For the first time this year, we have a delivery of sparklingly fresh seafood arriving from Cornwall tomorrow morning. Tomorrow is, of course, St Patrick’s Day and although our oysters are from Essex – Maldon Rock Oysters – not Ireland we felt that abundant seafood was the best way to celebrate Ireland’s patron saint. Many …
All on hold in the garden again this week. Spring is about to spring and may well be spectacular when it comes but these continued cold snaps and night frosts are delaying most growth … buds are swelling, shoots are up but almost everything is on hold. Nothing, however, delays the bloom of the Mirabelles …
No apologies for focusing on Alliums again this week. It is, after all, St David’s day tomorrow and, with due deference to a certain Secretary of State, some of us do crave local and seasonal vegetables – particularly our Leeks! We may not have fresh turnips this week but we are serving a zingy, Lebanese …
Lots of alliums on the menu this week. Firstly the unusual but delicious Calcots – a favourite in Catalonia. Indeed, due to the frosts this winter, the Calcots we have on the menu are from Spain this week. Charred on the griddle so the outer skins are black and the hearts meltingly sweet, we serve …
Very little snow this year perhaps but, for the first time in several years, a proper winter with repeated cold, hard frosts. Although this has slowed down growth of our outside crops such as Calcots and Garlic, they will have benefited from the vernalisation – the cold ensures that the alliums will split to form …
Lots of hand made sausages at the farm this week as two of last summer’s Saddleback girls went to Long Compton. The meat is now back with us and we are all delighted – deep purple in colour, tender and delicious – a testament both to the qualities of the Saddleback breed and to our …
We are at the very height of the citrus season with an abundance of perfect fruit available from Southern Europe. Sweet oranges abound – we have Navels, musky Blood Oranges and tingly, refreshing Tacle Mandarins from Sicily. Also from Italy, we have Lemons and the last Bergamot of the season. From Spain we have Seville …
It’s still cold and frosty but it’s also bright and beautiful. The days are noticeably lengthening and life is returning to the farm! Buds are swelling, bulbs sending up their first leaves – the very first signs of Spring are all around. We are all delighted to be returning and re-opening for this weekend. A …
Almost at the very middle of this ice cold winter, when everything around is dormant, we have new life. Dolly our “beautiful” Middlewhite sow arrived in late September and although we knew she was “in pig” we didn’t know the dates. It is traditionally said that gestation for pigs is 3 months, 3 weeks and …
Lots of Christmas ideas this week! As well as the wonderful new artworks I mentioned last week, we have been very busy with the autumn harvest in the kitchen. We have lots of Pickles (Green Tomato Chutney, Piccalilli), Jams (Quetsche and Pershore Plum), Chilli Sauces (Spicy Harissa, Sweet Chilli Sauce) and Drinking Vinegars (Blackcurrant and …
