May 10, 2012
We’re in the middle of the “hungry gap“, so we’re relying heavily on other veg growers in Cornwall to fill the veg boxes. It also means there’s fewer items in the weekly boxes, but they’re still high value.
Although we planted our own rhubarb earlier this year, it isn’t ready to pick yet. And we’ve no need to grow our own asparagus as there’s plenty being produced just down the road from us.
Everyone will have: –
new potatoes ‘Rocket’ (Growfair)
cauliflower (Growfair)
rhubarb (Growfair)
Cornish asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)
* parsley (Camel CSA)
Standard boxes will have:
extra potatoes
* radishes (Camel CSA)
* Swiss chard (Camel CSA)
* = grown to organic principles
May 4, 2012
The British asparagus season may be delayed, but here in Cornwall it’s already begun. Camel CSA’s weekly veg boxes each have a freshly-picked bunch of this delectable vegetable from Cornish Asparagus at Lower Croan, Sladesbridge, near Wadebridge.
And we’re proud of the fact that the total food miles = barely 2!
Roger and Gill Derryman of Cornish Asparagus have produced some recipe ideas for their customers. This is the simplest one.
Serves 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Ingredients
A bunch (approx 250g) of Cornish asparagus
1 tbsp olive oil
110g chorizo, sliced
2 eggs
Handful of chives, chopped
Preheat the oven to 210C. Put the Cornish asparagus into a roasting dish, add the olive oil and place in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
In a dry hot frying pan add the slices of chorizo. Cook on both sides for two minutes until the paprika oil oozes out of the slices. Remove from the pan and reserve the paprika oil.
Meanwhile place a pan of boiling water on the hob and bring to a fast rolling boil. When you have three minutes to go before serving, crack two eggs into the boiling water and immediately lower the heat to low-medium for two minutes. Then turn the heat off completely.
Remove the Cornish asparagus from the oven and place on a serving dish, sprinkle over the hot chorizo slices and add the poached eggs. Finally drizzle over the paprika oil from the frying pan and finish with the chives.
May 3, 2012
First of the season! A special treat for us all from Gill and Roger Derryman’s Cornish asparagus farm at Sladesbridge, near Wadebridge.
Everyone will have:
asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)
new potatoes (GrowFair Cornwall)
* leeks (St Kew Harvest)
* carrots (Camel CSA)
* swiss chard (Camel CSA)
Standard boxes will have extra potatoes plus:
* salad bag
cauliflower (GrowFair Cornwall)
* parsley or parsnips (Camel CSA)
* = grown to organic principles
April 27, 2012
This cold, wet spring weather invites soup! This recipe for a “perfect winter warmer” is from BBC Good Food magazine.
Serves 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
knob of butter
1 large onion , finely chopped
1 large cauliflower (about 900g/2lb), leaves trimmed and cut into florets
1 potato , peeled and cut into chunks
700ml vegetable stock (from a cube is fine)
400ml milk
100g mature cheddar , diced
Method
Heat the butter in a large saucepan. Tip in the onion and cook until softened, about 5 mins, stirring often. Add the cauliflower, potato, stock, milk and seasoning.
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for about 30 mins until the cauliflower is soft and the potato almost collapsing.
Whizz in a food processor or crush with a potato masher until you get a creamy, thick soup. Top up with more milk to thin a little if serving in mugs. When ready to serve, warm through, ladle into mugs or bowls, top with the cheese pieces, then stir through before eating.
You can make it ahead up to two days in advance, cool, cover and leave in the fridge until needed, or freeze for up to one month.
April 26, 2012
This week everyone will have:
* carrots (Camel CSA)
* salad leaves (Camel CSA and Mark Norman)
* parsley (Camel CSA)
* leeks (St Kew Harvest)
new potatoes (GrowFair Cornwall)
cauliflower (GrowFair Cornwall/Camel CSA)
Standard boxes will have extra new potatoes plus:
* rhubarb (Mark Norman)
* parsnips (Camel CSA)
* radishes (Camel CSA)
* sprouted mung beans (Mark Norman)
* = grown to organic principles
April 23, 2012
The overwintered oriental leaves that have kept our vegetable boxes going over the past few months are starting to go to seed.
Instead, we have plenty of mixed lettuce, baby chard, radishes, bright red and yellow leaf beet, spring onions and salad rocket in the polytunnel to look forward to.
Our three expert growers have also been busy preparing growing beds and planting outside over the past week. As the last of the previous season’s onion harvest went into the veg boxes, the last of this year’s onion sets went into the ground.
Already planted are shallots, parsnips, beetroot, broad beans, turnips, cabbage, spring onions, radishes, perpetual spinach, garlic and calabrese. Next job on the list is to sow a bed of peas.
April 22, 2012
This Italian recipe tosses an assortment of green leaves with chilli and garlic in oil in a hot pan to make them more interesting.
It’s recommended by Bridget Gould, one of Camel CSA’s three expert growers, and comes from Bringing Italy Home by Ursula Ferrigno.
Any spring greens will do. Bridget says: “I have also used black kale to make this delicious dish and will be trying it with turnip tops when they’re available!”
Serves 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
675g mixed greens (spinach, Swiss chard, purple sprouting broccoli, endive)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1-2 small hot chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil
Method
Trim and thoroughly wash the leaves and vegetables.
Fill a large pan with three litres of water and bring to the boil. Add salt to taste. Stir in the greens and boil for three to five minutes, or until just tender. Drain and refresh under cold water and drain again. Squeeze to eliminate all the water, then chop coarsely.
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and chillies and cook lightly to soften. Add the greens, and saute until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil or fresh lemon juice.
April 19, 2012
There may be a little less in our boxes this week as the “hungry gap” starts to make itself felt.
Everyone will have:
* carrots (Camel CSA)
* onions (Camel CSA)
* swiss chard (Camel CSA)
* salad bag – mixed lettuce, leaf beet, mibuna, baby chard, endive, chives (Camel CSA)
* leeks (St Kew Harvest)
* swede (Mark Norman)
potatoes (Burlerrow Farm, St Mabyn)
Standard boxes will have extra potatoes plus:
* radish bunch (Camel CSA)
* parsnips (Camel CSA)
cauliflower (Camel CSA/Restharrow Farm, Trebetherick)
* = grown to organic principles
April 14, 2012
Camel CSA’s hard-working secretary Mike Sadler loves fennel, so we’re sowing a whole 120-module tray of it especially for him. The seedlings will be planted outdoors later on our plot.
Other jobs for the growing team this Sunday morning include sowing more cabbage, chard and perpetual spinach (leaf beet) into modules. We’ll also be planting rocket in the polytunnel to add variety to our salad bags.
There’s parsnip seeds to sow straight into the ground as well as more onion beds to prepare and onion sets to plant.
See you there!
April 13, 2012
This tasty vegetarian dish is recommended by VegBox Recipes. They say: “This is an amazingly delicious recipe for Swiss chard or spinach lasagne. We kept going back for more.”
Serves 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
1 packet of no-cook lasagne sheets
500g Swiss chard (or spinach)
2 medium onions
4 cloves garlic
200g tub of half-fat creme fraiche (or Greek yoghurt)
75g pine nuts
200g blue cheese, such as Dolcelatte or Gorgonzola
200g mozzarella cheese
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon olive oil
750ml milk
1 oz butter
2 heaped tablespoons cornflour
1 bay leaf
75g parmesan cheese (or Cheddar)
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180C (gas mark 4, 350F) . Heat a large pan (dry) and add the pine nuts. Cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes, until they start to brown. Put them in a bowl, to stop them burning.
Peel the onion and chop finely. Peel and crush the garlic. Wash the chard or spinach leaves and dry thoroughly (a salad spinner is ideal). Chop roughly.
Gently heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes, until the onion is starting to go translucent. Add the chard or spinach and the nutmeg and stir well. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, until the chard or spinach has wilted.
Mix in the creme fraiche. Crumble the blue cheese and add to the chard or spinach mixture. Grate the mozarella and add. Stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To make the sauce, put the milk in a pan, add the bay leaf and bring to a gently boil. Simmer for 5 minutes on the lowest heat setting. Remove the bay leaf. Turn off the heat.
Mix the cornflour with 1 tablespoon milk or water, to form a thick paste. Pour into the milk, whisking constantly. Heat gently until the sauce thickens. Simmer gently for 3 minutes. Add more milk (a little at a time) if the sauce is too thick. Then add half ofthe cheese and stir well, to melt it. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Put ¼ of the cheese sauce into the bottom of a lasagne dish (about 9 or 10 inches in length). Cover this with ½ of the chard or spinach mixture. Top with lasagne sheets. Repeat. Top the lasagne with the remaining cheese sauce. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.
Bake for about 45 minutes until the lasagne is bubbling and the top is golden brown. Top tip: this is easier to serve if you let it stand for 10 minutes after baking.
