Dear Customer,

In most of the bags this week we have Portabella Mushrooms. I keep wanting to write 'Portobello'. I do miss London sometimes, especially when it's a sunny 23C with you and 17C here. I am perpetually comparing the temperatures, I did like it a bit cooler but am not so sure now. I had a morose weekend and thought of you all out and about at the Sunday markets and looking at good art collections or even just 'being' in London. I had yet another run into the Dales and am nearly sick of stone villages, beautiful landscapes and watercolours of them. This weekend it's all too twee. Hopefully it will pass! You must come to Richmond and see the market we have in the Town Hall every Sunday. I haven't had my car broken into yet so at least that's quite good.

Coming back to the Portabellas, of course there are many ways they can be used but grilling has to be one of the best. Coat the smooth side with olive oil and lay them this way up under a hot grill 5 - 6" from the flame for approximately 4 minutes before turning them over to do the other side. Either coat this side with oil or at this point add some garlic with La Vache qui Rit, or add Boursin or even Brie with a dab of pesto sauce. Grill for a further 4 minutes or until the cheese has browned.

If you have more than 8 minutes, you could marinate them before grilling. Arrange the mushrooms in a shallow glass dish then whisk together 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, 4 - 5 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of oregano or basil. Pour over the mushrooms and leave for half an hour. Heat the grill then cook for 4 minutes each side basting with the marinade.

I hope you don't mind the Swiss Chard again this week and that last week's isn't still in the fridge drawer. I'm not keen on giving you less common things too often. It's just that Pam Bowers' crop all came in one go and we needed to help her out with it. We shan't have any more for a while after this.

I hope you are enjoying the soft fruit that is coming into season now. The first peaches were a little tough and were best eaten without the skin but I think you'll agree that these are much better, very good even, with light skin and good taste. Along with the big Vitillo apricots they are from Northern Italy.

Please do call in and see us if you're touring the area this summer. We'll take you for an afternoon tea and up the Norman castle. There could even be a re-enactment of some medieval jostling.

Very best wishes,

Isobel Davies

P.S. There are a lot of plastic punnets being used at the moment for the tomatoes and the soft fruit and we are more than happy to recycle them if you return them with your bags.