18/02/2010 by D.

One for Cat.  This is another recipe from cool green leaves and red hot peppers by Christine McFadden and Michael Michaud.

4 turnips, peeled & quartered, or more whole little ones, unpeeled
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp corriander seeds
1 tbsp sugar
1 small orange (grated zest and juice)
3 tbsp stock
1 tbsp fresh coriander or parsley

Boil the turnips for around 5 minutes until tender, then drain.  Melt the butter in a frying pan and sprinkle in the coriander seeds.  Add the turnips to the foaming butter.  Sprinkle on the sugar and orange zest.  Turn up the heat to colour the turnips at the edges.

Pour in the stock and orange juice.  Simmer for a few minutes until the liquid is reduced and syrupy.  Season to taste, then sprinkle with the fresh herbs.

The sweet oranginess really sets of the slightly bitter turnips.  Great with roasts and leafy greens.

Posted in Orange, Coriander, Turnip, Stock, Butter, Recipe | Print | No Comments »

18/02/2010 by D.

4 large potatoes
1 cabbage or bag of kale
3 tbsp stock (chicken or veg)
1 tbsp butter
1 onion
1 tbsp oil

Peel and chop the potatoes and bring to boil in salted water.  Shred the cabbage (destalk kale first) and rinse well.  Chop the onion and fry in a little butter in a saucepan.  Add the cabbage and stock and stir well.  Cover with a lid and leave to cook gently.

When the potatoes are ready, drain and mash with the butter.  When the cabbage is tender (around 20 mins), add to the potato mixture.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

Heat a large frying pan and add the oil.  When very hot, tip in the potato mixture and fry until brown.  Cut into chunks and turn over (if you can)!  Another way of doing this is forming individual cakes and browning them in groups.

Serve with some poached fish or a poached egg on top.

Posted in Cabbage, Supper, Kale, Milk, Butter, Potato, Onion, Vegetarian, Recipe | Print | No Comments »

18/02/2010 by D.

fruit: oranges, lemons, kiwi, apples, pink grapefruit, bananas
veg: courgettes, broccoli, leeks, carrots, onions, Toluca potatoes, cabbage, garlic, beetroot

On opening the bag this week the toddler found the broccoli and requested Cheese and Broccoli Soup, so I guess that takes care of that.  I’ve just remembered how good Colcannon is, using lots of kale or cabbage.  It makes a very tasty supper when topped with a poached egg or some milk-poached white fish.

I still haven’t managed to make the courgette and ricotta pancakes, so hopefully that will finally happen this week.  I’ve got a babysitter helping out this week and they have requested some Beef, leek and lentil soup, so that just leaves me the beetroot to figure out!

Finally I just want draw your attention to the Growing Communities nomination in the Observer’s Ethical Awards.  I shall certainly be going to www.observer.co.uk/ethicalawards and typing Growing Communities in the Best Local Retailer category, and I hope you will too!

Posted in Organic Box | Print | No Comments »

15/02/2010 by D.

1 pack dry-cure streaky bacon
4 large Jerusalem artichokes
1 lemon
1 litre chicken or veg stock

Finely chop bacon and fry in a saucepan until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisping.  Peel the chokes and finely slice them, putting each newly cut handful into a big bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon in it, to stop them from browning.

Add the stock to the bacon and bring to boil.  Drain the chokes and add them, and the juice of half the lemon to the pan.  Boil for 30 minutes until the artichokes are just tender, then blend.  Season to taste using lemon juice, salt and black pepper.  Serve with crusty bread.

This soup makes a fantastic starter as it is light, but well flavoured.  I can’t say whether the babies like this, as we didn’t leave them any!

Posted in Stock, Jerusalem artichokes, Bacon, Soup, Lemon, Recipe | Print | No Comments »