January 19, 2011
Cornwall planners will decide next Monday 24 January whether to approve three giant supermarket applications on the outskirts of Wadebridge.
Protest group lovewadebridge.com is fiercely opposing the proposed developments, which would encircle this thriving Cornish market town.
Both Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s want to build brand new superstores on the east side of Wadebridge – Sainsbury’s on council land. Tesco has applied to expand its existing store at the top of West Hill.
Planning officers are recommending that councillors give the go-ahead to both Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s proposals. But they want them to reject the Morrison’s application, which involves moving Wadebridge Town Football Club to a new site outside the town’s boundary on the road to Rock and Polzeath.
Lovewadebridge.com was set up by local residents and traders concerned that all three out-of-town developments are against national, regional and development plan policies and would damage the heart of Wadebridge – its character, economy and quality of life.
Group members maintain there are already an adequate number of supermarkets in the area and the proposed superstores could turn Wadebridge into a ghost town.
They argue that more would have an adverse effect on the vitality of Wadebridge town centre and the viability of small, independent businesses in the town and surrounding villages in north Cornwall.
More than 577 supermarkets have been approved in the UK in the last two years, leading to accusations that the “big four” are distorting local food markets and putting independent traders out of business.
Update: Tesco’s expansion was given the go-ahead; both Sainsbury’s and Morrision’s applications were turned down during a marathon six-hour council meeting.
January 17, 2011
A solar panel on every suitable roof – that’s the dream of a new community-wide initiative in the nearby town of Wadebridge in north Cornwall.
Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network (WREN) wants to harness the sun and wind to generate 30% of the town’s electricity consumption by 2015.
It intends to offer householders and businesses the opportunity to host photovoltaic solar panels on their roofs. This will help reduce their own electricity bills, provide local employment and build up a substantial community fund for investment in community projects.
The project has the support of North Cornwall MP Dan Rogerson, town councillors, Cornwall councillors, and Wadebridge Chamber of Commerce.
The launch event is this Saturday 22 January in Wadebridge Town Hall between 10am and 4pm when there will be a public exhibition and displays. Local MP Dan Rogerson, renewable energy experts, local councillors and business leaders will be giving talks and answering residents’ questions from 2pm onwards.
WREN is a not-for-profit cooperative. It intends the financial gains to stay in Wadebridge so jobs and other benefits are brought to every section of the immediate community.
Cornwall has experienced a rush in recent months from developers and landowners wanting to set up solar energy farms and take advantage of the Government’s generous solar electricity feed-in tariff.
Camel CSA’s landowners – Benbole Farm, St Kew Highway – are due to start work any day on the county’s first solar farm beside the A39 near Wadebridge just across the road from our veg plot.
January 14, 2011
From Sarah Raven’s Garden Cookbook. Based on a recipe by Irish chef Denis Cotter, she says it ‘has lots of different flavours, with a lovely after-bite.’
Serves 6
Preparation and cooking: 20 minutes
Ingredients
450g onions
½ savoy cabbage (about 400g)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 red or 4 green chillies, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
about 5cm fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
800ml good vegetable stock
400ml tin of coconut milk
bunch of fresh coriander, chopped (optional)
juice of 3 limes
salt and black pepper
Method
Finely chop the onions and very finely shred the cabbage. Heat the oil in a pan, add the cabbage and onion and cook over a moderate heat for a couple of minutes before adding the chillies, garlic, ginger and coriander seeds. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onion and cabbage are tender but still have a bite to them.
Bring the stock to the boil in a separate pan and add it to the vegetables. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the coconut milk, half of the fresh coriander (if using), the lime juice and finally salt and pepper.
Serve the soup with extra coriander to taste.
NOTE: chopped parsley could be substituted for the coriander.
January 13, 2011
Small boxes will have:
* jerusalem artichokes (Camel CSA)
* leeks (Jeremy Brown, St Kew Harvest)
* savoy cabbage (Jeremy)
1.5kg potatoes (Benbole Farm)
onions (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
carrots (Restharrow Farm)
parsnips (Restharrow Farm)
Standard boxes will have the same plus:
extra potatoes
extra jerusalem artichokes
swede (Restharrow Farm)
sprout stalk (Restharrow Farm)
* = grown to organic principles
January 11, 2011
Our volunteer growers have completed the first task of the year. They’ve laid weed-suppressing plastic and compost around the newly-planted native hedge that’ll shelter our crops from the worst of the Cornish weather.
Many thanks to expert grower Jane Mellowship and her team – Cath, Charlotte, Danny, Finn (7), Keira (5), Mark M, Mike S.
January 8, 2011
Our pickers and packers dodged torrential showers and slithery mud to fill our first seasonal weekly veg boxes of 2011.
Many thanks to team members Anne, Charlotte, Jenny, Kim, Mike S and Trish F, aided by Arwyn (3) and Seren (1)
January 7, 2011
A recipe from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s new River Cottage Everyday cookbook. ‘Soft, buttery, wilted leeks bring a lovely sweetness to any kind of lightly cooked cabbage or greens,’ he says. ‘Easy to throw together, can be made with different seasonal green throughout most of the year and works as a side dish to everything …’ It’s just got to be worth trying.
Serves 4
Preparation and cooking about 15-20 minutes
Ingredients
about 500g leeks
a knob of unsalted butter
1 savoy or other green cabbage, 2 heads of spring greens, or a few bunches of curly kale
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Trim the leeks, slice them finely (maximum 5mm) and give them a good rinse to get rid of any grit. Heat the butter in a large frying pan or wide saucepan and add the leeks with a pinch of salt. Let them cook gently for 5-6 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan occasionally, until wilted and tender.
Meanwhile, grim and coarsely shred the cabbage, greens or kale. Cook lightly – in either a steamer or a large saucepan of salted water – for 3-4 minutes, until wilted and tender but not too soft. Remove from the heat immediately, drain well and let the excess moisture steam off for a minute or so. Then add to the pan of buttery leeks, along with some more seasoning, and stir over a low heat for about a minutes until thoroughly combined. Serve straight away.
In theory you can use any leftovers for bubble and squeak … but in practice there rarely are any.
January 6, 2011
Small boxes will have:
2 kg potatoes (Benbole farm)
* leeks (Jeremy Brown, St Kew Harvest)
onions (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
carrots (Restharrow Farm)
sprout stalk (Restharrow Farm)
curly kale (Restharrow Farm)
Standard boxes will have an extra 500g potatoes plus:
parsnips (Restharrow Farm)
red cabbage (Restharrow Farm)
* jerusalem artichokes (Camel CSA)
* = grown to organic principles
January 1, 2011
We wish a happy and bountiful New Year to all our friends and fellow vegetable growers.
December 24, 2010
Camel CSA members are enjoying an awesome selection of fresh, seasonal produce from north Cornwall in their Christmas veg boxes.
Our commitment to eating local food and reducing food miles has paid off. We can blissfully ignore rumours of a national Brussels sprouts shortage and avoid supermarket mayhem.
Happy Christmas everyone!
