Helen Coxan's blog

 The most amazing thing for me about the effect of planes being grounded is the growing list of food items that people actually buy - except I am not sure that they can just now  .....

Imported fresh pineapple chunks being one of them - pineapple 'chunked' in another country and air freighted to us here strikes me as the end of the line in sustainable food production!

Thankfully, although you will on occasion see a pineapple in The Green Valley Grocer, it will still have all of its nobbles and will not have been sent by air.

Here at the shop we are always trying to learn more about how the food we sell is produced and transported, and when we find out something interesting (or worrying), that's when we change our purchasing plans !  We also pass on our thoughts to our suppliers - who we hope, will take what we say on board.

Our customers are vital in this process - letting us know what they have read, seen, discussed about food and the ethics of production and transportation - long may they continue to do so !

And of course, our local produce is beginning to come in now - minimal food miles and produced without pesticides by lovely people !  Come and try kale, cabbage and purple sprouting broccoli ALL LOCALLY GROWN !

Spent a good morning at the Marsden and Slaithwaite Transition Towns seed swap - got a bit of this and a bit of that to try - my Rosie chose King Edward spuds to try out in our big blue barrel.  It was heartening to talk with people eager to get growing - and maybe even eager to get selling - to you via The GVG.

MASTT are running a series of "Seedy Sundays" on dates through the spring, aimed at giving new growers (and established ones) the confidence to have a go at growing something new - check out the details on their site www.mastt.org.uk

Anyway - back to the heading of this entry - Monday sees the start of our celebration of beetroot. Bunched, organic or Yorkshire grown - take your pick - and explore the delightful potential of this quintessential root vegetable.

Apple and rhubarb juice has become very popular with many of our customers during our February of rhubarb - now try apple and beetroot. And Dee's Pantry excels again with beetroot and chocolate cake - it has to be tried to be believed!

Our 'Regional Seasonal Product' for March is beetroot... our range of related products expands... and Carol really is bonkers!

Gosh this is creeping up on us and for those of you who are at a loss as to what to give to special people, Dan at the Handmade Bakery has let on that they will be baking Heart Shaped baguettes!

If you add these to the gorgeous pink cupcakes that Dee of Dee's Pantry has made for us, and the tempting array of Green and Blacks chocolates that are regularly stocked, there is a great range of Green Valley Grocer treats to choose from this Valentines Day!

 Dee from Dee's Pantry and her Valentine's cupcakes

 Well - it has been cold - again - and we have watched the flurries of snow anxiously through our permanently open door, wondering whether we will be able to get up the hill, or down the hill after a day in the shop.  Lovely to see the sun as well !

Local food - my man Kevin who is helping me find suppliers of local delicacies has been in and intimated that he has made progress locating cheese from just round the corner.  It is a fallow time of year for Colne Valley fresh produce - but we do have Elland honey, Meltham marmalade, Marsden Brownies and Wakefield (where else) Champagne rhubarb and Dewsbury soup to keep us going. 

Don't forget - we are looking for Green Valley Growers - big and small - so once your plot (or pots) have dried out a little, think of the shop as you sow your seeds, and put a little aside to sell to us for you.

Mmm tea has just arrived - GVG anchovies with pasta and Gran Padano - so off I go.....