Veg Box Newsletter 20th July: Time for Dinner

Headlines

Plastics

You’ve probably noticed that we’ve been packing down greens from our farm in plastic for a while now. This isn’t ideal- it’s a last resort because the pandemic has made getting hold of the compostable biobags we usually use pretty difficult. The good news is we’re now expecting a delivery of biobags in the next week or two, so your greens should be back to being plastic-free again soon. 

The Free Company

This is our second week including produce from our newest producer! The Free Company  is based just outside Edinburgh, near the Pentland Hills. They run a farm, a seasonal restaurant, and run lessons, all in the aim of retaining and sharing agricultural knowledge and working to promote sustainable agriculture. Hope you enjoy their salad, beetroot, and fresh garlic (yum) this week! 

Going on Holiday?

As lockdown begins to ease, we know you might be planning some time away. If that’s the case be sure to send us an email to let us know which weeks you’d like to pause your veg box for. The deadline to do this is 9am on Monday in the week of- we can’t guarantee pauses requested after that time. 

Covid-19 Updates

Be sure to keep an eye on the newsletter for updates and changes. As of writing, we’re still unfortunately unable to reintroduce opt-out lists, but are able to collect our veg boxes and Mossgiel milk bottles as before. 

In the Veg Boxes This Week

Subject to last minute changes

Check out storage guidance for helpful tips and tricks on how to prolong the life of your fresh produce. If you’re wondering where your veg comes from, have a look at these maps. You can also join your fellow subscribers over in the Facebook group for lots of tips, tricks, and recipe ideas!

To contact us, ring 0141 378 1672 or email us at subscribers@glasgowlocavore.org

Click here for Veg Box Contents

The Nice Bit

Some days you want to make dinner all day. Leisurely hours at the stove, stirring. Kneading dough then waiting for it patiently to ferment and inflate. Other days there just isn’t any time, and the sooner you can have dinner ready the better. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a good meal; these can both be rewarding ways of cooking. Let’s round up some recipes for whatever kind of day you’re having. Luckily, this week’s veg boxes are full of delicious and versatile ingredients, so your options go way beyond what I’ve gathered here. 

Quick recipes

Fry kale or cavolo nero up with a handful of pancetta or bacon lardons; eat with bread and butter and a cup of tea. 

spiced carrot and lentil soup, ready in half an hour. 

A one-pan tomato orzo dish, vegan and delicious. 

A flavourful vegetarian jambalaya– with plenty of leftovers if you’re cooking for one or two, so that you’ll have an even quicker dinner tomorrow. 

Mushrooms, new potatoes, and an egg can be dinner in the blink of an eye. 

Slow recipes

Let your no-knead pizza dough rise for 18 hours. Make a bechamel sauce- melt butter over a gentle heat, then add an equal quantity of flour. Let the roux cook, stirring often, until it’s a golden colour. Then add milk gradually, in stages, stirring the milk until totally incorporated before adding more. Flavour the bechamel however you like- nutmeg, black pepper, grated parmesan maybe. If you eat meat, make italian sausage by mixing fatty pork mince with salt, pepper, fennel seeds, lots of garlic, chilli flakes, and a splash or two of white wine- to test the seasoning, fry a little in a pan now and then. Steam the tenderstem broccoli. Finally, make pizzas by topping them with the bechamel as a sauce, then the broccoli, then dollops of the sausage mixture, then a little mozzeralla- and anything else you want. Cook in a hot oven until the sausage is fully cooked, or if veg-only, until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and toasted. Serve with a salad.

Roast beetroot for two hours so they caramelise and become rich, soft, and tender. Add herbs and feta yogurt. Serve as part of a mezze with homemade (or Locavore-made!) hummus, flatbreads, tzatzkiki, falafel, and whatever else you please.

Flowers

The flowers are still blooming, and blooming beautiful! Add them to your subscription by emailing us, or add them to your order on the Veg Box Online Shop. 

Good Food Fund

Thank you for your donations to the Good Food Fund, which partners with charities to support those vulnerable to food insecurity. You can donate via subscription, or on the Online Veg Box Shop. You can also choose to donate your veg box to the Good Food Fund when pausing it for a week or longer.