May 31, 2010
Camel CSA members Trish and Jeremy Gibson are opening their garden to the public for the first time this Sunday 6 June under the National Gardens Scheme.
Trish is our volunteer picking and packing supremo. She oversees the preparation of more than 30 vegetable boxes every Friday.
She’s recently taken time off from her weekly duties to put the finishing touches to their one and a half acre garden at the The Mill House, Pendogget near St Kew in north Cornwall.
There are extensive views across the surrounding farmland and within the garden enclosed formal areas contrast with open spaces. It has a mill pond, several smaller ponds, and a small stream running through.
Trish says:
After months of sowing and planting, weeding and clearing, hedging and edging, pruning and fine tuning, we’re ready … Opening for the first time under the National Gardens Scheme on Sunday 6 June, 2-5pm, a bargain £3 entry (children free), plant stall and irresistible cream teas in aid of Cornwall Hospice Care.
May 30, 2010
Why not come and see what we’re doing at Camel CSA? We’re taking part in Open Farm Sunday on June 13. There’ll be lots of things to see and do – guided tours, children’s fun and games, nature activities, veg box raffle and homemade refreshments. Including a hog roast!
We’re holding this event in conjunction with our neighbours St Kew Harvest Farm Shop & Tea Rooms.
One of the simplest and most delicious ways of serving Cornish asparagus.
Steamed asparagus, fried or grilled dry-cured bacon, poached free-range egg and a sprinkling of freshly-ground black pepper.
Maybe some steamed Cornish new potatoes.
That’s all.
May 29, 2010
This unusual recipe using raw asparagus is from Mark Hix. It’s recommended by Camel CSA picking and packing volunteer Henrietta Danvers. Use freshly-picked Cornish asparagus of course.
Mark writes a weekly food column in The Independent. He says: “Raw asparagus might seem a little odd, but it’s actually delicious, and offers a vastly different eating experience to the cooked variety.”
Serves 4
Preparation: 10 minutes
Resting time: 10 minutes
Cooking: zero
Ingredients
A couple of handfuls of small salad leaves
12 or so stems of thick asparagus, woody stalks trimmed
120-150g soft goat’s cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing:
juice of 1 lemon
3-4tbsp extra-virgin rapeseed oil
Method
With a sharp mandolin or with a very sharp knife, slice the asparagus as thinly as possible on the angle and place in a bowl. Mix all of the ingredients for the dressing, season well and mix with the asparagus and leave for 10 minutes. Toss the asparagus with the leaves and arrange on plates. Crumble the goat’s cheese over the salad and serve immediately.
Make the most of it! There’s another bunch of Lower Croan’s newly-picked Cornish asparagus in the boxes.
Find out more about Cornish asparagus
All the boxes have: –
Cornish asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)
Cornish new potatoes (JH Allen & Sons, Marazion)
spring greens (West Cornwall)
*salad bag (Jeremy Brown)
*green garlic (Jeremy)
The standard boxes also have: –
*parsley (Camel CSA)
*baby beetroot (Jeremy)
as well as extra potatoes and *salad leaves
Green garlic is also known as “wet” garlic. Wash and then slice the whole plant like a leek, then use it to flavour as normal. Jeremy warns that this batch is rather strong!
* = grown to organic principles
Next week we can look forward to mixed rocket and maybe the first crop of this season’s basil from Jeremy Brown at St Kew Harvest.
May 26, 2010
Our visitors from Trevalon Organic Co-operative set to work on Sunday and gave us some very welcome assistance on the veg plot.
It’s amazing what a team of dedicated vegetable growers can do in a short time. They helped us get through all our weeding, watering, planting and sowing chores.
In the blazing sunshine we sowed plenty of carrot seed and planted out bee borage. But we decided not to risk planting out the celery in such hot, dry conditions.
At the same time we exchanged news and views about organic cultivation methods, how to make local food work and the growing number of community supported agriculture schemes here in the south-west.
Many thanks to all five members of the Trevalon group who’d travelled from Herodsfoot, led by landowner Mark Simon.
Camel CSA’s expert growers Jane, Jeremy B and Mark N organised our own volunteer growing team of Charlotte, Danny, Kitty, Mark M, Mike S, Rebecca and Tess.
We deserved our al fresco lunch, when we were all joined by fellow Camel CSA volunteers Dan, Kate, Penny, Robert and Theresa. Plus members of our junior wing – Brooke, Carla, Finn, Keira and Seth along with babes-in-arms Daisy and Hollie.
May 23, 2010
This is a simple way of cooking new potatoes that’s very different from the usual buttered, boiled or steamed. It comes from Henrietta Danvers, who’s one of Camel CSA’s volunteer picking and packing team members.
Serves 6
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 45 minutes
Ingredients
750g baby new potatoes, skin on
4 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lemon, zest and juice
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan) or gas mark 7. Wash the potatoes, keeping the skin on. Put them in a roasting pan. Drizzle half the oil over the potatoes and season. Roast for 45 minutes and remove when soft. Mix the garlic, remaining oil and lemon zest and juice. Spoon through the hot potatoes and serve.
May 20, 2010
We have some more of those small Cornish Early new potatoes to enjoy in our vegetable boxes this week. They come from the milder climes of Penwith in west Cornwall, which is always the first UK region to lift new potatoes in the spring. We’ve also got another bunch of that delicious Cornish asparagus.
In all the veg boxes we can expect: –
Cornish Early new potatoes (Penwith)
Cornish asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)
cauliflower (West Cornwall)
* spinach (Jeremy Brown)
* salad bag (Jeremy)
The standard boxes will also contain: –
* green garlic (Jeremy)
as well as extra potatoes and salad leaves
Green garlic is also known as “wet” garlic. Wash and then slice the whole plant like a leek, then use it to flavour as normal. Jeremy warns that this batch is rather strong!
* = grown to organic principles
May 19, 2010
Cornwall’s first solar farm could be right next door to us – just across the A39 from Camel CSA’s veg plot.
Our community supported agriculture scheme rents its two-acre field from the Brown family of Benbole Farm, St Kew Highway, near Wadebridge.
The family are part of the Benbole Energy Farm consortium which plans to erect photovoltaic panels on a 15-acre site between St Kew Highway and St Mabyn. These would generate enough electricity for 600 homes.
Public consultation evenings are being held at St Kew Golf Club on Tuesday 8 June and Tuesday 15 June from 6 pm.
Cornwall’s ‘Silicon Vineyards’ aim to triple solar capacity in UK – Guardian
Massive solar farms planned to treble energy generated from sun in UK – Western Morning News
At long last we have a shed to shelter our volunteer picking and packing team from the Cornish elements.
We’re marking the occasion with an informal picnic at the veg plot this Sunday 23 May. This will start to happen as the volunteer growers finish work about 12.30 pm.
It’ll be a chance to get together and celebrate the season, plus anything else that comes to mind…
Everyone’s welcome. All ages of course. Please bring your own food and drink and be prepared to share it! I expect we’ll be on site until around 3pm.
According to a rumour from the Met Office it promises to be sunny and warm, so keep your fingers crossed.
