May 26, 2012
Beetroot is everywhere at the moment – even in cakes and sumptuous desserts. Gone are the days when it only appeared soused in malt vinegar.
Nigel Slater says: “Ten years ago, beetroot was almost a goner. Available then only in pickles or occasionally in vacuum packs of four cooked and preserved globes, it is firmly in the spotlight now. It is almost impossible to find a menu that doesn’t acknowledge its newfound popularity.”
Serves 4
Preparation/ cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients
250g large green or brown lentils
60g piece fresh ginger or galangal
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
3 heaped tsp garam masala
2 small red chillies
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 medium onion
400g can chopped tomatoes
For the raita:
yogurt 200ml, natural and unstrained
beetroot coarsely grated, 4 heaped tbsp
coriander to taste
Method
Bring the lentils to the boil in a pan of deep, unsalted water, then let them simmer for 20-25 minutes, until they are quite soft.
Peel the ginger or galangal, roughly chop it then put it into the bowl of a food processor with the peeled garlic, cumin seeds, ground coriander, garam masala, red chillies, ground turmeric and enough vegetable oil to make a soft, but not runny, paste.
Peel and finely slice the onion. Warm a tbsp or two of oil in a medium, heavy-based casserole over a moderate heat. Add the onion and let it colour, stirring from time to time. When it is fragrant, golden and almost soft add the spicy paste and stir for a couple of minutes longer. Then pour in the chopped tomatoes and a can of water, add salt, and the drained, cooked lentils and leave to simmer for half an hour or so. The lentils should be soft but still retaining a little of their texture; the sauce thick.
To make the raita, put the yogurt into a small bowl, add the grated beetroot and a few leaves of coriander if you wish, then very gently fold the beetroot through the yogurt with a fork. Try not to over mix, unless you actually like vivid pink.
May 24, 2012
All the boxes will have: –
new potatoes (Growfair)
cauliflower (Growfair)
Cornish asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)
* beetroot (Camel CSA)
* turnips (Camel CSA)
* mixed salad leaves (Camel CSA)
Standard boxes will have: –
extra potatoes
strawberries (Growfair)
swede (Growfair)
* mangetout peas (Camel CSA)
* = grown to organic principles
May 19, 2012
Just about all cooks, especially American ones, have their favourite recipe for potato salad. This is Felicity Cloake’s attempt at the perfect one.
If you’d like to see how she got there, along with lots of other examples, have a look at How to make perfect potato salad in her Guardian series How to cook the perfect…
Perfect with the Cornish new potatoes in our veg boxes this week. (But please – no salad cream..!)
Serves 4
Preparation / cooking time: 20 minutes (+ time to cool)
600g waxy potatoes
½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
115g good mayonnaise
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp capers, chopped
2 anchovies, finely chopped
Small bunch of chives, finely chopped
Handful of parsley, finely chopped
Handful of mint, finely chopped
Boil the potatoes in well salted water for about 15 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, whisk together the mustard and vinegar with a pinch of salt, then whisk in the oils. Cut the cooked potatoes into halves, or quarters if large and toss with the dressing, then leave to cool.
Stir the remaining ingredients into the mayonnaise, keeping back a pinch of each of the herbs for garnish, then, when the potatoes are cool, drain off any remaining vinaigrette and toss them into the mayonnaise.
Garnish with herbs and serve.
May 17, 2012
As the “hungry gap” continues, we’re getting inventive. Each standard box has a punnet of strawberries and a jar of the pickle Camel CSA members made from surplus veg last autumn.
Apart from that, we’re relying on new season salad leaves, beetroot and turnip grown in our polytunnels. Also more freshly-picked Cornish asparagus, and bean sprouts from our expert grower Mark Norman.
All the boxes will have: –
new potatoes (Growfair)
Cornish asparagus (Lower Croan, Sladesbridge)
* beetroot bunch (Camel CSA)
* turnip bunches (Camel CSA)
* salad bag (Camel CSA)
* sprouted mung beans (Mark Norman)
Standard boxes will have: –
extra new potatoes (Growfair)
strawberries (Growfair)
* Swiss chard (Camel CSA)
* homemade Camel CSA pickle – sweet apple and ginger, runner bean or sweet cucumber
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.
