May 8, 2015
This is quite a rich dish and makes a lovely accompaniment to spicy grilled chicken or fish. It can be found in the Riverford Organic Farms cookbook.
Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
1 bunch of spring greens, thinly sliced
1 dessertspoon sunflower oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste with a pinch of salt
2 dried chillies, chopped
400 ml coconut milk
juice of 1/2 lemon
Method
Blanch the spring greens in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain, refresh in cold water and squeeze out the excess. Set aside. Heat the sunflower oil in a pan, add the garlic and chillies and fry over a low heat for a minute or so. Add the coconut milk and simmer over a high heat for 10 minutes, until reduced by about half. Stir in the spring greens and cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the coconut milk is just coating the greens. Finish with the lemon juice.
May 7, 2015
What a treat! Freshly-picked Cornish asparagus from Roger and Jill Derryman at Lower Croan near Egloshayle is back in season over the next few weeks.
In all the boxes this week:
Cornish asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)
*mixed salad bag
*bay leaves
cauliflower (CSA/Growfair)
leeks (Growfair)
spring greens (Growfair)
potatoes ‘Wilja’ (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
Our standard boxes also have:
extra potatoes
*Swiss chard/spinach
red onions (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
swede (Growfair)
* = grown to organic principles. All produce grown by Camel CSA unless otherwise indicated. Please wash all vegetables carefully.
This week’s recommended recipes from our website archive:
Simply delicious Cornish asparagus
Roasted asparagus with balsamic vinegar
May 3, 2015
An extremely versatile vegetarian dish that uses up the last of the winter season’s swede in this week’s veg boxes. You can use turnips or swede or a mixture of both. The same goes for spinach and chard.
As Nigel says: “This gently fragrant dish works well with potatoes and parsnips, too. You could use another leaf, perhaps chard or kale.” It comes from his Mid-week dinner feature in The Guardian.
Serves: 6
Preparation/cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
1kg mixed turnips and/or swede
1 onion, finely chopped
knob of butter
1 tsp oil
1 tsp each of cumin seeds, ground turmeric and garam masala
200g spinach or chard
yogurt and coriander leaves, to serve
Peel turnips and swede and cut them into large pieces. Cook the turnip and swede either in boiling, lightly salted water, or in a steamer, until tender.
In a shallow pan, fry a peeled and roughly chopped onion in a little butter and oil until soft and golden, then add the cumin seeds, ground turmeric and garam masala. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes at a moderate heat until all is fragrant.
Wash and remove any tough stalks from 200g of spinach or chard. Place a nonstick, shallow pan over a moderate heat, add the wet spinach and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Let the spinach cook in its own steam for about three minutes, until wilted, then drain and gently press the water from it.
Add the drained turnips and swedes to the onions and continue cooking until they are lightly golden and have soaked up some of the flavour for the spices. Season with a little salt. Fold the spinach into the spiced turnips and swede and serve, if you wish, with a trickle of yogurt and a few coriander leaves. Serves 4.
Nigel’s trick: “Steam your spinach rather than boiling it. The best way I have found is to wash the leaves and, while they are still very wet, put them in a shallow pan to which you have a tight-fitting lid. Place over a moderately high heat, cover and let the spinach cook for a minute or two in its own steam. Lift the lid, turn the leaves with a pair of tongs or a draining spoon, then cook them for a minute more. I find this gives a better result than boiling.”
May 2, 2015
Rhubarb is making another welcome appearance in our veg boxes this week along with locally grown seasonal vegetables.
In all the boxes this week:
*Rhubarb
*Mixed salad bag
*Swiss chard/spinach
Leeks (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
Onions (Restharrow)
Swede (Growfair)
Potatoes ‘Wilja’ (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
Our standard boxes also have:
*Radish bunch
*Parsley
*Cauliflower
Extra potatoes
* = grown to organic principles. All produce grown by camel CSA unless otherwise indicated. Please wash all vegetables carefully.
This week’s recommended recipe from our website archive:
Jane’s rhubarb and custard cake
April 28, 2015
Char-fried Padron peppers are the “Russian roulette” of Spanish tapas. Only around one in 10 is spicy hot but – boy – do your taste buds know it! We’re growing them for the first time this year. Find out more about Feisty Tapas and how to cook them here.
April 24, 2015
The weather is about to turn cooler so I have a good opportunity to serve this winter warmer for one last time before the summer.
Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
4 large baking potatoes
40g butter
180ml soured cream or crème fraiche
120g mature Cheddar, grated
2-3 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced, or chives
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for about an hour, until tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven but leave the oven on.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, carefully halve them lengthways – you might want to wrap them in a tea towel when you do this – and scoop out most of the insides into a bowl, leaving a shell about 5 mm thick. Return these shells to the oven to the oven to crisp up while you make the filling (don’t let them cook for more than 10 minutes).
Mash the scooped-out potato with the butter, then stir in the soured cream or crème fraiche, Cheddar and spring onions. Season generously with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture back into the shells and bake until heated through, about 10-15 minutes.
April 23, 2015
The hungry gap is still with us but our boxes are bursting with seasonal food.
In all the boxes this week:
*Radish
*Sprouted mung beans
Cauliflower (csa/total produce)
Onions (Restharrow farm, Trebetherick)
Leeks (Restharrow)
Potatoes (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
Swede (total produce)
Our standard boxes also have:
Extra potatoes
*salad bags
*chives
*spinach/beet leaf
* = grown to organic principles. All produce grown by Camel CSA unless otherwise indicated. Please wash all vegetables carefully.
This weeks recommended recipes from our website archive:
April 21, 2015
Expert growers Bridget and Mark show off our new, branded polo shirts. Why don’t you buy one? They’re tough and practical. Email info@camel-csa.org.uk or phone/text 01208 420014 for prices and sizes.
April 19, 2015
Mark N is ploughing, weeding, composting and raking the veg beds set aside for root veg – carrots, beetroot, fennel and parsnips.
In the meantime young plants in the seeding tunnel are growing well in the warm conditions and strong spring light.
April 18, 2015
I can’t remember where I got the original recipe for wild garlic risotto but I have been making it for a few years when I remember to forage wild garlic.
Serves 3
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
30 g butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
250 g Arborio rice
splash white wine
1 l chicken or vegetable stock
large handful wild garlic leaves, roughly chopped
50 g Parmesan cheese, grated
Method
Heat the half the butter and the oil in a heavy saucepan and cook the onion and garlic slowly for about 10 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat the rice in the garlic and onion mixture. Add the wine, turn up the heat and stir until the wine has been absorbed. Add stock until the rice is just covered and turn down the heat so that the rice is at a simmer. Keep adding stock as it is absorbed. After about 10 minutes add the wild garlic leaves and stir into the rice. Once the rice is just cooked but still has some bite, add the rest of the butter and the cheese. Season to taste and serve.
