Happy Fairtrade Fortnight!
Fairtrade Fortnight, usually in February, has shifted to September this year. It’s a two week celebration of all things Fairtrade.
At Kentish Town Vegbox, we’re all about the local seasonal produce. But there are many things that cannot be grown in the UK, or even in Europe. When it comes to such “exotic essentials” as tea, coffee, bananas, chocolate, and all manner of spices, we have no choice but to look abroad. The injustices of farming and trade are particularly pronounced when it comes to commodities from tropical countries and it is worth seeking out products that try to redress these wrongs, which have deep roots in Europe’s imperial past.
Many Fairtrade products are shipped by sea, and so have a relatively low carbon footprint. The banana – Britain’s favourite fruit – is grown in natural sunlight and then slowly ripened on the long sea voyage to the UK.
That banana may taste of the warm tropics, but here in London it’s feeling like autumn, with some misty mornings and colder, darker days. The squash and sweetcorn have ripened, the onions are all picked and cured, and the maincrop potatoes are being lifted to store through the winter months.
Sarah Green writes: “Judith spotted in a weedy corner of one of our polytunnels several caterpillars basking on dense webs spun over nettle leaves. Looking up in her book of butterflies Judith was delighted to identify the caterpillars to be of the Peacock Butterfly! We will ensure that those nettles and that weedy corner of the polytunnel remains scruffy so that the caterpillars can, hopefully, thrive!”
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 by Tuesday of the week before, i.e. today!
Tom Steele
What’s in the bag this week?
Small bag:
New potatoes – Sarah Green’s, Essex
Cauliflower – Newfields Organics, Yorkshire
Chioggia beetroot – Sarah Green’s, Essex
Corn on the cob – Foskett’s, Suffolk
Standard bag:
Onions – Bagthorpe Farm, Norfolk
Carrots – Foskett’s, Suffolk
French beans – Foskett’s, Suffolk
Mini cucumber – Wye Orchard Farm, Kent
Romanesco cauliflower – Newfields Organics, Yorkshire
Family bag:
New potatoes – Sarah Green’s, Essex
Cauliflower – Newfields Organics, Yorkshire
Chioggia beetroot – Sarah Green’s, Essex
Corn on the cobs – Foskett’s, Suffolk
Chard – Ripple Farm, Kent
Green pepper – Wye Orchard Farm, Kent
Mega bag:
Onions – Bagthorpe Farm, Norfolk
Carrots – Foskett’s, Suffolk
French beans – Foskett’s, Suffolk
Chard – Ripple Farm, Kent
Green peppers – Wye Orchard Farm, Kent
Mini cucumbers – Wye Orchard Farm, Kent
Romanesco cauliflower – Newfields Organics, Yorkshire
Fruit supplement:
Damsons – Peach & Pippin, Essex
Wash all veg and fruit before eating. Store carrots, sweetcorn, cauliflower, beetroot, cucumber, beans, chard and pepper in the fridge. Protect potatoes from light to avoid sprouting.
Recipe: potato curry
2 tbsp light oil 1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 inch ginger, chopped
2 tsp garam masala 2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 chilli powder 600g potatoes
400g yoghurt or 400ml coconut milk bunch of coriander, finely chopped
- Peel the potatoes and cut into bite sized chunks.
- Boil in well salted water for 15 minutes, till tender. Drain and put to one side.
- Meanwhile, sautee the onion in the oil on medium heat for about 15 minutes.
- Add the chopped ginger, garlic, spices and chilli powder and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Stir through the yoghurt or coconut milk, cook for a few minutes more.
- Take off the heat and serve topped with the chopped coriander.
Recipe: cauliflower pasanda
A Jack Monroe recipe. Serves 2-3.
1 head of cauliflower 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp turmeric 2 onions, finely sliced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp garam masala
300ml plain yoghurt 300ml double cream
handful of fresh coriander handful of sultanas
chopped almonds (optional)
- Heat the oven to 180°C / gas mark four.
- Prise apart or chop the cauliflower into florets.
- Put the pieces in a roasting tin, splash with oil, scatter with ginger and turmeric, and roast in the middle of the oven for about 40 minutes, until slightly crispy and browned around the edges.
- Put the onions and garlic into a large pan with another splash of oil.
- Add the chilli, cumin seeds and garam masala and cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 mins.
- Remove the onions from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- Stir through the yoghurt and cream, and season.
- When the cauliflower is roasted, fold it through the curry pan, and reheat.
- Season, garnish with the coriander, sultanas and almonds, if using, and serve with rice or bread.
Recipe: damson fool
250g damsons, well washed 1 tbsp light muscovado sugar
lemon juice (optional) 150ml double cream
1 tbsp icing sugar 1 egg whites
- Put the damsons in a saucepan with the sugar and 65ml water.
- Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat a bit and simmer until soft and pulpy (about 15 minutes).
- Push through a sieve into a bowl, getting as much pulp through as possible.
- Allow to cool then taste and add more sugar or lemon juice to taste.
- Stir the icing sugar into the cream then whip into soft peaks.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until stiff.
- Very gently fold this into the cream, then swirl the cooled puree through this.
- Served immediately, or refrigerate.
