Farm-Direct

This Week At Farm Direct....

2012-02-29T07:09:00.000-08:00

We've been super busy planting this week, taking advantage of the recent dry and sunny spell before the hopeful March rain arrives.

Some of our winter crops are now coming to an end - this week sees the end of our squashes (which are now almost too hard to peel!), as well as the last of our sprout stalks.

This is the first reminder of the imminent 'hungry gap' (which usually occurs in April and is essentially the gap between the end of the winter and start of the summer harvests).

But, a bit of a Brucey bonus: our over-wintered crops will be available from mid-march - these are the winter crops that have another spurt of growth during the warmer spring weather, just before dying off (spinach, green chard & rainbow chard).

Next week should see the return of our watercress and the divine wild garlic - so plenty to keep you engaged over the coming weeks.

As the hares retreat to breed (March - April), in what seems like perfect harmony, our guinea fowl are now fat enough to eat. Half way between a pheasant and a chicken, these petite birds are great braised, roasted or even stuffed with our end of season stewing apples (only £1/kg). This week we are offering legs, supreme, jointed and whole birds at an introductory price.

After enjoying Philippe's pear and apple tartes for the past 6 months, we have finally been able to coax some savoury dishes from our French chef's kitchen. He is making quiche for us this week (£1.69 for a 200g slice or £4.99 for a 600g quarter) as well has his own Franco/British fusion: Sausagemeat, Apple and Raisin Tarte (again £1.69 for a 200g slice or £4.99 for a 600g quarter). If his sweet baking is anything to go by, I would definitely give this a try.

And finally, to welcome the onset of spring, we are offering complimentary daffodils with every order this week. Happy shopping.

Ham Hocks - Simple, Economical & Delicious

2012-02-29T07:08:00.002-08:00

During these brow-frowning times, hassle-free, cheap cuts of meat provide a humble and tasty pleasure. This week, try our ham hocks - one of the most satisfying slow cooking joints around and you can produce multiple meals from one hock. Start by boiling the meat (you can use the left over water for soup or split-pea stew), before slow roasting in the oven. You can use the remaining meat for sandwich fillings, in salads or, if you are feeling adventurous, in a terrine (actually, its a lot easier than you might think). At £2.49 for cured and £2.69 for smoked, ham hocks are definitely one for the shopping basket.

Shokoh's Menu - Fish Pie, Biryani & Crumble

2012-02-29T07:06:00.001-08:00

A delicious offering from Shokoh this week, she is making:
Cornish Fish Pie (serving 2 or 4) - made using fresh fish caught by Dylan and Chris off the Cornish coast.
Vegetarian Biryani (serving 2 or 4) - an English-Indian fusion dish, spiced rice and a sauce using seasonal Wild Fields vegetables, topped with toasted almonds and fresh coriander.
Apple & Pear Crumble - An English classic, Shokoh uses our Jacobs Farm apples and pears for the filling.
Braised Cabbage - A hassle-free, tasty side dish, only £2.49.
See Shokoh's range (including side dishes) here.

Matthew's Blog - Bedding Seed & Inadequate Rain

2012-02-29T07:01:00.001-08:00

On Sunday the 19th I checked the met office 5 day forecast for our area of East England, it looked good, dry right through with wind and sun, the perfect conditions for getting the good seedbeds I needed. Armed with this information I got the cultivator out Monday morning and run it through the raised beds that I had made in the autumn (this opens the top of the bed and brings some wet soil to the top to help it dry).

Sun and wind duly followed and the ground was drying nicely, I was convinced that I would be drilling by Thursday. I like to check the forecast daily as modern technology seems to make the 5 day forecast less reliable than it used to be, sure enough by Tuesday they were forecasting heavy rain for Wednesday evening.

My initial thought wasn’t printable but after I had calmed down I embraced the idea of some badly needed rain.

Did water butts over fill and reservoirs rejoice as the rain came down?
The rain, light at best lasted for about an hour Wednesday afternoon and with the wind drying it out quicker than it had fallen it was back to the original plan.

The raised beds were remade (see picture) and 6 beds of carrots were drilled Friday afternoon.
With the wind subsiding on Sunday it was possible to lay a nice warm blanket of fleece over the crop to try and bring it on as quickly as possible.

Roy has also made the most of the conditions planting first early potatoes, broad beans and peas.

This Week At Farm Direct....

2012-02-22T07:24:00.000-08:00

While the last of the snow melts away, a few days of sunshine serves as a timely reminder that spring is just around the corner. Now it's a potential drought that concerns us and with water shortages expected this summer, we are having to re-think our growing strategy for the year.

It's amazing how quickly the change in weather affects what we have available. The first of the baby plum tomatoes are now ripe and ready to pick, these were the sweetest of last years crop and we can expect the same this time around. We have baby parsnips (smaller and sweeter than last seasons giants), as well as organic cylindria beetroot (it looks a bit like a beetroot sausage!) and purslane (a salty salad leaf that's also at home in a stir fry).

To keep you busy in the kitchen, we have wild meats from the Suffolk countryside (see below for more details), or for a night off cooking try Shokoh's new range of prepared meals.

If the last few days of sunshine have still not shifted those winter blues, the first daffodils of the season will brighten up your mood and your living room (1 bunch 99p, 5 bunches for £3.99).

New to our seasonal sausage range, we have Duck, Orange and Apricot, Lamb and Rosemary, Pork Honey and Mustard and Spanish Sausages (made with Paprika and Red Pepper). Give them a try and let us know what you think.

And finally, a resounding success from last week, our hand-roasted Suffolk coffee has received some great feedback. This week our Kenyan range is complimented by a new single estate Brazilian bean - sweet from start to finish, with floral, caramel and honey notes. Enjoy!

Wild Meat From The Suffolk Countryside

2012-02-22T07:20:00.004-08:00

The Suffolk countryside boasts fantastic wild game, all low in fat, low in food miles and completely free range. This week we are able to offer you the best seasonal game that Suffolk has to offer. Try our hare, it's strong, rich and gamey and we have both haunch and saddle portions available (best stewed or roasted). I you want a more gentle introduction into the world of wild meats, pigeon and partridge breasts are both subtle and tender, or for something a bit different, go for squirrel - it is moist and sweet as its diet consists of nuts and berries. Finally, for the perfect pie, you cant go wrong with diced game
See our wild meats here

Shokoh's Prepared Meals

2012-02-22T07:17:00.002-08:00

This week Shokoh is using food direct from our farms to make a range of prepared meals and sides, all at an introductory price. Cooked with organic beef brisket from Beatbush, try her Beef Cottage Pie (available in 500g serves 2 or 1kg for 4) or Slowcooked Beef in Red Wine Sauce (500g). If you don't fancy beef, Shokoh is making Lentil and Cavolonero Cottage Pie (500g serves 2 or 1kg for 4) with ingredients from Wild Fields Farm. Complete your meal with Celeriac & Potato Mash (350g). Her usual range of salads are also available. See all Curious Yellow Kafe products here.

Matthews Blog - Drought, Carrot Drilling & New Greens

2012-02-22T07:10:00.003-08:00

What a difference a week makes, the snow is forgotten and the gutters are dripping. As temperatures head towards double figures the mind starts to think of spring. The soils start to dry and fingers get twitchy, the slightest glimpse of such weather makes me eager to get the first drilling of carrots into the ground. For now patience is required, weather forecasts are checked daily in the hope they will promise a string of good drying days so good seedbeds can be produced.

With winter appearing to be short, 2011 is confirmed as the driest 12 months in England and Wales for 90 years and with no considerable rain forecast, water companies are once again warning of possible water shortages for large parts of England this summer.
Speaking ahead of this week’s drought summit, National Farmers Union vice president Gwyn Jones said, “ The Environment Agency is already forecasting drought and severe restrictions on irrigation in several Eastern counties.”
Following this Defra announced that the South east of England had joined parts of East Anglia in drought.
With root crops and salads heavily reliant on adequate irrigation, some farmers in the worst effected areas have already changed their cropping plans for 2012 by reducing the amount of roots they grow.

The worst drought predicted for 90 years just happens to coincide with me taking over the carrot growing from Roy and Rita. I will let you know later in the year whether or not it was the right decision but I am actually looking to increase the amount of carrots grown to meet demand. This also means greater investment in machinery, seed and crop protection.

Most of the early season seed has now arrived and finishing touches have been made to the transplant orders. New additions for me this year will be wild rocket and basil during the summer, thyme, sage, kohl rabi and pak choi for the autumn. Alongside this there will also be increased amounts of garlic, shallots, torpedo onions, celery, french beans, carrots and fennel.

As well as their usual tasty offerings Roy and Rita will be planting more lettuce and cavelo nero for the summer and autumn, and a new green that should bring you succulent greens from January 2013.

This Week At Farm Direct....

2012-02-15T07:29:00.001-08:00

Fighting off the snow, frost and oversized wood pigeons, it's never a dull day on our farms. A white blanket still coats much of our veg and with temperatures as low as minus 13C over the weekend, we have lost a few crops that may have otherwise lasted until the end of the month.

Fortunately it's getting warmer and as shooting has resumed this week we are able to bring you hare, rabbit and woodpigeon - the return of our really wild game. If you are not quite ready to face the great outdoors, we have plenty to keep you busy; Phillip explains how to use our ducks to make confit (reduced to £5.99/kg), while we also have smoked ham hocks from Dorset Farms (ideal for terrines or warming soups). Otherwise, sit back and relax with our new home-made dishes, and a bottle of Hepworth Prospect.

To kick start lent, Tuesday the 21st Feb marks Shrove Tuesday, the traditional time to use up your rich foodstuffs (butter, eggs, milk, sugar) before the 40 days of fasting. Take a look at our Shrove Tuesday section for a reduced price pancake making kit, recipes and whole load of toppings - there really is no excuse this year not to make your own.

From the Curious Yellow Kafe kitchen, Shokoh is making Swedish beetroot salad, stewed lentils, winter coleslaw and apple compote for us this week. If you would like to have a go at making your own compote, stewing apples are now available at only 70p/kg.

From the New Breed Sausage company we have chicken & red pepper, Creole smokey, pork, bacon & sage, steak & Guinness and venison & red wine sausages. Give them a try and tell us what you think.

This week have a new beer for you to sample - the Hepwoth Prospect is an organic bottle conditioned beer, with a complex aroma of leafy hops, woody notes, tart lemon fruit and a cracker-like malt, only £2.60.

And finally, we are extending our order deadlines (excluding bread) to 7am on Friday mornings. Hopefully this will provide that extra bit of time to ensure you get what you want for the weekend.

Matthew's Blog - Frozen Fields & Pesky Pigeons

2012-02-15T07:21:00.001-08:00

The new year has seen the unseasonally mild conditions that brought about our late carrot fly attack (November) and encouraged the purple sprouting to flourish and the kale to begin its seed setting ritual, giving way to more traditional winter conditions.

Four inches of snow have lay covering the fields for the past week and daytime temperatures have struggled to get above 2 degrees c.

Roy has found it impossible to harvest beetroot, turnips and parsley as they lay beneath the frozen white blanket. Above the snow harvesting continues but many crops are taking twice as long to gather in and it is a constant battle keeping the large flock of wood pigeons off the taller sprouts, kale and purple sprouting crops as they fly searching for nourishment away from there preferred food of choice oilseed rape.

Oilseed rape is grown by the majority of large farms in our area but is struggling to poke its leaves through the snow, as Roy’s greens are from the same plant family he is normally guaranteed a visit when the weather turns bad.

My autumn planted garlic was showing about 5cm of leaf above the soil when the bad weather set in and is now completely covered.
It is said that planted garlic cloves will benefit from a period of cold winter weather as this is supposed to help bulb formation and flavour, this year will certainly test out the theory. The first of the new season garlic is normally ready in early June, so have those taste buds ready so we can put it to the test.

Sitting eating my breakfast Sunday morning I felt sorry for the birds that were struggling to find food through the covering of snow. I decided to break up some leftover bread and scatter it on the lawn I had cleared. Sitting back feeling good about helping the sparrows and blackbirds I was most distressed to look out of the window and see the largest wood pigeon I have ever seen clearing up nearly every piece.

Coffee Real - Hand Roasted Sussex Coffee

2012-02-15T07:19:00.001-08:00

A first from Farm Direct, we have roasted coffee this week. Husband and wife team Gary & Maarit source the best and most unique single estate Arabica coffee beans from around the world and hand roast them to inspiring standards of perfection. Their coffee has been produced under their own fair trade certification scheme RealTrade.
We have Kenyan (whole, ground) and Sumatran (whole, ground) beans, available at £4.99 for 250g.
Packets last for 6 months in the fridge and are available exclusively through Farm Direct.
See the whole range here

Pip's Tip - Preserving Your Duck

2012-02-15T07:12:00.004-08:00

This week Philip offers some practical advise on how to re-stock your larder for the less than inspiring winter months. He uses our organic farmed ducks to make duck confit, storing both the legs and breasts in the ducks fat, ready for a quick meal or special occasion. While the weather remains dreary, give this recipe a go, you will have more confit and stock then you know what to do with. See Pip's tip here.
We have a special offer on our organic ducks this week, from £8.12/kg to £5.99/kg, surely an offer too good to miss.

This Week At Farm Direct....

2012-02-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

Brrrrrrr. It's is still freezing outside and with much of our veg under a blanket of snow, our farmers are working around the clock to ensure we have plenty of produce available this week. We are likely to be without a few of our leafy greens and salad leaves (which are suffering from the bitter cold), but everything else will be available as usual.

Meanwhile, the repercussions of our unseasonally mild January are still being felt - with our cherry tomatoes ready a whole 6 weeks early. We don't usually see these sweet little fruits until at least April, but with the the recent weather and high levels of light on the Isle of Wight, they are now ready for picking.

Next Tuesday marks St Valentine's Day, that time of year where we celebrate the burial of 14 ancient Roman Christian martyrs by presenting heart shaped cards, cooking extravagant meals and whispering sweet nothings into the ear of our significant other. Always keen to facilitate romance amongst our customers, this year we have a St Valentine's section, complete with hand-made chocolate, British wine and romantic meals for 2.

If you want to further grease the wheels of love, rock oysters are on special offer this week (6 for £3.79 or 12 for £6.99). Take a look at Pip's tips for some helpful advice.

With the reared game season now over, this is the final week to make the most of our end-of-season game sale. We have plenty of partridge, pheasant & mallard available at reduced prices. Next week expect the return of rabbit and pigeon, as shooting resumes for the really wild game.

Goufrane has prepared another batch of traditional Lebanese treats for us this week. Choose from venison samosas (made using our own wild venison), pumpkin kibbeh or tomato, onion and cheese bread.

And finally, New to our cupboard section we have two soups from the Yorkshire Provender (Caramelised Onion with Cider Vinegar and Sage & Beetroot, Parsnip, Horseradish and Ginger), as well as peanuts from Shire Foods (salted, chilli and dry roasted).

Start shopping here

Shokoh's Menu - Kale Crisps & Apple Compote

2012-02-08T08:04:00.000-08:00

Shokoh is using our Jacobs Farm apples to make a sweet apple compote (try it on top of your muesli with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt), as well as crisps using our Wild Fields kale. Shoko's kale crisps are insatiably moreish - they are salty and brittle, while also being packed full of vitamins C, K and calcium. At 60p for a bag, they are one not to be missed this week.
Also available from the Curious Yellow Kafe: Stewed Lentils, Rhubarb Compote, Winter Coleslaw & Middle eastern Aubergine Dip.
See Shokoh's menu here

Special Offer - Free Bag of Bookhams Dried Pasta

2012-02-08T08:03:00.001-08:00

If an extravagant valentines meal isn't for you, we have a simple alternative available this week. For every jar of bookhams pasta sauce that we sell, we will be giving away a free bag of bookhams dried pasta - a quick meal for two, or enough for one with some left over for lunch (sorry, we don't include the tupperware).
Our flavours include: Truly Tomato Sauce, Spicy Tomato Sauce with Black Olives & Tomato Pasta Sauce with Mushrooms.

Pip's Tips - Oysters For Valentines

2012-02-08T07:52:00.000-08:00

This week Philip takes a look at rock oysters, a food-stuff we have consumed since the Roman times. Try them raw with a bit of Tabasco sauce, vinegar or a squeeze of lemon, it wonderfully cuts through that intensely salty flavour. If not, coat your oysters in egg & breadcrumbs before quickly frying them in butter. Simply delicious.
See all of pips tips here

This Week At Farm Direct....

2012-02-01T08:50:00.000-08:00

Finally, the first cold snap of the year, taking all of us a little bit by surprise. Most of our farms have hardly been affected (we have cavolonero kale back from Wild Fields this week), but it's our soft green organic greens that have suffered the most (chard and spinach will be unavailable until the weather improves).

Our tougher greens like kale and cabbage are able to withstand the frost and you will find they are that bit sweeter as a result. Pair them with our new salad potatoes from The Elveden Estate and a rack of lamb ribs, new in from Beatbush Organic Farm.

Meanwhile, we have been using our fresh farm direct ingredients to bring you an extended range of home-cooked products. Goufrane Mansour, a Highbury resident, will be making her beautifully crisp meat and cheese rolls for us this week, as well as meat pasties (using Nicola's beef mince). Likewise, Shokoh from the Curious Yellow Kafe is using the tenderest of our forced rhubarb to produce a rhubarb compote, both tart and sweet, this one is not to be missed.

With the arrival of February the guns are silenced as the game season officially comes to an end. We should still have birds available for the next 2-3 weeks, so now is the time to stock up your freezers until next autumn. If you are lacking inspiration take a look at this weeks gamey addition of Pip's Tips.

Solent garlic from the Isle of Wight returns this week - a stop gap until we have Mathew's new crop in the spring. On the tomato front, we are again taking the cocktail vine variety (smaller than the classic vine that was available last week).

And finally, a new section for our newsletter, our Farm Direct 'Winter Survival Guide'. This week starts with forced rhubarb.

Winter Survival Guide #1 - Forced Rhubarb

2012-02-01T08:47:00.001-08:00

A new addition to the Farm Direct newsletter, this Winter Survival Guide will support you through some of the bleaker months for fresh British fruit and veg. This week's extension delves into the world of forced rhubarb - a crop that can compete with the best, in terms of beauty and tartness, subtle flavour and texture.
Try our rhubarb compote this week, home-made by Shokoh using our own forced rhubarb.
See all winter survival guides here.

Pip's Tips - Game

2012-02-01T08:45:00.000-08:00

This week Philip reflects on the joys of game and it's place in the British culinary calender. To make the most of your bird, he suggests storing your game in the back of the fridge for a week, serving to soften the flesh and further intensify the flavour. A simple rub of salt, pepper and orange before roasting in the oven will allow for a simple, crisp and moist bird. Pair with roasted root vegetables, puréed squashes or ideally sesame stir fried kale.
See all of Pip's Tips here.

This Week At Farm Direct....

2012-01-25T06:21:00.000-08:00

The first of the forced rhubarb and mutton this week reminds us that January has much more to offer us than the green's and root vegetables that we have so far become accustomed to. Coupled with our new range of home-cooked Swedish sides and salads, the return of Mozzarella balls and organic duck wings, this makes for an exciting week of new produce at Farm Direct.

On our farms, the repercussions of a relatively frost-free December are now being felt, with this years forced rhubarb stems noticeably thinner than usual. While slighter stems are great for the chef (they are sweeter and not quite as tough), a smaller yield can seriously hit the pockets of our farmers. Still, our other winter crops have been particularly bountiful, evident in the fact that our chards and rocket have only just come to an end.

We are excited to have Nicola's organic mutton ready and available for us this week - it is cheaper than lamb but mush more flavoursome. Cut from barren ewes, Nicola's mutton is matured for 2-3 years, making it tender and rich. Try our neck fillet for a rich mutton stew or our shoulders and legs are prefect for slow-roasting in the oven. See this weeks edition of Pip's tips for advise on how to make the most of your mutton.

Another new addition from Beatbush, we have pots of Fresh Organic Goose Fat - not so great for the waistline, but you will never make better roast potatoes... ever!

New to our veg range we have organic celery from Nash Nurseries in Kent, while our cocktail vine tomatoes have been superseded by a new 'classic vine' variety (slightly bigger but just as juicy and sweet).

And finally, we have come to the end of our Solent garlic from Matthew in Essex - this years crop has already been planted so we should have some more in 2 or 3 months. Next week expect to see a range of new garlics, pickles and mustards from the Garlic Farm on the Isle of Wright.

Start shopping here

Forced Rhubarb - The Connoisseurs Choice

2012-01-25T06:18:00.000-08:00

This weeks we have the first of the forced rhubarb, injecting some vibrant pink excitement to one of the greener periods of the British culinary calender.
Forcing rhubarb is a peculiar culture - it involves both heat and darkness, so that the young shoots rapidly extend in a frantic search for light. Originally it was produced to fill the gap in the desert fruit calendar (prior to cold storage techniques), but now it is deemed infinitely better than its outdoor counterpart and is gleefully anticipated at the turn of the year.
If you're stuck for inspiration you can't go wrong with a classic crumble or even a rhubarb & custard cake, Nigel Slater pairs it with mackerel and vinegar, while I think rhubarb handles Indian spices and Lentils superbly. Either way, forced Rhubarb is one to try this week.

Buy forced rhubarb here

Pip's Tips - The Perfect Slow Roast Mutton

2012-01-25T06:06:00.001-08:00

This week Philip is championing our organic mutton from Beatbush organic Farm in Essex. Mutton is essentially lamb that's a bit older (aged 2-3 years), and with that maturity comes an extra richness and a stronger flavour. In this article Phillip explains how to season and slow cook your mutton, be it in a stew, or slow roast until it's tender and falling off the bone.
Don't forget, Cooking Without Recipes is now available for £7.99.
See Pip's tip here

Shokoh's Home Cooking - Swedish Style

2012-01-25T05:55:00.000-08:00

Farm Direct has teamed up with fabulous Swedish cafe in Highbury, Curious Yellow Kafe. This week we will be brining you a range of Swedish style salads and sides, all made by Shokoh just around the corner from the Farm Direct depot. We have:
Carrot & Kohlrabi in Citrus & Sesame Dressing (250g)
Stewed Lentils with Seasonal Root Vegtables (350g)
Swedish New Potato Salad (350g)
Winter Coleslaw (250g)
See out full range here

Keep an eye out for the Curious Yellow's famous Swedish meatballs as well as firm favourites such as lasagne and stewed beef, all coming soon.

This Week At Farm Direct....

2012-01-18T06:56:00.001-08:00

The mild winter has certainly been a tremendous for our green crops and even with the recent frosts, our veg is still flourishing. Frost damage is, however, not the only factor that can prematurely end a season's growth. Notable in their absence this year have been the huge flocks of continental pigeons that often blight our chard and spinach. The trade off is a few more aphids, slugs and caterpillars, so you may see a few more unexpected protein bonuses in your leafy veg!

The cold does however stunt growth, so we do have a crop gap in our rainbow chard and salad rocket from Ripple Farm. These have been replaced by organic cavolonero kale and rocket from Perry Court Farm. Our pak choi is now green (the red was eaten by slugs) and we have a green winter lettuce from Lea Valley.

In a weeks time it will be Burns night, celebrating the life and works of Scotland's most famous poet. This year we have haggis for the first time as well as all the neeps and tatties you can eat. For desert, we have mincemeat puddings at 25% off. See our Burn's night section for more inspiration.

Today our newsletter has two contributors, Donna's recipe of the week is a fish rosti bake, while Philip Dundas, author of Cooking Without Recipes, provides us with some helpful hints and tips on how to make the most of your Farm Direct produce.

Due to popular demand we have brought back both the low fat strawberry and low fat peach yoghurt from Tim's Diary in Buckinghamshire, both are available at £1.29.

And finally, from this weekends service our delivery cost will be £1.99 for a 2-4 hour slot or 99p for Saturday any-time delivery. With delivery spanning over 4 days and with 8 different delivery slots we still think this is great value and hope that you do too. Don't forget you can still collect from either of our depots for free.

Toast To The Haggis - Burns Night, 25th January

2012-01-18T06:51:00.000-08:00

With Haggis at it heart, Burns night provides the ideal opportunity to celebrate with the best of Britain's winter faire. Try our...

Haggis: Choose from medium, large or vegetarian - our multi-award winning haggis comes from Findlays of Portobello (an Edinburgh baked butcher) and consists of locally sourced lamb, beef, oatmeal, onions and seasoning. Boil in the pan, bake in the oven or go for the twist with haggis-in-the-hole.

Neeps: For me, neeps means swede (although, not for everyone), but you can equally use turnips, or even a combination of the two. Traditionally they are boiled, mashed and sweetened, but you can never go wrong with a good 'ol bit of roasting in few glugs of oil.

Tatties: Here I would go for the King Edwards from Jacobs Farm, they are really tasty and are perfect for both mashing a roasting. Maris Piper or Desiree make equally good substitutes.

See the Farm Direct Burns night section here

Pip's Tips - Making The Most of Sardines & Goat Butter

2012-01-18T06:47:00.000-08:00

There is a wintry episode in Wind in the Willows where Mole is ashamed to have brought the hospitable Ratty to his own humble home, with nothing to eat on a cold night. His sanguine chum, dependable as he is, immediately takes charge and summons every morsel left in the cupboards including a tin of sardines.

The fact is that fish tin well and Fish4Ever are leading the way with sustainably caught produce. During these winter months when the range of fresh produce is scarcer and the weather prevents our boats from returning such bountiful catches, we can do well to stock our cupboards with a few of these tasty supplies.

With the smaller varieties, like sardines and mackerel the bones are softened and the calcium and many of the essential fishy oils we need in our diet are preserved. The Fish4Ever range at Farm Direct also includes, Alaskan salmon and Skipjack tuna (notwithstanding the propensity of oily fish returning on the breath at inopportune moments!).

A tin of sardines served on wholemeal toast is one of the most complete and beneficial meals you can have. For a delightful lunch or light supper, open the can and save the oil separately. Season the fish in a bowl with lemon juice and freshly ground pepper. In my view reheating is unnecessary. Use (as always) the best quality bread you can buy and toast. I use the leftover oil to fry the bread or you can add it to a dressing. Serve with some wilted spinach or kale, finely chopped and stir-fried.

Another treat on the shelves at the moment is the goat butter from Yew Tree Farm. When Robert first gave me a sample, I wasn’t sure that the strong taste would work but in the right balance it really lends a unique flavour, particularly to pack a punch in vegetarian cooking. I recommend a squash pâté. They are in such plenty right now and need using up.

Throw a whole squash in the oven until it’s soft. Slice in half and get rid of the seeds. Melt a decent size lump of goat butter (be generous as you would be with a meat pâté and add garlic chopped fairly large until it starts to brown. Scoop out the squash flesh into the pan with black pepper, salt and lemon juice. Stir the whole into a soft paste, add some chopped fresh herb, something with a gentle flavour like tarragon or coriander and turn into a dish to set. Then just spread it on some more of that toast.

@pipsdish

Philip’s new book Cooking without Recipes is available from Farm Direct at £7.99. Philip is currently cooking at Islington Barn every week Fridays-Sunday. See PipsDish.co.uk for more details.

Passionate About Pate - Handmade in Suffolk

2012-01-18T06:42:00.000-08:00

Try our exclusive new range of vegetarian and meat pates, hand-made by Marie-Rose Miller from Suffolk. All pates are sold in 170g jars and will keep in the fridge for 3 weeks. Choose from:
Blue Cheese with Parsley & Lemon
Chicken Liver with Port and Brandy
Chickpea & Corriander with Lemon and Chilli
Duck & Truffle Pate

All products are gluten free and suitable for home freezing.

Donna's Recipe Of The Week - Rosti Topped Fish Bake

2012-01-18T06:39:00.000-08:00

This week Donna has prepared an easy all-in-one fish bake with a potato rosi crust. Perfect for use with our catch of the week, the recipe also provides the ideal opportunity to use up the last scraps of your veg box. Substitute smoked haddock or smoked bacon for a little variation.

See Donna's Rosti-Topped Fish Bake here.

This Week At Farm Direct....

2012-01-11T06:47:00.000-08:00

The prolonged mild weather continues to adjust our seasonal expectations this week. Our green crops are still flourishing - unusual for this time of year and we even have two new leaf varieties available, rising sun pack choi and mustard leaves.

Conversely, storage of cropped vegetables is becoming more of an issue. Supermarkets often using a bleach based gas to prolong the shelf life of their onions and potatoes. This serves to effectively "kill" the vegetable - you won't see any shoots or bits of green sticking out the side. Rest assured we don't do this, all our veg come to you exactly as it came out the ground, but it can often mean a shorter shelf life.

We have the first of the King Edward potatoes this week, a medium/floury variety that comes highly recommended by our farmer Ansi. This year they are particularly tasty, more so I think, than the other classic mashers such as the Maris piper or Desiree.

New in our pantry we have sauce for fish pie, Scottish highland oatcakes and Wessex Mill Spelt Flour (quite dense, but sweet, nutty and nutritious compared to is European counterparts).

Our Guinea Fowl are going to be unavailable for the next fortnight, "too scrawny" according to our organic farmer Andy, he will be fattening them up for us over the next few weeks.

This is the last week of our Goat milk from Sally & Bob at Springstep dairy. After two generations of milk production the pasteurisation process stops on Friday - expect to see a new goats milk available next week. In the meantime, try our goat butter from Yew Tree Farm.

And finally, Flour Power City, our South London bakery, have slightly adjusted their deadlines. All sourdough based breads now require two days notice, we will take some stock, but get your order in early to ensure you get what you want. Have a great week.

The Wonderful World Of Cabbage

2012-01-11T06:32:00.000-08:00

Cabbage is a much maligned vegetable, tarnished after decades of desecration in school canteens around the country. Peel away the layers and you will find a vegetable that is honest, unpretentious and visually stunning. See our guide to the different varieties:

January King: The regal cabbage, looks beautiful with slightly tougher outer leaves, its hidden sweetness is revealed when roasted.
Savoy: The gourmet choice, savoys are nutty, sweet and earthy. Try yours dressed; the savoys little dimples perfectly cling to sauces.
Red: Braised red cabbage, with its piquant taste and succulence is the perfect counterpart for strong gamey meats like venison or pheasant.
White: Crunchy and sweet, white cabbage is truly the coleslaw king.
Tundra: A savoy/white cabbage hybrid, the tundra is your classic all rounder.

See our extensive cabbage range here

Sprouting Beans and Sapling Greens

2012-01-11T06:28:00.001-08:00

If your New Years health kick is still on track (or just about to begin), try our organic sprouts from Herefordshire. We have mixed sprouts (mung bean, green & brown lentils, aduki bean and chickpea sprouts), alfalfa sprouts, aduki bean sprouts and the award-winning sango radish sprouts.

Packed full of protein, vitamins and iron, arconbury sprouts add that bit of flamboyancy to full-bodied salads, soups and risottos. See our full range here.

Donna's Recipe Of The Week - Spiced Mackerel

2012-01-11T06:19:00.000-08:00

This week Donna has designed an omega-3 packed take on Kedgeree, simple and healthy, this dish is a quick mid-week winner. Try it with out great taste award winning smoked mackerel from Orford.

See Donna's Spiced Mackerel Rice here.

English Wine at Farm Direct

2011-10-05T06:11:00.001-07:00

The Farm Direct wine, beer and cider section went live in August and has been really popular. Our biggest worry when sourcing for this section was that we wanted to have only English products. Beer, larger and cider is something us Brits do well, but what about English wine?

We went on a journey of discovery and were delighted with what we have found. The vineyard that we source our wine from - Three Choirs - has a wonderful range of English white wine and a fab sparkling number. Three Choirs is in Gloucestershire, and is one of England's leading and most awarded, single estate vineyard. It is an 80 acre vineyard making it one of the largest in the UK and has been producing wine since 1976. With its own microclimate sheltered between the Malverns and the Brecon Beacons it has an average rainfall of 20 inches per annum.

Over the coming months we will be expanding our English wine section to include more reds, rose and sparklings from new and exciting English vineyards so watch this space.

Christmas is Coming to Farm Direct

2011-10-05T06:01:00.000-07:00

It may seem like we've not left summer behind us quite yet, but here in the Farm Direct office we're busy planning our Christmas range. Our turkey and goose pre-ordering service has just gone live so take a look at what we've got on offer. Over the coming weeks this section will get all manner of foodie delights that can help you and your friends and family celebrate the festive season.

Our free range turkeys are from Temple Farm. They are fed only natural foods and are dry plucked then hung for a minimum of seven days. This means that come Christmas dinner time, you'll be enjoying the finest flavoured turkey you could imagine.

Our free range goose come from Whews Farm. They are reared in open grassland where they live outside with hedges for shade and shelter. They are traditionally hung which will tenderise and add flavour.

Gill Wing Farm are supplying our organic birds this Christmas and as always they are top quality and all roam happily together and roost in the trees in their farm just outside of Tunbridge Wells.

Order online or by phone and have it delivered direct to you or pick up from our Islington Depot.

Mustard and rabbit - compulsory tasting

2010-03-16T09:28:00.000-07:00

I tried this on the weekend and it was incredible, I did not think mustard and rabbit would go together so well!

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

2 x whole rabbits cut into portions

6 x rashers of unsmoked streaky bacon

1 x cup of dry white wine

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

300ml double cream

Knob of butter

500 ml chicken stock

2/3 onions or 6/7 shallots

A couple of cloves of garlic

Method

Cut the onions up rougly and boil them in the chicken sock for about 5 mins

Crisp up the bacon in some butter and then transfer the bacon to your casserole dish

Brown the rabbit in the pan you used for the bacon (you might not be able to do this all in one go) - when brown place in the casserole dish.

Take the onions out of the stock and fry in pan with garlic, then after a few minutes add stock cream, wine and mustard. Pour this lovely mixture over the rabbit and bacon

Put in oven (180c) for 45 mins. - if it comes out with too much liquid for your tastes, take off the lid and place the casserole dish on the hob for a few minutes to reduce it a bit.

Serve with greens and mash - try using olive oil instead of milk/cream/butter and throwing some fresh parsley in the mash - delicious

For another take on the beautiful partnership that is mustard and rabbit try this, I think it looks great and intend to try it with my next rabbit -

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Rabbit-Cooked-with-Dijon-Mustard

2010-03-03T05:35:00.000-08:00

All about cabbages

I think cabbages are thought of as boring and tasteless. This isnt true! They are cheap (£1 each) and very versatile and so should not be ignored. So here is a little rundown of what's available and what you might want to do with them.

White Cabbage

The white cabbage has a crisp texture and a slight pepper flavour. They are a good choice for coleslaw, or on the side of hearty winter meals and roast dinners (add a bit of vinegar to enhance the taste) and are great in a stir-fry.

Red cabbage

Apparently the taste is actually the same as white or green cabbage, now I don’t believe this but maybe my taste buds are tricked by the lovely colours. It has the traditional honour of being slow-cooked with apples (bramley) to make a tasty addition to both roasts and game. If, when cooked, it loses its vibrant colour - drain it, throw in a tbsp or 2 of lemon juice or vinegar and as if by magic the acidity will restore the deep colour (and make it taste a bit better too!).

Savoy Cabbage

These dark green cabbages have a heavily textured leaf and a strong flavour. They are ideal for making hearty winter soups, stews and broths because they hold their texture together well. It will keep for a week in a fridge – its best to place it in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Tundra cabbage

Tundra is a kind of cross between a white cabbage and a Savoy. It has a solid and crisp head and its sweetness makes it ideal for winter salads. Although we don’t have these on the website yet, because Ted’s farm doesn’t have quite enough ready, Kath reckons she will have a few this week and will bring them down to the depot. They should appear on the website very soon.

Venison Steaks - simple supper.

2010-02-24T05:18:00.001-08:00

Had a delicious "special night" supper on Monday - fried venison steak (seasoned, and put in the pan for about 12 minutes - 4 mins on each side, 4 mins covered), and served with some steamed cavalonero (salt, pepper, olive oil) and some carrot and parsnip chips - just very thinly sliced or peeled, covered with olive oil and salt, and put in a hot oven for about 40 mins - keep an eye on them, I think I overdid them by about 5 mins!

No more shanks

2010-02-24T02:08:00.000-08:00

Upon the request of our lamb producer we have removed lamb shanks from the website for the time being. We thought it would be interesting to share the reasons. The shank is a cut of meat that comes from the leg, just below the knee. The problem is that this means that to provide a shank the butcher must breaks up the whole leg. However, it is important that the butcher can provide a whole leg because there is always a demand for it - for roasts etc. So it proves very difficult for a small producer like Beatbush to provide shanks and not lose out.

As an alternative to shanks, Nicola at Beatbush recommends the knuckle end of shoulder as a classic, slow cooking alternative that will serve the purpose perfectly.

Support your Prince and eat mutton!

2010-02-24T02:06:00.000-08:00

We have mutton available this week. The virtues of this meat are fast becoming noticed once more. Believe it or not, much of mutton’s recent resurgence is down to Prince Charles and his Mutton Renaissance Campaign - which makes an interesting read. Mutton is really good in pies and puddings, slow-cooked dishes and is used heavily in India, the Middle East and North African cooking, so if you want an authentic flavour for these types of dishes then mutton is the one you want. The meat itself is very different to lamb, it has rich taste and a unique texture. During slow and gentle cooking the flavour of the mutton mellows and sweetens during and the results are truly delicious.

Definitions of when lamb becomes mutton have long varied. However, it is now generally agreed that the animal should be aged two years or more, and hung for at least two weeks: the result is a juicy, well-flavoured meat, firm but not tough. Mutton cuts are the same as with lamb, although they are usually. Have a look at the mutton section on www.farm-direct.com for the whole range.