Crisis? What veg crisis?! Plenty of seasonal vegetables in our veg boxes from Cornwall

The “veg crisis” hit new heights this week as supermarkets ran out of imported iceberg lettuce. It’s tasteless stuff at the best of times.

UK consumers have become far too reliant on food imports – around 50% of the vegetables and 90% of the fruit we eat come from other countries. Global food prices are rising inexorably. We need to encourage more people to buy fresh, local, seasonal produce. It’s better for our health and well-being as well as the British economy.

In all our veg boxes this week: –
*Red Russian or black Tuscan kale
*beetroot
*onions
leeks (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
Romanesco or white cauliflower (Restharrow)
parsnips (Restharrow)
potatoes ‘Wilja’ (Restharrow)

Standard boxes also have: –
extra potatoes
*sprouting broccoli or Brussels sprouts
*kohlrabi
*swede

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

All set for a happy new year of healthy green eating in Cornwall

Happy New Year! We’re brimming with vigour and all set for 2o17. Our veg boxes are overflowing with tasty, vitamin-packed, organically-grown vegetables.

In all the boxes: –
*kohlrabi
*squash ‘Uchiki Kuri’ or ‘Golden Nugget’
*calabrese
*swede
*onions
cauliflower (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
potatoes ‘Wilja’ (Restharrow)

Standard boxes also have: –
extra potatoes
*cavolo nero kale
*mixed salad bag
*turnips

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

Beautiful winter vegetables in our boxes this week

In all our veg boxes:-
*turnips
*onions
*green coriander

Kohlrabi and ‘Uchiki Kuri’ squash in our veg boxes

Yet more exciting seasonal vegetables this week that we bet you don’t get in the supermarket!

In all the boxes: –
*kohlrabi
*squash ‘Uchiki Kuri’
*kale ‘Red Russian’
*onions
leeks (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
cauliflower (Restharrow)
potatoes ‘Wilja’ (Restharrow)

Standard boxes also have: –
extra potatoes
*carrot bunch
*chillies
*beetroot

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

Try these delicious cauliflower dishes on the recipes page on our website:-
Penne with cauliflower and chilli
Warm cauliflower salad

Pak choi in Camel CSA’s wonderful veg boxes

We have a fantastic selection of vegetables despite this week’s unusually heavy frost in Cornwall.

In all the boxes this week: –
*pak choi
*squash ‘Autumn Crown’
*winter salad bag (mizuna, red/green mustard, green/red lettuce, baby chard/leaf beet)
*turnips
*onions
*parsnips (Mark Norman, Bodmin)
potatoes – red ‘Desiree’ (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)

Standard boxes also have: –
extra potatoes
*baby leeks
*curly parsley
curly kale (Restharrow)

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

Try these delicious dishes on the recipes page on our website:-
Frank’s Shanghai rice (pak choi)
Hugh’s squash stuffed with leeks

Winter salad leaves in Camel CSA’s weekly veg boxes

We all have a big bag of freshly-picked oriental and other winter salad leaves grown in our polytunnels. All our veg are harvested the same day the boxes go out. You can’t get any fresher than that!

In all the boxes this week: –
*winter salad bag (mizuna, red/green mustard, green/red lettuce, baby chard/leaf beet)
*squash – lucky dip!
*bunch of carrots
*turnips
leeks (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
cauliflower (Restharrow)
potatoes – white Wilja or red Desiree (Restharrow)

Standard boxes also have: –
extra potatoes
*kohlrabi
*garlic
*kale – Red Russian

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

Try these delicious leek dishes on the recipes page on our website:-
A risotto of leeks and pancetta
Leek and smoked cheddar tart

Winter salad leaves in our weekly boxes

We’ve got a brilliant selection of winter and oriental salad leaves to look forward to over the next few months. They take a lot of picking though!

In all the boxes this week: –
*winter salad leaves – mizuna, red mustard, rocket, green/red salad bowl lettuce, baby chard/leaf beet
*turnips
*chillies
*parsley
*parsnips (Mark Norman, Bodmin)
cauliflower (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
potatoes ‘Wilja’ (Restharrow)

Standard boxes also have: –
extra potatoes
*carrots
*swede
*Swiss/rainbow chard

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

Apples in Camel CSA’s weekly veg boxes

As it’s our annual Apple Day on Saturday, we all have some apples this week.

In all the boxes: –
*apples (Mark Norman / Bridget Gould)
*chillies / *basil
*tomatoes – red, golden
*spring onions
*chard – Swiss, rainbow
*calabrese / tenderstem (Camel CSA / Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
potatoes ‘Wilja’ (Restharrow)

Standard boxes also have: –
extra potatoes
*aubergine
*cucumber
*mixed salad leaves

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

‘Honey bear’ acorn squash in Camel CSA’s veg boxes

‘Honey Bear’ is an acorn-type squash. It’s shaped like an acorn, but larger, has a dark green skin and sweet, nutty, light golden flesh.

In all the boxes this week: –
*acorn squash ‘Honey bear’
*sweetcorn
*tomatoes – red, golden
*radish bunch
*sweet pepper – green or yellow
*mixed leaf salad bag
potatoes ‘Wilja’ (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)

Standard boxes also have: –
extra potatoes
*cavolo nero
*cucumber
*cabbage ‘Stonehead’

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

Seasonal local food recipe No.336 – Jamie’s sweet cherry tomato and sausage bake

My husband used our bag of tomatoes to make this delicious sausage dish from Jamie Oliver last night.  He finely chopped  the rosemary before cooking and cut the larger tomatoes into chunks.  He served the finished dish with garlic bread.

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 45-60 minutes

Ingredients
2 kg ripe cherry tomatoes
2 sprigs each of fresh thyme, rosemary and bay
1 tbsp dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
12 good-quality Cumberland or coarse Italian pork sausages
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
sea-salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5.  Get an appropriately sized roasting tray, large enough to take the tomatoes in one snug-fitting layer.  Put in all your tomatoes, the herb sprigs, oregano, garlic and sausages.  Drizzle well with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Toss together, then make sure the sausages are on top and pop the tray into the oven for half an hour.  After this time, give it a shake and turn the sausages over.  Put back into the oven for 15-30 minutes, depending on how golden and sticky you like your sausages.

Once it’s cooked, you’ll have an intense, tomatoey sauce.  If it’s a little too thin, lift out the sausages and place the tray on the hob to cook it down to the consistency you like – I tend to make mine quite thick – then put the sausages back in.

Check the seasoning and serve either with a good-quality loaf of bread warmed through in a low oven for 10 minutes (great for mopping up the sauce!) or with mashed potato, rice or polenta, a green salad and a nice glass of wine.