This morning's rain caps off a great week for Farm Direct, both for our new produce and for next seasons crops.
There has been a verdant revival on our farms, with our over-wintered greens lurching back into life and wild salad leaves creeping out over our shaded woodland.
Meanwhile, our farmers have been hard at work planting for the summer ahead and today's downpour has been perfect for bedding our new crops.
This week sees the second coming of last seasons spinach, it's final spurt of growth before being ploughed back into the fields ready to make way for our squashes and cabbage.
Our watercress from Chalke Valley returns, adding a peppery, yet smooth edge to dishes, as does our slightly subtler salad rocket
We also have the first wild garlic of the year, picked from a wood on Burscome Cliff Organic Farm in Kent. It is paid for by Martin from Ripple Farm using left-over spuds to feed Burscome's livestock. Whoever said bartering was dead?
The frustratingly short white sprouting broccoli season begins this week. Delicately charming, it is less cabbage-like than it mauve-tipped agnate and deserves to be treated accordingly. I like to think of white sprouting broccoli as a spring asparagus - it responds to the same sauces (holendaise, butter, lemon) and also appreciates gentle cooking.
Our featured slow cook cut this week is Ox Tail from Sacombe Hill Farm. Cooked on the bone it is sweet and succulent, possibly the most flavoursome cut of beef - try it stewed or braised for a classic, warming one-pot meal. Oh, and don't forget to dig out the marrow, it's a privilege not to be missed.
And finally, ever place your order, only to realise that you've forgotten something? Haven't we all! Well now you can add items to your completed order. Just locate your current order in the 'accounts' section and select 'add to order'. Simple.
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