Hi everyone,

Hope you’re all well. As we make our way through spring and more of last season’s crops fall away before the new season crops are ready, you will see a lot more last-minute changes in your boxes. It’s always a bit of a juggle at this time of year, and we have to get a bit more creative to keep our local veg interesting on the plate. And so there is more chard this week! This beautiful leaf is generally not a favourite veg for many, and if that’s the case for you, then I suggest (at least at first) pairing it with big, strong flavours that counter its earthiness.

Recipe Idea
A good one for this week would be this easy beetroot curry from Meera Sodha. Fry a few curry leaves in oil until they crackle and then stir in some onions and some minced ginger, garlic and fresh chilli. Cook for 5 or 6 minutes, add some tomato purée and cumin and cook for another 5 minutes. Add beetroot (peeled and cut into 0.5cm slices), a few splashes of water and salt and cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it looks dry, add more water. After 15 minutes, add a tin of coconut milk and simmer until the beetroot is tender and the sauce has reduced. Add a big handful of very finely shredded chard and cook for another couple of minutes. Stir through some lime juice and serve with rice or flatbread. Head to the recipes tab for suggested quantities to serve 4.

It’s probably the last of the parsnips this week – if you’re not going to be doing a final roast, then they would pair really well with the Jerusalem artichokes in a crispy-topped mash. Peel or scrub the artichokes and parsnips and boil in salted water until tender. Mash with butter, salt, pepper and wholegrain mustard, spread roughly into a baking dish so that there’s lots of texture on top, drizzle with a little olive oil and bake until the top goes crispy.

Have a lovely weekend.

Lauren and the Tir Awel team x