Marmalade and orange curd
Updated: Feb 3, 2022
Not much to report this week. We're doing some changes our end with the box packing which will mean some minor changes to delivery times in the future but we'll let you know about those if you're affected and it's unlikely to be before March. We've been doing a bit of weeding and tidying, and much planning! We've got some compost (a lot of it) on it's way for us to top up as many of the beds as we can, so wheelbarrows and arm muscles are at the ready.
Eat Your Greens veg boxes:
Think the boxes should be fairly self-explanatory this week but just a note on watercress in the regular boxes - we bought this because it was from the UK but in between us placing the order and it being harvested for us the crop was ruined by cold temperatures. So absolutely gutting for the farm as they then had to import from Spain. Hence you have Spanish not British watercress which wasn't our intention.
We're still getting Seville oranges in so let us know if you still want any added to your box. If you're not sure about marmalade, this Nigel Slater Seville orange curd is very good.
The Vale Grocer shop:
If you can't get to the shop but want some veg, let me know and we might be able to work something out.
Plenty of: Potatoes, brown/red/Roscoff onions, orange/purple carrots,
palermo peppers, brussel sprouts, parsnips, sweet potato, fresh garlic / ginger / turmeric
Limited: Red cabbage, squash, leeks*, salad*, chard*
Fruit: Navelina oranges (lots!), lemons, bananas, apples, Seville oranges
*from Prion - please pre-order before 5pm today (Thurs) if you want these.
+ local free-range eggs (avian flu restrictions means the hens aren't free range at the moment but are in normal times)
+ local Cae Main & Bryn Cochyn apple juice
+ local sourdough bread from Nant y Felin restaurant
Recipe inspiration:
Still on the cheese theme from last week, the crew on the Kitchen Cabinet (Radio 4, worth a listen if you like all things food) were discussing cauliflower cheese the other day... Rick Stein says 'Cauliflower cheese is precisely the sort of British dish that most people secretly adore but which is often so massively overcooked and under-cheesed that it is regarded as a typical example of how bad our food can be.' I'm not sure I completely agree - I can't think of a cauliflower cheese that I haven't enjoyed - but his recipe is here, in case you want to try it and compare to your tried and tested:
For the cheese sauce, put 2 onion halves in a pan with 450ml milk, bay leaf and 1/2 tsp black peppercorns. Bring to the boil then remove from heat and set aside for 20 mins to infuse. Strain the milk into a jug and discard flavouring ingredients. Melt knob of butter into a pan, add 30g plain flour and cook over medium hest for a minute. Remove from heat and whisk in the milk. Return to heat and bring to boil, while stirring. Leave to simmer very gently for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in 100g of grated cheese, then 3 tbsp double cream and 1tsp English mustard. Season.
Bring pan of water to the boil and cut cauliflower into large florets, discarding core and larger leaves. Drop florets and young green leaves into water and cook for 8 mins until tender, then drain.
Arrange cauli leaves and florets in warm shallow ovenproof dish and pour over the cheese sauce. Mix 75g grated cheese with 40g breadcrumbs and scatter this over the top. Put under preheated high grill for 3-4 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Totally and utterly unrelated to vegetables but came across this article and thought I'd share for anyone out there who's got a strong opinion either way about goal-setting. I'm married to a goal setter so it's always a point of conversation in our house!
have a lovely week
#enjoy that tasty veg