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Greetings, After a flurry of new arrivals in the past few weeks it's a bit quieter on the new veg front as we settle into August - and thank goodness, we were struggling to keep up! This is one of the most abundant times of year for English produce and sticking to the seasons makes us appreciate it even more. As ever, our fruit & veg boxes bring you a generous selection of the best that summer has to offer. Matthew has been busily plaiting his garlic into 'grappes' (french for bunch). Hang them in your kitchen, in a dry and sunless spot and the bulbs should store for several months. They double up as a lovely bit of decoration too. For a taste of the 'joy of the mountain' (it's literal Greek translation) we have fresh organic oregano. It pairs very well with it's fellow member of the mint family - basil - and does wonders for tomato based dishes. And spicing things up this week we have mixed chillies from Gill WIng Farm. From Ripple Farm we add organic bunched and loose chioggia beetroot to our burgeoning range of beets (see below for cooking tips). Always keen to advocate top-to-tail eating, the leaves on our bunched beetroot shouldn't be overlooked. Lightly steamed they are delicious. As I mentioned last week our organic celery has the leaves on too - so make sure not to let them go to waste either. At £1.49 for a big bunch, they provide plenty of bang for your buck. With the bottom chopped off, celery will keep very well in a vase of water. Our long aubergines have been going down a treat. It's a good time to be making a moussaka - try it with our lamb mince from Beatbush farm. Finally, we have another gift from Graham Johnson's busy bees who have been enjoying the rich offerings of nectar from the borage plant to bring us raw borage honeycomb. Fact: bees love borage and if you want to help out our London bees they are an excellent plant to have in your garden. The honey has a light, delicate flavour and in it's raw form retains all it goodness. The wax won't do you any harm so you can eat the whole lot or once you've got all the honey goodness out get rid of the wax.

Garlic Grappe Oragnic Oregano Mixed Chillies Organic Bunched BeetrootOragnic Chioggia Beetroot Raw Borage Honeycomb Wild Bathua Organic Ball Cabbage Redcurrants Chilli & Lavender Loaf Sliced Granary Loaf Sliced White Cottage Tin Loaf of the Week Pasta of the Week Sausage of the Week

All the best, Sam and the Farm Direct team. Start Your Weekly Shop Now >

FARM DIRECT NEWS...

Beet it!We've a lovely array of beetroot at the moment so here are a few tips on using it. It roasts really well, transforming into a sticky, sweet treat that makes a great side dish. You need not peel it beforehand as the skin comes off easily when cooked. Add a bit of balsamic vinegar to help it caramelise nicely. For a delicious warm salad combine it with roasted squash, crispy bacon, blue cheese, parsley & spring onions. You could also try your hand at a traditional Eastern European soup, Borscht, served with some toasted of our new chilli & lavender bread. Or simply eat it raw - grated into salads or to provide an extra dimension in your coleslaw.

2013: Shaping up to be a Vintage Year for English WineA cold winter that killed off disease and pests followed by a glorious summer has proved to be a great fillip for English wine producers. After a couple of years of poor harvests this is welcome news for the Three Choirs Vineyard who supply us with a fantastic range of wines from Gloucestershire. English wine is rapidly gaining an excellent reputation in the wine market and many vintners are struggling to keep up with demand. See what all the fuss is about yourself and try one of our English wines.

Mind the GapThere will be a crop gap in Matthew's french beans next week but there will be plenty this week with as his first batch provide a glut before dying back. A french bean salad is a mighty tasty way to put them to use. Take advantage of our bulk discount.