FIELD TO PLATE
Andy Dibben THE COMMUNITY FARM
As we head into a week where temperatures are forecast to barely get above zero, it finally feels like we may be leaving the rain behind and welcoming in a nice cold snap. These sorts of temperatures really do put a full stop on the growing season and only the hardiest of crops are left in the field. We have fully-grown crops that can withstand the cold, which we will carry on harvesting through the winter such as cabbages, kales, parsnips and leeks. Some of the younger crops which are young but hardy will slow their growth right down with the drop in temperature and daylight hours but are ready to explode into life in early spring as the days lengthen and it warms back up. These crops include purple sprouting broccoli, spring cabbage and garlic. If we had just finished a normal growing season we would also have had a variety of crops harvested and in our cold store to see us through the winter such as squash, beetroot, carrots, potatoes, turnips, swede, onions, garlic and hard cabbages. However the torrential rain last year claimed many crops and those that survived yielded far below their normal levels, which meant that by Christmas we had already sold out of our storage crops. The poly tunnels will keep producing salad leaves all the way through the winter, while we switch to using a lot of oriental greens in our salad such as tatsoi, pak choi, mizuna, mibuna and mustards because they are members of the Brassica (cabbage) family and so are hardier than softer lettuce-type leaves. So as the growing and harvesting work takes up less of our time in the field over December and into January we begin to focus on preparing for next season, which starts at the beginning of February. There’s lots to be done including repairing machinery and other equipment, planning next year’s crops, ordering seed, making compost, sourcing farmyard manure to feed the land and catching up with mountains of paperwork. Hopefully there will be a few minutes here and there to draw breath and reflect on the season that was (I’d rather not this year) and look forward optimistically to next season which I hear is going to be a perfect combination of sun and rain!!?
WIN a family veg box from Community Farm, see page 7 for details. Or to order a box see page 37
SPINACH AND POTATO CASSEROLE
Here’s another easy dish from India’s vast kitchen repertoire. Spinach first appeared in England and France in the 14th century, probably via Spain, and it gained quick popularity because it appeared in early spring, when other vegetables were scarce.
Serves 4-6
450g potatoes, diced and parboiled
1 kg spinach, chopped finely
1 onion, chopped finely 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely /2
1
1 1
tsp turmeric
1 Using a wok, heat the oil and then lightly fry the potatoes to golden brown. Remove and keep warm.
2 Next, fry the onion until it begins to brown and then pop in the garlic and chili.
3 Now add the spinach, turmeric and ground mixed spice. Turn up the heat and then stir as the spinach cooks down, about 5 minutes.
green chili, de-seeded and chopped finely /2 /2
/2 tsp mustard seeds
Oil for frying Salt, to season
4 After that put in the curd or cottage cheese, the potatoes, salt and mustard seeds. Stir and cook gently for a further 5-10 minutes until the spinach has crumpled and most of the liquid has evaporated.
tsp ground mixed spice
110g curd or cottage cheese 1
The Small Planet Vegetarian Cookbook Published by New Internationalist
38 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
UNDER AN
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