May 23, 2014
Not good timing when Camel CSA’s growing team have so much more sowing and planting to do!
May 22, 2014
Cornish strawberries and Cornish asparagus plus peas and broad beans – what more could you wish for?!
All boxes have:
* peas (Camel CSA)
* broad beans (Camel CSA)
* sprouted mung beans (Camel CSA)
Cornish strawberries (Mitchell Fruit Garden)
new potatoes (Total Produce, Cornwall)
Cornish asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)
cauliflower (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
Standard boxes also have:
750g “old” potatoes
* salad bag ** (Camel CSA)
* beetroot (Camel CSA)
extra punnet of strawberries
* = grown to organic principles
** = mixed lettuce, baby leaf beet, rocket
May 21, 2014
Sunny days… It’s such wonderful sowing, growing and weeding weather in Cornwall this week!
May 18, 2014
This makes a lovely dish for a special occasion. It’s from chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s weekly series in the Guardian. You’ll need thick asparagus stems – like the Cornish asparagus we all had in last week’s vegetable boxes.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 18 minutes
Ingredients
2 large (24cm x 48cm) sheets filo pastry
2-3 tbsp olive oil
16 thick stemmed asparagus spears, woody stems trimmed
1 egg, whisked
30g parmesan, finely grated
1½ tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp coarse sea salt
Method
Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Put both sheets of filo on top of each other and cut widthways across the middle. Arrange the filo into one pile, then cut the pile into four squares so you end up with 16 filo pastry squares in total.
You will now need to work fast, otherwise the filo will dry out. Lay one filo square on a work surface and brush with plenty of olive oil. Place one asparagus spear at the bottom edge of each square, with the florets exposed, then roll in the pastry to wrap up securely – you’re aiming for a cigar shape with the asparagus head sticking out. Brush each asparagus parcel with egg and sprinkle over some parmesan, poppy seeds and salt. Place the parcel on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and repeat with the remaining filo and asparagus.
Bake for 18 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and the asparagus cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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
