Tomatoes are a good source of nutrients including vitamin C, lycopene, and dietary fiber. With around 116 grams of water and key electrolytes, tomatoes help keep you hydrated.
Tomatoes provide health benefits thanks to their vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and bioactive compounds like lycopene, quercetin, resveratrol, and luteolin.
Tomatoes can be eaten raw, stewed, roasted or pan cooked.
Your July veg share is likely to include:
Sri Lankan Green Bean Curry – from Great British Chefs website
Ottolenghi’s Spicy Moroccan Carrot Salad
If you have a gas hob, put the aubergine directly onto a lit ring to char completely, turning occasionally with kitchen tongs, until burnt all over. Alternatively, use a barbecue or heat the grill to its highest setting and cook, turning occasionally, until completely blackened (the grill won’t give you the same smoky flavour). Set aside to cool on a plate, then peel off the charred skin and remove the stem. Roughly chop the flesh and set aside.
In a large pan, heat the oil, add the onion and carrots with a pinch of salt, and fry over a low-medium heat for 15-20 mins until the carrots have softened.
Add the aubergine, both types of lentils, the kidney beans with the liquid from the can, soy sauce, tomatoes, chocolate, chilli powder, oregano and the spices. Stir to combine, then pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to very low. Cover with a lid and cook for 1½ hrs, checking and stirring every 15-20 mins to prevent it from burning.
Remove the lid and let the mixture simmer over a low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 mins until you get a thick sauce. Stir in the lime juice and taste for seasoning – add more salt if needed. Serve hot over rice with whichever accompaniments you want!
To serve – brown rice, tortilla chips, mashed avocado, yogurt or soured cream, grated cheddar, roughly chopped coriander (optional)
Begin by making the curry leaf oil, as this will take a few hours to strain.
Place the curry leaves and vegetable oil in a blender and blitz at a high speed for several minutes until the oil turns green. Pour the contents of the blender into a muslin cloth hung over a bowl and leave to strain.
Add a dash of vegetable oil to a saucepan and fry the shallots, garlic, chillies, cinnamon and sprig of curry leaves for 5 minutes until soft. Add the diced tomato and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the green beans, chilli flakes, cumin, turmeric and pepper and cook gently for 5 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and simmer for a few more minutes. If you’d like a drier curry with a thicker sauce, simply add less coconut milk.
Season to taste, then transfer to a serving bowl. Top with crispy shallots, extra curry leaves (ideally fried in a little oil until crisp) and finish with a drizzle of the curry leaf oil.
Preheat oven to 220C/425F (standard) or 180C/350F (fan/convection).
Cut/break broccoli into florets and pile onto baking tray.
Drizzle all over with extra virgin olive oil, scatter with garlic, salt and pepper. Toss with fingers or tongs, then spread out over tray in a single layer.
Roast for 20 to 25 minutes until the tips of the florets are slightly browned and crispy. The broccoli should be “tender crisp”, meaning just cooked through, not soft and floppy.
Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle over the lemon juice, lemon zest, and parmesan.
Toss quickly, transfer to serving plate and garnish with a bit more parmesan. Serve warm!
Peel the carrots and cut them, depending on their size, into cylinders or semi-circles 1cm thick; all the pieces should end up roughly the same size. Place in a large saucepan and cover with salted water. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender but still crunchy. Drain in a colander and leave to dry out.
Heat the oil in a large frypan and saute the onion for 12 minutes on medium heat until soft and slightly brown. Add the cooked carrots to the onions, followed by all the remaining ingredients, apart from the coriander and yoghurt. Remove from the heat and season liberally with salt, stir well and leave to cool.
Before serving, stir in the coriander, taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve in individual bowls with a dollop of yoghurt, a drizzle of olive oil, and garnished with extra coriander.
5th June: More planting this week. Leeks, celeriac, brussels sprouts, French beans and lettuce and of course getting ready for our open day on Sunday.
12th June: We had a lovely day for Open Farm Sunday on 7th June. With 300 people booking a place it was our biggest event yet. We saw old friends and many new faces and with plenty of activities from our friends it was well worth all the effort it took to organise. Thank you so much to everybody who helped out. We’re already looking forward to next year!
19th June: This week we are weeding onions, courgettes, cucumbers and peppers and steerage hoeing squash, sweetcorn, courgettes, beans and leeks. We’re also sowing kale, January king cabbage and lettuce, tying up aubergines and planting lettuce and French and runner beans. It’s a busy week.
26th June: Keeping going in the heatwave but it definitely slows us down a bit! Obviously watering a lot but the rain from the previous week has helped and plants are resilient when they have got their roots down. We’re planting sweetcorn, red cabbage, parsley and lettuce this week, hoeing squash, sweetcorn, beans, carrots and parsnips and sowing fennel and purple sprouting broccoli.
30th June: Glad of some slightly cooler weather this week. Crops are growing well. Tomatoes are starting to ripen and there should be lots of cucumbers and courgettes in the next couple of weeks. French beans are on their way soon. This week we are weeding parsnips and carrots and planting autumn cauliflowers, savoy cabbage, swede and lettuce.
1st May : This week we are planting tomatoes in the polytunnels. We’re growing some cherry tomatoes this year, which we haven’t done for a while because as lovely as they are, they take a long time to pick. Anyway, we’re giving them a second chance, choosing larger fruited varieties will de-leaf the plants to make harvesting easier. Hopefully we won’t regret the decision. We’re also sowing squash, sweetcorn, lettuce and French beans and planting lettuce and broccoli in the field and cucumbers and courgettes in the polytunnels.
4th May : This week we are planting peppers in the polytunnels. They are not our most reliable crop, but we keep trying as I know people love them. I’ve read that the key is keeping them consistently warm. This year we’ve kept one of our propagation tunnels as a ‘hot’ tunnel. Partly because it has heated benches but mostly by keeping the doors closed for longer. The plants look great, but the downside is that the warm moist environment has favoured aphids. Normally I would leave this to nature but as the natural predators haven’t got going yet I have used a horticulture soap solution to deal with the pests. To be sure I’ve got them all I have dipped the whole plant in a bucket of the stuff. From now on we will leave it to the natural predators which I know will come. We are doing a whole tunnel of peppers this year. Bell peppers, pointed peppers and also trying a few varieties from Real Seeds. We’ll keep the tunnels closed at night to start with to give them a good start.
12th May : I’ve had a big delivery of irrigation equipment this week. Every year I buy a bit more and this year we should have enough sprinklers to have them permanently on the plot where they are needed rather than moving them around all the time. We have no rain to speak of for a couple of months so there is a lot of watering to do to keep the crops growing! We are also watering our seed bed for carrots, beetroot and parsnips to bring on the weeds, so we can mow them back and make a ‘stale seedbed’ to drill the seeds into. The potatoes are now up and so also in need of a drink – it’s important to keep up with the water to make sure nothing gets too dry.
19th May : We’re now in our hungry gap where veg from the winter stores is running low and the next wave of fresh veg is slow to come on. There will be plenty of veg but smaller portions and lighter shares for a while. This week we are watering potatoes, planting aubergine, basil, lettuce and French beans and sowing more French beans for later in the season. We have our marquee up now and we’re looking forward to our summer events, including more forest school with Green Leaf Forest School and Roots Nature Play, summer cooking workshops for kids and teens with La Bonte Catering and forest school for adults with Full Cup Fire Circle. Details of these TBC but all with be contributing to our Open Day on 7th June if you’d like a taster.
26th May : Taking advantage of the hot weather we are planting heat loving crops: courgettes, sweetcorn, squash, French beans and some outdoor tomatoes. We are irrigating like mad and watching it evaporate within hours but the plants are happy with the warm days and long hours of sunlight and growth is rapid now!
3rd April : We had a productive first week of April. Potatoes planted, polytunnels planted and two thirds of the onions planted thanks to our volunteers. We’ll plant the remaining onions and some leftover potatoes that I couldn’t fit in the main plot. We’re also finishing the doors and vents on the new polytunnel and maybe potting on tomatoes if we have time.
7th April : Tomatoes, peppers and aubergines have been potted on and are growing really nicely. Cucumbers and courgettes have germinated. We are planting our early brassicas in the field as well as fennel, lettuce, spinach and chard. We’re also making plans for our open day on 7th June with the help of our new ‘Friends of Bennison Farm’ group. We’re planning to make this a fun packed day for members and non members alike. More details to follow
14th April : This week we are spreading manure for brussels sprouts, squash, courgettes, sweetcorn, celeriac and runner beans. We’re hoeing spring crops in the polytunnels clearing out spinach ready to drill more carrots. We’re watering the onions which are coming up nicely. We’re also watering carrot and parsnips beds to bring on the weeds and then hoe them off to create a ‘stale seedbed’.
24th April : Lots of hoeing and weeding this week. We’re steerage hoeing then pulling couch grass out of the onions while the soil is nice and loose having been hoed. Wheel hoeing in the tunnels and ridging potatoes. We’re also sowing courgettes and pattypan squash, drilling carrots and clearing out spinach and chard plants ready to plant tomatoes next week. The plants in the propagation tunnel are looking great and we’ll be planting cucumbers, courgettes, peppers and aubergines over the next few weeks.
28th April : This week we are planting tomatoes in the polytunnels. We’re growing some cherry tomatoes this year, which we haven’t done for a while because as lovely as they are, they take a long time to pick. Anyway we’re giving them a second chance, choosing larger fruited varieties which we will deleaf as they grow to make harvesting easier. We’re also sowing squash, sweetcorn, lettuce and French beans and planting lettuce and broccoli in the field and cucumbers and courgettes in the polytunnels.
Seeds have started to arrive and the propagation tunnel has been cleared ready for the first trays. We’ll sow our first seeds next week – lettuce, pakchoi, cabbage, fennel and spinach to be planted in the polytunnels in March. The volunteers have done a great job weeding the polytunnels and they are looking really tidy.
We had the annual Organic inspection from the Soil Association on Monday and have passed! Good to get that out of the way at the beginning of the season.
This weeks veg share (pictured above) had everything you could want for hearty winter soups, Sunday Roasts or a green salad with grated carrot and sprout. Delicious!
Your June veg share is likely to include:
Swiss chard & kohlrabi with lemon sauce
Cut the white chard stems from green leaves in a V shape, slice diagonally into 5mm strips. Slit the leaves in half, roll 3-4 at a time like a cigar, thinly slice. Put in a bowl and scatter with a little lemon zest. Thinly slice kohlrabi and sprinkle with zest also.
Boil the stock and lemon juice to reduce by half. Pour in a jug and mix in the chopped parsley. Cool, whisk in most of the oil.
Put the rosemary, tarragon and coriander into a steaming pan with the garlic. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Fit basket on top. Sprinkle base with salt and pepper and lay in the kohlrabi. Scatter over white chard and season again. Top with the sprigs of parsley. Drizzle with oil, cover and steam, 5 mins. Remove parsley and scatter over the green chard, lifting up the white vegetables lightly with a large fork. Cover and steam for 3-4 more mins.
Remove to a serving dish and pour over some sauce to serve. This tastes wonderful with grilled salmon or a chicken breast.
Your May veg share is likely to include:
Golden potato and vegetable cakes
Chickpea & chard tamarind curry
Pre heat the oven to 160°C and line a brownie baking tray with baking paper.
Combine beetroot, dates, liquid sweetener, eggs, oil and vanilla in food processor or blender on high speed for one minute, until smooth.
Then add dry ingredients and mix through, either in mixing bowl or using food processor.
Pour mixture into baking tray (or spoon into paper-lined muffin tins).
Bake for 45 minutes or until a fork comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool completely in tray.
Cook the potatoes with their skins on in a large saucepan of boiling water for 20–25 minutes. When cooked, plunge them immediately into a bowl of cold water to arrest the cooking process. Leave to cool, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Roughly crush – not mash or purée – the potatoes using a fork. Add the spring onions, garlic granules, turmeric, carrot, cabbage or kale, chillies, thyme, nigella seeds and 2 tablespoons of the flour. Season generously with salt and pepper and mix well.
Line a tray with a sheet of baking paper. Divide the potato mixture into 40g portions and form each portion into a disc with a diameter of roughly 5cm and a thickness of 1cm. Lay these on the prepared tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm them up before frying.
Spread the remaining flour in a shallow dish. Drizzle a little oil into a large frying pan and heat it over medium heat. Remove the potato cakes from the fridge. When the oil is hot, dust the potato cakes in the flour and fry for 6–8 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Reduce the heat if they colour too quickly or start to blacken. Serve immediately, sprinkled with salt flakes. Date and tamarind sauce or sweet and spicy relishes complement these potato and vegetable cakes very well.
Combine all ingredients and stir well. Serve with your favourite curry or Indian dish.
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the chard stalks and spring onions for 3 mins until softened. Stir in the garlic and spices and cook for 2-3 mins until fragrant.
Pour in the stock, chickpeas, tamarind and coconut milk. Cover. Simmer for 15 mins, then stir in the chard leaves. Cook until just wilted, then season to taste. Serve with brown rice.
Your April veg share is likely to include:
Preheat the oven to 180C
Put the parsnips and potatoes in a roasting tray and drizzle with one tablespoon oil. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes.
Heat the rest of the oil in a saucepan. When it is hot, add the cumin seeds. Cook for half a minute then add the onion.
Cook gently for 5 minutes then stir in the crushed garlic and other spices.
Cook for another minute then add the roasted parsnips, potatoes and stock.
Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Blend using a stick blender.
Pour boiling water over the onion and leave for 10 mins.
Arrange the tomatoes and cucumber (if using) on a plate, then scatter over the drained onions.
Mix the chilli and garlic with the vinegar and sugar, then season with salt. Drizzle over the salad just before serving.
This can be prepared and chilled up to 1 hr ahead, but dress just before serving.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil, tip in the greens and cook for 1 min, then drain and leave in the colander to cool a little.
Melt 1 tbsp butter with the oil in a large pan. Add the leeks and a big pinch of salt, then stir over a medium heat until softened, about 8 mins. Add the garlic and cook for another min, then remove from the heat, tip into a large bowl and leave to cool.
Squeeze as much water out of the greens as you can; if you don’t mind getting a tea towel dirty, the best way to do this is to pile them onto the clean towel, gather the corners and squeeze. Add the greens to the pan with the leeks, then stir in the herbs, nutmeg, cheeses, eggs, zest and seasoning. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
You’ll need a 23cm springform cake tin to assemble the tart in. Melt the remaining butter in a pan or the microwave and use some of it to grease the tin. Now you’re ready to work with the filo.
Have a clean tea towel to hand to keep the sheets covered as you work (it can dry out very quickly). Layer the sheets of filo in the tin, brushing each one really well with butter and leaving plenty of pastry hanging over the edge, to close the top with once filled. Scatter the sesame seeds between each layer of pastry as you go. Save a few sheets for the top.
Once the tin is lined, fill with the greens mixture. Scrunch a few more sheets of buttery pastry on top and fold in the overhanging sheets to close the tart. Scatter any remaining sesame seeds on top and drizzle over the remaining butter.
Bake for 40-45 mins until deep golden brown (cover with foil if it starts to brown too much). Remove from the tin as soon as you can to help keep the pastry crisp. Serve warm or cold.
For the tomato sauce
Cut the stalks off the chard leaves, chop them into small pieces and set aside. Chop the leaves into bite-size pieces and set aside separately.
In a large, deep saucepan, melt the butter, then fry the onion with a pinch of salt over a medium heat. Add the chard stalks and cook for 5-10 minutes until tender, then add the leaves and sauté for 1 minute.
Bring 1.4 litres water to the boil in a large saucepan, then stir in the polenta. Whisk with a balloon whisk until thickened, then stir in the salt and some pepper. Cover and cook over a low heat for 10-20 minutes until the polenta thickens and begins to come away from the side of the pan as you stir. Transfer to an ovenproof dish and smooth with the back of a spoon. Leave to cool, then chill for a few hours to set – it needs to be completely cold before cutting.
To make the tomato sauce, heat the oen to 150°C/130°C fan/gas 2. Toss the tomatoes and onions in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then season with salt and pepper and arrange in a baking tray, cut-side up. Roast for 2-2½ hours.
Rub some oil on the cut sides of the garlic halves, then wrap in foil and roast for 1 hour or until soft.
Scrape the tomatoes and onions into a blender, squeeze out the soft garlic from the skin and blend until smooth. Taste and season; add cayenne pepper if you want spice, honey if you want sweetness.
Turn the oven up to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Cut the polenta into chips about 1.5cm thick and 8cm long. Put on a baking sheet and brush all over with rapeseed oil. Roast for 1 hour or until golden, carefully turning after 30 minutes. Warm the sauce to serve with the chips.
Spinach belongs to the amaranth family and is related to beetroots and quinoa. It’s considered to be very healthy, as it’s loaded with nutrients and antioxidants, and is famed as the food choice of Popeye for it’s amazing strength giving properties!
Spinach is high in insoluble fibre and low in carbohydrates. It is an extremely nutrient-rich vegetable. It contains high amounts of carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, iron, and calcium.
Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, butter, milk and spinach in a blender and whizz until you get a smooth, bright green batter.
Heat a little more butter in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add small dollops to the pan, 2-3 at a time. Cook for 2 mins until the edges are set, and bubbles are rising to the surface, then flip and cook for 1-2 mins more. Keep warm while you cook the remaining batches.
Serve with berries and a drizzle of syrup to serve.
Melt the ghee, whisk in with the turmeric and chilli powder, then add the cubed paneer and toss well. Set aside. If using frozen spinach, microwave for 3-5 mins, then place in a sieve and squeeze out most of the water. If using fresh spinach, place in a colander, pour over boiling water, drain and cool, then put in a tea towel and squeeze out most of the water. Roughly chop.
Blitz the onion with the garlic, ginger and green chilli. Cook the paneer in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat for around 8 mins, tossing the pan so they become golden all over. Remove and set aside on a plate, leaving spices behind in the pan. Tip the onion mix into the pan, add a pinch of salt and turn the heat down. Fry until caramel coloured, around 10 mins, adding a splash of water if it looks a little dry. Add the garam masala, stir to coat the onion mix, fry for 2 mins.
Add the spinach and cook for a further 2-3 mins, adding 100ml water to release all the flavours from the bottom of the pan. Season to taste. Add the paneer and cook for 2-3 mins to heat through. Spoon into bowls and squeeze over a little lemon juice, to serve.
