Green Futures

Category: Food Advice

  • Summer courgette & tomato gratin

    500g new potatoes, unpeeled and thickly sliced

    • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

    • 5 tbsp olive oil

    • few oregano (or marjoram) and thyme sprigs

    • 500g tomatoes (a mix of sizes and colours if possible), sliced or halved depending on size

    • 500g courgettes, sliced on the diagonal

    • 75g Gruyère (or vegetarian alternative), coarsely grated

    • 25g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), finely grated

       

      Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 6 mins, then drain well.

    Mix the garlic with the oil and some seasoning. Strip the herb leaves from their stalks, then add to the oil. Drizzle a little of the oil over the base and sides of a 1.5-litre ovenproof dish. Layer half the potatoes, tomatoes and courgettes in the dish, drizzling with garlic and herb oil as you go. Mix the two cheeses and sprinkle half over the veg.

    Repeat the layers of veg and oil, drizzle over the remaining oil, then sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Bake for 40-45 mins until the veg is tender and the top golden and crisp.

    Source;

    http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2369639/summer-courgette-and-tomato-gratin

  • Practical Cookery Session Wed 13th Nov

     
    Practical Cookery Session
    Wednesday 13th
    November, 2013.
    Participants can take part in a practical cookery demonstration
    and eat the fruits of their labour in a session held at
    Second Avenue Resource Centre with Vicki Hall.
    Preference will be given to
    people who pledge to ‘pass it on’
    – to share the practical skills they
    have learnt with family and/or
    friends.
    For more information please contact:
    Steven Markham
    (01472) 326241
    Steven.Markham@nelincs.gov.uk

    Using a ‘Veggie Box’ from us. 🙂
    The course is high value,
    but no charge will be made
    to participants.

     

     

    2013_11_13_Veggie Box Cookery Scheme

  • Caramelised Fennel

     

    Cooking time; 20 minutes
    Ingredients:
    1 Large fennel bulbs
    3 tblspns olive oil
    Sea salt
    Black pepper
    ½ Lemon

    Method

    Using a very sharp knife, cut the top and bottom from the fennel bulbs and then remove tough or bruised outer layers. You will end up with a bulb about the size of your fist.

    Slice the bulbs in half and then remove the cores from the fennel. Then cut the fennel lengthwise into 1/8 inch slices (it is ok if a little thicker).

    Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil and then the fennel slices. Spread the fennel out in the pan to encourage browning.

    Cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping the fennel slices every few minutes, until golden brown.

    Remove the fennel from the pan and drain off any excess oil. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, to taste. Serve.

  • Veg Box News 03.09.13

    Ok so own up, who stole August? Where did that month go? We harvested so much stuff and your boxes contained the greatest percentage of our own produce yet. The Salad boxes have often been 100% from our site. As this project continues we hope to keep up this sort of level of activity and work with more local growers so we are constantly reducing our and consequently your food miles. Every box you buy from us you can feel good that you are supporting local growers and food suppliers.

    In the box this week are Lincolnshire Daisy potatoes and a load of veg that is great for roasting. (See side panel) This makes for a great dinner that is easy and so tasty.

    On the landscape we have been busy with the usual round of weeding and watering and planting out. The rather interesting looking purple sprouts are taking shape; should have these ready for the Christmas boxes. Arrgh, did I say that word! Yes, already when growing things, we have had to be thinking about Christmas! We will be offering our usual boxes plus a special larger Christmas dinner box and possibly a deluxe Christmas hamper too! More details to follow.

    One good thing to come out of the on site burglary was the news coverage got us 2 news customers! Other than that its been a night mare of logistics and apologies, particularly for our garden round customers. We finally got the vans back close of business on Tuesday, so slowly we will get back to speed. Thanks for your patience and the best help you can be is to keep buying our veg and tell your neighbours about our service!

    We have quite a few jams and preserves for sale, some made by our customers, some made by a local small business. I am slowly trying to try them all, to check for quality purposes you understand 🙂

    Thanks for your continued support!

    Reminder

    We work with Specialist Health Promotion and they are running a cookery session, Wednesday 18th

    September. Participants can take part in a practical cookery demonstration and eat the fruits of their labour in a session held at Second Avenue Resource Centre with Vicki Hall. For more information please contact: Steven Markham (01472) 326241

    Steven.Markham@nelincs.gov.uk

  • Health Benefits of Vegetables; Onions and Shallots

    Onions and shallots are full of nutrients including, Vitamins A, B, C, magnesium, potassium, sulphur compounds, bioflavonoids, essential oils (mono or sesquiterpenoids) and natural sugars.
    They are great vegetables to add to your diet to support bones and joints especially if you experience rheumatoid arthritis or gout.  They support the blood and circulation and are beneficial for people who have arteriosclerosis, onions and shallots help to support the immune system especially if you are coming down with a cold or the flu and they are also beneficial for period pains in women,
    Onions have antibiotic and anti-fungal properties and can block tumour formation, reduce cholesterol levels and prevent blood clots from forming.  They help to ease water retention and promote the elimination of urea.  Onions are beneficial to both the digestive and circulatory systems.  They can be juiced or used in a decoction for the treatment of digestive problems, diarrhora, coughs, colds and flu.  You can even make an onion syrup by layering sliced raw onion with brown sugar or molasses which will eventually turn into an onion syrup and require the onions to be strained after 4 weeks.
    Onions can be eaten raw – macerating them in olive oil makes them more palatable.  Onion juice can be drunk mixed in water or carrot juice and can also be applied neat to insect stings, warts and boils.
    Info courtesy of;
    Emma Warrener
    Western Medicinal Herbalist within Grimsby and Cleethorpes
    Check out my website at: www.herbsforhealthandwellbeing.co.uk
    Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrimsbyHerbalUK

  • Health Benefits of Vegetables

    Parsnips:
    Parsnips belong to the same family as carrots and parsley.  They contain small quantities of essential oils (mostly terpenes) that have anti-cancer properties and therefore are a healthy addition to anyones diet.  They are also full of health giving nutrients including: Vitamin C, Folic acid, phosphorus, potassium, carbohydrates and fibre.
    Turnips:
    Did you know that both the root and the young leaves od the turnip can be eaten?  Also the root can be eaten raw and when grated makes a delicious addition to salads.  Turnips contain Vitamins A, B and C, folic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur and natural sugars.
    Understanding the nutrients  listed:
    Vitamin A: Vitamin A is important for maintaining healthy skin. It also helps prevent frequent infections of the upper respiratory tract such as colds and sore throats and improves night vision (carrots make you see in the dark – contain beta carotene which is a precursor to Vitamin A). Retinol is the scientific name for Vitamin A and is found in animal products as well as in vegetables.
    Vitamin C: This is an under-rated vitamin – most people are aware that it prevents scurvy and rickets but is also promotes tissue repair and wound healing and is important for the general health of the immune system – eating high vitamin C foods can prevent infections such as colds and coughs and can dramatically reduce the time you have one too!  Vitamin C is an antioxidant meaning that it protects the body from damage caused by free-radicals which causes mutations, signs of aging etc.  It also plays a major role in the absorption of iron and the formation of antibodies and collagen.
    Folic Acid: This vitamin is crucial for the health of our DNA and for making red blood cells too.  During pregnancy folic acid is important as the development of the baby is a process of making and developing genetic material from the mum and dad to make the little one 🙂
    Phosphorus: This nutrient regulates protein activity and is essential for the release of energy in the bodys cells. It also helps to form and maintain healthy bones and teeth and is necessary for the absorption of many nutrients.
    Potassium: It regulated body fluids, is essential for correct functioning of the cells and the transmission of nerve impulses, it keeps the heartbeat regular and maintains normal blood pressure.
    Calcium: We are all aware that calcium benefits our bones and teeth but did you know that it is also important for nerve transmission (communication), blood clotting and muscle function?  Calcium also regulates the heartbeat and helps to maintain a proper acid-alkaline balance within the body.  Calcium is also important for healthy skin.
    Iron: This is essential for the production of red blood cells (haemoglobin) which transports oxygen to every cell within the body.  Iron also boosts energy levels, prevents anaemia and increases the body’s resistance to disease.
    Magnesium: An important constituent of bones and teeth but also important for muscle contraction. Magnesium also calms the nervous system and regulates the heartbeat.  Women who crave chocolate at that time of the month may actually be craving magnesium.
    Sulphur: This is an anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agent and is used in creams for treating skin disorders such as acne.  Eating foods with this in will also benefit.  sulphur helps to form proteins within the body and is present in every cell.
    info. provided by
    Emma Warrener
    Western Medicinal Herbalist within Grimsby and Cleethorpes
    Check out my website at: www.herbsforhealthandwellbeing.co.uk
    Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrimsbyHerbalUK

  • Roasted Swede with Parmesan

    1 large swede (approx 750g/1lb 10oz), peeled and cut into chips

    • 1 tbsp olive oil, plus some for greasing
    • 50g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated
    • 1 tbsp rosemary leaves
    • knob of butter
    • 2 garlic cloves, peeled

       

    Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Tip the swede, olive oil, 40g of the Parmesan and the rosemary leaves into a shallow roasting tin. Season and toss well, arranging in one layer.

    Sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan, dot with butter, then add the garlic cloves. Roast for 30-35 mins, turning halfway through cooking, until crisp and golden.

    Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2008

  • Health Benefits of Potatoes

    Hear is more info on the health benefits of the vegetables which are sold at Green Futures:
    We have all been told that potatoes are a form of starchy food and should therefore be eaten in moderation and although they are correct there are health benefits from eating potatoes.  Potatoes are full of carbohydrates and are a starchy food source but it also contains Vitamin’s B, C, folic acid, copper, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur too.  Yes they should be eaten in moderation as carbohydrates which are not utilised as energy are changed into fat and stored in the body until a time when it is needed – therefore too many carbohydrates can lead to weight gain.  How they are cooked should also be taken into account to preserve the vitamin and mineral content.  Receiving local, seasonal vegetables will ensure a higher content of nutrients compared to shop bought which can take up to six weeks to reach the shelf of your local department.
    Potatoes have an affinity with the digestive system especially for people who have peptic ulcers, experience gastritis or have diabetes.  They are good for mild digestive problems and can soothe an upset stomach.  Try having potato juice, mixed with equal amounts of carrot and cabbage juice (you may want to add a splash of lemon juice to taste) but this juice/ vegetable smoothie has constituents which can help to ease the symptoms of gastritis and peptic ulcers.
    The juice or pulp of a raw potato can be applied neat if you have burnt yourself and can also relieve the irritation from insect bites, eczema and boils.  Do not eat the green parts of a potato if you get one as these can cause stomach upset – they have been exposed to sunlight and have built up a number of alkaloids.  The potato comes from a family called solanaceae which is the same family as deadly nightshade, bitter sweet, hembane and thorn apple all very poisonous plants.  Every part of the potato plant (except the humble spud itself) is also poisonous.  The green part of the potato (when it occurs contains a similar mix of the solonaceae alkaloids and should be avoided.
    Information from
    Emma Warrener
    Western Medicinal Herbalist within Grimsby and Cleethorpes
    Check out my website at: www.herbsforhealthandwellbeing.co.uk
    Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/GrimsbyHerbalUK