Seasonal local food recipe No.151: Gooseberry and elderflower fool with gingersnaps

This recipe in Food Magazine comes from chef Dez Turland of the Saunton Sands Hotel in Devon. Dez says: “This fantastic light and simple summer dessert is a winner for any dinner party.”

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
PLUS: At least two hours to chill the fool in the fridge

Ingredients
450g gooseberries
120g castor sugar
60ml elderflower cordial
350ml double cream
Candied gooseberries to serve
Sprig of mint

For the gingersnaps:
175g unsalted butter
100g dark brown sugar
100g castor sugar
60ml treacle
1 vanilla pod, seeds only
2 eggs
260g plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
200g granulated sugar, for rolling

Method
Cook the gooseberries with the sugar on the stove until soft and starting to break down, then roughly blitz. Add the cordial and allow to cool.

Whip the cream until it reaches the ribbon stage and fold gently into the gooseberry mix, reserving a little to spoon into the bottom of each glass. Spoon the fool into each glass and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Finish with candied gooseberries, if you have them, and a sprig of mint.

To make the gingersnaps: beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the treacle, vanilla seeds and eggs, then add all of the dry ingredients. Mix until combined, cover and chill for a least an hour.

When firm, roll into 1cm balls, then roll in granulated sugar, coating thoroughly. Place onto a non stick tray and flatten with the palm of your hand until 1cm thick. Cook at 180°c/gas 4 for 15 minutes, allow to cool on a wire rack.

Serve in glass dishes with the gingersnaps on the side for dipping.

Also try: Gooseberry crumble cake

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Fresh green onions in Camel CSA’s veg boxes this week

We’ve all got freshly-harvested green onions in our veg boxes, along with gooseberries from expert grower Mark Norman’s smallholding in Bodmin. Some of the standard boxes also have the first of the French beans grown in the polytunnel.

All the boxes will have: -
potatoes (Growfair)
* green onions (Camel CSA)
* baby carrots (Camel CSA)
* spring greens (Camel CSA)
* parsley (Camel CSA)
* mixed salad bag (Camel CSA)
* gooseberries (Mark Norman)

Standard boxes will also have: -
extra potatoes (Growfair
* coriander (Camel CSA)
* broad beans or French beans (Camel CSA)
* turnip bunches (Camel CSA)

UPDATE: As there aren’t many beans, standard boxes also have a bunch of  red and yellow leaf beet.

* = grown to organic principles

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Mixed salad leaves in our Cornish veg boxes

The polytunnels are proving their worth in this inclement June weather. In spite of the cold, wet conditions outside we have another stunning selection of seasonal vegetables in this week’s boxes.

The mixed salad bag contains at least four different lettuce varieties as well as baby beet leaves.

All the boxes will have: -
potatoes (Growfair)
cauliflower (Growfair)
* baby carrots (Camel CSA)
* spring onions (Camel CSA)
* spinach (Camel CSA)
* mixed salad bag (Camel CSA)

Standard boxes will also have: -
extra potatoes
* coriander (Camel CSA)
* broad beans (Camel CSA)
* kohl rabi or turnips (Camel CSA)

* = grown to organic principles

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Volunteers show ready and willing on Open Farm Sunday

It always helps to have lots of people on our community veg plot. So we took the opportunity to plant out squash and pumpkin seedlings and to dig up more dock weeds on Open Farm Sunday.

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Peas… peas… please visit us on Open Farm Sunday!

Enter our slug spotting competition, take part in the National Farm Pollinator Survey, and help us plant hundreds of squash and pumpkin seedlings this Sunday on our plot at St Kew Highway. 

Photo: Shayne and Lucia House

There’ll be guided tours of our Big Lottery-funded vegetable plot and polytunnels. Also family fun and children’s activities, a veg box raffle, cold drinks and home-made cakes.

Entry is free to our Open Farm Sunday event this Sunday 17 June from 1.30-4.30pm – rain or shine.

Come and see: -
• What vegetables we’re growing
• What’s in our weekly vegetable boxes
• How we support other local growers
• How we promote local, seasonal food

You can find us on the A39 near Wadebridge at the St Endellion / St Mabyn crossroads, behind St Kew Harvest farm shop at St Kew Highway.

• AND even if the sun’s shining bring your wellies!

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Seasonal local food recipe No.150: Jamie’s best whole-baked baby carrots

We have REAL baby carrots in this week’s veg boxes - not the baby-cut carrots that are heavily marketed in supermarkets as a healthy alternative to junk food.

Real baby carrots are delectable eaten raw or lightly steamed. They are also delicious roasted, in this simple recipe from Jamie Oliver. He says: “By cooking them first covered by tinfoil, they steam and exchange flavours with the herbs and garlic. Then when you remove the foil they start to roast and sweeten.”

Serves: 4

Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking: 40-50 minutes

Ingredients
750g/1lb 10oz young bunched carrots, different colours if possible, washed and scrubbed
olive oil
herb or red wine vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
3 cloves of garlic, crushed

Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Toss your carrots with a good glug of olive oil, a splash of vinegar, salt and pepper, the thyme sprigs and the garlic cloves.

Place in a roasting tray or earthenware dish, cover tightly with tinfoil and cook for 30 to 40 minutes until just tender. Remove the foil and cook for a further 10 minutes until the carrots have browned and caramelized nicely.

Baby carrots with lemon and thyme
Summer carrots, herb sauce

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Mangetout peas in our veg boxes for Open Farm Sunday

Camel CSA’s veg boxes contain a typical mix of freshly-picked, seasonal vegetables this week. Some were cultivated on our own plot at St Kew Highway and some were supplied by other Cornish growers.

All the veg boxes will have: -
potatoes (Growfair)
* broad beans (Camel CSA)
* baby carrots (Camel CSA)
* spring onions (Camel CSA)
* mixed salad bag (Camel CSA)
* Swiss chard (Camel CSA)

Standard boxes will also have: -
extra potatoes
strawberries (Growfair)
* coriander (Camel CSA)
* mange tout peas (Camel CSA)
tomato marmalade (made by Camel CSA member Henrietta Danvers)

* = grown to organic principles

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Come and see what we’re growing on Open Farm Sunday

Love local food? Like to eat fresh, seasonal local vegetables? Come and visit our Big Lottery-funded project on Open Farm Sunday - this Sunday 17 June from 1.30-4.30pm.

Come and see: -
• What vegetables we’re growing
• What’s in our weekly vegetable boxes
• How we support other local growers
• How we promote local, seasonal food

There’ll be family fun and games, guided tours, vegetable box raffle, home-made cakes, cold drinks.

Find us on the A39 at St Kew Highway beside the St Endellion / St Mabyn crossroads, behind St Kew Harvest Farm Shop. Look out for the signs.

• Watch these short videos to get a quick taste of what we do

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Seasonal local food recipe No.149: Hugh’s risoni with baby peas (or broad beans), bacon and garlic

A really quick and easy one for families on half-term holiday. It works brilliantly with the mangetout peas or broad beans in Camel CSA’s veg boxes this week.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall says: “This is a fantastic recipe for super-fresh homegrown baby peas or beans. Risoni pasta, also known as orzo, is a lovely, rice-shaped type that I find particularly satisfying, especially when the ingredients it’s served with are also small.”

Serves two

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
150g risoni (or other small pasta)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
150g baby peas and/or broad beans
1 tbsp rapeseed, sunflower or olive oil
3 rashers unsmoked streaky bacon (or pancetta), cut into small dice
1 clove garlic, peeled and cut into slivers

Method
Bring a pan of water to a boil for the pasta, add a good dose of salt and then the pasta. Cook as suggested on the pack, and throw in the peas and/or beans for the last two minutes of the cooking time. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for five minutes, stirring often, until crisp. Add the garlic for the last minute or so. Take the pan off the heat. Drain the pasta and peas, tip into the bacon pan and toss. Season to taste, and serve.

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Broad beans and baby carrots in this week’s veg boxes

Our veg boxes are overflowing with new season’s produce. All the vegetables - bar the potatoes – are from Camel CSA’s own plot. Our growers have been working very hard to beat the “hungry gap“.

All the boxes will have: -
new potatoes (Growfair)
* broad beans (Camel CSA)
* mangetout peas (Camel CSA)
* salad leaves (Camel CSA)
* spring greens (Camel CSA)
* spring onions (Camel CSA)

Standard boxes will also have: -
extra potatoes
* kohl rabi (Camel CSA)
* baby carrots (Camel CSA)
* parsley (Camel CSA)

* = grown to organic principles

Apologies for the absence of a veg list last week. Our attention was elsewhere – garden open (Trish); walking holiday (me).

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