particular take on the classic English pud is from Delias’s Vegetarian Collection.

Serves: 6
Preparation and cooking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients
2 lb (900g) rhubarb
4 oz (110g) golden caster sugar
1 rounded teaspoon grated fresh root ginger
For the crumble:
4 oz (110g) whole almonds, skin on
3 oz (75g) chilled butter, cut into small dice
6 oz (175g) self-raising flour, sifted
2 level teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 level teaspoon ground ginger
4 oz (110g) demerara sugar

To serve: custard or pouring cream

Method
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C). You will also need either an oval ovenproof baking dish measuring 7½ x 11 inches (19 x 28 cm) and 1¾ inches (4.5 cm) deep, or a round ovenproof baking dish with a diameter of 9½ inches (24 cm) and 1¾ inches (4.5 cm) deep.

Begin by preparing the rhubarb. First of all wash it, then trim off the leaves and cut the stalks roughly into 1 inch (2.5 cm) chunks. Next, toss them in a bowl with the sugar and freshly grated root ginger, then place them in the baking dish and keep on one side.

Now make the crumble, which couldn’t be simpler, as it is all made in a food processor. All you do is place the butter, sifted flour, cinnamon, ground ginger and sugar in the processor and give it a whiz till it resembles crumbs. Next, add the almonds and process again, not too fast, until they are fairly finely chopped and there are still a few chunky bits.

If you don’t have a processor, in a large bowl, rub the butter into the sifted flour until it resembles crumbs, then stir in the almonds, which should be fairly finely chopped by hand, cinnamon, ginger and sugar.

 Now you need to press the rhubarb very firmly with your hands all over the base of the dish to spread it evenly without too many large lumps sticking out. Then simply sprinkle the crumble mixture all over the rhubarb, spreading it right up to the edges of the dish, and, using the flat of your hands, press it down quite firmly all over; the more tightly it is packed together the crisper it will be. Then finish off by lightly running a fork all over the surface.

Now bake the crumble on the centre shelf of the oven for 35-40 minutes, by which time the rhubarb will be soft and the topping golden brown and crisp. Leave it to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving, then serve it warm with custard, pouring cream or ice cream.

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Rhubarb and more Cornish asparagus in our veg boxes

We’re in the middle of the “hungry gap“, so we’re relying heavily on other veg growers in Cornwall to fill the veg boxes. It also means there’s fewer items in the weekly boxes, but they’re still high value.

Although we planted our own rhubarb earlier this year, it isn’t ready to pick yet. And we’ve no need to grow our own asparagus as there’s plenty being produced just down the road from us.

Everyone will have: -
new potatoes ‘Rocket’ (Growfair)
cauliflower (Growfair)
rhubarb (Growfair)
Cornish asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)
* parsley (Camel CSA)

Standard boxes will have:
extra  potatoes
* radishes (Camel CSA)
* Swiss chard (Camel CSA)

* = grown to organic principles

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Seasonal local food recipe No. 144: Cornish asparagus with chorizo and poached egg

The British asparagus season may be delayed, but here in Cornwall it’s already begun. Camel CSA’s weekly veg boxes each have a freshly-picked bunch of this delectable vegetable from Cornish Asparagus at Lower Croan, Sladesbridge, near Wadebridge.

And we’re proud of the fact that the total food miles = barely 2!

Roger and Gill Derryman of Cornish Asparagus have produced some recipe ideas for their customers. This is the simplest one.

Serves 2

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes

Ingredients
A bunch (approx 250g) of Cornish asparagus
1 tbsp olive oil
110g chorizo, sliced
2 eggs
Handful of chives, chopped

Preheat the oven to 210C. Put the Cornish asparagus into a roasting dish, add the olive oil and place in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

In a dry hot frying pan add the slices of chorizo. Cook on both sides for two minutes until the paprika oil oozes out of the slices. Remove from the pan and reserve the paprika oil.

Meanwhile place a pan of boiling water on the hob and bring to a fast rolling boil. When you have three minutes to go before serving, crack two eggs into the boiling water and immediately lower the heat to low-medium for two minutes. Then turn the heat off completely.

Remove the Cornish asparagus from the oven and place on a serving dish, sprinkle over the hot chorizo slices and add the poached eggs. Finally drizzle over the paprika oil from the frying pan and finish with the chives.

Simple recipes for fresh Cornish asparagus

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A Cornish asparagus treat in this week’s veg boxes

First of the season! A special treat for us all from Gill and Roger Derryman’s Cornish asparagus farm at Sladesbridge, near Wadebridge.

Everyone will have:
asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)
new potatoes (GrowFair Cornwall)
* leeks (St Kew Harvest)
* carrots (Camel CSA)
* swiss chard (Camel CSA)

Standard boxes will have extra potatoes plus:
* salad bag
cauliflower (GrowFair Cornwall)
* parsley or parsnips (Camel CSA)

* = grown to organic principles

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