October 25, 2012
Camel CSA’s head grower Mark Norman is providing some large Hallowe’en pumpkins for our Cornish veg boxes this week. So get carving your lantern and, as the weather is getting colder, use the flesh for soup!
Everyone will be having:
* pumpkin (Mark Norman)
* onions (Camel CSA)
* peppers(Camel CSA)
* salad (Camel CSA)
* french beans or carrots or broccoli (Camel CSA)
* tomatoes (Camel CSA)
* kale (Camel CSA)
potatoes (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
Standard boxes will have extra potatoes plus:
* swiss chard/spinach (Camel CSA)
* radicchio (Camel CSA)
* sprouts (Camel CSA)
* = grown to organic principles
October 24, 2012
This autumnal twist on a traditional Italian favourite comes from Barney Desmazery, food editor of BBC Good Food. He uses butternut squash but I substituted the grey-green Crown Prince variety from Camel CSA’s weekly veg box. And still had plenty left over to make a big batch of spiced squash soup.
Serves: 4
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
1kg squash , peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
3 tbsp olive oil
bunch sage , leaves picked, half roughly chopped, half left whole
1½ l vegetable stock
50g butter
1 onion , finely chopped
300g risotto rice
1 small glass white wine
50g parmesan, finely grated
Method
Before you make the risotto, heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Toss the squash in 1 tbsp oil together with the chopped sage. Scatter into a shallow roasting tin and roast for 30 mins until it is brown and soft.
While the squash is roasting, prepare the risotto. Bring the stock to the boil and keep on a low simmer.In a separate pan, melt half the butter over a medium heat. Stir in the onions and sweat gently for 8-10 mins until soft but not coloured, stirring occasionally. Stir the rice into the onions until completely coated in the butter, then stir continuously until the rice is shiny and the edges of the grain start to look transparent.
Pour in the wine and simmer until totally evaporated. Add the stock, a ladleful at a time and stirring the rice over a low heat for 25-30 mins, until the rice is cooked al dente (with a slightly firm, starchy bite in the middle). The risotto should be creamy and slightly soupy. When you draw a wooden spoon through it, there should be a wake that holds for a few moments but not longer.
At the same time, gently fry the whole sage leaves in a little olive oil until crisp, then set aside on kitchen paper. When the squash is cooked, mash half of it to a rough purée and leave half whole. When the risotto is just done, stir though the purée, then add the cheese and butter and leave to rest for a few mins. Serve the risotto scattered with the whole chunks of squash and the crisp sage leaves.
October 18, 2012
Everyone will have:
* french beans (Camel CSA)
* kale (Camel CSA)
* squash (Camel CSA)
* spinach (Camel CSA)
* tomatoes (Camel CSA)
* peppers (Camel CSA)
potatoes (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
Standard boxes will have extra potatoes plus:
* salad leaves (Camel CSA)
* brussels sprouts (Camel CSA)
* chillies (Camel CSA)
* sweetcorn (Camel CSA)
* = grown to organic principles
October 11, 2012
In contrast to this year’s poor harvest of apples, we’ve had a good crop of quinces – so there’s one for you all to try this week.
You can’t eat them raw and they’re the devil to peel, but a bit of quince is the best flavouring for apple or pear pies and tarts. And they’re good in savoury dishes too – add a few peeled pieces to almost any stew for extra flavour.
To prepare, wash off the grey down first. As you remove the peel and core, drop the pieces in water with a squeeze of lemon juice to stop them discolouring.
As well as a * quince, everyone will be getting:
* onions (Camel CSA)
* french beans (Camel CSA)
* peppers (Camel CSA)
* cabbage (Camel CSA)
* sweetcorn (Camel CSA)
* spinach/chard (Camel CSA)
potatoes (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
Standard boxes will have extra potatoes plus:
* salad leaves (Camel CSA)
* carrots (Camel CSA)
* tomatoes (Camel CSA)
* = grown to organic principles
October 5, 2012
I like to eat freshly-picked sweetcorn with Cornish butter (preferably from Trewithen Dairy). When I’m not feeling so pure but want to keep it simple, I use this recipe from Riverford Organic Farms.
The chillies are ripening in Camel CSA’s polytunnel. One will be enough in this dish, as they’re quite hot.
Serves: 4
Preparation: 5-10 minutes
Cooking: 5-10 minutes
Ingredients
4 corn cobs, cut into 3-4cm pieces
about 75g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2x 5cm lengths lemongrass (optional),
2 mild red chillies, deseeded & finely chopped
zest & juice 1 lime
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
sea salt & ground black pepper
Method
Heat the butter and oil in a large pan. Add the sweetcorn, lemongrass and chilli. Stir for 2 mins. Add the lime zest and juice, with 4 tbsp water.
Cover and cook for 6-8 mins, stirring every now and then, until the corn is cooked. Keep an eye on the liquid and top up a little if needed. Season to taste and stir in the coriander to serve.
October 4, 2012
Everyone will have:
* onions – red and white (Camel CSA)
* chillies (Camel CSA)
* salad (Camel CSA)
* carrots (Camel CSA)
* peppers (Camel CSA)
* tomatoes (Camel CSA)
* cavolo nero – black Tuscan kale (Camel CSA)
* basil (Camel CSA)
potatoes ((Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
Standard boxes will have extra potatoes plus:
* sweetcorn (Camel CSA)
* beetroot (Camel CSA)
* spinach (Camel CSA)
* garlic (Camel CSA)
* = grown to organic principles
October 2, 2012
We’ve a glut of tomatoes in Camel CSA’s polytunnel. This quick and easy way of using up a surplus is rich and full-flavoured. I added a big bunch of our homegrown basil at the whizzing up stage.
It’s a River Cottage Community recipe. Lula, the author, says: “Once you have made this you will never use tinned tomatoes again! Make throughout the tomato season, freeze and defrost in the depths of winter when you need a reminder of summer…”
Serves: 4
Preparation: no more than 10 minutes
Cooking: 45 minutes
Ingredients
1kg ripe, full flavoured tomatoes (perfect for using up a glut)
2-3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
Arrange the tomato halves, tightly packed but not covering each other, in an ovenproof dish. Slice the garlic and place a piece on each tomato half. Drizzle olive oil over the dish evenly and season with salt and pepper. Roast in medium hot oven around 180 degrees until soft, pulpy and slightly charred.River Cottage suggests rubbing through a sieve but for speed and to save waste, whizz in a food processor, skins and all. Perfect as a pasta sauce on its own or as a base for other sauces.
September 27, 2012
This week, everyone will have:
* carrots (Camel CSA)
* salad (Camel CSA)
* sweetcorn (Camel CSA)
* chard (Camel CSA)
* tomatoes (Camel CSA)
* peppers (Camel CSA)
* cucumbers (Camel CSA/Mark Norman)
* courgettes (Mark)
potatoes (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
Standard boxes will also have:
extra potatoes
* aubergine (Camel CSA)
* beetroot (Camel CSA)
* basil (Camel CSA)
* kale (Camel CSA)
* = grown to organic principles
September 24, 2012
This incredibly simple dish from BBC Good Food comes via the Grow to Love campaign at Horticulture Wales. (Thanks to Tony Little of Canolfan Organig Cymru/Organic Centre Wales for the tip-off.)
You can use any kind of kale to make it. This year at Camel CSA we’re growing two varieties – red Russian and Tuscan (cavalo nero), which are much superior in taste and texture to common curly kale.
Serves: 2-3
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, sliced
200g kale,chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
Method
Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan, then tip in the garlic and cook for a few secs. Throw in the kale and toss around the pan to coat in the garlicky oil.
Pour over 100ml boiling water and cook for 7 mins more until the kale has wilted and is cooked through. Stir in the soy and oyster sauces and heat through to serve.
Try with… Grilled chicken, pork or beef and a bowl of aromatic steamed rice.
