Green Futures

Author: GreenFuturesGY

  • Veg Box News 07.04.14

    IMPORTANT NOTE FOR CUSTOMERS.

    Early warning  A week on Friday 18th is Good Friday, we are closed. Any FRIDAY CUSTOMER still wanting a veg box (but it will be delivered on the Thursday) Please email orders@greenfuturesgrimsby.co.uk if we don’t hear from you we assume you don’t want a box. Sorry for any inconvenience.

    So I’m back from my week in Wales. Even while on holiday I thought about my work here and took the time out to visit a biodynamic farm and an organic growing project. It was reassuring to see that there are so many other projects working towards a more natural way of working. It is a real shame that more farmers in Lincolnshire and particularly round here don’t realise the benefits of growing organic. The projects I spoke to had very good results with very reasonable yields and most importantly they weren’t damaging the ecosystem with artificial chemical sprays etc. It was also interesting to note that even the organic project had to have imported veg to supplement what they could grow on their own site. I chatted to the owners and found out even for them at this time of year it was very difficult. This made me feel better that we are doing all we can, as even larger projects have to use imported veg to deliver a 50 weeks a year service.

    The only Carrots we could get this week were pre washed but they are English. I’m sorry to give you beetroot 2 weeks in a row but we are trying to minimise on the use of imported veg. We include a lovely beetroot soup recipe or you could try pickling or even juicing them raw with a bit of lemon juice. Have a look at http://lovebeetroot.co.uk/ for some other great ideas! If you make up some pickling vinegar you can even do this to the red cabbage too! The tomatoes are English, the first lot of glasshouse grown from just north of Hull.

    Don’t forget we are now also selling Salad and fruit boxes for £6.00 but if you also buy a veg box then they are discounted to £5.50. As always collections from site receive a 50p discount as we have saved on delivery costs.

    We’ve included one of our new leaflets with your box so if you know any of friends or neighbours that might be interested please do pass on our details.

    Thanks for your continued support, Sean, Kylie and the Veg box team.

    PS

    We have just a few jars of local honey for sale for £4.50 (Not ours but the bees are from just down the road in Bradley).

    As always the free range eggs are ½ dozen for £1.50.

    Six pack of sweet peas for £1.00 (ready to go in).

  • Honey-roast chanterey carrots + Ginger-Asian Dressing

    Honey-roast chanterey carrots

    1kg Chantenay carrots, or large carrots, cut into big chunks

    • 1 heaped tsp clear honey
    • juice 1 large orange
    • 2 tbsp mild olive oil

    Heat oven to 200C/180C/gas 6. Boil carrots for 5 mins till almost cooked, drain and cool. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a small roasting tray, tip in carrots, season and roast for 20 mins until cooked, but still with a little bite.

    Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2006

    Ginger-Asian Dressing

    Ingredients: 
    1 carrot, fresh, small, peeled and shredded
    2 tbsp white wine vinegar
    2 tbsp cider vinegar
    1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
    1/2 tsp sesame oil
    2 tbsp minced onion
    1 tbsp hot mustard
    1 tbsp fresh ginger root, grated

    Method: 
    Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

    Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/10-delicious-diy-salad-dressings/#ixzz2wsqq9jxt

    SEED POTAOES FOR SALE FIRST EARLIES ONLY A FEW BAGS, £1.25 a Kilo.

    Tomato Plants for sale 3 for £1

  • Veg Box News 24.03.14

    So we had the sudden sharp cold night. It killed a few seedling here and speaking to the veg trade wiped out a load of the English Cauliflowers as the price jumped this week. The fluctuations in price have been a real eye opener to me. As super market consumers you are some what shielded from this because they often force a fixed low price from the farmers. This price fixing often damages the profits of farmers. Sadly it means that you as a consumer don’t benefit when prices are really low which is why we often can beat the supermarkets on their price.

     The sunny days have given us the perfect weather opportunity to recover polytunnel 1 but most of the landscape staff have been off site working on a new wildlife area for Synthomer, planting 900 new trees! We did do all the preparation work however, that took long enough!

     In the veg boxes this week we have given you a different variety of potato; Sagitta, they are a good all rounder, we hope you like the variety. The mixed salad leaves came from our poly-tunnel it includes a selection from land cress, winter purslane, baby beet leaves, lambs lettuce and chard. The recipe for the dressing is really zingy and works well with the leaves. Hopefully you enjoy the Chanterey carrots too for a little change.

     This week we have had a few new work placements come onto site. Sometimes the placements are mandatory work placements from the work agencies; the participants often arrive feeling a bit nervous or grumpy at having to attend. Usually after their 4 weeks with us they are a lot happier and some even keep coming back as they like the project, discover that they like working on the land and realise what good work we do and want to contribute. This attitude is a far cry from the image promoted by the rise of the poverty porn of programs on tv.

    In the ten pound boxes this week is some broccoli raab, its an unusual leafy vegetable here is how to deal with it

     Rinse and trim 1/4-inch from bottom of stems.

    Cut stalks crosswise into 2-inch pieces and drop them into salted (optional), boiling water.

    Cook for 1 to 2 minutes and remove with slotted spoon.

    Saute the blanched broccoli raab/rapini in a little olive oil and as much garlic as you like for 3 to 5 minutes until tender. Optional – Add a few dried red pepper flakes.

    Thanks for your continued support,

    Sean, Kylie and the Veg box team.

    PS we have just a few jars of local honey for sale for £4.50. (Not ours but the bees are from just down the road in Bradley)

  • Potatoe and Turnip Rosti

    3-4 medium potaoes washed and grated

    1-2 Turnips peeled and grated

    1 onion, finely chopped or grated

    1 clove garlic, crushed

    Salt and freshly ground black pepper

    3 tbsp olive oil

    Fresh chopped chives or spring onions, to garnish

     

    Dry the grated potato with a clean tea towel to remove as much moisture as possible. Mix with the onion, turnip,garlic and herbs (if using) and season with salt and pepper.

    Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan. Add mounds of the grated potato mixture, flatten the surface with a fish slice, and cook over a medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. The potato needs to cook and brown on the base, so avoid trying to turn them too soon.

    Turn each rosti carefully and cook the other side for a further 10 minutes. Remember to keep the heat low so the inside of the rosti cook without over browning.

    Tip: Grate the potatoes by hand rather than in a food processor where they can become too wet. Once grated use right away to prevent discolouration.

     

  • Veg Box News 10.03.14

    Yes! More sun! which means we have been able to get on the landscape to do all sorts of jobs. This week we have planted out our potatoes, potted up a large number of seedlings includingchillies, tomatoes and peppers. So far we have over 6 varieties of tomato. We have planted our first early potatoes; Casabalanca. I look forward to new potatoes. It is one of the other things about eating seasonally; food becomes more of a treat. In some ways we have been spoiled by the supermarket 24/7/365 food. It is good to be able to have what you want, but if you can get it all the time, it is easy to take it for granted.

    In this weeks veg box the carrots are from Kirton Lindsey, a different farmer but still as local as we can get.

    In the health food supplies side of our veg boxes we took on a couple more lines of product including date syrup and we now have some Tempeh in jars. This is an excellent meat substitute and easier to digest than soya. We also have a new stock of coconut oil. Sadly we do have a few out of date items, (I hate to have waste) These are for sale for half price and include wasabi peas, hemp seeds and some fair-trade cookies. We need a few more customers ordering from us to reduce this to a minimum. We would encourage any of our customers to call on site to look at our full range of stock. Also you can find an up to date list at this web address https://www.greenfuturesgrimsby.co.uk/the-pantry-stock-list-2014/ or you can request a paper copy.

    Dont forget every pound you spend with us, the 60p goes back into the local community….. spend the same money in a super market and 70p leaves the area!

    Our open day last week went well, we had demonstrations of some of the services we can offer on site and had plenty of great ideas from people keen to add to the areas only environmental and agricultural community enterprise.

    Please do recommend us to anyone who you think would like to support us or who would benefit from our services.

    Thanks for your continued support,

    Sean, Kylie and the Veg box team.

    SEED POTAOES FOR SALE FIRST EARLIES ONLY A FEW BAGS, £1.25 a Kilo.

    PS we have just a few jars of local honey for sale for £4.50. (Not ours but the bees are from just down the road in Bradley)

  • Balsamic Beetroot Bake with Sweet Potato Topping

     

    8 raw beetroot, scrubbed clean and chopped roughly into even chunks, (1/4rd or halves)

    4tblsp Olive Oil

    4tbsp Balsamic vinegar

    3-4 large sweet potatoes peeled and diced

    2tbsp wholegrain mustard

    1/2tsp cornflour

     

    Preheat the oven to gas mark6/200C. Place beetroot on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar roast for 30 to 45 mins until soft and starting to caramelize.

     

    Meanwhile place peeled and diced sweet potato in a pan of boiling water and simmer for 10 to 15 mins until soft. Drain and return to the pan, season with salt and pepper and add the mustard. Mash to a smooth mash.

     

    Place roasted beetroot in a baking dish. Add 2-3 tbsp of water and balsamic to the tin that the beetroot was roasted on and stir to dislodge any bits of caramelized beetroot, add the cornflour, stir well until thickened. Pour over the beetroot in the baking dish.

     

    Top the beet root with the mash and bake for 15-20 mins until light golden and crunchy.

     

    Recipe from The Times Eat magazine

  • Veg Box News 03.03.14

    Another gloriously sunny Monday. We have a load of young enthusiastic Princes Trust volunteers on site. We, along with Emma the Herbalist, took them to Bradley woods to do a litter pick. Afterwards they came back on site to do digging and getting some fresh air; some hadn’t ever used spades before so it was an experience!

    In food terms the next 4 weeks are always difficult and have been christened the ‘food gap’. Its that time when winter crops and stored crops are coming to their end but the new spring crops aren’t quite ready. We always have to go further afield to keep the veg box service running and for certain items the only way we can supply you with food is to use imported stuff, although most of this is coming from Holland via Hull so in terms of food miles its still less than say beans flown from Kenya etc. Sadly with the way the food markets are set up and unless you are willing to only eat the same veg every week, then this is unavoidable. We always try to minimise this as much as possible, but without more local growers and use of innovative growing techniques, we are at the mercy of the seasons and food markets.

    In this weeks veg box we have managed to get some English grown under glass spinach and cress to give you some variety from the usually winter selection.

    We have been asked to supply a few salad boxes, these have our own Purslane, land cress and radish, they have some imported items including cucumber, tomato and lettuce but are still very tasty and fresh. They can be ordered for £6. In another 4 weeks we will be able to get English tomatoes grown in Hull and we should have our own lettuce.

    If you still have your beetroot from last week the recipe this week will hopefully help you use it. We can sell you sweet potato for £1.95 a kilo.

    On the landscape this week our volunteers have been helping paint wood preserver on a load of planters and outside furniture that we acquired as they were going to be thrown away. We have also built Elaine a new potting shed, its really lovely and it will probably double up as her summer office. We have been busy separating out seedlings and now have leeks, tomatoes, peppers, chillies and lettuce all coming on lovely.

    Thanks for your continued support,

    Sean, Kylie and the Veg box team.

    PS we have just a few jars of local honey for sale for £4.50. (Not ours but the bees are form just down the road)

  • Veg Box News 24.02.14

    As I start this news letter the door to the office is wide open, the sun is streaming into the office and I can hear birds singing. It’s days like this that remind me why I love working here.

    On the landscape we have seedlings coming through all over the place; tomatoes, leeks, brassicas, broccoli, chillies and peppers.   The sunshine is helping our seeds but also is  bringing the weeds out, so we are now onto the ever present weeding.  As we don’t use any nasty chemical sprays on our crops, manual weeding is the way forward.  We are trialling the use of vinegar in some areas as this was recommended by the organic gardeners we visited in Lincoln.

    Last week we got a load of stuff from Strand Street Schools rooftop garden.  It was going to be dumped but we stepped in and rescued loads of planters, a shed and a small greenhouse as well as some very usable timber and cold frames.  Waste no want not.  Nothing in Nature is wasted, us humans need to remember that!

    We have the last of the spring hanging baskets for sale for £5 they have pansies, primulas and just coming up with miniature daffodils.  Order with your veg box or call on site.

    Last reminder this week… change you energy supplier to a Greener one using our referral code and we get £25 and you should save some money too!  http://www.goodenergy.co.uk/affiliates/green-futures, a green energy supplier whose electricity comes from certified renewables like sunshine, wind and rain.  Switch to Good Energy quoting GE2209 and help transform the way we make and use energy in the UK.

    Talking of referrals; We are pleased to support this little local festival C-FAB and will be running their General Store.

    http://www.c-fab.co.uk/?GF

    IF YOU FANCY GOING PLEASE BOOK USING THIS LINK AS WE GET A SMALL DONATION FOR HELPING PROMOTE THE FESTIVAL

    Thanks for your continued support,

    Sean, Kylie and the Veg box team.

    SPECIAL OFFER!!!!  RECOMMEND A FRIEND TO SIGN UP FOR A REGULAR DELIVERY IN FEB AND RECEIVE A FREE GIFT IN YOUR VEG BOX!  DONT FORGET TO GET THEM TO SAY THAT IT WAS YOU THAT RECOMMEND THEM SO WE CAN SAY THANKS.

    To promote Climate week we are having an open day Thurs 6th March 11am til 2pm Call on site there will be some stalls, items for sale and FREE workshops and activities, plus of course chance to look around site.

  • End of Year Report

    As a social enterprise we work in an open, transparent and honest way.  We like to share with our friends and supporters how we are doing and what our achievements and failings are.  We work hard to be an environmental, sustainable centre for North East Lincolnshire.   Our work covers a range of different activities and we touch many peoples lives in a variety of positive way.

    Our annual report is a summary of the things we  got up to in 2012/13 and some of the impressive stats we have achieved.   We were very lucky to get  support from Groundworks to fund ‘Thornley Hill’ designers to take our statistics and turn them into a fantastic annual report.  We present them here for you to view:

    Click link below to read/download

    End of Year Report

  • Veg Box News 17.02.14

     

    Rain, rain and more rain! Who wants to bet we still get a hosepipe ban in the summer? Thankfully, as we have our own water supply from the natural aquifer that sits under Bradley so we don’t have that as a problem. Our plants are mostly watered with the finest Lincolnshire chalk filtered water.

    On the landscape this week we have been doing prep-work in the poly tunnels and more tidying up. We’ve had a move around to enable us to create storage for the chipper we have acquired. We are pleased, as getting our own kit means we don’t have to rely on other people and become more self sustaining.

    This week we have picked up a trial contract for another local cafe so if that works out well, then again we will be moving towards being more self sustaining. The lottery funding we received runs out end of March so it is really important that we generate as much of our own revenue as we can. We are keen to try and get new customers in the streets that we already deliver to, so if you know your neighbours or fancy putting some post cards through a few doors, please do let us know.

    Sean was interviewed by Estuary TV, as we are the first place in Lincolnshire to sell British Baked Beans. Although they are made in Norfolk the food miles are still considerably less than normal baked beans, plus you are supporting British Farmers and helping grow crops that naturally put nitrogen in the soil, reducing the use of artificial fertilisers. You can of course order these with your veg box.

    We’re all about sustainability and are proud to be in partnership with Good Energy  http://www.goodenergy.co.uk/affiliates/green-futures, a green energy supplier whose electricity comes from certified renewables like sunshine, wind and rain.Switch to Good Energy quoting GE2209 and help transform the way we make and use energy in the UK. If you do we get £25!

    Thanks for your continued support,

    Sean, Kylie and the Veg box team.

    SPECIAL OFFER!!!! RECOMMEND A FRIEND TO SIGN UP FOR A REGULAR DELIVERY IN FEB AND RECEIVE A FREE GIFT IN YOUR VEG BOX! DONT FORGET TO GET THEM TO SAY THAT IT WAS YOU THAT RECOMMEND THEM SO WE CAN SAY THANKS