Surfers, sailing boats and sowing

One of those mornings. Wrote the newsletter early this morning and it didn't save so I lost it all. So it's going to be short and sweet this week! Pancake day next Tuesday so get those eggs and lemons at the ready.

We are still making the most of the quieter time and not being tied to home as we are once we have lots of seedlings to look after. Chris went down to London by train at the weekend visiting family and friends and went into a rather fancy organic store on Tottenham Court Road to check it out...£3.60 for 6 eggs, cucumbers £3.28, wilted chard and limp Cavalo Nero Kale at £4.50/bunch! From experience the choice of fresh veg does tend to be better in the cities than in the country (more people=more choice), but from what we can tell ours just seems both better quality and better value (hmm perhaps that is why money's tight!)

In the field:

Despite the first signs of Spring - we are still holding off sowing - though I think Chris is going to start getting the leeks, onions and tomatoes going later this week (in our living room! - it's the more the merrier in our tiny cottage!). Jobs around the field are still quite relaxed - a little bit of weeding and tidying still. We'll also need to do a bit of watering in the polytunnel - it's starting to get quite hot in there now with the February rays.

In the boxes:

We've been struggling to get leafy greens for the boxes but hopefully more on their way in coming weeks.

Small - potatoes, carrots, onions, squash, mushrooms, spring greens, cherry tomatoes, oranges

Regular - potatoes, carrots, onions, leeks, courgettes, sprouts, red cabbage, swede, broad beans, clementines.

In the shop:

We are still quite root and cabbage heavy, though this week we have a few broad beans that have come in from Spain - a timely reminder for us to finish up the ones that we froze last year!! Hopefully purple sprouting broccoli is on it's way soon too!

Potatoes - white Cara - Bryn Cochyn (Henllan) including 7.5kg and 12.5 kg sacks

Roscoff pink onions, onions from Bryn Cochyn

Carrots, swede, beetroot, some Jerusalem artichokes, some parsnips, some broad beans, sweet potato

Courgettes, Harlequin squash, leeks, celery, chestnut mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, some palermo peppers, some salad (Prion), cauliflowers, spring greens, red cabbage, sprouts

Fruit: Apples (Braeburn from Kent), bananas, kumquats, lemons, clementines, oranges

Plus the last of the Seville oranges

As well as fab (prize-winning!) eggs from Mike in Prion - £2 for a box - and our ever increasing store cupboard range including organic beers, pasta, flour, oats, plus some new organic tomato ketchup. Also sourdough from Nant y Felin restaurant. No milk again this week as the cows are on their holidays.

In the kitchen:

One of our customers has sent in this recipe for swede and herb gnocci which she said is fab. There are alspo some swede ideas here from Riverford if you need some inspiration.

Don't forget you can make great winter salads with some of the root veg, like this squash salad (says butternut but Harlequin will be a great sub).

Finally, if you need a bit of mid-week inspiration, here's a 92 year old still catching waves in NZ.

Our online shop is here if you need any extra for your box or want to pre-order to pick up in the shop.

have a lovely week

#enjoy that tasty veg