Tasty spring greens in the veg boxes

All the boxes this week will have:

potatoes (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
onions (Rest Harrow Farm, Trebetherick)
carrots (Rest Harrow Farm)
* parsnips (Jeremy Brown)
* jerusalem artichokes (Camel CSA)
savoy cabbage (Rest Harrow Farm)
spring greens (Rest Harrow Farm)

Standard boxes will have larger quantities of some of these plus:
* pak choi (Jeremy)
leeks (Rest Harrow Farm)
cauliflower (Rest Harrow Farm)

Large boxes will also have:
* coriander (Jeremy)
swede (Rest Harrow Farm)
red cabbage (Rest Harrow Farm)

Read a Guardian article about jerusalem artichokes – including a few recipe suggestions.

Recipe No 31 – Brussels sprouts with chestnuts, bacon and parsley

Cooking sprouts with chestnuts and bacon makes them seriously irresistible.

Serves 4

Preparation time: less than 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 to 30 minutes

Ingredients
500g Brussels sprouts
vegetable oil
125g streaky bacon, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp butter
125g vacuum-packed chestnuts, roughly chopped
30ml marsala (optional)
handful fresh parsley, chopped
freshly ground pepper

Method
Trim the ends of the sprouts and put them in a large saucepan of salted boiling water. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until they are tender but still retain a bit of bite. Remove from the heat and drain.

Heat about half a tablespoon of oil in a large pan. Add the bacon and cook until it is crisp and golden-brown. Add the butter and chestnuts. If you’re using the marsala, once the chestnuts have warmed through, turn the heat up and add the marsala. Cook until the mixture has reduced and thickened slightly.

Add the sprouts and half the parsley to the pan and mix well. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Serve with the rest of the parsley sprinkled over the top.

Win a lovely seasonal veg box

There’s another chance to win one of Camel Community Supported Agriculture’s weekly vegetable boxes - this time at the Valentine Brunch in St Mabyn.

This social event is being held by St Mabyn Pre-School on Sunday 14 February from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm in the village hall.

There will be traditional English breakfast food plus heart-shaped waffles and hot drinks.  Also live music, a raffle, love quiz (!) and children’s craft activities.

Come and join us for a fun morning whether single, a pair or a family.  It’s all in aid of pre-school funds.

In the veg boxes this week

Friday update: curly kale has taken the place of the cauliflowers that were not available.

All boxes will have:
potatoes (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
* shallots (Camel CSA)
* winter salad bag (Jeremy Brown)
curly kale (Rest Harrow Farm, Trebetherick) 
carrots (Rest Harrow Farm)
leeks (Rest Harrow Farm)

Standard boxes will also have:
* parsnip (Camel CSA)
savoy cabbage (Rest Harrow Farm)
swede (Rest Harrow Farm)

And this week’s large box will have larger shares of all of the above plus:
* jerusalem artichokes (Camel CSA)

* = grown to organic principles

Recipe No 29 – Shallot tatin

We’re nearing the end of the Camel CSA harvest of shallots, so this would be a good recipe to try while you still have some. It’s from Sarah Raven’s Garden Cookbook. If you haven’t got enough shallots, make up the quantity with onions.

Serves 6

Preparation time: about 20 minutes
Cooking time: about 45 minutes

Ingredients
450g shallots
175g any leftover soft cheese, such as Brie or Camembert
40g unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
500g puff pastry
salt and black pepper

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Peel the shallots, leaving them whole and cut the cheese into thickish slices. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the shallots and cook for 5-7 minutes if small, 10 if larger. Drain and put to one side.

Heat the butter and oil in an ovenproof pan or a frying pan with a detachable handle. When the butter has melted, sprinkle in the sugar and allow it to dissolve gently before adding the shallots. Season well and allow them to cook until a rich golden caramel. Remove from the heat.

Roll out the pastry to a circle a bit bigger than the pan. Spread the slices of cheese over the shallots and lay the pastry over the top, pressing it down slightly all around the edge. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until risen and golden.

Allow to cool a little and then put a large serving plate over the pan and invert it quickly so that the shallots are on the top with the pastry underneath. Serve warm with a crisp green salad.

This week’s veg boxes

Friday update: the box contents were not in the end quite as expected yesterday! Once again the purple sprouting broccoli didn’t materialise but hopefully the rest of the veg – as listed below – make up for the lack of it.

Everyone will get:
* shallots (Camel CSA)
* carrots (Camel CSA)
* parsnip (Camel CSA)
potatoes (Burlerrow, St Mabyn)
mushrooms (Tregonnings, Truro)
sprouts (wholesale)

The small boxes also have:
a small * cabbage (Camel CSA)
a bag of * braising greens (Jeremy Brown) to stir-fry or braise

And the standard boxes have:
* jerusalem artichokes (Camel CSA)
curly kale (Rest Harrow Farm, Trebetherick)
* leeks (Mark Norman)

* = grown to organic principles

First signs of spring in North Cornwall

What a relief to see snowdrops emerging in the woods between St Mabyn and St Kew Highway.

The ground is far too cold and saturated with melted ice and snow for us to start work yet on Camel Community Supported Agriculture’s vegetable plot.

Once the earth warms up in late February / early March our volunteer growing team can begin preparing the ground, spreading compost and planting seed into cells to go in the polytunnel. 

In the meantime we’re continuing to harvest our own parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes and carrots as well as the remaining onions and shallots in store.  The rest of the weekly veg box contents are being sourced locally from growers in the immediate area.

In today’s veg boxes

With apologies for the later-than-usual posting …

Everyone will have:
* onions and shallots (Camel CSA)
* parsnips (Camel CSA)
potatoes (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
carrots (Rest Harrow Farm, Trebetherick)
savoy cabbage (Rest Harrow Farm)
* salad bag (Jeremy Brown)

Standard boxes will also have:
* jerusalem artichokes (Camel CSA)
leeks (Rest Harrow Farm)
swede (Rest Harrow Farm)

* = grown to organic principles

Christmas greetings

Hoping you all have a very peaceful and enjoyable break over Christmas and the New Year.

Thanks to all the volunteers in 2009 – weeders and sowers, pickers and packers. Veg boxes start again on 8 January but no Sunday volunteering for the time being.
             As Jane said:

“There are always fewer jobs during the winter months even when there is more in the ground than we currently have. The recent weather has left the ground so saturated that to work it in any way will only result in damaging the soil structure and getting everyone very muddy!”

And lastly, a date for your new 2010 diary: the Camel CSA Annual General Meeting is on Wednesday 27 January at Egloshayle Pavilions, Wadebridge, at 7.30 pm. The meeting will include a review of the year, election of officers, a slide show, and homemade refreshments.

Recipe No 24 – Cavolo nero soup

From Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers’ River Café Cook Book Easy. They add this note, ‘All bean soups are made more delicious with a generous addition of the spicy-flavoured newly pressed olive oil poured over each serving. Tuscan olive oil is pressed at the end of October, which is also when the frosty weather starts and cavolo nero is ready to be picked.’

Serves: a generous 4

Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
500g cavolo nero
4 garlic cloves
2 red onions
4 carrots
1 celery head
1 dried chilli (or good pinch of dried chilli flakes)
400g tin borlotti beans
extra virgin olive oil (see note above)
½ tsp fennel seeds
200g tin tomatoes
500 ml chicken or vegetable stock
¼ sourdough loaf

Method
Peel the garlic, onion and carrots. Roughly chop 3 garlic cloves, the onion, pale celery heart and carrots. Crumble the chilli. Drain and rinse the beans.

Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in a thick-bottomed pan, add the onion, celery and carrot and cook gently until soft. Add the fennel seeds, chilli and garlic and stir, then add the tomatoes, chopping them as they cook. Season and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beans and stock, and cook for another 15 minutes.

Discard the stalks from the cavolo nero and boil the leaves in salted water for 5 minutes, drain and chop. Keep 4 tbsp of the water. Add the water and cavolo to the soup. Stir and season.

Cut the bread into 1.5cm slices. Toast on both sides, then rub with the remaining garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Break up the toast and divide between the soup bowls. Spoon over the soup and serve with more olive oil.