Contents of our Cornish vegetable boxes this week are provided by Mark Norman, Jane Mellowship, Jeremy Brown of St Kew Harvest and Camel CSA’s own plot, all of it grown to organic principles.

Update: Potato quantities were increased. We all had a patty pan squash and a small bunch of parsley as extras.

Small boxes have:
600g potatoes ‘Estima’ (Jeremy)
primo cabbage (Jeremy)
mixed courgettes (Jeremy)
onions (Mark)
beetroot (Mark)
salad (Camel CSA)
swiss chard/perpetual spinach (Camel CSA)

Standard boxes have the above with extra potatoes (800g) plus:
turnips (Mark)
cucumber (Jeremy)
french beans (Jane/Jeremy)

Large boxes have the same contents as a standard but twice as much, although rather than two cabbages there’ll be one cabbage and a bag of tenderstem.

We’ve all got a bunch of birthday cornflowers in our boxes to celebrate the first year of our veg box scheme. The flowers come courtesy of Camel CSA’s coffers and were grown by Jeremy Brown at St Kew Harvest.

The rest of the contents of this week’s vegetable boxes are from our other expert growers Mark Norman and Jane Mellowship, and Camel CSA’s own plot. All of it grown to organic principles.

Small boxes have:
potatoes – Pentland Javelin (Mark)
onions (Mark)
cucumber (St Kew Harvest)
perpetual spinach (Camel CSA)
garlic (Camel CSA)
salad (Camel CSA)

Medium boxes have all the above plus extra potatoes and:
french beans (Jane)
beetroot (Camel CSA)
lettuce (Camel CSA)
Update – Please note these boxes have swiss chard (Camel CSA) instead of perpetual spinach

Large boxes have extra of everything plus:
calabrese (St Kew Harvest)
parsley (St Kew Harvest)
primo cabbage (St Kew Harvest)

Don’t forget that although the French beans are purple they go green once cooked – the water turns a fantastic colour! And the Pentland Javelin potatoes tend to collapse if overcooked – try steaming rather than boiling them.

Contents of our vegetable boxes this week are provided by Mark Norman, Jane Mellowship, Jeremy Brown of St Kew Harvest and Camel CSA’s own plot, all of it grown to organic principles.

Update: Don’t forget that the beetroot tops make a tasty vegetable – see Seasonal recipe No 51. The Pentland Javelin potatoes we’re getting at the moment tend to collapse if overcooked – try steaming rather than boiling them. And this week’s French beans are a mix of purple- and green-podded ones but all come out green once cooked.

Small boxes will have:
potatoes – Pentland Javelin (Mark)
turnips (Mark)
broad beans (Mark)
beetroot (Mark
calabrese (Jeremy)
parsley (Jeremy)
salad (Camel CSA)

Medium boxes will have extra potatoes as well as:
french beans (Jane and Jeremy)
cucumber (Jeremy)
basil (Jeremy)

Large boxes will have extra potatoes, turnips, salad and beetroot, plus:
peas (Jeremy)
courgettes (Jeremy)
onions (Camel CSA)

and peas and cucumber too.

Contents of our vegetable boxes this week are provided by Mark Norman, Jeremy Brown of St Kew Harvest and Camel CSA’s own plot, all of it grown to organic principles.

Small vegetable boxes will have:
potatoes – Pentland Javelin (Mark)
carrots (Mark)
blackcurrants (Mark)
peas (Jeremy)
cucumber (Jeremy)
broad beans (Camel CSA)
salad bags (Camel CSA)

Standard veg boxes will also have:
extra potatoes
mixed courgettes (Jeremy)
marrow (Jeremy)
swiss chard/perpetual spinach (Camel CSA)

Yes, it’s a whole year since we packed our very first vegetable boxes …

Treats in store this week come from our professional growers Mark Norman of Bodmin, Jane Mellowship of Polzeath and Jeremy Brown of St Kew Harvest as well as some of Camel CSA’s own produce, all of it grown to organic principles.

In the small birthday veg boxes:
potatoes ‘Pentland Javelin’ (Mark)
garlic (Mark)
lettuce (Jeremy)
spring greens (Jeremy)
broad beans (Jeremy)
spring onions (Jane)
swiss chard (Camel CSA)

The standard birthday vegetable boxes will have:
extra potatoes (Mark)
courgettes (Mark)
beetroot (Mark)
salad bags (CSA)

Update: Please make sure you wash the leaves in the salad bags, as some are a little muddy after yesterday’s very welcome burst of rain.

As we complete our first year of veg boxes, we’ll be getting some tasty treats this week – including beetroot and courgettes from Mark Norman in Bodmin and Cornish strawberries from Treworder Fruit at Treworder Barton, Egloshayle, Wadebridge.

Small boxes will have:
* new potatoes (St Kew Harvest)
* lettuce (Camel CSA/St Kew Harvest)
* beetroot (Mark Norman)
* courgettes (Mark)
Cornish strawberries (Treworder Fruit)
* cabbage/spring greens (St Kew Harvest)

Standard boxes will also have:
* extra new potatoes (St Kew Harvest)
* broad beans (Camel CSA)
* cauliflower (Mark)
* turnips (Mark)

* = grown to organic principles

… as well as more of the mixed basil, baby carrots and other spring vegetables, all supplied by two of Camel CSA’s expert growers – Mark Norman of Bodmin and Jeremy Brown of St Kew Harvest.

* new potatoes (Mark)
* carrots (Mark)
* Swiss chard (Jeremy)
* salad bag (Jeremy)
* basil (Jeremy)

Standard boxes will also get:
* extra potatoes
* calabrese (Mark)
* spring greens (Jeremy)

* = grown to organic principles

All this week’s boxes will have:
*baby carrots (Mark Norman)
*lettuce (Camel CSA / Jeremy Brown, St Kew Harvest)
*new potatoes (St Kew Harvest)
*chard (St Kew Harvest)
Cornish strawberries (Celtic Produce)

Standard boxes will also contain:
*bag of spicy greens (St Kew Harvest)
*mixed basil – Sweet Genovese, purple, Thai, cinnamon and lemon varieties (St Kew Harvest)
*extra potatoes and *extra chard

* = grown to organic principles

Veg box regulars probably noticed that last week’s bag of mixed basil contained an unexpected cornucopia of flavours – quite a shock to the tastebuds!

There are many different varieties of basil and Jeremy Brown of St Kew Harvest is growing a selection.  Some can also be distinguished by their thinner leaves.

Sweet Genovese is similar to the basil we’re all familiar with.  Purple basil, which is also fat-leaved, has a deeper flavour and a richer colour.

Lemon or “hoary” basil is delicious in a green salad. Cinnamon basil is from Mexico. Thai basil, used in oriental cooking, has a distinctive liquorice taste.

The delicious smell of new season basil is wafting around the veg boxes.  We’ve got a wonderful selection of spring vegetables this week, which suggests we’re almost over the “hungry gap“.

All the box contents – except for the last of the Cornish asparagus crop – come from two of Camel CSA’s three expert growers, Jeremy Brown of St Kew Harvest and Mark Norman in Bodmin.

Small and standard boxes have: –
*new potatoes (Mark Norman)
*mixed basil (St Kew Harvest)
*radish (St Kew Harvest)
*rocket (St Kew Harvest)
*lettuce (St Kew Harvest)
asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)

Standard boxes also have: –
*extra potatoes (Mark Norman)
*beetroot (Mark Norman)
*green onions (Mark Norman)
*green garlic (St Kew Harvest)

* = grown to organic principles

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.

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