Another beautiful spring day in North London, but the lack of rain is still a cause for concern on our farms.
Drought continues in the South East and with newly bedded plants in desperate need of water our harvest later in the year could well suffer.
The last few spring crops are trickling in before the hungry-gap begins (usually about Easter time), we have spring greens from Wild Fields Farm as well as kohlrabi from Perry Court in Kent.
Our over wintered greens are also coming along nicely (rainbow chard should be back next week), and given a bit of rain we may well see a few more crops ready a little early this year.
The price of our Jersey Royals have started to drop (down £1/kg from last week) and will continue to do so as supply increases.
Wild nettles on Wild Fields Farm are now big enough to pick. Last year we harvested them slightly too late (they were very stringy and tough!), but this year we've got it right - these nettles are young, tender and add a delicate flavour to soups, pasta and rice dishes.
Andrew at Gill Wing Farm has been hunting down rabbits for us this week - the perfect summer take on game. They are in such abundance at this time of year that even he can't miss!
We have a gap in our mutton season - lambing has begun and Nicola's sheep are busy tending to their offspring, while all the barren sheep have already been culled. Expect the return of mutton in a couple of months.
And finally, with the end of lent now approaching, it's time to feast and enjoy the English sunshine. Our service next week will be a day early (delivery slots run from Thursday to Sunday) and we will also be running a special Saturday evening delivery slot. Take a look at our Easter section for a bit of inspiration.
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Showing posts with label mutton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mutton. Show all posts
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
This Week At Farm Direct....
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
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
Pip's Tips - The Perfect Slow Roast Mutton
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
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