As summer finally gives us a few days of lovely warmth and sunshine, we’d like to let you know about a few events to get you out of the house!
We’ve got a stall at the Alma Street Fair this Sunday 23rd June. Come and see us between noon and 7pm. It’s the hippest little festival in Kentish Town!
We’ve got our AGM at The Grafton pub on Wednesday 3rd July, 6pm-8:30pm. RSVP here: https://dandelion.events/e/vegboxagm2024
On Friday 5th July, we have an open house and summer party at new Vegbox collection point the London School of Mosaic in Gospel Oak. 11am-4pm. https://dandelion.events/e/openhouse2024
On Sunday 4th August, we’re joining forces with Sunnyside Community Gardens for a summer picnic BYO, 1pm-4pm, https://dandelion.events/e/vegboxsunnysideplantsale
And finally, we’ll have a stall at one of our favourite community festivals, the York Rise Street Party, on Sunday 8th September. Noon till 5pm.
Stay up to date with all our events at: www.vegbox.org.uk/events
Tom Steele
What’s in the bag this week?
Small bag:
New potatoes – Sarah Green’s, Essex
Broad beans – Sarah Green’s, Essex
Pea shoots – Tasty Micros, Tufnell Park
Little Gem lettuce – Langridge Organics, Devon
Standard bag:
Red spring onions – Sarah Green’s, Essex
Bunched carrots – Foskett’s, Sussex
Courgettes – Langridge Organics, Devon
Chard – Sarah Green’s, Essex
Pea shoots – Tasty Micros, Tufnell Park
Fruit supplement:
Oranges – Langridge Organics, Spain
Family bag:
New potatoes – Sarah Green’s, Essex
Broad beans – Sarah Green’s, Essex
Cos lettuce – Forty Hall, London
Mixed salad – Forty Hall, London
Mini cucumber – Forty Hall, London
Pea shoots – Tasty Micros, Tufnell Park
Mega bag:
Red spring onions – Sarah Green’s, Essex
Bunched carrots – Foskett’s, Sussex
Courgettes – Wye Orchard Farm, Kent
Chard – Sarah Green’s, Essex
Mixed salad – Forty Hall, London
Mini cucumber – Forty Hall, London
Pea shoots – Tasty Micros, Tufnell Park
Wash all veg and fruit before eating. Store carrots, broad beans, lettuce, salad leaves, courgette, pea shoots, cucumber and chard in the fridge. Protect potatoes from light to avoid sprouting.
Recipe: sautéed chard
1 tbsp olive oil ½ garlic clove, chopped
bunch of chard ½ chilli, chopped
½ tsp lemon zest 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
· Prepare the chard by cutting the leaves away from the stalks, keeping both.
· In a pan, heat the oil, stir in the green garlic and chilli, and cook for about a minute.
· Add the chard stalks and cook for about five minutes.
· Add the chard leaves and cook until the leaves are softened, about five minutes.
· Add the balsamic vinegar, season, then transfer to a bowl to serve, sprinkling on the lemon zest.
Recipe: spanish tortilla
Great picnic food. Serves 4.
500g potatoes, sliced 1 onion, chopped
150ml olive oil 6 eggs
· Scrape potatoes or leave the skins on before cutting into slices or cubes.
· Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the potatoes and onion and cook gently, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are softened.
· Strain the potatoes and onion through a sieve into a large bowl and set the strained oil aside.
· Beat 6 eggs separately, then stir into the potatoes and onion mix. Season with lots of salt and pepper.
· Heat a little of the strained oil in the frying pan until quite hot.
· Tip all the egg, potato and onion mixture into the frying pan, it will then ‘foam’ up around the edges.
· Immediately turn down the heat and cook gently, checking the underneath with a spatula from time to time.
· When almost set, put under a grill to finish the top. The traditional way to do the other side is to flip the omelette over with a plate, but it’s a pretty stressful way to do it!
· Slide on to a plate and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Very good when cold.
Recipe: linguine with courgette pesto
A Rachel Roddy recipe. Serves 4. The potato in the pasta water is to add extra starch, to give the sauce a better consistency.
400g linguine, or similar 2 small courgettes
40g ground almonds 1 garlic clove
handful basil leaves 100ml olive oil
50g parmesan, grated a small potato, peeled and diced
· Bring a large pan of water to a boil for the pasta.
· Wash, top and tail the courgettes, then, grate into a clean tea towel and squeeze all the excess water out.
· Grate or finely chop the garlic, then mix with the ground almonds and salt.
· Puree the courgette, basil and oil to a paste. Mix with the ground almond mixture and the cheese.
· Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta, adding the diced potato, too, until the pasta is cooked but still has some bite.
· Drain the pasta (saving some of the cooking water) and combine with the pesto.
· Swirl it around, and add more pasta cooking water to achieve a soft, swishy texture.
· Serve immediately.
