August 26, 2018
We’re savouring every mouthful of these miniature, sweet, round Parisian carrots in this week’s veg boxes! Wholesale carrot prices have leapt 80% since March and onions prices are up 40%, so they’re worth their weight in gold.
Parisian carrots are a 19th century heritage veggie that don’t need peeling, have the most amazing flavour and crunchy texture and are highly sought after by gourmet restaurants. Enjoy them raw or try this simple recipe.
In all boxes:-
*Parisian carrots
*basil
*tomatoes – ‘Mamande’, ‘Golden Sunrise’, Gardener’s Delight’, ‘Alicante’
*aubergine
*chard
*courgettes (Mark Norman, Bodmin)
*onions (Mark)
*new potatoes – ‘Malfona’ (Colwith Farm, Lanlivery)
Standard boxes also have:-
*fennel bulb
*cucumbers
*French beans – ‘Amethyst’
*runner beans (Mark)
*= grown to organic principles. Please wash all produce thoroughly.
All veg grown by Camel CSA unless stated otherwise.
Have a look at all the veg recipes on the recipes page on our website – nearly 400 to try!
August 12, 2018
We have such tasty tomatoes and basil in our weekly veg boxes. It’s important to keep both out of the fridge to conserve their full flavour.
Originally from the Italian island of Capri, this salad needs to be made with the best ingredients and kept very, very simple. We recommend this version from Felicity Cloake in the The Guardian.
Serves 4 (with bread)
Preparation time: 5 minutes + 15 minutes resting time
Ingredients
About 600g tomatoes of different shapes and sizes, including some slightly under-ripe or more acidic varieties
Extra virgin olive oil
250g buffalo mozzarella
Small bunch of basil, preferably with smallish leaves
Method
Cut the tomatoes into different sized slices and chunks depending on their size and shape – large craggy fruit often looks better cut into cross sections. Cut out the core if it looks chewy. Put into a bowl and sprinkle with sea salt, leave to sit for 10 minutes, then add 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and gently toss with a couple of spoons.
Arrange the tomatoes on a platter, spooning over their juices. Tear the mozzarella over the top, and scatter with torn basil leaves. Drizzle with more oil and season with a little more salt. Serve.
Corn-on-the-cob, Golden Nugget squash and heritage beetroot headline our star-studded cast of celebrity summer veggies this week.
In all boxes:-
*sweetcorn
*squash – ‘Golden Nugget’
*basil
*beetroot – ‘Chioggia’
*tomatoes – ‘Mamande’, ‘Golden Sunrise’, Gardener’s Delight’
*cucumber
*courgettes (Mark Norman, Bodmin)
*new potatoes – Arrow’ (Growfair Cornwall)
Standard boxes also have:-
*aubergines
*calabrese or pointed hispi cabbage
*runner beans (Mark)
*= grown to organic principles. Please wash all produce thoroughly.
All veg grown by Camel CSA unless stated otherwise.
Have a look at all the veg recipes on the recipes page on our website – we recommend nearly 400!
August 6, 2018
We have some of those candy-striped ‘Chioggia’ heritage beetroot in this week’s veg boxes. They have a sweet and tender flesh which is more fun eaten raw, as cooking eradicates the stripes. This salad, made with lemon, is recommended by Shillingford Organics near Exeter in Devon. It’s also good if you add a little orange juice and honey as well.
Unless you’re unable to slice the beets extremely thinly, cut them into matchsticks or grate them instead. Unlike conventional beetroot, they won’t bleed!
Serves: 4
Preparation: 10 minutes
Ingredients
2-3 Chioggia beets, depending on their size
salt and freshly cracked pepper
juice from 1 small lemon, about 2-3 tbsp
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp mustard (grainy is good)
Method
Scrub the beets really well. Slice off the tops and trim the roots. Slice the beets as thin as possible. This is easiest if you use a mandoline.
Arrange the slices into a serving bowl, lightly seasoning them with salt and pepper as you go along. Combine the lemon juice, oil and mustard in a small jar with lid and shake well. Drizzle over the beet slices and serve.
August 5, 2018
What colours! There are lovely ripe tomatoes in different shapes and sizes in this week’s veg boxes including a sweet, tender-skinned yellow variety and the giant beefsteak ‘Mamande‘. We also have stripy pink-and-white ‘Chioggia’ beetroot that’s delicious eaten raw in a salad.
In all boxes:-
*tomatoes – red and yellow
*aubergines
*cucumbers
*new potatoes – ‘Rocket’ or ‘Charlotte’
*courgettes (Mark Norman, Bodmin)
*beetroot – ‘Chioggia’ (CSA / Mark)
*chard (CSA / Mark)
Standard boxes also have:-
*green peppers
*French beans ‘Amethyst’ or mangetout ‘Shiraz’
*runner beans (Mark)
*= grown to organic principles. Please wash all produce thoroughly.
All veg grown by Camel CSA unless stated otherwise.
Have a look at the veg recipes on the recipes page on our website – we recommend nearly 400!
July 30, 2018
Want something different to make with the glut of courgettes in your weekly veg box? This simple sponge loaf is recommended by Camel CSA expert grower Bridget Gould. It’s taken from BBC Good Food, which says: “The hidden veg keeps it moist and walnuts add crunch.”
Serves: 8
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: one hour
Ingredients
butter, for the tin
2 large eggs
125ml vegetable oil
85g soft brown sugar
350g courgettes, coarsely grated
1 tsp vanilla extract
300g plain flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
85g walnuts, roughly chopped
140g sultanas
Method
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, oil and sugar, then add the courgettes and vanilla.
In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients with a pinch of salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, then pour into the tin. Bake for 1 hr, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool, then serve, or freeze for up to 1 month.
July 29, 2018
We love our wonky veg! Our veggies taste delicious even if some of them don’t always look perfect and it means we reduce food waste. They’re grown to organic principles and our volunteer picking and packing team harvest them for our weekly veg boxes every Friday morning.
In all boxes:-
*bunched carrots – ‘Early Nantes’
*cucumber
*beetroot
*courgettes (Mark Norman, Bodmin)
*pointed ‘Hispi’ cabbage or calabrese (CSA / Mark)
*green onions (Mark)
*new potatoes – ‘Rocket’ or ‘Estima’ (CSA / Mark)
Standard boxes also have:-
*aubergines
*tomatoes
*runner beans (Mark)
*= grown to organic principles. Please wash all produce thoroughly.
All veg grown by Camel CSA unless stated otherwise.
Have a look at the veg recipes on the recipes page on our website – we have nearly 400 for you to try.
July 23, 2018
In hot weather I never feel like cooking. But we have to eat! This couldn’t be easier, and uses basil from Camel CSA’s weekly veg boxes. It’s another summer dish from the Observer Food Monthly‘s 20 Best Recipes and is taken from River Café 30 by Ruth Rogers, Rose Gray, Sian Wyn Owen and Joseph Trivelli.
Serves: 6 (as a starter or light lunch)
Preparation and cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
250g spaghetti
juice of 3-4 unwaxed lemons
150ml olive oil
150g parmesan, freshly grated
2 handfuls fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
finely grated lemon zest, optional
Method
Cook the spaghetti in a generous amount of boiling salted water, then drain thoroughly and return to the saucepan.
Meanwhile, whisk the lemon juice with the olive oil, then stir in the parmesan – it will melt into the mixture, making it thick and creamy. Season with sea salt and black pepper and add more lemon juice to taste.
Add the sauce to the spaghetti and shake the pan so that each strand of pasta is coated with the cheese. Finally, stir in the chopped basil and, ideally, some lemon zest.
July 22, 2018
What a treat! Beautiful basil and elephant garlic in this week’s vegetable boxes from north Cornwall.
In all boxes:-
*basil
*elephant garlic
*carrots – ‘Early Nantes’
*cucumber
*young turnips or kohlrabi or beetroot
*runner beans (Mark Norman, Bodmin)
*courgettes (Mark)
*new potatoes – ‘Rocket’ or ‘Estima’ (CSA / Mark)
Standard boxes also have:-
*aubergine
*salad leaves
*spring onions
*= grown to organic principles. Please wash all produce thoroughly.
All veg grown by Camel CSA unless stated otherwise.
July 17, 2018
This is a surprisingly tasty courgette fritter recipe that doesn’t contain any eggs. It’s from the Modern Cook vegetarian series in The Guardian. Anna says: “If you are vegan, you can replace the halloumi with two more courgettes.”
As there was some Camel CSA chilli and crab apple jelly left over in my fridge, I didn’t need to make the chilli jam.
Serves 4 (makes 16 fritters)
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
3 medium courgettes (about 400g)
1 packet halloumi (about 225g)
100g rice flour
100g plain or white spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch dried oregano
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Olive oil
Salad leaves, to serve
For the chilli jam
6 red chillies, finely sliced
6 tbsp red-wine vinegar
5 tbsp sugar
1 small bunch mint, leaves picked and finely chopped
Method
Put all the chilli jam ingredients into a small pan and bring to a simmer for five to eight minutes, until the liquid has thickened and the chillies are soft and sticky.
Grate the courgette and halloumi. Mix the flours, baking powder, oregano and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add the grated courgette and halloumi, and mix well. Season well with salt and black pepper. If your batter looks too dry add a little milk or water until it is spoonable.
Heat a large heavy-based frying pan on a medium heat and add a generous drizzle of olive oil. Next add the batter – about two tablespoons for each fritter – and fry for a couple of minutes, until the edge is well-set, then flip and cook for another couple of minutes. Keep going until all your batter is used up – keep the cooked fritters warm in a low oven.
Serve with the chilli jam and salad leaves dressed with the lemon juice. Leftover fritters keep well in the fridge for several days – reheat in a 180C/350F/gas 4 oven for about 10 minutes. They’re also delicious cold!
