In the bags this week:
Produce from: Hughes Organics (Norfolk), Breckland Organics (Norfolk B), Woodlands Organics (Lincolnshire), Riverdale Farm (Cambridgeshire) and other small farmers in East Anglia, Sarah Green (Essex), our Hawkwood Plant Nursery growing site (Chingford) and local ‘Cropshare’ growers. Produce occasionally comes from organic farmers David and Jane Barker (Norfolk), organic farmer and local wholesaler Perry Court Farm (Kent) and from organic wholesaler Langridge (especially non-UK fruit). Contents may vary due to availability.
Standard vegetable bags have Sante potatoes (Lincs), Green onions (Kent), Bunched carrots (Norfolk), Lettuce (Holt, Norfolk) Mushrooms (Suffolk), Chard and Radish (Essex). No potato bags have Aubergine (Norfolk) instead of Radish plus Kohlrabi (Essex).
Large vegetable bags have same as standard with more potatoes, Spinach instead of Chard; Cucumber, Round beans and Celery (Norfolk) instead of Radish and Mushrooms, plus Broad Beans (Holt, Norfolk). No potato bags have Mushrooms.
Medium veg bags have Sante potatoes, Spring onions (Essex), Cucumbers, Chard, Aubergine (Norfolk) and Broad beans (Holt, Norfolk). No potato bags have Cauliflower (Norfolk).
Small vegetable bags have Sante potatoes, Spring onions, Cucumbers (Kent), Chard (Essex) and Mixed salad (Chingford). No potato bags have Cauliflower (Norfolk).
Standard fruit bags have bananas (Dominican Republic), Galia melon, Peaches, Nectarines (Italy) and Plums (Spain).
Medium fruit bags have Apricots, Plums (Spain), Nectarines and Galia melon (Italy) to substitute for last week’s missing Strawberries.
Small fruit bags have Plums (Spain), Peaches, Nectarines and Galia melon to substitute for last week’s missing Strawberries.
About the Produce:
Ice Lettuce (Chingford):
You may come across this new arrival in your Mixed salad bags this week. Ice lettuce or ‘ ficoïde glaciale’ is native to the southern hemisphere, being of South African origin but is now cultivated widely in France. It has fleshy, lightly acidic leaves that are covered with shimmering silvery dots, giving them a frosty appearance (hence its name). Easy to grow in hot dry soil, much like a purslane, it also bears edible fruits, for which it is sometimes known as “fig marigold.” The leaves are crunchy and refreshing in salads with a lemony bite but may also be cooked like spinach.
Broad Beans (Norfolk): This week’s beans are from Barker Organics. David and Jane Barker having been market gardening Biodynamically in North Norfolk for over 30 years. They have recently moved from the beautiful 3 acre walled garden at Wolterton Hall to a 12 acre site near Holt on a larger Organic farm. A modern staple with an ancient history, it is believed that along with lentils, peas, and chickpeas, they became part of the eastern Mediterranean diet in around 6000 BC or earlier. In ancient Greece and Rome, beans were used in voting; a white bean being used to cast a yes vote, and a black bean for no.
Galia melon (Italy): As a replacement for last week’s missing Strawberries in the Medium fruit and Small fruit bags, these juicy melons are delicious when served up in a refreshing salad with sliced cucumber, courgette and red onion.
