going back to our roots

Welcome to November’s newsletter!

Given our slightly more than passing interest in seasonal vegetable growing, we often start off our newsletters with a reference to the weather here in the United Kingdom … and yes, it has continued to be weird (snow in the UK? At the end of October?!) But this month, whilst hanging out on the VegBox sofa, we just couldn’t help shifting our focus to the climate in the US, politically speaking.

It’s been an incredible month, and from an eco perspective, I think it’s safe to say that new hopes abound. So as well as bringing you the usual round-up of what’s in season as we move firmly into the realm of the root vegetable, our feature article brings you news of two fascinating campaigns, one from each side of the pond, that capture the Zeitgeist of a renewed global focus on locally-grown seasonal produce.

As always, we’ve got recipes, this month to help you get cosy with cabbage and toasty with turnips as the nights draw in and the extra sweaters go on, plus an update on our new favourite online green community “ ooffoo”, and the launch of our traditional sprout-peddling contest.

Enjoy!

Claire, Clare and The VegBox Team x

Back to the (Forties) Future…

Everyone worth their ethically-sourced salt (yep, including us here on the VBR sofa) is writing to Barack Obama, it seems.

In his open letter to the next President in last month’s New York Times, American activist Michael Pollan spoke of energy independence, climate change and the health care crisis and urged attention on the US food system. He says “You can’t deal with any of those three problems without dealing with the food system”.  He’s on the same page as ecologist Satish Kumar in this month’s publication of Resurgence. “People ask, “What can we do to combat global warming, environmental degradation and social injustice?” The answer …. is, “Let us start with food: let us eat local, organic, seasonal and delicious food…”

Hear hear!

Joining in the clamour for President Obama’s attention are the US-based Eat the View campaign and the White House Organic Farm Project, both of whom are petitioning President Obama to dig up his new “back garden” appoint a Farmer in Chief, and appear with the family, come January, not for the customary stroll, but rather with sleeves up, wellies on, picking their own…

And then there’s Boris Johnson. “What?!” you cry! “Has he been writing to Barack too?”

Well, not quite. But on Tuesday November 4^th, he unveiled the Capital Growth project which is encouraging the capital’s residents to plant gardens on their empty, flat roofs (and pretty much any other available space) in order to increase the amount of locally grown food available. To be precise, the aim is to create 2,012 new food growing spaces by … you guessed it – 2012!

It’s not a new idea, of course. Think Second World War and Eleanor Roosevelt’s “Victory” Home Gardens. And the corresponding surge in allotments in here in the UK. Maybe the rise and rise of Grow-Your-Own can help all of us living on what Obama describes as “a planet in peril” to reduce our dependence on fossil-fuels and help address the problems of climate change. As well as improving our own personal nutrition in the face of the obesity crisis and helping ease the current strain on our household budgets.

I’ll leave the (almost) last word to Satish Kumar. “We have to transform our [personal] relationship with food, as a first step towards transforming political, economic and social policies… Are we prepared to put our hands in the soil?”

Well, you know that here at VBR we are very up for the whole hands/soil relationship. And given that this is the perfect time to plan and prepare for next year’s crops, we are dedicating the next VegBox Recipes Club webcast to providing some practical guidance to all you would-be-home-gardeners out there to help you get started.

STOP PRESS

We can now announce that the webcast will take place in the early evening of Tuesday 2nd December, and I am DEEEEE-lighted to tell you that our special guest will be none other than the quite incredible writer/broadcaster Penney Poyzer – co-creator of the UK’s first radical eco retrofit of a Victorian house, author of “No Waste Like Home” and Matron of the Women’s Environmental Network!

In Season in November

The tree outside my window, which was a-flame this time last month, is now looking decidedly naked. Mother Nature has definitely shifted her focus from branch and hedgerow and is now working most of her magic underground, summoning up delicious root vegetables for us to bubble and bake and stew and roast to keep ourselves warm till spring.

So, get ready to hunker down with November’s most likely box-stars – here’s a round-up of what to expect this month:

apples, beetroot, broccoli, butternut squash and all other winter squashes, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower,  celeriac, Jerusalem artichoke, kohlrabi (whose time is now, finally, running out), leeks (now even sweeter since we’ve had a frost), onions, parsnips, pears, sprouts (don’t miss the competition!), swede, turnip, watercress

And here are some of our current favourite recipes:

Baked Butternut Squash with Apple
Baking or roasting squash gives it a sweeter flavour. Stuffing it with apple makes a delicious variation. http://www.vegbox-recipes.co.uk/recipes/butternut-squash-recipe-5.php#notes

Spicy Cabbage Soup
Spices are a good way of boosting your metabolic rate, which can get sluggish in winter, so this soup should leave you feeling full of energy. http://www.vegbox-recipes.co.uk/recipes/cabbage-soup-recipe-2.php

Celeriac and Other Root Vegetable Crumble with Cheesy Topping
This is a delicious recipe for carrots and other roots veggies. The secret ingredient gives it a warming kick. Make the most of your celeriac, kohlrabi, turnips, Swedes and parsnips. http://www.vegbox-recipes.co.uk/recipes/carrot-recipe-2.php

Brussel Sprouts with Nutmeg
We thought we’d whet your appetite as we launch our annual “sprout peddling” contest. This recipe was rated 10/10 on the main website, but we reckon you guys can find something even more delicious. Read on! http://www.vegbox-recipes.co.uk/recipes/brussel-sprouts-recipe-5.php

Remember, you can find hundreds more recipes on the main website: http://www.vegbox-recipes.co.uk/recipes/recipes-index.php

The Annual Sprout Peddling Contest

There’s no denying it, the season has well and truly shifted … if the snow and the bare branches aren’t proof enough for you … check out the new arrival in our vegboxes. Yep. Sprrrrrrrrrrrouts!

Love ‘em or hate ‘em (perhaps sprouts are the marmite of seasonal food?), they are here for a while. So in honour of these much-maligned little greenies, we thought we would run the annual VBR “sprout peddling” competition to find arguably the most sought-after of all seasonal cooking treasures … I speak of course, in appropriately hushed tones so as not to scare my family, of The Best Brussel Sprout Recipe of 2008. This recipe will be recognizable by its magical power to convert entrenched sprout-loathers across the Northern hemisphere to “devout-sprout-touters” in time for Christmas.

Since the Going Back to my Roots (Yeah…) blogpost, we have already had one submission, and it’s sounding deeeee-lish (I will be test driving this one next week, Siobhan in London), so thinking caps on, friends.   The winner will be announced in the December issue of the VBR Newsletter, and will receive a copy of the very beautiful “ Grow Organic” courtesy of Natural Collection

WooHoo! It’s ooffoo …

Last month the hot tip from VegBox was to “Get Ready to ooffoo”. And now that the community is live and kicking, it’s surely only a matter of time before the sheer volume of green souls bartering, buying and blogging there every day make “to offoo” an official verb!

Front and centre on the homepage it says that “ooffoo has been designed to bring together a community of people who share the desire to create a positive vision for our world. ooffoo is for those who really do believe that the world is what we make it and that collectively, positive actions no matter how small, can make a difference.”

And when they put it like that … well, we just had to give it another plug!

Anyway, that’s all for now. I hope you’ve enjoyed this month’s newsletter.

Until next time, may your vegboxes heave with all the root-y beauties this season has to offer : )

Claire, Clare and the VegBox Team x

P.S. If you’re involved with a Box Scheme or other eco business, please do feel free to forward this newsletter to your customers.