Apologies for the lack of a vegetable list or a recipe last week. Pressure of work (the day job) is to blame. Yes indeed – in sunny August in sunny Cornwall (where David Cameron is on holiday).

• UPDATE: Glut means extra tomatoes, parsley, basil, bay leaves in all boxes

This week both small and standard boxes have: –
* runner beans (Mark Norman, Bodmin)
* courgettes(Mark Norman)
* potatoes (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
* calabrese (Camel CSA)
* mixed salad bag – lettuce, baby spinach (Camel CSA)
* cucumbers (Camel CSA)
* tomatoes (Camel CSA)
* basil / parsley (Camel CSA)
* bay leaves (Janet  Hulme, Wadebridge)

Standard boxes also have extra potatoes plus:
* french beans (Camel CSA)
* aubergines (Camel CSA)
* green peppers (Camel CSA)

* = grown to organic principles

As our picking and packing team harvest summer beans, expert grower Mark N plants the autumn crop.

Another easy summer dish that can be assembled in no time at all, using vegetables and herbs in Camel CSA’s seasonal weekly veg boxes. Thanks to allrecipes.co.uk

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes
No cooking!

Ingredients
6 tomatoes, diced
1 small cucumber – peeled, quartered lengthways and chopped
3 spring onions, chopped
15g fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

This week we’re all enjoying freshly-dug carrots and potatoes grown by one of our local suppliers. Richard Hoare cultivates seasonal vegetables at Restharrow Farm overlooking the Camel estuary. His farm shop is on the lane between Polzeath and Rock, above Daymer Bay.

Camel CSA’s small and standard boxes have: –
* bunched carrots (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
* potatoes (Restharrow Farm)
* french beans (Camel CSA)
* onions (Camel CSA / Mark Norman, Bodmin)
* cucumbers (Camel CSA)
* courgettes (Mark Norman)
* basil (Camel CSA)

Standard boxes also have extra potatoes plus:
* mixed salad bag – rocket, lettuce, baby spinach (Camel CSA)
* tomatoes (Camel CSA)
* coriander (Camel CSA)
* Swiss chard (Camel CSA)

* = grown to organic principles

Enjoy this delicious, spicy Indian omelette at the start or the end of the day. This version (there are many) comes from the Edible Garden. Kerala-born food blogger Nags (Nagalakshmi V ) says: “Needless to say, the omelette has many forms in India and every household makes it differently. Even I have a few variations… depending on what I have in the pantry and vegetable tray.”

As I didn’t have any sweet pepper to hand, I used some freshly-cooked French beans along with the tomatoes and coriander in Camel CSA’ s veg boxes this week.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
4 eggs
3 tbsp of shallots or minced onions
3 tbsp of finely chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp of finely chopped capsicum (bell pepper)
1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped (see notes)
3 tbsp of finely chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves
1/2 tsp of freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp of curry powder or garam masala
1/2 tsp of salt (adjust to taste)
2 tsp of oil

Method
Break the eggs into a large bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add all other ingredients (except oil) and beat again.

Heat the oil in a small pan and swirl around so it coats it completely. Pour half the egg mixture in the pan and cook until the edges curl over and the centre bubbles up. Gently flip the omelette over and cook for another minute (the centre may be jiggly but the edges would have cooked). The omelette will rise a bit and then fall, making it fluffy and soft.

Add more pepper powder on top if you prefer. Serve hot with toast / ketchup or eat on its own.

The pickers have been very busy on their hands and knees, so we’ve all got plenty of coriander and parsley in our vegetable boxes this week. And yes – the French beans are meant to be yellow!

Every box has: –
* coriander (Camel CSA)
* french beans (Camel CSA)
* potatoes (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
* onions (Mark Norman, Bodmin)
* cucumbers (Camel CSA)
* garlic (Camel CSA)
* courgettes (Mark Norman)
* flat-leaved parsley (Camel CSA)

Standard boxes also have extra potatoes plus:
*  rocket / mixed lettuce leaves (Camel CSA)
* cauliflower (Camel CSA)
* tomatoes (Camel CSA)

* = grown to organic principles

It feels strange each year when it’s time to harvest summer fruit and plant out winter brassicas.

There are lots of cucumbers in the polytunnel, so we’re on the lookout for different ways to prepare them.

Nigel Slater says: “I know this sounds extraordinary, but [this] is the crispest, most refreshing fruit salad imaginable… summer in a bowl. And if you really can’t handle the idea of cucumber, then it is jolly good with strawberries and banana.” (via The Observer)

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes + 30 minutes in fridge

Ingredients
For the syrup:
3 tbsp honey
10 mint leaves
5 tbsp elderflower cordial

2 cucumbers
450g medium strawberries

Method
Put the honey, mint and elderflower syrup into a blender and blitz to a thick, fragrant syrup. If you don’t have a blender, chop the mint very, very finely, mix it with the honey and cordial, then leave it for an hour. Strain through a fine sieve or muslin to remove the mint.

Peel the cucumbers, slice them in half down their length, then scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon. Dice the flesh finely and put it in a large bowl. Remove the leaves from the strawberries, slice the fruit in half and toss gently with the cucumber.

Pour the mint and elderflower syrup into the fruit, stir very gently, then leave for about 30 minutes, in the fridge and covered, before serving.

Thank goodness it’s rained in Cornwall at long last! The outdoor crops have been gasping for water.

Every box has: –
* basil (Camel CSA)
* potatoes (Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
* onions (Camel CSA / Mark Norman, Bodmin)
* cucumbers (Camel CSA)
* carrots or French beans (Camel CSA)
* courgettes (Mark Norman)
* strawberries (Mitchell Fruit Garden)

Standard boxes also have extra potatoes plus:
* mixed lettuce / rocket (Camel CSA)
* coriander (Camel CSA)
* Swiss chard (Camel CSA)
* tomatoes (Camel CSA)

* = grown to organic principles

Camel CSA’s eye-catching new flyers are an original creation by talented Cornish graphic designer Emma Julian of Pickle Design in Wadebridge. The leaflets are designed to promote the new home and workplace delivery service for our veg box scheme members. Doorstep deliveries are every Friday afternoon within a 10-mile radius of our vegetable-growing plot at St Kew Highway near Wadebridge.

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