Greetings, Growing conditions are nigh on perfect at the moment with the crop fattening combination of warmth and wet. Nothing seems to be enjoying these conditions more than Martin's lettuces and this week we welcome his organic cos to the table. Like the wonderful oak leafs, these will be large and 'getting bigger by the day cos of the rain' (spot the pun). Martin's cavolo nero has been featuring in the mixed kale bags for a while but there is now a sufficient amount to warrant entire packs. I for one, am delighted and will be eating plenty of it - blitzed up with anchovies, garlic and parmesan, it's one of my favourite pasta dishes. The long spell of hot weather this July has certainly not harmed our sweetcorn so toothpicks to the ready, we'll have it this weekend. Roy and Rita's new season leeks will also be with us and they have been digging up the first of the red onions. The summer leeks tend to be smaller and slightly milder in flavour than the winter crop. The treats keep coming at this time of year and everyone's favourite thistle, the globe artichoke, is ready to grace our plates. If you are a novice in the delicacy here are some helpful tips on how to eat them. Also sharing the van with the organic artichokes from Bedlam Farm, Cambridgeshire, we will have organic outdoor rhubarb and organic blueberries. And a fruity first for Farm Direct this week in the form of bio-dynamic jostaberries, and indeed the first time I have ever heard of them (see more below). Perry Court have put a smile on our faces with news that their organic aubergines are on the way. I love to pair them with courgettes and marinade them for a lovely bit of antipasti. If there was ever a mathematician's vegetable then it surely must be the romanesco cauliflower. They could have been designed by Fibonacci himself but it's the endlessly intricate patterns of nature that we have to thank for this beauty. But it's not all about looks, it tastes fantastic too, somewhere between cauliflower and broccoli. There is a crop gap in our organic broccoli from Maple Farm this week but we will have their organic french beans. Finally, we have a few more potted plants & herbs to add to our range from Cultivate London and there is no better time to be out in the garden planting.

Organic Cos Lettuce Organic Cavolo Nero Sweetcorn New Season Leeks New Season Red Onions Organic Globe Artichokes Organic Outdoor Rhubarb Organic Blueberries Bio-Dynamic Jostaberries Organic Aubergines Organic Romanesco Cauliflower Organic French Beans Chive Plant, Potted Marjoram Plant, Potted Oregano Plant, Potted Apricot & Raisin Loaf Cake Banana Loaf Cake Bio-Dynamic Roasting Onions Geranium (White) Plant Erigeron 'Pink Jewel' Plant Oxalis Burgandy Plant Rudbekia 'Rustic Red' Plant Salvia Elegans PlantOrganic Orange & Lemon Marmalade Scaevola 'White Wonder' Plant Bulls Blood Lettuce

All the best, Sam and the Farm Direct team. Start Your Weekly Shop Now >

FARM DIRECT NEWS...

Red Cabbages in your Veg BoxWe like to push all things underrated at Farm Direct. And we noticed the arrival of the humble red cabbage a couple of weeks ago didn't generate the gasps of excitement one might expect. So we will be including a red cabbage in the veg boxes this week and just in case your stumped as to what to do with a whole one we will be proving a recipe for a lovely summer red coleslaw. Once you have made your own you will never want to buy the pre-made stuff again. That's a promise!

Not Just Any Old Berry... It's a Jostaberry!Smaller than a gooseberry and larger than a gooseberry this fruit is a perfect hybrid of the two. It's edible both raw and cooked and has some of the tartness of the gooseberry and sweetness of the blackberry. It's new to us and may well be new to all of you, our discerning customers, so we would love to hear what you think of it!

Manna's Preserves ReturnWe've had another delivery of Manna's homemade preserves. Lovingly handmade up the road in Hornsey and it's all organic. The bread and butter pickles flew off the shelves last time and the marmalade turns a humble piece of toast into a morning delicacy.

Farm Direct t: 0845 519 2415
e: info@farm-direct.com
11 Ronalds Road
London, N5 1XL

Fish Just Landed - Cod, Plaice Fillets & Razor Clams

Can't read this email properly? Click Here>> add rural.connection.ltd@cmp.dotmailer.co.uk to your safesender list to ensure you receive this email Start Shopping New In Seasonal Specials Log In Hello Luke, With the favourable spring tide and very clam waters, it's been a good weeks fishing off the Cornish coast. White fish has been caught in abundance - we have pollock, cod, ling and haddock (filleted an ready to cook). Chris has landed plenty of plaice, so we have both fillets and whole fish. Both bake beautifully - they're so fresh, cook them for as little as you dare. For the first time this season we have razor clams from the south coast. Beautiful on the BBQ, they are a delicious light summer treat. Only £5.99 for 500g or £10 for 1kg. All in all we have: Fillets & Parts Plaice Fillets (400g) @ £15/kg Pollock Fillets (300g) @ £14/kg Cod Fillet (300g) @ £19/kg Ling Fillet (400g) @ £13/kg Cornish Haddock Fillet (300g) @ £15/kg Prepared Red Gurnard Tail (230g) @ £13/kg Whole Fish Whole Plaice (350g) @ £9/kg Whole Cornish Mackerel (500g) @ £8/kg Witch Sole (400g) @ £9/kg Shellfish Whole Steamed Cornish Crab (700g) @ £7/kg Razor Clams (1kg) @ £10/kg Razor Clams (500g) @ £12/kg And of course we have crab - dressed (499p), white (499p) & brown (299p). Start shopping here

We hope you're enjoying the sun but our some of our farmers are starting to struggle a bit. The heat and lack of rain has claimed its first victims this week as Roy and Rita's calabrese broccoli and lettuces (they're all water!) have succumbed but will return pending a some rain. Fortunately we will have organic calabrese from Maple Farm (who supply our very popular organic eggs) and we also have organic summer cabbages and organic cucumbers from them. As for lettuces we will still have organic oak leaf and cos varieties so we will not be completely lettuce free. Of course there is plenty of produce that revel in this heat and sunshine, with tomatoes and peppers being obvious examples, soaking up the sun to ripen and sweeten beautifully. Matthew's french beans are ready for their first picking this week whilst his golden beetroot is one good soaking away from readiness but he's struggling to get water to them. We have the first cauliflowers from Wild Fields and organic spinach from Ripple Farm is back after a crop gap. It's the final week of the gooseberry season but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy them the rest of the year. Take advantage of the fact that they freeze fantastically well and stock up your freezer. We are offering a bulk buy deal of 4 punnets for £9.49.

Org. Calabrese Broccoli Org. Summer Cabbage Org. Long Cucumber French Beans Cauliflower Org. Spinach Org. Loose Carrots Gooseberry Bulk Buy Pineapple Lilly Plant Verbena Plant Foxgloves Cosmos Plant Chinese Plumbago Plant New Season Lamb Razor Clams Fentimans Mixed Selection Organic Coconut Oil Loaf of the Week Pasta of the Week Sausage of the Week

Whilst we have no plans yet to sell bananas (thanks to everyone who voted in our first ever poll!) we are venturing into the world of potted plants in our eagerness to support Cultivate London, a fantastic social enterprise based in Brentford. We'll be getting verbena, foxglove, pineapple lilly, cosmos & Chinese plumbago plants. For more information about the work they do have a read below. They also provide us with a lovely range of very healthy looking potted herbs as well as mild & peppery salads. We switch to new season lamb this week as they have fattened sufficiently on the grassy Norfolk pastures of Beatbush Farm. All our lamb cuts will now be up to half the size of the older season lamb and will have a significantly milder flavour and tender texture. Getting bored of burgers on your barbecue? Well, we've got our hands on razor clams and they grill up a treat. Easy to cook and with a rich salty/sweet flavour, they are well worth a try. Finally, we've have a great deal on our Fentimans drinks that are perfect on a hot summers day straight from the fridge. Get a mixed selection for £4.49 or individually they are down to just £1.19. All the best, Sam and the Farm Direct team. Start Your Weekly Shop Now >

FARM DIRECT NEWS...

Cultivate London We have been working with Cultivate London for a while now and are very pleased to be doing so. They have two sites in South West London that have rescued derelict land and transformed them into thriving and productive growing sites. As well as providing local, organically grown food for Londoners they also provide training opportunities and jobs for unemployed young people aged 16-24 in practical horticulture. We are delighted to be able to support a social enterprise that brings us delicious food and beautiful plants, whilst providing invaluable social and environmental benefits to London.

Summer Deals at Farm Direct We've introduced a 'Summer Bargains' section on the website where you can find all our current offers in one place. It will have summery products with enticing discounts so keep an eye on it over the coming months

A Push for PestoWe think our Purely Pesto range, handmade by Gavin Battle in Suffolk, is a real taste the difference product. They make a great marinade for fish, chicken & lamb, a lovely accompaniment to pasta or even just spread on a bit of toast. Where possible they use locally sourced ingredients and you wont find any preservatives or additives.

This Week's Box's - Courgettes, Caulis & Cherry Tomatoes

The sun continues to shine and the veggies keep on coming. This week in our boxes we have Wild Fields courgettes and cauli's as well as Matthew's loose carrots.
No rain has fallen over the last fortnight and our lettuces and broccoli have dried up, they will be unavailable pending a good soaking.
In our organic boxes this week we have loose carrots as well as Martin's new season rainbow chard. Enjoy!

Small Veg Box
Producer		Product
garden harvest		Red Torpedo Onions, bunched (300g)
Wild Fields Farm		Rita's New Season Spinach (approx 300g)
Wild Fields Farm		Cauliflower
garden harvest		Matthew's Carrots (500g)
Wild Fields Farm		Roy's New Potatoes (500g)
jacobs farm		Cherry Tomatoes (250g)
Medium Veg Box
Producer		Product
garden harvest		Red Torpedo Onions, bunched (300g)
Wild Fields Farm		Cauliflower
Wild Fields Farm		Rita's New Season Spinach (approx 300g)
Wild Fields Farm		Courgettes (500g)
Wild Fields Farm		Roy's New Potatoes (500g)
jacobs farm		Cherry Tomatoes (250g)
garden harvest		Matthew's Carrots (500g)
Waveney mushrooms		Cup Chestnut Mushrooms (250g)
Large Veg Box
Producer		Product
Wild Fields Farm		Courgettes (500g)
Wild Fields Farm		Cauliflower
Wild Fields Farm		Beetroot, Loose (500g)
Waveney mushrooms		Portobello Chestnut Mushrooms (300g)
Wild Fields Farm		Rita's New Season Spinach (approx 300g)
garden harvest		Red Torpedo Onions, bunched (300g)
The Tomato Stall		Cherry Tomatoes (250g)
Wild Fields Farm		Broad Beans (500g)
garden harvest		Matthew's Carrots, bunched (approx 10-12 550g)
Wild Fields Farm		Roy's New Potatoes (1kg)
Fruit & Veg Boxes
Small Frui & Veg Box
Producer		Product
garden harvest		Red Torpedo Onions, bunched (300g)
Wild Fields Farm		Rita's New Season Spinach (approx 300g)
Wild Fields Farm		Cauliflower
garden harvest		Matthew's Carrots (500g)
Wild Fields Farm		Roy's New Potatoes (500g)
jacobs farm		Cherry Tomatoes (250g)
Tiptree Farm		1x Punnet of Tiptree Strawberries (approx 350g)
Medium Fruit & Veg Box
Producer		Product
garden harvest		Red Torpedo Onions, bunched (300g)
Wild Fields Farm		Cauliflower
Wild Fields Farm		Rita's New Season Spinach (approx 300g)
Wild Fields Farm		Courgettes (500g)
Wild Fields Farm		Roy's New Potatoes (500g)
jacobs farm		Cherry Tomatoes (250g)
garden harvest		Matthew's Carrots (500g)
Tiptree Farm		1x Small Punnet of Strawberries (approx 227g)
Cammas Hall		1x Punnet of Tiptree Blackberries (approx 150g)
Large Fruit & Veg Box
Producer		Product
Wild Fields Farm		Courgettes (500g)
Wild Fields Farm		Cauliflower
Waveney mushrooms		Portobello Chestnut Mushrooms (300g)
Wild Fields Farm		Rita's New Season Spinach (approx 300g)
ripple farm		Red Torpedo Onions, bunched (300g)
The Tomato Stall		Cherry Tomatoes (250g)
Wild Fields Farm		Broad Beans (500g)
garden harvest		Matthew's Carrots, bunched (approx 10-12 550g)
Wild Fields Farm		Roy's New Potatoes (1kg)
Tiptree Farm		1x Small Punnet of Strawberries (approx 227g)
Tiptree Farm		1x Punnet of Tiptree Blackberries (approx 150g)
Organic Veg Box
Small Organic Veg Box
Producer		Product
perry court farm		Organic Muddy Carrots, Loose (500g)
Ripple Farm		White New Potatoes, Organic (400g)
Ripple Farm		Organic Oak Leaf Lettuce
the tomato stall		Organic Baby Plum Tomatoes (150g)
Ripple Farm		Organic Baby Green Onions (300g)
Ripple Farm		Rainbow Chard, Organic (250g pack)
Medium Organic Veg Box
Producer		Product
Ripple Farm		Organic Baby Green Onions (300g)
perry court farm		Organic Oak Leaf Lettuce
the tomato stall		Organic Baby Plum Tomatoes (200g)
Ripple Farm		Mixed Summer Salad, Organic (125g)
Ripple Farm		White New Potatoes, Organic (750g)
Ripple Farm		Rainbow Chard, Organic (250g pack)
perry court farm		Organic Muddy Carrots, Loose (500g)
Large Organic Veg Box
Producer		Product
perry court farm		Organic Muddy Carrots, Loose (500g)
Ripple Farm		Mixed Summer Salad, Organic (125g)
Ripple Farm		White New Potatoes, Organic (750g)
Ripple Farm		Martin's Garlic Stem & Bulb, Organic
Ripple Farm		Rainbow Chard, Organic (250g pack)
perry court farm		Broad Beans, Organic (500g)
Ripple Farm		Organic Baby Green Onions (300g)
the tomato stall		Mixed Organic Tomatoes (350g)
Ripple Farm		Spinach, Organic (225g pack)
the tomato stall		Organic Baby Plum Tomatoes (150g)