Macleod Organics

Thank you to Morag for forwarding this -

Green Cabbage
There are several varieties - Winter: usually have large, firm, tight ball/drumheads.
... Savoy: harvested from early autumn to early spring. Crinkly, strongly flavoured leaves and pale hearts. Braise wedges or shred into soups and stir-fries. Spring: spring greens and collard greens. Good for steaming, in soups or if you’re min any cabbage recipe.
Chinese: cylindrical in shape with large stalks. Good for stir-fries. Pak Choi is a small, tender type. Summer: firm heart, ball or conical shaped. Colour varies from light to dark.
Recipe: Bubble & Squeak (already boiled/bubbled then frying makes squeaky noise ; ) Good for using up leftover cabbage and mash. 250g cooked cabbage, 25g butter, 12oz mashed potatoes, 1tbsp vegetable oil, salt & pepper. Chop cabbage, combine with mash and season. Heat butter and oil in frying pan - when hot, add mash, spread over pan. Fry over medium heat until underside golden. Use two spatulas, flip over to brown other side.
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Sweet Potato
Good with savoury dishes and meat dishes, like turkey or pork, that need some sweetness. A bit sweet for creamy or gratin dishes. Best mashed, roasted or sautéed with onions or other savoury ingredients. Bake: scrub well and cook as normal potatoes.... Boil: either in their skins or remove skins after cooking or peel and place in water with added lemon juice. This prevents them turning brown as does boiling them in lightly acidulated (lemon) water.
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Butternut Squash
Roast, steam, bake or purée. Squash in general can be used in a variety of way - soups, stews, purées, curries, bakes, pasta dishes, desserts. Generally the more colour the better the flavour and sweetness.... Use minimal water when cooking larger squash as they have a large water content. Preparation: wash and wipe dry. Halve using a large knife or cleaver, scoop out seeds and pith. Place cut side on chopping board, slice (carefully). Peel unless baking it whole or in halves. Roast: peel, de-seed and cut into chunks. Toss in vegetable oil and seasoning, put in roasting tin. Roast at 199C/gas mark 5 for 25-45 minutes, depending on size of chunks .
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Beetroot
Raw: can be trimmed, peeled, washed and dried, then grated into salads.
Preparation: trim off leaves leaving 5cm of stalk on beets. Leave thin base on root. Wash in cold water - cook without peeling. Once cooked skin can be rubbed off.... Boil, purée, roast, bake or make into crisps.
In vinegar: slice boiled beets into discs and layer in a dish - pour over balsamic vinegar (brings out the sweetness). Makes a wonderful classic soup from Eastern Europe ‘Borscht’.
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Turnip
Early season turnips can be eaten raw - no need to peel. Good grated or thinly slice and used in salads,coleslaw or cheese sandwiches. Preparation: top and tail, peel and cut into chunks.
... Boil: peel and put in lightly salted water for 10-15 minutes depending on size, until tender; drain.
Steam: over boiling water for 12-20 minutes until tender.
Mash or steam with 10g butter per 100g. Season. Roast: parboil 3 minutes (small early) 5 minutes (maincrop, chunks). Drain and toss with vegetable oil and seasoning. Roast at 190C/gasmark 5 for 45 minutes, turning once, until tender and golden.
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Kale
Good in soups or boiled, steamed or stir-fried. Can be eaten raw if young and tender. Use in a mixed-leaf salad or by itself with a lemon dressing.
Chips: A favourite! Strip leaves off stem. Tear leaves into crisp sized pieces. Roll in oil and sprinkle with salt. Put in top part of 180C fan oven/ 190C normal oven. Now timing is crucial - 5 minutes - take out and mix around to bake evenly. Put back in oven and watch until crispy but not black

Celeriac
Good in soups and broths. Raw: peel; slice, dice or grate then plunge into bowl of water with lemon juice as flesh discolours on exposure to air. Use in salads or grate in with mashed potatoes. Cook: peel then cut into thin slices add to thin slices of potato and cook au gratin (bake with a topping of seasoned breadcrumbs and cheese until golden brown).

Green Beans
Prepare: Top and tail - cut 5mm off each end. If necessary pull off any stringy bits. Boil: plunge into rapidly boiling salted water and cook until al dente (still firm). Drain and toss in butter or serve in sauce with shallots and bacon. Salads - cook until just tender, refresh with cold water. Serve with carrots or root vegetables. Can be cut lengthwise or left natural.... Green beans can also be nice in an omelette.
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Jerusalem Artichoke
Good sautéed, roasted, mashed, thinly sliced and makes velvety soup. Boil: cook in slightly boiled water with 1 tsp vinegar until tender when pierced with a knife. Approximately 15 minutes. Be careful not to over-cook. Sauté: parboil for approximately 10 minutes until almost tender. Cut crosswise into 0.5cm slices. Dry thoroughly on kitchen paper. Sauté in a thin layer of vegetable oil over medium-high heat for approximately 8 minutes, turning regularly,... until golden.
Globe Artichoke
Good boiled, grilled in salads, added to pasta and makes wonderfully smooth soups. Boil: remove outer leaves from large artichokes to reach pale green leaves. Cut heart in half lengthwise and remove hairy centre. Cut in half again. Boil quarters 15-20 minutes in water with lemon juice until tender and drain off water. Grill: brush boiled artichokes with olive oil, season and grill under medium heat, turn regularly, until golden.
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Thank you everyone for your contributions below, keep them coming. Katie’s working on some good ideas. Watch this space 😃

Please comment down below this post with vegetables you find difficult to cook/find recipes and we will post lots of yummy recipe ideas and other tips and tricks.

Merry Christmas from everybody at Macleod Organics! 🎄Hope you are having a wonderful time 😀