Asparagus

A spring treat.

Our Suggestions:

• Fry sesame seeds in a small amount of oil till they start to pop. Wet the asparagus and cook it with the seasme seeds with the lid on for two minutes, shaking occasionally.

Aubergine

You can eat the skins, and because of the varieties we grow, there is no need to salt them before cooking.

As they soak up oil and juices, they are particularly good for frying, roasting and grilling.

Our Suggestions:

• Brush them with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic and parsley, and shallow fry or grill.
• Along with tomatoes and courgettes they can form the base of a ratatouille.
• You can make the delicious and simple Middle Eastern dip baba ghanoush by char-grilling the aubergines and mixing with tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and salt.

Basil

Particularly good teamed with tomatoes, either fresh in a salad or cooked in a sauce.

Beetroot

Our Suggestions:

• Grated raw with carrots as a salad (particularly when sprinkled with toasted seeds).
• They are sweet and delicious when roasted.
• The classic Eastern European borscht (soup).
• As a rich addition to stews or casseroles..

Broad Beans

Early season broad beans are a gift from the gods.

Our Suggestions:

• Sautéed with garlic and serve with new potatoes.
• Steamed.
• Bessara - broad bean hummus (peel the beans and use in place of chick-peas).
• Stir fried.
• Risotto (try a mix of pea and broad beans).
• With liver and a nice Chianti!

Cabbage

Needs no introductions. We grow a range of varieties.

Our Suggestions:

• Lightly steamed.
• Sautéed with garlic and sesame seeds.
• Stir fried.
• With carrot to make coleslaw.

Calabrese

Our Suggestions:

• Tastes great lightly steamed or used in stews.
• Two minutes in the microwave with a splash of water.
• Make a delicious soup with calabrese, cauliflower and stilton.

Carrots

Imagine life without carrots!.

Our Suggestions:

• Raw, steamed, microwaved, roasted, in stews, stir-fries, even cakes!

Chard

We grow Swiss (white stem), ruby (red stem), rainbow (mix of colours including red, pink and yellow).

Our Suggestions:

• The stems are excellent stir-fried or fried at the beginning of a sauce or stew with onions.
• The leafy part can be treated like kale.

Chillis

Red and green chillis add fire and flavour. For a milder flavour remove the seeds and white pith. Please let us know if you want chillis in your vegbox.

Our Suggestions:

• Add to curries early on to replace curry powder.
• Chop and steep in fish sauce for a long-lasting accompaniment to any rice dish.
• Crush and steep in oil for use in stir-frying.

Courgettes

Like aubergine they are great at soaking up flavours (and are also excellent grilled with olive oil, garlic and parsley) and so also form the base for a range of Italian sauces and lasagnes.

Our Suggestions:

• A summer vegetable tart.
• A medley of roasted vegetables.
• Your favourite chocolate cake and brownie recipes.
• In ginger jam.

French Beans

Our Suggestions:

• Raw as a snack or with a dip.
• Lightly steamed or sautéed.
• Stir fried.
• Added to a stew, casserole or pasta sauce.

Kale

We grow two kinds – curly, and black Tuscan (Nero di Toscana).

Our Suggestions:

• For both, strip off the stems, rinse and sauté in olive oil with garlic and salt until tender.
• Also add to stews and soups.
• Simply steam.
• Chop and 'massage' with your hands until tender and eat raw.

Parsley

We grow both curly and flat leaved.

Our Suggestions:

• Chopped up fine, it makes an excellent garnish for many dishes.
• Chop and stir in at the end of a risotto or pasta sauce.
• It often features in Middle Eastern salads (commonly mixed with lemon juice, olive oil and beans).

Peppers

Sweet and refreshing.

Our Suggestions:

• Cut in strips and serve raw alongside carrot, celery and breadsticks for dipping in your favourite dips.
• Fry long on medium heat with onions to add sweet depth to stews.
• Roast more than you need and make roast pepper and walnut sauce with the leftovers.

Red Cabbage

Our Suggestions:

• Shredded with grated beetroot for a red slaw.
• Works really well as a base for kimchi.

Squash

We grow a range of varieties including butternut and uchiki kuri.

Our Suggestions:

• They are perhaps most delicious roasted (try a mix of squash, peppers, garlic and thyme).
• but also form an excellent base for soups and stews.