Veg Box Newsletter 13th April: Whatcha Cooking?

Hello Folks,

Covid-19 update

Our big Locavore-wide update is available to read here, and the biggest vegboxes update is here, but here are the headlines for this week. As always, the situation is evolving quickly, so we’d appreciate it if you could read the following carefully.

  • Easter & Veg Boxes: Expect Delays
    The global effects of Easter join the Hungry Gap and the pandemic as complications this week. Because many hauliers don’t work Easter Monday, and a lot of Europe totally shuts down for Holy Week, we’re expecting to get our produce this week a day later than usual. Your deliveries will be made on the same day as usual, but they will likely arrive later than you’re used to, especially if you get your delivery on Wednesdays. Our hardworking drivers are expecting to be out delivering until 10pm or later, so please don’t worry if your box doesn’t arrive before then.
  • Streamlined Service: No Opt Out Lists
    Please remember that we aren’t currently able to honour opt-out lists- ie. any veg you usually request to not receive will now be included in your boxes. This is because we are running a reduced service during the pandemic to protect our staff and to enable us to concentrate on delivering to as many people as possible. I realise how frustrating it is to receive produce you can’t eat, and please know that we’re working on getting back to normal as soon as possible. Not offering opt-out lists means that we can have fewer packers in the packing shed at any one time, which means it is possible for them to work six feet apart.
  • Packaging
    We are collecting veg boxes, milk bottles, fruit bags, and all the usual packaging. Although our drivers have gloves and hand sanitiser, most of them use their own vehicles so some of them strongly prefer to collect boxes that have been placed in binbags before collection, so please do this if you can, especially if your driver hasn’t been collecting your boxes. Additionally, please put your boxes out as early as possible and preferably at least 24 hours before collection to help make sure the boxes are as safe as possible to collect. Finally, if you or anyone in your household is ill, please don’t leave any packaging out until you are well and your government- recommended quarantine period is over. With these measures in place we feel that it is safe to collect packaging.

The Nice Bit

Sunshine through the window, buds on the tree, birdsong falling like blossom from a branch: there is spring just outside. And what did I tell you last week? The boxes are looking a little greener already, with chard from our very own farm in nearly every box, plus spring greens for the standards. What’s even more exciting is that the extra large veg boxes have the very first UK tomatoes of the year. You might remember these tasty Isle of Wight tomatoes from veg boxes of past years, and if you do you’ll know they’re worth the hype. Let’s hope the summer is a tomato-full one and that they appear in all our boxes soon.

What are you cooking? I’m still finding time in the kitchen a joy admid all the difficult days. It’s a good time to try something new, and our veg rewards experimentation. Don’t forget to share what you’re making in our Facebook group or on Instagram. Now is the time to bring in those fresh, vibrant flavours: mint and feta with your roasted beetroot, lemon on your leeks, chopped parsley in your grated carrot salads. Now we change from the carolus potatoes we love for mash and roasting to maris peer that are versatile but a little waxier and so suited to boiling- and perhaps a potato salad. The appearance of the first potato salad, and that lazy way of putting lunch together out of cold tasty things from the fridge, is when I really know the seasons are changing. What do you find yourself cooking at this time of year?

Flowers

The beautiful, Glasgow-grown, bee-friendly flowers our wonderful florist Kim grows are available on the Online Veg box shop or by subscription. They bring the scents of spring into your home, and are the prettiest way to cheer up. Email us for a dose of flowers with your veg box every week (or every other week).

Surveys


As you may have already seen on our social media channels, we are currently running an additional survey about the Covid-19 lockdown and our response to it. The survey is running as part of our Locavore Impacts project  and aims to find out more about the impact of the lockdown on our customers, as well as thoughts on how we have responded and suggestions for how else we might be able to help. If you have time to give us your thoughts and feedback you can find the survey here.  

If this gets you in the mood for something more substantial, the main customer survey is still open and available here  with a chance to win £20 in Locavore vouchers as a thank you taking part. 


Good Food Fund

Thank you to everyone who has donated to the Good Food Fund over the past few weeks. It’s much needed and greatly appreciated.

If you’re in a position to, please consider donating to our Good Food Fund, which supports food banks and other schemes that fight food poverty. You can donate weekly by emailing us to add a donation onto your subscription, or you can make one-off donations on the Online Veg Box Shop. It’s important to look out for everyone in times like these. 

Monthly Specials

Monthly specials are currently suspended, except for meat boxes. We aren’t currently adding any of monthly specials to subscriptions, including meat boxes, but current meat box subscriptions will be fulfilled. The next box is in the first week of May.

Check out storage guidance here for helpful tips and tricks on how to prolong the life of your fresh produce. If you’re wondering where your veg comes from, have a look at these maps. You can also join your fellow subscribers over in the Facebook group for lots of tips, tricks, and recipe ideas.

To contact us, ring 0141 378 1672 or email us at subscribers@glasgowlocavore.org


In the veg boxes this week:

Subject to last minute changes

Small veg box Farm Organic Certifier
Potatoes (maris peer) Skea Organics, Dundee Soil Association
Carrots Skea Organics, Dundee Soil Association
Beetroot Chapel Farm, North Berwick Soil Association
Leeks Pollybell Organics, Lincoln Soil Association
Chestnut mushrooms Orchard Organic, Armagh Soil Association
Standard veg box Farm Organic Certifier
Potatoes (maris peer) Skea Organics, Dundee Soil Association
Carrots Skea Organics, Dundee Soil Association
Beetroot Chapel Farm, North Berwick Soil Association
Leeks Pollybell Organics, Lincoln Soil Association
Spring greens Sampson, Cornwall Soil Association
Chard Locavore Left Field Soil Association
Large veg box Farm Organic Certifier
Potatoes (maris peer) Skea Organics, Dundee Soil Association
Carrots Skea Organics, Dundee Soil Association
Beetroot Chapel Farm, North Berwick Soil Association
Leeks Pollybell Organics, Lincoln Soil Association
Spring greens Sampson, Cornwall Soil Association
Chard Locavore Left Field Soil Association
Chestnut mushrooms Orchard Organic, Armagh Soil Association
Watercress John Hurd, Wiltshire Soil Association
OR Bay leaves Trinity Farms, Nottinghamshire Soil Association
Extra Large veg box Farm Organic Certifier
Potatoes (maris peer) Skea Organics, Dundee Soil Association
Carrots Skea Organics, Dundee Soil Association
Beetroot Chapel Farm, North Berwick Soil Association
Leeks Pollybell Organics, Lincoln Soil Association
Spring greens Sampson, Cornwall Soil Association
Chard Locavore Left Field Soil Association
Chestnut mushrooms Orchard Organic, Armagh Soil Association
Watercress John Hurd, Wiltshire Soil Association
OR Bay leaves Trinity Farms, Nottinghamshire Soil Association
Vine cocktail tomatoes The Tomato Stall, Isle of Wight Soil Association
Small fruit bag Farm / Origin Organic Certifier
Apples (Story Inored) Italy CCPB
Oranges (Lanelate) Spain Caae
Lemons Spain Caae
Medium fruit bag Farm / Origin Organic Certifier
Apples (Story Inored) Italy CCPB
Oranges (Lanelate) Spain Caae
Lemons Spain Caae
Large fruit bag Farm / Origin Organic Certifier
Apples (Story Inored) Italy CCPB
Oranges (Lanelate) Spain Caae
Lemons Spain Caae
Grapefruit Spain Caae
Extra large fruit bag Farm / Origin Organic Certifier
Apples (Story Inored) Italy CCPB
Oranges (Lanelate) Spain Caae
Lemons Spain Caae
Grapefruit Spain Caae
Small supplementary veg Origin Organic Certifier
Cucumbers Netherlands SKAL
Pak choi Netherlands SKAL
Standard supplementary veg Origin Organic Certifier
Cucumbers Netherlands SKAL
Pak choi Netherlands SKAL
Garlic Spain Caae
Parsley Locavore Left Field Soil Associatio

Enjoy!

The Locavore Team

One Comment

  1. Karen Armstrong says:

    I didn’t know there was an opt out option, as I would have opted out of celeriac, I got so many of them I’m totally sickened. Also parsnips, lately inedible, either very large and dried out or limp and wrinkly. All I seem to get are root veg, since joining I’ve had brussels sprouts once, broccoli once, a pot of parsley once, and mushrooms about three times. Kale and leeks and turnip have been plentiful and cabbage, except only the one variety, no spring greens as yet and no savoy. Red occasionally. No red or white onions or shallots. No spinach. There’s not much variety, I fully understand the situation at the moment however there is a noticeable lack of green in my boxes. I hope there’s a change soon.

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