We’re fortunate to have freshly picked wild garlic leaves in our boxes this week thanks to Bridget and Charlotte’s foraging skills.  We’ve also got the first of the rhubarb with plenty more to come.

In all the boxes this week:

*Swiss chard/spinach
wild garlic leaves (foraged locally)
*rhubarb (CSA/Mark Norman)
*leeks (Mark Norman, Bodmin)
onions (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
Jerusalem artichokes (Restharrow)
potatoes ‘Wilja’ (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)

Standard boxes also have:
extra potatoes
*mixed salad bag
*spring greens
*parsley

* = 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:
Wet garlic salad
Wild garlic pesto

Cauliflower rice or couscous is in vogue at the moment as a low carb alternative.  Charlotte, the CSA publicity officer, was planning to have this with a chilli last night.  Recipe from BBC Good Food.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 3 minutes
Cooking time: 7 minutes

Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower
Good handful coriander leaves, chopped
Cumin seeds, toasted (optional)

Method
Cut the hard core and stalks from the cauliflower and pulse the rest in a food processor to make grains the size of rice.  Tip into a heatproof bowl, cover with clingfilm, then pierce and microwave for 7 minutes on high – there is no need to add any water.  Stir in the coriander.  For spicier rice, add some toasted cumin seeds.

Our early spring crops are growing well and it’s only a matter of time until we have rhubarb, broad beans and asparagus in our veg boxes.

In the meantime we’re doing our best to fill the boxes with as much variety as possible as the ‘hungry gap’ begins to bite.  This is when UK-grown seasonal veg become quite thin on the ground as last year’s crops run out – on the field and in storage – and we wait for the new spring-sown crops to mature.

In all the boxes this week:

*Swiss chard
*Red Russian kale
Cauliflower (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
Leeks (Restharrow)
Beetroot (Restharrow) – small only
Red onions (Restharrow)
Potatoes ‘Wilja’ (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)

Standard boxes also have:

Extra potatoes
*Mixed salad bag
*Purple sprouting broccoli
*cabbage or spring greens
Green tomato chutney

* = 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:
Trouchia (chard omelette)
Swiss chard fritters

This recipe is from Leon’s Fast Vegetarian which my son very kindly bought me for my birthday last year because he thought it might give me inspiration for the weekly recipe.  I will be using some of the chard from our box this week to make it.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 – 30 minutes

Ingredients
150 ml white wine
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
300g peas (frozen are fine)
150 ml water
100g chard, washed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
440g orecchiette
2 Tbs flat leaf parsley, chopped
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Method
Put the wine, garlic and chilli into a large pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the volume has reduced by half.  Add the peas to the pan with the water and simmer for 2 minutes.  Next add the chard and stir quickly to wilt, then remove from the heat.  Remove half the pea/chard mix from the pan and blitz in a blender or food processor, then return it to the pan, stir and season well.  Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.  Add the pasta and cook for about 10-12 minutes (or according to the instructions on the packet), then drain.  Toss the pasta with the sauce, add the parsley and mix well.  Season and serve drizzled with good olive oil.

Everyone is getting extra shares of chard and spinach at the moment as we experience a glut of this delicious and versatile green vegetable. The increased warmth and light is bringing on other over-wintered crops like mixed salad leaves and parsley as well as the early sowings of radishes and spring onions.

In all the boxes this week:
* radishes
* Swiss chard
* turnips
white or purple sprouting broccoli
(Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
leeks (Restharrow)
cauliflower (Restharrow)
potatoes ‘Wilja'(Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)

Standard boxes also have:

extra potatoes
* parsley
* mixed salad bag
red cabbage (Restharrow)

* = grown to organic principles. All produce grown by Camel CSA unless otherwise stated

Please ensure you wash all vegetables carefully

This week’s recommended recipes from our website archive:

Maharashtrian radish salad
Warm halloumi with radish, apple and pecan salad

Four 30-metre beds planted up so far – that’s more than 5,000 onions! Many thanks to volunteers Chloe, Charlotte, Chris, Honey, Joe, Mark N, Mike and Stuart.

Charlotte saw this recipe, looks nice and simple and can be made with the kale in this week’s boxes.  Nigel also recommends using steamed spinach instead of the kale or a goat’s or blue cheese.  Apparently the combination of spinach and blue cheese is particularly good.

Serves 2

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients
125 g of mixed greens such as cavolo nero or red Russian kale
6 eggs
salt and pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
150 g taleggio cheese, torn or sliced
3 Tbs pumpkin seeds, chopped

Method
Put a pan of water on to boil. Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Wash and lightly shred 125g of mixed greens, such as kale and cavolo nero.

Add the greens to the boiling water, leave for a minute, then immediately remove and refresh in a colander under cold, running water. Gently squeeze most of the water out of the greens and set aside. Beat six eggs in a large mixing bowl, then add the shredded greens and season generously with salt and pepper.

Warm 2 tbsp of olive oil in a nonstick ovenproof 22cm pan, then, as bubbles start to appear, pour in the egg and greens mixture.  Leave to cook over a moderate heat for two minutes. Tear or slice 150g of taleggio, or another soft, easily melting cheese, and place the pieces on the surface of the eggs and greens. Scatter over three tablespoons of chopped pumpkin seeds then bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes until the eggs are lightly set and the cheese oozing.

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