Funny Hurried Yummy Summer Honey Kohl Rabi Stir-Fry

yours in 15 minutes!

Last night’s dilemma:

We have 30 minutes before we have to leave the house.

We’re starving.

Cue “Flight of the Bumble-Bee” and chopping for my life…

It was stir fry time!

April’s Second Veggie-in-the-Spotlight: Spinach

spinach

When is Spinach in Season?
Spinach is best from April to September.

How to Buy
Look for bright leaves and a fresh smell. Avoid anything even slightly yellow or slimy.

How to Store
Keep spinach in the salad drawer, but NEVER wash before storing it – it will get very soggy!

Nutrition
Spinach leaves are a rich source of vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin K, calcium, folic acid and antioxidants. It is a good source of iron, but not as good as Pop-Eye would have us believe! 1 cup of lightly cooked spinach contains 1/3 of a woman’s recommended daily intake of iron, but a cup of cooked spinach is a lot of spinach!

Spinach Secrets
Spinach originated in Iran and didn’t arrive in Europe until the 11th Century. It was imported to Spain and when it arrived in Britain, it was known as the “Spanish Vegetable”.

Like tomatoes, lightly cooking spinach makes it easier for the body to absorb the nutrients it contains. For example, 1 cup of cooked spinach contains 10 times your daily requirement of Vitamin K, 6 times the amount of raw spinach.

How to Prepare Spinach
The absolute key with spinach is to wash it well. It tends to pick up grit and soil and nothing spoils a dish as easily as lumps of gravel in your lasagne!

If you’re going to eat spinach raw in a salad, or if you’re going to saute it, then once it’s washed you need to pat it dry again.

How to Cook Spinach

new recipe

Check out this brand new recipe:

Tom’s Breakfast Spinach Special
Let us know how you feel about spinach using the comments box down there, and if you try the new recipe, perhaps you’d send us a photo? We were so hungry we ate it before we remembered to take its picture!

Out with the Old … in with the New… Potatoes

new potatoes

The last of the stored potatoes were probably finished off in February, and we won’t be seeing the “big boys” of the potato world again now until late June. So it’s just as well that the newbies are starting to arrive and will be with us until the end of July : )

Shopping

Best to get the mucky ones rather than the washed ones as the mud helps keep them fresh and blemish free.

Cooking

If you eat organic, you probably don’t peel your taters anyway, but newbies are even lower maintenance, because you don’t even need to chop them before cooking. Just a quick wash and a plunge into boiling water and you’re cooking (groan).

Storing

If you keep them cool and shaded, they should last a few days after buying them. If you can resist them, that is!

Recipes

And now it’s over to you…

What do you most like to do with new potatoes? Share your recipes here and we’ll get them added to the main database with your name on them. And do send us your photos … Always good for getting a lunch time tummy rumbling.

The VegBox Team

March’s Second Veggie-in-the-Spotlight: Brussels Sprouts!

sprouts away!

We just had to do it.

Like the roots we’re also saying goodbye to in March, it’s their last month with us before they pack their cases (like the picture?!) and migrate to cooler climes, not to return until December. And a little like this month’s other Veggie-in-the-Spotlight, they’re still misunderstood and they still haven’t made it to the sunglasses-sporting veggie A-list.

So, here’s some stuff that you may not have known about Brussels Sprouts:
1. They were cultivated in Belgium from cabbages. Hence the name.
2. They’re an excellent source of Vitamin C, with just 6 lightly cooked sprouts containing an adult’s recommended daily allowance. They’re also packed with Vitamin D and folic acid, which are both common deficiencies in our modern diet.
3. If cooked right, they should have a pleasant, nutty flavour.
4. Like cauliflower, it’s the sulphur released during cooking that gives Brussels Sprouts their infamous smell. So the less time you cook them for, the less they’ll stink!
5. They’re migratory*.

*OK, no they’re not. But it’s a funny thought.

How To Choose

• If you have the option, get your sprouts still on the stalk, because they’ll keep for longer.
• If you’ve got them already off the stalk, choose sprouts that still feel firm, with as little yellowing of the outer leaves as possible.

How To Store

• They keep for longer if still on the stalk – up to 10 days in the fridge.
• If already detached from the stalk, they’ll keep for about 5 days in the salad drawer of your fridge

Our Favourite Brussels Recipes

Remember the annual “sprout peddling” competition?

Here are the winning recipes, past and present:

three sprouty winners

Sauteed Brussels and Apple – still our favourite, thanks to Nadja.

Garlic & Almond Sprouts – a creamy dish that has converted several friends…

Brussels Sprout & Pine Nut Salad – no chance of stink with this one, and the balsamic works perfectly!

So be honest, folks – will you be giving Brussels a sumptuous send off? Or are you determined to hand them their hats?

In Season in April

watercress

April is always our favourite month. April Fool’s Day, Easter Sunday, World Health Day, showers, rainbows, and a certain someone’s birthday ; )

Here’s a look at the list of seasonal veggies which April will bring with it.

Please do use the comments box below to let us know which ones you’d most like us to feature in the coming weeks.

Asparagus (towards end of month), Cabbage, Endive, Mushrooms, Purple sprouting broccoli, Radishes (early), Rhubarb, Sorrel, Spinach, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Swiss Chard, and Watercress.

And who out there would like to help me understand the difference between Endive and Chicory, because I still have some confusion when it comes to that topic!

The VegBox Team

The Last of the Root Veggies … aka What to do with Swede

ready to go in the lunch-box

March has arrived. And March is an important month in the seasonal food calendar. Because it’s the last month of the winter root vegetables. For many of you lovely folks, this isn’t coming a day too soon!

After all, how many swedes can one girl eat?

Just when we thought we couldn’t find any more ways of making root veg interesting for you, reader Paula J presented her trump card.

Paula says “I had the most enormous swede delivered in my veg box last week and was immediately returned to my childhood when mashed carrots and turnip was the standard accompaniment to all roast meats. This came along with boiled potatoes. Now I have not eaten boiled potatoes (except new!) since then, so you can imagine my trauma when faced with the prospect of swede!

Anyway a quick trawl through a recipe book left me inspired to adapt an Italian Style Turnip Soup with what I thought was a great result. And the end of my childhood swede trauma!”

Paula J’s Italian-style Swede Soup

Ingredients
Serves 4

1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
3 rashers streaky bacon (optional)
1 large swede, diced
1 handful quinoa
stock
chopped parsley

Method
1. Heat 1tbs olive / rapeseed oil and 1tbs butter in a large pot
2. Gently fry a chopped onion and 3 rashers of chopped streaky bacon (optional) for about 5 mins.
3. Add the chopped swede and continue to fry for 5 – 10 mins until the swede begins to soften.
4. Add a handful of quinoa, cook for a couple of mins until coated with oils.
5. Add enough stock to cover and cook until the quinoa is tender. I added a little thickener at the end and also some chopped parsley.

Time From Cupboard-To-Table
30 minutes

When Can I Cook This?
Swede is in season in the UK in October, November, December, January, February and March

Over to you. Use the comments box below to tell us what tricks you have up your sleeves for getting through the last month of root vegetables for this year.

April’s First Veggie-in-the-Spotlight: Sorrel

sorrel leaves

April means no more root veggies, and a big hello to sorrel (amongst many other things). We haven’t featured sorrel before, so it seemed about time, and who better to help us out than our friends over at the award-winning Warborne Organic Farm in Hampshire.

The lovely Sophie sent us the deliciously simple recipe below for Sorrel Omelette, straight from the kitchen of one of their own box scheme customers, a self declared avid fan of sorrel.

And while Sophie was chatting with us over the virtual farm-fence, we were excited to learn that the family at Warborne are once again holding an Open Day, this time an Easter-themed one.

Still reeling slightly from the resounding success of  the TV series about them (“Farm Life” on Animal Planet), the Heathcotes will be swinging the gate open from midday till 4pm on Sunday 12th April. There’s no charge for entry, and visitors can look foward to:

• a self-guided tour and Easter Egg Hunt in their tunnels, veg fields and livestock to see where and how they grow delicious organic produce with minimal food miles and maximum taste;
• food tastings;
• shearing demonstrations in the barn, and
• organic, homemade goodies and refreshments from their farm kitchen.

Address: Warborne Organic Farm, Warborne Lane, Boldre, Hants SO41 5QD

Tel: 01590 688488

URL: www.warbornefarm.co.uk

sorrel omelette recipe

Recipe Spotlight: Sorrel Omelette

Ingredients
(Serves one hungry person)

1 good handful of sorrel
40 ml milk
3 organic eggs
Salt and pepper
Veg oil or butter

Method

1. Whisk 3 eggs in a large bowl, along with seasoning and milk.
2. Rinse the sorrel in clean water, and drain. Roll the leaves and roughly chop or tear the leaves.
3. Heat butter or oil in a small frying pan on a medium heat.
4. Pour the mixed eggs into the frying pan.
5. Let the bottom of the omelette cook slightly before adding the sliced sorrel.
6. Using a spatula mix the leaves slightly in to the eggy mixture.
7. Finish cooking the omelette until done as preferred.
8. Serve alongside a good crusty roll.

Time From Cupboard-To-Table
20 minutes

When Can I Cook This?
Sorrel is in its prime in the UK in April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December

Fact Spotlight: More about Sorrel

Sorrel is a green leaf (very easy to grow in pots if you have limited space) that can be used raw or cooked. It is usually the young leaves, that are lemon-y and have a little kick to them, that are best in salads. Later on in the season, sorrel is better cooked, and is traditionally used in sauces for fish or in soups.

As with all other leaves, the best flavour and nutrition comes from leaves that are crisp and bright in colour. Sorrel should only be stored for a few days in the salad drawer in the fridge.

So that’s all from us on sorrel… Let us know whether you’ve used it yet, whether you try out this recipe, and, if you do head over to the Warborne Farm Open Day, let us know all about it using the comments box.

The VegBox Team

February’s THIRD and Final Veggie-in-the-Spotlight: Salsify

salsify plant

Salsify is on its way out until October, but we didn’t want our newest addition to the VegBox Recipes tribe to disappear without a send off.

A member of the dandelion family, Salsify is really quite a versatile plant. As well as being pretty good-looking in the garden, you can eat the sprouting seeds, the young shoots and the flowers as well as the roots. The roots, once matured, have an oyster-y taste, earning Salsify its nickname of “Oyster Plant”.

Spotlight One – How to Choose Salsify

Salsify roots look a bit like a bundle of grubby black candles! Look for firm smooth ones when you’re shopping.

Spotlight Two – How to Store Salsify

Best kept in the fridge in a sealed container.

Spotlight Three – How to Prepare Salsify

Salsify discolours very quickly once peeled, so it’s best to peel and chop it quickly, dropping the chunks into water that has either lemon juice or vinegar in it.

Spotlight Four – Salsify Recipes

We’re delighted to have finally been able to add two brand new Salsify recipes to the VegBox Recipes database.

salsify recipes

Salsify Gratin – This recipe is the first we’ve added for this unusual root vegetable and has been generously provided to us from the lovely book “Veg: The Cookbook” by Greg Wallace.

Simple Salsify Fritters – This simple recipe, generously provided for us by Abel & Cole, makes a brilliant lunch or a special side for a bigger meal.

We’d love to hear from you if you’ve cooked Salsify recently.

The VegBox Team

Save Our Cauliflowers!

We suspect that you, dear reader, are NOT a statistic on a Government chart when it comes to cauliflowers.

Because apparently sales are declining, forcing production to fall. Which in turn has prompted the Brassica Growers’ Association to launch a campaign to Save Our Cauliflowers.

S0, to shamelessly steal a slogan, have YOU forgotten how good cauliflowers taste?

We can’t believe you have, but just in case … Let’s get recipe swapping.

Here’s our contribution for an early Spring lunch-box filler:

our recipe

Cauliflower and Chickpea Pitta Pockets

This is a lovely way of enjoying cauliflower. The chickpeas give the meal a nutty flavour and the watercress means it’s packed with nutrients. If you can get hold of tahini (sesame seed butter), it adds to the flavour and is also full of calcium and essential fatty acids.

What have you been doing with your cauliflowers then, cauliflower-eating comrades?

February’s Second Veggie-in-the-Spotlight: Rhubarb

have you seen any this year?

The main season for rhubarb is from April through to July. Unless you buy forced rhubarb, which may be around as early as this month.

“Forcing” rhubarb isn’t quite as cruel as it sounds – it simply means that it’s grown in the dark, which means it sprouts earlier, is more vibrantly pink and has a less intense flavour.

What to look for when you buy rhubarb – Make sure it’s nice and red or green or pink and free from brown mushy bits or obvious bangs and bruises. Go for straight, firm stalks rather than curling or limp ones. Avoid rhubarb with black or brown leaves.

How to store it – In a bag in the fridge for up to a week. Cut the leaves off first. Or freeze it. First cut it to a length that will fit into your container, and then boil it for one minute only before freezing, to help it retain its flavour. It can also be frozen raw or completely cooked.

How to cook rhubarb – Rhubarb isn’t eaten raw. It’s traditionally baked with something to sweeten it, and can be cooked either peeled or with the skin still on. It’s better to cook in non-aluminium pans because of its highly acidic nature. The easiest and healthiest way to sweeten it is with orange juice or apple juice. For really sour rhubarb, you’ll want to add sugar or honey.

beware!

Never eat the leaves – they’re poisonous! We’re not sure how poisonous, but we’re also not about to try it to find out!

Little Known Rhubarb Facts

• To be accurate, rhubarb is a vegetable, and to be even more pedantic, it’s actually classified as an “edible stem”. Oooooh!
• It has been known for people to use rhubarb for cleaning blackened spots from pots and pans. And apparently some people use it for hair colouring. Just a little known fact for you – not something we’re recommending you try at home!
• Finally, rhubarb isn’t just a great ingredient for crumbles… it goes brilliantly with fish and seasonal meats. Which leads us on to our “Spotlight” recipe.

rhubarb chutney recipe

TV Chef and proprietor of The Foxhunter in Nantyderry, Matt Tebbutt, has very generously provided us with this new recipe for rhubarb chutney to share with you. Unlike all the other recipes we currently list, this is for serving with savoury dishes. Just click the picture to the left.

You can find this recipe in Matt’s new book “Matt Tebbutt Cooks Country“, and we’ve included it in our database courtesy of Mitchell Beazley and Octopus Books. Thanks folks!

If you’ve already had some rhubarb this year, we’d love to hear from you. Just use the comments box below.

The VegBox Team

February’s First Veggie-in-the-Spotlight: Chicory

red chicory is common in italy

This month we interviewed Denise Tolson, who discovered chicory at the tender age of 18 whilst doing a grand tour of Europe. Years on, she’s still a fan with a rather tasty chicory recipe up her sleeve.

VBR: Hi Denise – thanks for spending some time with us talking about Chicory. Not everyone has eaten this veggie. When did you discover it?

Denise: I discovered chicory when I went to Italy aged 18 with my sister aged 17.  We were doing one of those ‘take a flight and see what happens’ holidays with hardly any money and no sense to speak of.  Anyway, we tended to eat in very cheap places where you ate what you were given. One day we got chicory in some sort of salad.  It was a bit of a shock as it was quite bitter but we definitely developed a taste for it.  In Italy you can get glorious red chicory as well as the beautiful pale green version you more commonly see in this country. I think Waitrose do it sometimes.

VBR: What was the first meal you ever cooked using it?

Denise: I started off just mixing in in with other salad stuff and putting french dressing on it which was very nice. I grew up on those round floppy lettuces with cucumber and tomato and plenty of salad cream when salad was on offer at home but after Italy I got a lot more adventurous.

VBR: What does Chicory taste like to you?

Denise: Chicory tastes quite bitter but much less so than it used to. I wonder whether English growers have bred some of the bitterness out to make it more palatable to the British market. Either that or my tastebuds are jiggered! I think it is a really pretty vegetable and it also has a good texture, especially at the white end so it gives a bit of crunch to your salad.

VBR: Do you know any strange facts about chicory?

Denise: I know that it is sometimes called Belgian endive which can be a bit muddling as to me that is a different type of lettuce.

VBR: Care to share your favourite Chicory recipe with us?

Denise: Sometimes I make a caesar salad with half little gem and half chicory and that is nice. I have two sorts of dressings that I use just with chicory and they are both Nigella Lawson ones: Mustard dressing and Anchovy dressing.

Here’s a full recipe for any fish eaters out there – it also uses beetroot, another veggie that’s currently in season.

use any white fish

Cod with Chicory and Baby Beetroot

VBR: So are you a vegetarian, Denise?

Denise: I am not a vegetarian myself although I was for about 20 years.  I have eaten fish for about the last 10 years and I have managed to end up in a family of carnivores, don’t know how that happened, punishment for sins in a previous life probably.

I studied nutrition at university in the early 80’s and I think that made me very thoughtful and curious about the food I was putting in my mouth. One of the reasons I stopped eating meat was that at that time it was factory farmed meat or nothing and I couldn’t see that those intensive farming methods could be good for either us or the animals involved in the process.  People used to laugh at me for that but they went surprisingly quiet after BSE.

VBR: Do you get a vegbox?

squash

Denise: I used to grow my own veg before organic became available. Now I am a mother and work full time I’ve become very lazy and use a box scheme.  We grow tomatoes and squash in the summer for fun and because I am a food bore and want the sprogs to know where there food comes from. I will probably go back to grow your own at some point. I’m hoping to buy some chickens for my son’s birthday in the spring (really an indulgence for me thinly disguised as generosity).

I do use the supermarket for most of my shopping but I also like the local farmer’s market (only comes once a month sadly) and the local Saturday market.  I try not to buy out of season stuff like strawberries in winter and I only ever buy English asparagus because it is the best and we are really lucky to have a farm down the road so we get it really fresh.

VBR: How did you first discover VegBox Recipes?

Denise: I get a bit bored with root veg in the winter. We started looking at the recipe site to get ideas about what to do with root veg as boiling and mashing or roasting can get very dull.  There is also a great vegetarian cookery writer in the weekend Guardian magazine called Yotam Ottolenghi. He recently did a two potato curry using sweet potato (which I don’t like much) and ordinary potato, it was delicious and will become a favourite. We have also used organic meat boxes and they are very good.

VBR: Do you like the vegetables available at this time of year, or is there another time of year you prefer?

Denise: I’m more of a leafy / green veg / salad kind of gal.  Though I am rather fond of the old jerusalem artichokes as our friends know to their cost…

VBR: Denise, thanks so much for helping us get to know February’s first Veggie-in-the-Spotlight.

Denise: You’re very welcome. I hope the recipe goes down well. I’m off out now for a spot of snowball throwing!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Over to you! Tell us what you love (or loathe!) about chicory by using the comments box below.

The VegBox Team

What’s in Season in February?

Well for starters, SNOW seems to be in season!

Which means that here at VegBox Recipes, garden activity has ground to a halt and we’re considering wrapping the composter in bubblewrap and carpet to keep the bacteria warm and working. Whilst pondering, we’re making cosy Jerusalem Artichoke soup and working in front of the fire. Lovely …

Here’s the run down on what’s in season during the shortest month of the year …

Beetroot
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage (white, red and Cavolo Nero)
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celeriac
Celery (on it’s way out, now)
Chard or “Swiss” Chard
Chicory (watch this space for a special feature!)
Jerusalem Artichoke
Kale or “Curly” Kale
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Mushrooms
Onions
Parsnips
Potatoes (from store)
Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Rhubarb (watch this space for a recipe donated by our favourite TV chef)
Salsify(on its way out)
Spinach
Squashes (last ones from store)
Swede
Turnips

What are you eating this week?

The VegBox Team

Cavolo WHAT? I Just Want a Cabbage Recipe!

Cavolo what?

Black Nero Cabbage? CAVOLO Nero Cabbage?

“Why don’t YOU try asking [for it] at your local Tescos? Make sure you get the facial expression down on your digital.”

So protested Jackaranda Rainbow in a recent email to us.

And we have to confess, JR has a point. If you get a veg box, or you have a local organic store, you’re probably in luck. But if you shop in a supermarket …

I have heard Cavolo Nero / Black Nero Cabbage described as a ‘sexy’ member of the cabbage family. Now I accept that for many people, someone’s unavailability can kind of make them sexy … You know, forbidden fruit and all that … But does this hold for cabbage?!

I put my money where my mouth is, and checked out Tesco online. Nope. Not a whiff of a Cavolo anything. Next I checked out a local, more specialised supplier of organic veg, and yep, they had it. And yep, it was, er, slightly more expensive than a Tesco’s white cabbage. £1.99 versus £0.31 for the same amounts.

So returning to the Cavolo Nero as ‘sexy’ veg theory, maybe it’s not just its unavailability that makes it such a turn on, but also how much money it’s worth. By this reasoning, perhaps I should be leaving VegBox Husband for Simon Cowell?!

Yikes!

steamy date!

In conclusion, if you’re getting a veg box delivered, and it has some Cavolo Nero in it, brill. I can heartily recommend the Black Nero Soup (which doubles up as a deeply scrummy pasta sauce). I picked up (ha ha ha) 200g of our elusive brassica last week for a steamy dinner date and was not disappointed.

But if you’re buying your seasonal veg yourself from the supermarket, and you’re watching the pennies, the great news is that white cabbage can be just as delicious. In particular, I’d point you in the direction of our recipes for Mustard Cabbage and Spicy Cabbage Soup.

What recipes do you love to dig out for regular old white and savoy cabbages? Do share them and let us know if we can add them to our main recipes listings. Of course we’ll include a big credit to you in the text!

How to Cook Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Broccoli is a member of the brassica family, like cabbage.

The plant produces green flower heads on thick stalks. They are picked and eaten before the flowers bloom. Broccoli and calabrese are often confused.

calabrese

sprouting broccoli

Calabrese is the large headed variety (see the picture on the left) that most of us call Broccoli (confused yet?!). The other is a sprouting variety (on the right), with individual stalks for each flower clump.  It is usually purple, or sometimes white, and is often known as PSB – short for Purple Sprouting Broccoli.

“PSB” is a delicious spring vegetable that can start to appear as early as the end of January and has a long season. It cooks quickly and is packed with nutrients, with a more delicate flavour than full heads of calabrese.

We already feature one recipe on the site especially designed for sprouting broccoli – Sprouting Broccoli with Toasted Seasame Seeds.

Now we’re pleased to bring you a recipe for Spicy Purple Sprouting Broccoli Pasta, courtesy of Abel & Cole.

Ingredients

*  500 g purple sprouting broccoli
* 1 medium sized fresh red chilli
* 2 cloves garlic, peeled
* 1 small tin of anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained (optional, if you’re anything like me!)
* good quality olive oil
* 350 g pasta: fusilli, oriecchiette, penne rigate or conchiglie
* parmesan or hard pecorino cheese to grate

Method

1. Trim the outer leaves and woody stalks from the broccoli.
2. Wash and chop into 1 cm sections.
3. Cut the chilli in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds.
4. Chop the chilli, the garlic and the anchovies finely.
5. In a pan, warm 4 tablespoons of olive oil and add the chilli, garlic and anchovies.
6. Sweat these for a minute or so and add the broccoli, season with a little salt and pepper, then continue to cook gently.
7. Drop the pasta in boiling water and stir immediately.
8. Grate 4 tablespoons of the cheese and reserve.
9. After the pasta has been cooking for 5 minutes transfer a small ladle of the cooking water to the broccoli.
10. Keeping over a high heat, add another 2 tablespoons of oil and add the cheese.
11. Cook for a couple of minutes, then toss with the pasta and serve immediately.

So has PSB shown up in your box yet? If it has, we’d love to know where in the country you lucky folks are!

The VegBox Team

Christmas Sprout Peddling Contest …

The clock is running on the Annual Sprout Peddling Competition.

In just over a week’s time, the “lines will close”, as they say, and we will have to decide which recipe will receive the Brussels Sprout Crown for 2008. The success of the nation’s Christmas dinners is practically hanging in the balance. Will there be puckered mouths around the table when the tureen is passed, or will ours be a land of little Olivers, begging for more green loveliness on their plates?

So far, I’m delighted (that’s through clenched teeth!) to say that we’ve been receiving and testing your entries, and I (as the VegBox resident Sprout Loather) have even mustered one actual “yum” already. Bah humbug ; )

But there is still time for more entries. So, with your sprouts-on-a-stalk in one hand, as though it were a culinary wand, make your way to the kitchen and do some conjuring.

If you need inspiration, you might want to have a look at some of the recipes we already feature:

Brussels Sprouts Salad – Fresh, young sprouts work well in this raw salad. The sweetness of Balsamic vinegar gives it a delicious twist and the pumpkin seeds and pine nuts give it a nutty crunch.

Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Almonds – If eating them raw doesn’t tempt you, try frying them with a little garlic and then dressing them with cream an almonds puts a whole new slant on this veggie.

Stir-fried Brussels Sprouts – This recipe is quick, easy and delicious and has been known to receive nods of approval from even seasoned Sprout Naysayers.

Submit your entries using the comments box below. Remember, there’s just over one week to go, the nation is counting on you, and the winner will receive a copy of the very beautiful “Grow Organic” courtesy of Natural Collection.

The VegBox Team

What’s In Season In December?

This month has already seen snow storms and Arctic weather in the UK, so it’s just as well we’re well-stocked with winter warming vegetables in season in December.

Here’s a low-down of what you can expect to find in your veg box or local farm shop this month:

• 

  Do you love parsnips?

  Beetroot

• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbages
• Carrots
• Celeriac
• Celery
• Jerusalem Artichokes
• Kale
• Kohlrabi
• Leeks
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Parsnips
• Potatoes
• Spinach
• Squashes (from store)
• Swede (Rutabaga)
  
• Swiss Chard
• Turnip
• Winter Lettuce

And here is a great December seasonal recipe to get you started:

Beetroot & Celeriac Gratin

Beetroot & Celeriac Gratin

http://www.vegbox-recipes.co.uk/recipes/celeriac-recipe-5.php

This delicious recipe was sent in by Paul – thank you! And it makes great use of celeriac, beetroot, orange juice and thyme.

It’s had rave reviews and apparently even goes down well with teenagers!

Once you’ve tried it, how about telling others what you thought of it, via the recipe page ratings box?

Watch this space in the next few weeks for our favourite Christmas veg box recipes!

Got something different in your veg box this month? Please get sharing via the comments box!

Thanks,

Claire, Clare & the Veg Box Team

What’s In Your Veg Box This Week?

This week we’ll be munching our way through:

• Beetroot
• Cauliflower
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Onions
• Sprouting Broccoli
• Swede
• Curly Kale
• Spinach
• Black nero cabbage
• Spring greens

What’s in your veg box this week? Which bits are you looking forward to and which are you dreading using?

We’ve already used the spring greens (just cook it like cabbage) and I just love fresh beetroot!

Let us know if you get creative!

Thanks,

Clare x

In Our Veg Box This Week

This week we’ll be munching our way through:

• Red Pepper
• Celeriac
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Onions
• Runner Beans
• Curly Kale
• Mushrooms
• Late Salad Leaves
• Squash

What’s in your veg box this week? Which bits are you looking forward to and which are you dreading using?

We’ve already used the kale (just cook it like cabbage) and I can’t believe we’ve got runner beans!

Let us know if you get creative!

Thanks,

Clare x

In Our Veg Box This Week

This week we’ll be mostly eating…

• Brussel Sprouts (a sprouts top arrived!)
• Celeriac
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Red Onions
• Courgettes
• Tomatoes
• Mushrooms
• Late Salad Leaves
• Turnip

What’s in your veg box this week? Which bits are you looking forward to and which are you dreading using?

I’m looking forward to the courgettes and tomatoes – they may be the last we get this year. I’m not so sure about the turnip. I’m still not the world’s greatest fan… But I’m getting better at enjoying them!

Let us know if you get creative!

Thanks,

Clare x