this week both standard and small boxes have: –
* Crown Prince or Uchiki Kuri squash (Camel CSA)
sprout stalk (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
carrots (Restharrow)
potatoes ‘Wilja‘ (Restharrow)
* beetroot (Camel CSA)
* onions (Mark Norman, Bodmin)

Standard boxes also have: –
extra potatoes
* garlic (Camel CSA)
cauliflower (Restharrow)
swede (Restharrow)

* = grown to organic principles

Our new pond is a safe refuge for the frogs and toads that eat pests in the polytunnels. Camel CSA’s volunteer growing team landscaped it on a beautiful late autumn day. Many thanks to Adrian (turf lifter extraordinaire) and the rest of the squad – Bob, Bridget, Charlotte, Jane, Mark N, Mike, Simon and Max.

This is from Nigel Slater’s new Eat: The Little Book of Fast Food. 

Serves: 2 (light main course) or 4 (side dish)

Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
potatoes, parsnip, carrots, onion, rosemary, pumpkin seeds, olive oil

Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Shave 250g potatoes, a large parsnip and 2 large carrots with a vegetable peeler. Peel and finely slice an onion into rings.

Toss the potatoes, parsnips, carrots and onion in a large mixing bowl with a heaped tablespoon of rosemary leaves, 5 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds, then tip on to a baking sheet. Spread out into a shallow layer. Bake for 20 minutes, till tender and lightly crisp on the edges.

Some of the late autumn vegetables in our boxes are lovingly grown for us beside the Camel estuary by Richard Hoare at Trebetherick. Standard boxes have the first of the Jerusalem artichokes from our plot.

UPDATE: Chillies (Camel CSA) have substituted mixed salad leaves** which don’t like the dull weather.

Both standard and small boxes have: –
leeks (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
carrots (Restharrow)
cauliflower (Restharrow)
potatoes ‘Wilja‘ (Restharrow)
* chillies (Camel CSA)
* red Russian or curly kale (Camel CSA)
* parsley (Camel CSA)

Standard boxes also have: –
extra potatoes
* Jerusalem artichokes (Camel CSA)
* swede (Camel CSA)
* kohl rabi (Camel CSA)

* = grown to organic principles
** mibuna, mizuna, baby leaf beet, pak choi, lettuce, rocket,  red mustard and golden mustard greens

Camel CSA has a glut of tomatoes this year, so we got together for another chutney-making evening. Thanks to Chris for so generously allowing us to make a chaotic, steaming, sticky mess of his kitchen and to the rest of the team – Bridget, Charlotte, Danny, Jane, Penny, Robert and Trish.

At Camel CSA we love making preserves. Our expert grower Bridget Gould recommends this beetroot relish. She says: “It’s delicious with cheese so I’ve made some for Christmas presents.” The recipe comes from gardener-come-foodlover Alys Fowler via West Country FoodLover magazine.

Makes several jars (depending on size)

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 90 minutes (in two stages)

Ingredients
1kg beetroot
100ml balsamic vinegar
A handful each of fresh thyme and marjoram leaves
sea salt, to taste
zest and juice of one large orange
2 large red onions, finely diced
50g light brown sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
100g caster sugar
400ml red wine vinegar
sterilised jars with lids

Method
Preheat the oven to 160C. Wash and peel the beetroot and cut into quarters. Place in a roasting tin with the balsamic vinegar, marjoram and thyme leaves, add az pinch of sea sla and grate over the orange zest (set aside the juice for later).  Mix everything together with your hands, cover with foil and roast for 40 minutes or until you can pierce the beetroot with a knife. Set aside to cool completely.

The following day, coarsely grate the beetroot into a bowl, scraping in any juices from the roasting tin. Place the diced onions in a large, heavy-based pan wih the light brown sugar and olive oil. Set over a very low heat and stir gently until the onions soften completely and start to caramelise.

Add the sliced garlic, grated beetroot, caster sugar, orange juice and red wine vinegar. Gently simmer for 30 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about two thirds, stirring from time to time to stop it from sticking. You can tell when the relish is cooked when you can draw a spoon across the botom of the pan and it will initially stay clear before refilling wih syrupy juices.

Scoop the hot relish into sterilised jars, cover with waxed discs and put on the lids. Store in a cool, dark place for up to six months.

Camel CSA’s polytunnel-grown beetroot bunches are tender, juicy and modestly-sized.

Both standard and small boxes have: –
* beetroot (Camel CSA)
* cavolo nero (Camel CSA)
* mixed salad greens (Camel CSA)** 
leeks (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
parsnips (Restharrow Farm)
potatoes ‘Wilja‘ (Restharrow)

Small boxes only also have: –
* kohlrabi (Camel CSA)

Standard boxes also have: –
extra potatoes
* loose Brussels sprouts (Camel CSA)
* carrots (Camel CSA)
* calabrese (Camel CSA)
* chillies (Camel CSA)

* = grown to organic principles
** mibuna, mizuna, baby leaf beet, pak choi, lettuce, rocket,  red mustard and golden mustard greens

Spot the difference between Camel CSA’s veg box and IKEA’s. You can even peel off the lettuce leaves!

Workers’ cooperative Organiclea provides this week’s recipe. Its members are doing a grand job growing food at the edge of Epping Forest in the Lea Valley, once known as the bread basket of London.

Hannah says: “Red cabbage, white cabbage, carrots, cox apples, left over sprout tops or cavolo nero, florets of raw cauliflower, a handful of pumpkin seeds – any combination of these early winter vegetables grated or finely sliced will give you a delicious coleslaw.

“Other good additions include beetroot, a handful of sultanas, pine nuts or a small amount of finely sliced red onions.” [And of course the kohlrabi in this week’s boxes from Camel CSA!]

These are Hannah’s ideas for coleslaw dressings:-
• 3tbsp olive oil, 1 tbspn white wine vinegar, 1 tsp whole grain or Dijon mustard, salt & pepper

• ½ cup crème fraiche, 1 tbspn horseradish, 2 tsp honey, squeeze lemon, salt & pepper.

• grated fresh ginger, 3-4 tbsp rice wine or white wine vinegar, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp soya sauce, chopped coriander, salt & pepper.

• 2 tbsp tahini, 1tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp cider vinegar, 2 tbsp agave syrup or maple syrup, 1 tsp wholegrain or dijon mustard, 1 clove of garlic finely chopped, salt & pepper.

• 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp maple syrup, salt & pepper

This weird-looking and wonderful vegetable is now ready to crop. Enjoy it hot or crunchy cold.

This week both standard and small boxes have: –
* kohlrabi (Camel CSA)
* mixed salad greens (Camel CSA)**
* cabbage (Camel CSA)
* parsley (Camel CSA)
* garlic (Camel CSA)
* onions (Mark Norman, Bodmin)
cauliflower (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
potatoes ‘Wilja‘ (Restharrow)

Standard boxes also have: –
extra potatoes
* green pepper (Camel CSA)
* radishes (Camel CSA)
* parsnips (Camel CSA)

* = grown to organic principles
** lettuce, mibuna, mizuna, baby leaf beet, pak choi, rocket,  red mustard and golden mustard greens

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