In Your Box 20th October

Rita’s parsley was discovered to have a fungus and so I have swapped this for coriander. Some of the pak choy had been eaten by something other than us and so these boxes have been substituted with more avocados and tangelos. Also the grapefruit wasn’t able to be picked this week so I have allocated more of the other citrus to these boxes

A delightful array of goodies for this weeks box

Veggies- Large Boxes

Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Beetroot, Pak choy, Broccoli, Cucumbers, Leeks, Lettuce, Potatoes and Parsley.

Medium Boxes- Cauliflower, Beetroot, Mushrooms, Pak choy, Broccoli, Cucumbers, Leeks, Lettuce, Potatoes and Parsley.

Small Boxes- Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Pak choy, Broccoli, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Potatoes and Parsley.

Fruit- All boxes will have Bananas, Oranges, Tangelos, Avocados and Lemons. The large and Medium will also have Pink Grapefruit.

In Season

Bananas are back and they’re not going away at least while the rains have ceased in the Coffs Harbour region. Cucumbers are here and Zucchinis are around the corner, many more beans on the way and not just has beens. I spoke with a cherry grower today who expects a good crop with many varieties of her cherries in early November, so watch this space. Also due to arrive in the coming weeks, first class only, are more cabbages, celery, tomatoes and more carrots only larger than the previous ones.

Direct from the local farmers

A brand new farmer this week coming from the Windsor/ Richmond area who grows chemical free produce. Lily and her sons from Mountain View grow a huge range of produce and for our first week they are providing us with cauliflower and broccoli which they are delivering directly to the warehouse. We also have some gorgeous organic lettuces coming from Lin’s and an amazing array of vegetables being dropped off by Rita or her Husband George.

Herbivore

A member of the carrot family, also related to celery, yes I’m talking parsley!  The great companion plant for tomatoes that happens to be a biennial which means it continues to thrive year after year once you plant it.  Charlemagne popularized it by growing it on his estate, like myself.  There are 2 common types of parsley, curly and flat leaf. Curly conjures up images of garnishes nestled on food in restaurants in the 1970′s. I see flat leaf rather more sophisticated and use it in cooking rather than just looking at it. Rich in Vitamin C which helps to maintain a healthy immune system. Parsley tea is also good for lowering high blood pressure. Historically parsley has acted as a neutralizer or concealer of unpleasant smells, we know it well as a breath freshner, especially after consuming garlic. It used to be sprinkled over corpses to deodorize them, hmm… interesting.

Back to how I would use parsley-  A salsa verde wouldn’t go astray, plenty of chopped garlic, parsley and lemon juice with olive oil and sea salt, throw in some chili if you need to. Try making a gluten free tabouli with Quinoa roast tomatoes and loads of finely chopped parsley with lemon zest and toasted pumpkin seeds. Add it to stews and soups and make cauliflower cheese and sprinkle chopped parsley on top. Great on scrambled eggs or last minute added to a pasta for that earthy, fresh taste.

The mellow tangelo

These orange like fruits are in all boxes this week as the weather has allowed Sandra to pick her fruit for us. They were meant for our boxes last week with the avocados, grapefruit and lemons but they experienced non stop rain which, if you pick avocados they will develop black spots and go rotten so they had to wait it out. The fruit that is a cross between the pomelo, mandarin and orange is here. They are excessively juicy and easy to peel, like mandarins. Delicious eaten and perfect for juice, you could also cook them and add them to a chocolate almond cake. They are also beneficial for the immune system as they are full of vitamin C and protect against viral infections.