Our latest newsletter Autumn News from Harvest Workers’ Co-op went out to subscribers today!
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AUTUMN NEWS from Harvest Workers’ Co-op
DIARY DATES
FRIDAY 13th SEPTEMBER
LEARN and DINE– An inspiring talk by Ellen McCallum, the Naturopathic Nutritionist. Learn about the immune system through our diet and enjoy a seasonally linked meal. £15 7-9pm. @All Saints Church Hall, Okehampton
SATURDAY 14th SEPTEMBER
SOURDOUGH WORKSHOP with the Holistic Cookery Acadamy. Create delicious digestible bread and eat it together. Take a starter culture home. £45. 1-5pm
@The Eco Hub,Okehampton
SATURDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER
AUTUMN APPLES
FAMILY WORKSHOP Apple pressing, fireside cooking, stories, creative activities, outside play and gardening.
Free through Learn Devon.
2-4pm @ The Eco Hub, Okehampton.
THURSDAY 3rd OCTOBER
BRAIN HEALTH
ReCODE practitioner, Ellen McCallum, will be talking a lifestyle approach to optimum brain health through what we eat. £7.50. 7-9pm
@Ockment Centre, Okehampton
SATURDAY 26TH OCTOBER
AUTUMN SQUASH
FAMILY WORKSHOP Pumpkin carving, fireside cooking. stories, creative activities, outside play and gardening.
Free through Learn Devon.
2-4pm @ The Eco Hub, Okehampton.
ALSO LOOK OUT FOR ..
Wildlife Walks,
Herb Talks,
Apple Pressing for Schools
Growing Skills workshops for adults
Book Now!
AUTUMN NEWS
What comes to mind as we enter the autumn season? conkers, a new school term, fungal forays, leaves turning to rich colours, birds migrating South, pumpkins, squash, apples and harvest celebrations (Harvest Moon is on the 14th September)
It is the time of year when growers carts are overflowing with seasonal abundance (and so are our shop shelves!) and we celebrate the annual bounty of all the hard work that has gone into the farm this year.
Winter squash and leeks are some of the early Autumn crops and are now ready for harvest. They are a great two to pair up in a warming and creamy soup (a tasty twist on the classic leek and potato soup; quick and easy recipe below). Squashes are an excellent low calorie food packed with nutrition. They are a good source of complex vegetable carbohydrates and dietry fibre, an excellent source of Vit A, C, B1, B3, B5 B6, folate, iron, beta carotene and omega-3 fatty acids and leeks are anti-bacterial and anti-viral.
Beat the winter bugs and ‘eat the rainbow’!! Some of the most nutritious vegetables become available this time of the year and now is the time to think about boosting and building our immune system to fend off the winter bugs
RECIPE .. Squash & Leek Soup
Ingredients (serves 4)
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* Large knob of butter/ ghee/ oil
* 1 Squash (butternut, cronw prince, uchiki-kuri or similar) chopped in small cubes (don’t peel it, the skin will get soft and it’s loaded with nutrients!)
* 3 large leeks, chopped
* 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
* 3 diced size chunks of ginger peeled and finely chopped (optional, will give it a nice kick : )
* sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock
* ½ – 1 tsp of chilli powder (optional)
* cream/coconut milk/ dairy-free alternative (optional)
Directions
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1. Heat the butter/ghee/oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat and add the squash, leeks, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper and stir. Cook for around 10 minutes stirring occasionally until the vegetables soften nicely.
2. Add the stock and chilli powder and stir before simmering for 20 minutes or until the squash is cooked through.
3. Using a stick blender or food processor blitz up the mixture until it reaches the desired consistency. Add a little more water or chicken stock if you prefer a thinner soup and season further if needed.
4. Optional: you can roast some of the seeds from inside the squash for ten minutes and add as garnish on top of soup. A Swirl of anything creamy would go well too (cream, coconut milk or any dairy free alternative)
FAMILY WORKSHOPS
We are really pleased to announce that Learn Devon (https://www.learndevon.co.uk/) have renewed our funding for our monthly Family Workshops! The workshops are great fun and open to all families. We always have stories, cooking over the fire, lots of seasonal creativity, outdoor play and gardening. The poster for our next one is at the top of the page! We hope to be extending the reach of our Family Workshops to other locations in Okehampton and beyond! Watch this space.
GROWING SKILLS WORKSHOPS
Learn Devon is also going to be funding a series of Growing and Seasonal Food Workshops for adults. We are still planning these but they will be based in the Okehampton area. If you are interested in finding out more then do drop us an email hello@harvestworkerscoop.org.uk or pop into the Harvest Farm Shop.
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
Something else to look out for is the Harvest Photography Competition. We are setting a challenge of capturing the seasons – out on the farm, along the hedgerow, in the garden plot or the cooking pot! The results will be displayed in an Okehampton and maybe even our very won calendar! Look out for more details!
IN THE SHOP .. Apples!
Apples are back in season! We only buy UK grown apples. The first varieties in are
Discovery, Devonshire Quarrenden, Bramley and Worcester. But which is which? Pop into the shop and find out but be quick the Adam Pearmaines will be here soon.
IN THE SHOP .. Quinoa!
Must be an import you say? No UK grown and bought through Hodmedods (https://hodmedods.co.uk/) who support UK growers of beans and grains! Must be expensive? Well no at £6.75 /kg it is cheaper than supermarket organic quinoa (and most non organic!) Must come in plastic bags? Well that’s another no! We buy it in brown paper sacks and sell it loose so you can choose your container.
Now at the moment we buy it in 5kg bags but if we sell enough we can buy 25kg sacks and reduce the price.
Oh and the taste? Wonderfully rich and nutty!
THANK YOU for supporting Harvest Workers’ Co-op
Visit us in Harvest Farm Shop Monday – Saturday, keep an eye out for all our latest happenings on our website, in store, or on social media