Some news from Sarah Green’s farm this week:
“My Mum has said that I am writing too much about rainfall in my weekly newsletter, so this week I won’t mention it!
On Thursday we successfully planted 10,000 spring green plants. We covered the plants with net to keep them safe from rabbits, hares, pigeons and flea beetle, and then moved the irrigation pipes and sprinkler lines so that they were watered in on Thursday evening (no mention of rain here!). We have given the spring greens the best start to growing and they will be ready to harvest in the hungry gap – during April, May and June next year.
The recent warm and sunny days have been ideal for ripening tomatoes and some of the courgette plants have had a new lease of life, but really the end of their season is in sight. Our squash harvest continues and making the most of the lovely weather the squash have remained in the field to continue curing. They look stunning in the sunshine. Swallows have been darting about in the skies above and sitting on the telegraph wires along our lane, they will soon be gone for another year.
Alongside a farm track leading from the farmyard there are six self-sown walnut and oak trees. Suddenly these trees no longer look like saplings and look like trees. They started to grow at the field edge next to the track, so we have let them grow and nurtured them. I imagine the acorn and walnuts were planted there by an industrious squirrel for his winter stores. We have one or two squirrels about the farmyard and fields, they seem to be very busy and on the go all the time – making the most of the natural harvest and good weather.”
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:
Onions – Bagthorpe Farm, Norfolk
Carrots – Bagthorpe Farm, Norfolk
Mushrooms – Capel Mushrooms, Suffolk
Savoy cabbage – Newfields Organics, Yorkshire
Standard bag:
Gatsby potatoes – Nash Nursery, Kent
Golden beetroot – Sarah Green’s, Essex
French beans – James Foskett Farms, Suffolk
Kale – Ripple Farm, Kent
Sweetcorn – James Foskett Farms, Suffolk
Family bag: Onions – Bagthorpe Farm, Norfolk Carrots – Bagthorpe Farm, Norfolk Mushrooms – Capel Mushrooms, Suffolk Savoy cabbage – Newfields Organics, Yorkshire Cherry tomatoes – Sarah Green’s, Essex Fennel – PBF, Yorkshire
Mega bag: Gatsby potatoes – Nash Nursery, Kent Golden beetroot – Sarah Green’s, Essex French beans – James Foskett Farms, Suffolk Cherry tomatoes – Sarah Green’s, Essex Kale – Ripple Farm, Kent Sweetcorn – James Foskett Farms, Suffolk Fennel – PBF, Yorkshire
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Fruit supplement:
Santana apples – Oakwood Farm, Sussex
Wash all veg and fruit before eating. Store carrots, mushrooms, beetroot, beans, kale, sweetcorn, cabbage and fennel in the fridge. Protect potatoes from light to avoid sprouting.
Recipe: gnocchi with caraway and savoy cabbage
Paprika and sundried tomatoes are good substitutes for bacon. There’s a good Oatley vegan crème fraiche.
200g smoked bacon lardons 1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced 1 garlic bulb, finely chopped
1 tsp caraway seeds 250ml dry white wine
1 savoy cabbage, outer leaves and core discarded, shredded 75g parmesan
250ml crème fraiche 500g gnocchi
- Fry the bacon in the oil for 3-5 minutes, until crisp.
- Add the onion, garlic and caraway; cook gently for 5 minutes.
- Add the cabbage and a pinch of salt; fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the wine and bubble until just a little liquid remains.
- Grate the parmigiano reggiano and stir in 50g, along with the crème fraîche; set aside.
- Heat the grill to high. Boil the gnocchi for 3 minutes.
- Fold into the sauce, with 3 tbsp cooking liquid.
- Pile into a baking dish, scatter with the remaining cheese and grill until golden.
Recipe: charred savoy cabbage salad
1 head savoy cabbage 2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp salt 1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or more if you like it tangy) 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp Dijon mustard 120ml olive oil
1/4 preserved lemon, chopped (optional)
- Trim the outer leaves from the cabbage head. Quarter the cabbage along the stem axis
- Grill for about 5 minutes on each side under a hot grill on high heat until the edges are charred.
- You’ll need to move the quarters around to grill them on each side.
- Remove from grill and roughly chop the quarters into quarters again.
- Discard the hard cores and put the rest of the cabbage in a bowl.
- Mash together the salt, minced garlic, pepper, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Whisk the olive oil into this mixture to make a dressing.
- Dice the meat into small cubes and cook the pieces till they are crisp.
- Add the dressing and preserved lemon to the cabbage leaves and toss to coat.
Recipe: golden beetroot pureé with yoghurt
400g-500g golden beetroots 1 garlic clove, crushed
½ small red chilli, finely chopped 125g yoghurt
½ tbsp date syrup, or similar 1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp of za’atar or thyme (optional) ½ tsp salt
to garnish (optional):
30g soft goats cheese or feta 10g toasted hazelnuts
- Preheat oven to 180°C, gas mark 6.
- Wash beetroot, place in roasting tin, cook for about an hour.
- When cool enough to handle, peel and cut each one into about 6 pieces.
- Place beetroot, garlic, chilli and yoghurt into a food processor and blend to a smooth paste.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the date syrup, olive oil, za’atar and salt.
- To serve, garnish with cheese and toasted hazelnuts and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.