The weather is so changeable this spring! Our farmers tell of watching the weather forecasts hawkeyed, waiting for favourable dry days when they can plant out the new season crops. As Sarah Green writes from the Essex coast, “It’s disappointing to have a backlog of plants so early in the season but we don’t have any worries about having a full reservoir for this year’s growing season!”
Lots of nice fresh pak choi in the bags from Wild Country Organics at the moment. Pak choi literally translates as “white vegetable” in Cantonese. It’s been grown in China for 2,000 years or so, and first came to Europe around 250 years ago. “Asian greens” like pak choi and komatsuna, also in some of the bags this week, grow really well in our damp, cool climate and have become very popular with UK growers over the last decade or so. It’s light and crisp, so it does suit stir frying well. While I would usually cook the crispy stem, the leaves are very good raw.
Here’s hoping for more of the sunny spring days than the moody rainy spring days over the coming weeks! And lots of nice light green salads and stir fries.
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
Beetroot – Laines Organic, Sussex
Pak choi – Wild Country Organics, Cambridgeshire
Spinach – Ripple Farm, Kent
Standard bag:
Leeks – Ripple Farm, Kent
Carrots – RB Organic, Norfolk
Mini cucumbers – Langridge Organics, Herefordshire
Cavolo nero – Wild Country Organics, Cambridgeshire
Komatsuna – Wild Country Organics, Cambridgeshire
Family bag:
Manitou potatoes – Newfields Organics, Yorkshire
Beetroot – Laines Organic, Sussex
Pak choi – Wild Country Organics, Cambridgeshire
Spinach – Ripple Farm, Kent
Cherry plum tomatoes – Langridge Organics, Isle of Wight
Chard – Sarah Green’s, Essex
Mega bag:
Leeks – Ripple Farm, Kent
Carrots – RB Organic, Norfolk
Mini cucumbers – Langridge Organics, Herefordshire
Cavolo nero – Wild Country Organics, Cambridgeshire
Komatsuna – Wild Country Organics, Cambridgeshire
Cherry plum tomatoes – Langridge Organics, Isle of Wight
Chard – Sarah Green’s, Essex
Fruit supplement:
Oranges – Langridge Organics, Spain
Wash all veg and fruit before eating. Store carrots, leeks, komatsuna, cavolo nero, beetroot, pak choi, spinach and chard in the fridge. Protect potatoes from light to avoid sprouting.
Recipe: cavolo nero sauteed with leek and vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil or similar 1/2 leek, thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced 2 tbsp wine vinegar
bunch cavolo nero, stems removed and leaves separated
- Chop the cavolo nero stems into small chunks. Slice the cavolo nero leaves thinly.
- Put the oil in a pan and cook the leek for about 15 mins.
- Add the cavolo nero stem pieces and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Add vinegar to pan, and raise heat to medium-high.
- Add the cavolo nero leaves, a splash of water, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Sautee for about 5 minutes and serve.
Recipe: roasted beetroot and potato salad with pak choi
500g potatoes, peeled, cut into bite-sized pieces 300g beetroot, peeled and diced
2 heads pak choi, chopped 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp Dijon mustard or similar
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds (optional) 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped (optional)
dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp cider vinegar, or similar
1 tsp maple syrup, or similar ½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Toss the chunks of potato and beetroot with 2 tbsp of olive oil, plus some salt and pepper.
- Spread the potato and beetroot on a baking tray and roast for about 25-30 minutes, till tender.
- While the veg are roasting, whisk together the olive oil, cider vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds.
- Add the chopped pak choi and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted but still crisp. Remove from heat.
- In a salad bowl, combine the roasted potatoes and beetroot and wilted pak choi.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss together.
- Garnish with pumpkin seeds and fresh parsley if using. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe: spinach soup
½ leek, finely sliced 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped into chunks 450ml stock
600ml almond milk 200g spinach, washed, chopped
finely grated zest of half a lemon freshly grated nutmeg
- Head 1 tbsp of oil in a saucepan, add the leek and garlic and fry gently for 10 minutes or so.
- Stir in the potato and continue to cook gently for 1 minute.
- Pour in the stock and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the potato starts to cook.
- Pour in the milk and lemon zest.
- Stir in most of the spinach. Add all the stalks. Retain about half the leaves to add later.
- Simmer for 15 minutes until the spinach has wilted down. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
- Puree the soup, adding the other half of the fresh spinach.
- Taste and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
