Veg Box Newsletter maasthead

No.1  July 9th 2021

Photo of rainbow chard from Will on the causewayWelcome, one and all, to our first Tod Almighty Newsletter!  We are SO excited to be changing over to our new system and new supplier of organic fruit and veg – step forward Organic North in sunny Manchester!  We have got some fantastic stuff on order for you that we hope you will really enjoy.  This week look for purple mange tout from the Royal Oak farm over in Lancashire, beautiful British cauliflower from New Farm in Lincolnshire, broccoli, red onions, and possibly a cantaloupe melon, red seedless grapes or even a couple of peaches.  It's so good to be coming into soft fruit season – utterly delicious and a much needed boost to our immune system with all that vitamin C.  We like our cauliflowers roasted here at Tod Almighty – recipe coming up below.

And here in the valley our local growers have been as busy as ever making the most of the long summer days.  In your box you could find salad leaves, red kale and spring onions from Will up on the long causeway.  So much love goes into these salad bags from Will and you'll find quite a variety, from fennel and dill to endive and rainbow chard (see photo left).  Packed with flavor so no need to over complicate.  Simply serve as a side salad with a simple olive oil & lemon dressing.  Maybe with a pizza from Woody's!

But first, a bit about nutrition.  I'm sure you know about organic food being better for your body because it doesn't contain any nasties like pesticides, herbicides, artificial fertilisers etc.  Makes sense.  But it also can be interesting to know what else is in the food we are eating, so we will try to put a few details in these newsletters about the vitamin content of the veg in the boxes each week.

So, this week, cauliflower.  Cauliflower is high in fibre and low in calories, and is one of those vegetables that has small amounts of most of the vitamins that you need to get from your food to stay healthy.  It is particularly high in vitamins C, K and B9.  B9 is also known as folic acid, and helps protect against cancers of the lung, colon and cervix.  And it may help slow memory decline associated with aging.  Pregnant women have an increased need for folic acid.  The high fibre is good for your gut bacteria, which has all sorts of health benefits, including a well-functioning immune system and good absorption of the vitamins in food.  Cauliflower is a mild flavoured, easy to eat vegetable that can be lightly steamed or roasted (see recipe below).

We are hoping to increase our customers for our veg boxes, so if you know of anyone who might be interested we would be grateful if you could mention us.  Thank you!

Sally



T: 01706 819450  |  E: VegBoxes@todalmighty.co.uk

RECIPES

Easy peasy lemon... salad dressing


To make the dressing, squeeze half a lemon into an empty jam jar, using your fingers to catch any pips.

Add a couple of tablespoonfuls of oil, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper to the jar.  Put the lid securely on the jar and shake well.  Have a taste and see whether you think it needs a bit more lemon juice or oil – you want it to be slightly acidic, so that it's still nice and zingy once you've dressed your salad leaves.

Harissa-roasted cauliflower steaks (serves 2)

Made from a few simple ingredients, this vegan cauliflower dish wouldn't look out of place in a smart restaurant.  Serve as a starter, or with a salad for lunch or a light meal.  Making your own harissa is really easy, but if you're short of time you can use a jar of ready-made harissa instead (we sell a good one in the shop).

Ingredients
1 cauliflower, sliced into steaks approx. 3–4cm/1¼–1½in thick, young leaves removed and reserved.
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tbsp harissa paste (see below for recipe or use a jar)
2 tsp olive oil
sea salt flakes, to taste

For the harissa
125ml/4fl oz olive oil
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp hot smoked paprika
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 large chargrilled pepper (from a jar)
Drawing of a cauliflower To serve
2 heaped tbsp hummus
1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
harissa, to drizzle

Method
To make the harissa, place all the ingredients into a food processor with a pinch of salt and blend, or use a pestle and mortar to grind until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.

Rub the garlic cloves over the cauliflower steaks, then rub a teaspoon of the harissa you made and a pinch of salt over each steak, ensuring the entire steak is covered.  Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over a baking tray.  Place the cauliflower on the baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.  Turn over and bake for another 15 minutes (or 20–23 minutes if you like a slightly crispier texture).

Oil another baking tray.  Wash the reserved leaves and remove any tough stalks.  Put the leaves in a bowl along with 1 teaspoon of harissa and ¼ teaspoon of salt then rub the leaves to coat them in harissa.  Place on the baking tray.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until crisp.

To serve, divide the hummus between two plates and top with the cauliflower steaks.  Add the crispy leaves around the plate and finish with a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts and a drizzle of harissa.  Enjoy!

What to you think of our first newsletter?  Please let us know if there is anything you would like included in the future.  Or maybe you have a favourite recipe you would like to share?  See you soon.

Tod Almighty Team



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