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It’s a rather cold start to April, at least from where I am now, on my mum’s farm in Devon. Here, we’ve had heavy rain, hailstones, as well as nice bursts of sunshine and the occasional rainbow. It’s classic English spring weather, but quite a bit colder than usual.

The weather hasn’t put a stop to the fresh greens of spring appearing in our veg bags at the moment: purple sprouting, spring greens, wild garlic and spinach… I particularly enjoy the carefully grown greens from Wild Country Organics.

Wild Country Organics is run by Adrian Izzard, who took over his parents’ family farm near Cambridge and then converted it to organic production in the late 1980s. He grows high quality salad greens and a range of tomatoes in unheated glasshouses. When he started out his farm was 10 acres. Supported by box schemes and farmers markets, he has gradually built up the business and the farm is now 40 acres, employing 57 people.

Don’t forget to return your re-usable Vegbox bags and packaging. When you want to take a holiday from Vegbox, please let us know a week in advance.

Tom Steele

 

 

What’s in the bag this week?

Small bag:

Manitou potatoes – Newfields Organics, Yorkshire

Purple sprouting broccoli – Bedlam Farms, Cambridgeshire

Spring greens – Wild Country Organics, Cambridgeshire

Wild garlic – Ripple Farm, Kent

Standard bag:

Leeks – Ripple Farm, Kent

Carrots – RB Organic, Norfolk

Stir fry greens – Ripple Farm, Kent

Spinach – Wild Country Organics, Cambridgeshire

Radish – Nash Nursery, Kent

Fruit supplement:

Crimson Crisp apples – Langridge Organics, Kent

Family bag:

Manitou potatoes – Newfields Organics, Yorkshire

Purple sprouting broccoli – Bedlam Farms, Cambridgeshire

Spring greens – Wild Country Organics, Cambridgeshire

Wild garlic – Ripple Farm, Kent

Cauliflower – Nash Nursery, Kent

Sorrel – Wild Country Organics, Cambridgeshire

Mega bag:

Leeks – Ripple Farm, Kent

Carrots – RB Organic, Norfolk

Stir fry greens – Ripple Farm, Kent

Spinach – Wild Country Organics, Cambridgeshire

Radish – Nash Nursery, Kent

Cauliflower – Nash Nursery, Kent

Sorrel – Wild Country Organics, Cambridgeshire

Wash all veg and fruit before eating. Store carrots, leeks, salad leaves, cauliflower, wild garlic, broccoli, spring greens, radish, cauliflower and spinach in the fridge. Protect potatoes from light to avoid sprouting.

 

 

Recipe: eggs florentine

A great brunch. Serves 2. You can buy jars of ready-made hollandaise too. Just saying!

for the hollandaise sauce:                                                    100g butter

2 egg yolks                                                                         ½ tbsp white wine vinegar

½ tbsp lemon juice                                                              salt and white pepper

for the eggs florentine:                                                         2 english muffins, split in half

2 large handfuls spinach, steamed                                       4 eggs, poached

  • For the hollandaise sauce, place the butter into a small saucepan, melt over a gentle heat and set aside.
  • Place egg yolks into a bowl over a pan of hot water and beat until pale and thickened.
  • Add the vinegar, lemon juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper to the egg yolks and beat for another 30 seconds.
  • Turn off the heat under the pan of hot water. Slowly pour the melted butter into the bowl, whisking constantly, until the sauce reaches the consistency of double cream.
  • Season with salt and white pepper.
  • Meanwhile, steam the spinach, poach the eggs, and lightly toast and butter the muffins.
  • Arrange the steamed spinach on top of the muffins, top with the poached eggs and pour the hollandaise sauce over the top.

 

 

Recipe: wild garlic pesto

40g wild garlic, chopped                                                      10g parsley, chopped

25g pine nuts, lightly toasted                                                20g parmesan, finely grated

3-4 tbsp olive oil                                                                  lemon juice (optional)

  • You can do this in a mortar with a pestle or a small food processor.
  • Whizz or pound the wild garlic, parsley, pine nuts, parmesan and olive oil.
  • Add a good pinch of salt and some pepper, taste and adjust any seasonings to taste.
  • Try a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving.

Recipe: carrot and coriander soup

1 tbsp vegetable oil                                                             1/2 leek, sliced

1 tsp ground coriander                                                         1 potato, chopped (optional)

450g carrots, peeled and chopped                                       1.2 litre vegetable stock

handful coriander leaves

  • Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pan, add the leek, then fry for 10 minutes until softened.
  • Stir in the ground coriander and potato, if using, then cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the carrots and and stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat.
  • Cover and cook for 20 minutes until the carrots are tender.
  • Let the soup cool a little, then puree with the coriander leaves.
  • Return to pan, season to taste, then reheat to serve.

Recipe: greens soup with garlic caraway breadcrumbs

This is a great recipe for using up bags of random old greens! They can build up at this time of year. Adapted from a recipe on Kale & Caramel. Serves 2.

1 bunch of greens (spinach, lettuce, etc.)                              1 garlic clove, chopped

1 tsp fresh dill leaves                                                           1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp coconut oil                                                                1 tsp fruit vinegar, or similar

pinch of chilli powder                                                           250ml stock

garlic caraway breadcrumbs:

35g breadcrumbs                                                                1 tbsp olive oil

½ clove garlic, sliced                                                           ¼ tsp caraway seeds

2 pinches salt                                                                      dollop cream or crème fraiche

  • Heat the coconut oil in a pan over a medium heat.
  • Separate the leaves from the stems of the greens.
  • Chop the stems and add them to the pan. Cook with the lid on for five minutes.
  • Add the leaves from the greens and the garlic, and cook with the lid on for five minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and let the pan cool a little.
  • Place the cooked greens in a blender with the stock.
  • Add the dill leaves, nutritional yeast, vinegar and chilli powder.
  • Blend until completely smooth. Return to pan to keep warm.
  • Preheat oven to 180ºC.
  • In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs, olive oil, a couple pinches salt, chopped garlic, and caraway seeds. Toss to thoroughly incorporate all ingredients.
  • Spread on a small baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, until just golden brown and fragrant.
  • Remove from oven and set aside.
  • Serve the soup topped with dollops of cream or creme fraiche and sprinkles of garlic caraway breadcrumbs.