The first asparagus of the season is such a treat that it would be a shame to over-complicate it. One of the best things to combine it with is egg. The whole thing will take not much more than ten minutes. Use freshly-picked Cornish asparagus of course.

Ingredients
asparagus
free-range eggs
Maldon or sea salt
pepper
butter
optional extras: balsamic vinegar, parmesan shavings, basil pesto, mayonnaise

Method
Take your asparagus and snap off any woody bits from the base. Put a wide pan of water with a pinch of salt on to boil (obviously it should be large enough to take the asparagus, ideally standing upright, but that’s not too important).

Meanwhile put your eggs in another pan of cold water and bring to the boil. For hard-boiled, allow about 10-12 minutes depending on size; for soft-boiled, allow about 7-9 minutes. Alternatively, if you’re a whiz at poaching your eggs, cook them that way.

Once the asparagus pan comes to the boil, add the spears and allow around 5-6 minutes – test with a sharp knife.

Run cold water on the boiled eggs and shell them. Drain the asparagus and add a generous knob of butter, sea salt and pepper. Serve the asparagus with the egg cut in half on top and add whichever of the optional extras you fancy. A green salad accompaniment would be good. New potatoes too, if you’re feeling a bit greedy.

Small and standard boxes will all be getting:
potatoes (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
spring greens (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
cauliflowers (Restharrow Farm)
* leeks (Jeremy Brown, St Kew Harvest)
asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)

Medium boxes will have extra potatoes plus:
* rhubarb (Mark Norman)
round lettuce (Growfair, Cornwall)
swede (Growfair, Cornwall)

* = grown to organic principles

UPDATE: This vacancy has now been filled

There’s still time to apply! The closing date for applications for Camel CSA’s new post of partnership development coordinator is Tuesday 26 April.

We’re looking for a very special person who can create community links for us in north Cornwall.

S/he will build up partnership agreements with schools, charities and special interest groups. They’ll also arrange group training visits to our two-acre vegetable plot at St Kew Highway near Wadebridge.

View the detailed job description (pdf)
Download an application form (pdf)

This position has been part-funded by the Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food Programme.

Food co-op looks for a co-ordinator – Cornish Guardian

Our volunteers have harvested the first crop of salad leaves in the new polytunnel.

The mixed leaves went into the most recent weekly veg boxes along with a bag of baby spinach supplied by Jeremy Brown of St Kew Harvest.

Each standard box contained the first of the Cornish asparagus from Lower Croan, near Sladesbridge. We also had new season rhubarb cultivated by two CSA members – expert grower Jane Mellowship and garden author Trish Gibson.

Volunteering

We need all the help we can get at the moment so we’re relying heavily on our loyal workforce. They’ve exerted a great deal of effort over the last fortnight – and not just on the sowing, hoeing and growing.

The potting shed is up, the second large polytunnel is under construction and the cover is about to go on the seeding tunnel.

Thanks to Anna, Anne, Bob, Bridget, Charlotte, Danny, Gav, Henrietta, Jane, Jenny, Jeremy, Kitty, Mark M, Mark N, Mary, Mike S, Penny, Rebecca H, Robert, Simon, Steve, Trish F and Trish G. And to all the friends and relatives who’ve also come along to give us a helping hand.

What a great bunch of people.

Another recipe from Annie Bell’s Evergreen. She makes homemade pasta but bought is fine. It’s tossed with some herbs and baby spinach leaves while still hot, and the salad is served warm.

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking: 15 minutes

Ingredients
300g papardelle, fettucine or other flat ribbon pasta
Dressing
½ tbsp red wine vinegar
salt, pepper
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp groundnut oil
Salad
55g baby spinach
2 level tbsp chives, snipped 2cm long
½ level tbsp tarragon leaves
½ tbsp basil, torn
1 level tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves

Method
Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add a shot of oil and then the pasta. Cook till al dente, depending on which size pasta you’re using. Meanwhile whisk the vinegar with the seasoning. Add the oils.

When the pasta is cooked, drain and toss with the dressing, adding all the leaves and herbs at the last minute. Adjust the seasoning and serve immediately.

As we approach the ‘hungry gap’, it’s getting harder to fill our boxes with Cornish produce but we’ve managed for at least another week. Lucky standard boxes will be getting Cornish asparagus this week – it’s just too early for there to be enough for everyone, but it won’t be long … There’s rhubarb too – and hopefully enough for everyone but we can’t tell until tomorrow morning.

Small and standard boxes will all be getting:
potatoes (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
onions (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
* leeks (Jeremy Brown, St Kew Harvest)
* salad bags (Camel CSA / Jeremy)
* baby spinach (Jeremy)
cauliflower (Restharrow Farm)
swede (Growfair Cornwall)

Standard boxes will have extra potatoes plus:
asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)
rhubarb (Trish Gibson and Jane Mellowship)

It would be a shame to tinker too much with this week’s lovely fresh broccoli supplied by Jeremy so why not try this recipe from Sybil Kapoor’s Modern British Food?

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking: 10 minutes maximum

Ingredients
225g purple sprouting broccoli
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 small red dried chillies
½ tsp rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp sugar (optional)

Method
Trim the stalks of the broccoli, removing any yellow leaves and cutting out any scars, before washing thoroughly. If any of the stems are too thick, slice them into elegant strips.

Heat the oil until very hot in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan. Add the chillies, and when they begin to sizzle and deepen in colour, stand back and quickly add the vinegar. The frying pan will spit and sizzle for a few seconds and you will suddenly inhale a huge amount of chilli. Despite this, immediately add the garlic and broccoli.

Stir fry for a further 2-3 minutes, then add the soy sauce and sugar (if wished), check the seasoning and serve.

Everyone will be having:
onions (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
cauliflower (Jeremy Brown, St Kew, and Growfair, Cornwall)
* purple sprouting broccoli (Jeremy)
* leeks (Jeremy)
* salad bags (Jeremy)
kale (Growfair)
potatoes (Growfair)

Standard boxes will have extra potatoes and onions plus:
swede (Growfair)
cabbage ‘Tundra’ (Growfair)
* jerusalem artichokes (Jeremy)

* = grown to organic principles

UPDATE: This vacancy has now been filled

Camel CSA is seeking to employ a committed and enthusiastic person who can help us build strong links within our local community in north Cornwall.

We’re looking for someone who can initiate and develop partnership agreements with schools, charities and special interest groups to increase practical awareness of the main aims of our community vegetable-growing project.

The partnership development coordinator will arrange and host group training visits to our two-acre plot at St Kew Highway near Wadebridge, where we cultivate our own vegetables to organic principles and operate a weekly veg box scheme.

The position is initially for a six-month fixed term, 12 hours a week.

“This post will suit someone who’s an excellent communicator and committed to the objectives of the Making Local Food Work programme,” said Camel CSA secretary Mike Sadler.

“S/he will need to have an understanding of basic horticultural principles as well as environmental and sustainability issues. In addition they must have a flexible approach to working, be able to operate on their own initiative and to deal with people of all ages and backgrounds.”

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 26 April 2011. Interviews will be held on Wednesday 4 May.

This position has been part-funded by the Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food Programme.            

View the detailed job description (pdf)
Download an application form (pdf)

See the job advert at environmentjob.co.uk

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View our Facebook page

Food co-op looks for a co-ordinator – Cornish Guardian

Members of Camel Community Supported Agriculture’s volunteer
grow-our-own team are busy sowing, planting and watering as the season gets into full swing. 

Expert grower Mark Norman is now employed on our St Kew Highway site two days a week to ensure everything goes to plan.

We’ve composted allium beds and planted onion sets – row after row of them. Broad bean and brassica beds have also been prepared and spring cabbages planted out. Additional lettuce varieties have been sown in modules, as well as turnips.

The potting shed is about to be erected and the cover put on the seeding tunnel. The mixed salad leaves planted in the polytunnel will be ready to pick for the veg boxes in a couple of weeks.

Many thanks to expert grower Mark N and current team members Bob, Bridget, Charlotte, Danny, Jenny, Kitty, Mark M, Mary, Mike S, Penny, Rebecca H and Robert plus five-year-olds Keira and Max.

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