May 15, 2014
Photo: Heath Bass
We have more home-grown peas, Cornish asparagus and Mark Norman’s early potatoes in our boxes this week. Mark, one of our paid professional growers, runs a productive smallholding on the southern edge of Bodmin. He supplies us regularly with his own produce.
All boxes have:
* peas (Camel CSA)
* turnips (Camel CSA
* beetroot (Camel CSA)
* parsley (Camel CSA)
* new potatoes (Mark Norman, Bodmin)
Cornish asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)
cauliflower (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
Standard boxes also have:
extra new potatoes
* mixed lettuce/rocket (Camel CSA)
* rhubarb (Mark Norman)
leeks (Restharrow)
* = grown to organic principles
May 11, 2014
The lemon juice gives this risotto a lovely fresh taste. It’s from Nigel Slater’s The Kitchen Diaries. The original recipe uses chicken stock but I am sure vegetable stock will be just as good.
Serves 2
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes
Ingredients
50 g butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
200g arborio rice
1 glass white wine or Noilly Prat
400g asparagus chopped into short lengths
1 litre hot stock
Grated rind and juice of 2 lemons
salt and pepper
3 tbs parmesan cheese, grated
Method
Melt the butter in a wide, high-sided pan over a low heat. Add the onion and let it soften in the butter, stirring occasionally, until it is translucent and silky. Stir in the rice then add the wine and let it bubble down until the liquid has pretty much disappeared. Add a ladleful of stock, turn the heat up a bit, then let the liquid almost disappear before adding the asparagus and a second ladle of stock. Continue adding the stock as it boils down to almost nothing, stirring the rice frequently. Season with salt, pepper, the lemon zest and juice to taste and continue cooking until the rice is creamy but has a little bite left in it. Stir in the cheese and eat immediately.
May 10, 2014
They’ve still got dew on them! The bundles of freshly-cut Cornish asparagus are from Roger and Gill Derryman at Lower Croan, Sladesbridge. The boxes also have new peas and spring turnips from our polytunnels – with plenty more to come in the next couple of weeks.
All boxes have: –
* peas (Camel CSA)
Cornish asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)
* turnip bunch (Camel CSA)
* radish bunch (Camel CSA)
* sprouted mung beans (Camel CSA / Mark Norman)
potatoes (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
onions (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
Standard boxes also have: –
extra potatoes
* mixed lettuce bag (Camel CSA)
* rocket (Camel CSA)
leeks (Restharrow)
* = grown to organic principles
May 2, 2014
This is from Quick Vegetarian Curries by Mridula Baljekar. It is a favourite of mine when we have friends round for a curry. If you can’t get hold of Indian paneer it is just as good made with halloumi cheese.
Photo: Heath Bass
Serves 4
Preparation time: 25-30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
2 tbs sunflower oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 small onion, finely chopped
2.5cm cube root ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tbs ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1/4-1/2 tsp chilli powder
150g spinach, finely chopped
300ml water
250g paneer, cut into 1cm cubes
175g cooked potatoes cut into 2.5cm cubes (optional)
1/2 tsp garam masala
Method
Heat the oil in a pan over a low heat, add the garlic and stir fry for 1 minute, then add the onion and fry for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add the ginger, ground coriander and cumin, cook for 1 minute then add the tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the turmeric, paprika and chilli powder and cook for 30 seconds before adding the spinach and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add half the water and cook for 3 minutes or until the water dries up, tossing and turning the ingredients constantly. Add the paneer, potatoes if using and remaining water, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered. Add a little more water if necessary. Sprinkle on the garam masala and serve.
We all have a jar of our very own tomato chutney this week – made last autumn when we had a glut of tomatoes, onions and apples. So useful now during the so-called hungry gap, the leanest time of the year for fresh, seasonal, locally-grown vegetables in the UK.
All boxes have: –
tomato chutney (Camel CSA)
* spinach/chard (Camel CSA)
* mixed salad bag** (Camel CSA)
* parsley (Camel CSA)
potatoes (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
leeks (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
cauliflower (Total Produce, Cornwall)
Standard boxes also have: –
extra potatoes
* rocket (Camel CSA)
onions (Restharrow)
* rhubarb (Camel CSA/Mark Norman, Bodmin)
* = grown to organic principles
** = baby spinach/leaf beet, lettuce, red mustard and golden mustard greens
April 24, 2014
You can tell it’s spring, as we’ve got plenty of green leafy vegetables in Camel CSA’s boxes this week.
All boxes have: –
purple sprouting broccoli (Pendavy Farm, St Breward)
* spinach/chard (Camel CSA/Mark Norman, Bodmin)
* mixed salad bag** (Camel CSA/Mark Norman)
* radish bunch (Camel CSA/Mark Norman)
potatoes (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
onions (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
cauliflower (Restharrow)
Standard boxes also have: –
extra potatoes
leeks (Restharrow)
spring greens (Restharrow)
* rhubarb (Camel CSA/Mark Norman)
* = grown to organic principles
** = baby spinach/leaf beet, lettuce, red mustard and golden mustard greens
April 18, 2014
This is from Cordon Vert by Colin Spencer and has been a favourite for nearly 30 years! It’s a bit fiddly but well worth the effort. If you can’t get canneloni you could use lasagne sheets or use the filling to make a lasagne.
Serves 4-6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
12-16 cannelloni tubes
900g leaf spinach
50 g butter
115g ground almonds
2 tbs double cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g grated gruyere cheese
300 ml single cream
50g grated parmesan cheese
Method
Cook the pasta in boiling water until done. Remove from the heat, drain then put the cooked pasta into a bowl of cold water with a little oil in it to keep it separate. Remove the stalks from the spinach and discard. Cook the spinach in half the butter over a low heat. The spinach should shrink to less than half its bulk in about 5-6 minutes. Cool and drain off the excess liquid.
Put the cooked spinach in a bowl and chop with a wooden spoon. Add the almonds, remaining butter, double cream, gruyere cheese, season to taste and mix well.
Drain the canneloni, then taking one tube at a time put a portion of the spinach mixture in it. Place the filled tubes in a shallow, greased ovenproof dish, pour the single cream over, sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and bake in a preheated oven gas mark 2/150°C for about 20 minutes until the canneloni is heated through and the cheese is melted. Serve with a green salad.
April 13, 2014
Easy, quick, tasty and cheap! A tapas idea this time, from Tapas Revolution by Omar Allibhoy (via Guardian Life & Style). I don’t keep sherry vinegar, so used balsamic instead.
Serves: 4
Preparation/cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm slices
1 large green pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
200ml olive oil
salt and black pepper
Method
Mix the onion, potatoes and pepper, season with the salt, pepper and vinegar.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the vegetable mixture. Cook for about 20 minutes, turning over occasionally. The vegetables should be soft, but not too crispy.
