Seasonal local food recipe No. 345 – Nigel’s Christmas vegetarian loaf

I would have made this parsnip loaf from Nigel Slater in The Guardian if I hadn’t received a request from my son for roast parsnips.  Its herb flavourings and seedy texture do sound delicious, so I will try it at some point in the not-too-distant future.

Serves 6

Preparation time: 60 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
parsnips 500g
carrots 250g
apple 1
butter 75g
onions 2, medium
garlic 2 large cloves
parsley 2 heaped tbsp, chopped
rosemary needles 2 tbsp
thyme leaves 1 tbsp
hemp seeds 1 tbsp
pumpkin seeds 1 tbsp
sunflower seeds 1 tbsp
poppy seeds 1 tbsp
eggs 2
butter for greasing the loaf tin
thyme sprigs 8

You will also need a loaf tin measuring about 22cm x 12cm x 8cm, lined with baking parchment.

Peel the parsnips, then cut lengthways into quarters. Grate them finely using the coarse blade of a food processor, slightly thinner than matchsticks, then do the same with the carrot. (I don’t find it necessary to peel the carrots, only to scrub them with a vegetable brush.) Grate the apple, without peeling it, and add to the bowl.

Warm half the butter in a shallow pan, then add the grated root vegetables and apple and let them cook, for 3 or 4 minutes, until they are bright and approaching softness. Tip them into a large mixing bowl. Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4.

Peel, halve and finely slice the onions. Melt the remaining butter in the shallow pan then cook the onion until it is soft and pale gold. Peel the garlic, crush finely then add to the onion and continue cooking. Tip the onion and garlic into the bowl with the carrots and parsnips. Add the chopped parsley to the mixture then finely chop the rosemary needles and thyme and add them, too. Add the hemp, pumpkin, sunflower and poppy seeds and a generous grinding of salt and pepper.

Break the eggs into a bowl, beat them lightly to combine yolks and whites, then fold into the mixture. Combine the ingredients making sure the seeds, eggs and herbs are evenly distributed.

Line the loaf tin with baking parchment then butter it generously. Scatter a few thyme sprigs over the bottom of the tin. Transfer the mixture into the loaf tin, pressing it firmly into place. Smooth the surface level and cover with buttered parchment. Place the loaf tin on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, until lightly firm to the touch.

Remove from the oven and leave to settle for 10 minutes then turn out of the tin and carefully peel away the paper. Cut into slices and serve with the sauce (below) or Cumberland or cranberry sauce.

Stout and onion gravy
A dark and deeply-flavoured accompaniment for this loaf, but also good for spooning over baked vegetables or a slice of pie.

Enough for 6
onions 2, medium
butter 40g
garlic 3 cloves
button mushrooms 250g
olive oil 3 tbsp
thyme sprigs 8
plain flour 1-2 tbsp
vegetable stock 250ml, hot
stout or other dark beer 250ml
fruit jelly, such as redcurrant 4 tbsp

Peel the onions, cut them in half from stem to root, then slice each half into thin segments. Warm the butter in a heavy-based saucepan, add the onion and leave to cook over a medium heat. Peel and thinly slice the garlic, add to the onions and continue cooking for a good 15-20 minutes until the onions are thoroughly soft, golden and sweet.

Slice or quarter the button mushrooms as you wish then add them, together with the oil, to the onions. Pull the thyme leaves from their stalks then stir into the onions and mushrooms. When the mushrooms are soft and nut brown, scatter the flour over the surface, stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in the stock and stout and bring to the boil. While stirring, lower the heat, season with salt and black pepper, then leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Stir in the redcurrant or other fruit jelly, taste for sweetness, adding more if you wish. You are after a nicely-balanced gravy – savoury and sweet with a deep, wintry character.

Seasonal local food recipe No.342 – Braised squash with chickpeas and harissa

Don’t be put off by the rather long list of ingredients, the result is very tasty.  I was a bit dubious about the dried apricots and was pleased to be proved wrong.  I have given you Frank, my husband’s, version of Yotam Ottolenghi’s original recipe.  We didn’t have preserved lemon skin so Frank substituted grated lemon zest and the juice of half a lemon.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 banana shallots, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp ground cumin
4 whole cardamom pods, crushed to release the seeds, pods discarded
salt and black pepper
2 1/2 Tbsp harissa paste
1/2 tsp rose water
500 ml vegetable stock
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 4 cm dice
400 g tinned, cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
7 dried apricots, thinly sliced
20 g preserved lemon skin, roughly chopped
10 g coriander leaves, roughly chopped
150 g Greek yoghurt

Method
In a large saute pan for which you have a lid, heat the oil on a medium-high flame.  Add the shallots and fry for 7-8 minutes, stirring every so often, until soft and caramelised, then stir in the garlic, spices, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper, and fry for 2 minutes longer.

Add the harissa, rose water and stock, bring to a boil, then add the chickpeas, apricots and lemon and leave to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the squash and simmer until the squash is tender, adding a little more water if necessary.  Sprinkle with the coriander and serve with some yoghurt alongside.

Golden nugget squashes enjoying a drop of welcome rain

Succulent summer vegetables in our weekly boxes

*yellow French beans OR peas in the pod
*cucumbers
*Swiss/rainbow chard
*mixed lettuce leaves – ‘Freckles’ / ‘Salad bowl’
*courgettes – yellow and green (Mark Norman, Bodmin)
beetroot bunch (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
potatoes (Restharrow)

Standard boxes also have:-
extra potatoes
*basil – green and purple
*tomatoes – yellow or red
*baby cauliflower / tenderstem broccoli

* = grown to organic principles

All produce grown by Camel CSA unless otherwise indicated. Please wash all vegetables and fruit.

Try these vegetarian courgette and egg dishes on Camel CSA’s recipes page: –
Pasta and zucchini (courgettes) alla carbonara
Courgette frittata

Tenderstem in Camel CSA’s vegetable boxes

We have tenderstem in our boxes this week, cultivated by our external grower Richard Hoare at Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick. Tenderstem is exactly that – a cross between calabrese and Chinese kale that doesn’t need trimming and can be cooked and eaten in its entirety. So no waste!

In all the boxes this week:-
*carrots
*Swiss chard
*green onions
*Cornish new potatoes (Mark Norman, Bodmin)
tenderstem (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
spring greens (Restharrow)
strawberries (Mitchell Fruit Garden)

Standard boxes also have:-
extra new potatoes
*French beans OR cucumbers
*mixed lettuce bag – oak leaf,  ‘Freckles’
*courgettes (Mark Norman)

* = grown to organic principles
Please wash all vegetables and fruit. All produce grown by Camel CSA unless otherwise indicated

Try these yummy dishes on Camel CSA’s recipes page: –
Misticanza (sauteed mixed greens)
Spring greens with lemon dressing

It’s time to… harvest the Jack o’ Lantern pumpkins

Cornish new potatoes in Camel CSA’s veg boxes

Lots more yummy summer veg plus strawberries in the boxes this week.

In all the boxes:-
*peas OR broad beans OR mangetout
*parsley
*new potatoes (Mark Norman, Bodmin)
Cornish asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)
*spring greens (Camel CSA/Mark Norman)
punnet of strawberries (Growfair)
cauliflower (Growfair)

Standard boxes also have
‘old’ potatoes ‘Wilja’ (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
*mixed salad bag
extra punnet of strawberries
*turnips

* = grown to organic principles. All produce grown by Camel CSA unless otherwise indicated. Please wash all vegetables and fruit carefully.

[Gallery] It’s time to… spring into action at Camel CSA

It’s time to… plant new potatoes

Our growing team had some welcome assistance from four-year-old Daisy M on Sunday, as we dug a trench for “Rocket” potatoes. Daisy also drew us this lovely picture of a “beardy gnome growing carrots”.

Bumper veg boxes for Christmas from Cornwall

This week’s boxes contain two weeks’ worth of goodies – including Cornish honey and homemade fudge. Next boxes available on 4 January 2013. In the meantime, Merry Christmas and best wishes to everyone.

Everyone will have:
potatoes (1.5kg for small boxes, 2kg for standard) (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
* onions (Camel CSA)
* parsnips (Camel CSA)
* garlic (Camel CSA)
* salad/rocket bags (Camel CSA)
* parsley (Camel CSA)
* chillies (Camel CSA)
sprout stalk (Growfair, Cornwall)
cauliflower (Growfair, Cornwall)
carrots (Growfair)
homemade fudge (thanks to Charlotte)
Cornish honey (Chris Tamblyn, Helland)

Standard boxes will also have:
* spring onions (Camel CSA)
savoy cabbage (Growfair, Cornwall)
beetroot bunches (Growfair, Cornwall)
leeks (Growfair, Cornwall)
swede (Growfair, Cornwall)

* = grown to organic principles