This Week At Farm Direct....

We are very happy to see some rain again this week! Our shallots, calabrese broccoli and beetroot have all just been bedded and the Easter downpour will really give them a boost.

The first of our vibrant green cucumbers (both organic minis and non-organic biggies) are now ready, as are our organic cauliflowers and sorrel leaves from Kent.

Ripple Farm's over-wintered spring onions are popping up through the soil again, this week we have white, while red will be available in a week or two.

Roy's eagerly awaited new potatoes have started showing earlier than ever before! Expect to see them following asparagus at the end of the month.

We are now on to our second variety of white sprouting broccoli - the first variety, 'White Eye', has come and gone and Roy has now started picking 'White Star'. This is likely to be our last week of the white sprouting - try if you haven't already, it is very different from purple sprouting and much more like a slim-headed asparagus .

Likewise our wild garlic, which is now starting to flower, finishes this week. If you want to preserve its subtle garlic-like flavour why not make a batch of wild garlic pesto, it will keep for forever in the freezer!

We have the first of this year's cuttlefish - they only come to our shores once a year so wont be around for long. Willie also came in with a boat load of mackerel this morning, we have both 'headed and gutted' and fillets available.

And finally, after last weeks Easter service, we are back to our normal opening hours this week. Drop into the depot on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, while the Barn is open from 10-4 on Saturday.

Matthew's Blog - Sunshine, Early Crops & Baloons

Temperatures for March were well above average for the time of year and crops that were drilled into moisture are starting to germinate. The extremely tasty new season potatoes that have been wrapped up in fleece and polythene to try and encourage early growth are just starting to push their leaves through the soils surface. Roy informs me that this is the earliest he has ever had the crop showing above ground.

We recorded a total of 20mm of rain during March, below average for the time of year. Visit 'http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/regmapavge.html#eengland' to check out climate information for our region.

I hope you have all been enjoying the white sprouting; it truly is a delicious vegetable.
As Robert has mentioned it is a short season and the first variety White Eye has come and gone, Roy started picking White Star last week and hopefully a return to more seasonal temperatures may just prolong the season. Next season Roy will be adding the variety F1 Burbank to try and lengthen the harvest.

In the polytunnels where it consistently reached 40 oc last week, the early season beetroot are starting to grow; parsley and shallot transplants are ready to be set but are just being held back in anticipation of some welcome rain.

Whilst the sun was shining I took the opportunity to cultivate and hoe between the rows of garlic. The machine disturbs the weeds and buries the smaller ones whilst the bigger ones are left on the soil surface for the sun to shrivel. This process also loosens the top of the soil, which allows rain/irrigation water to find its way down to the plant roots rather then run off the beds that have been compacted over winter.

For one moment last Wednesday I thought I was going to share a champagne breakfast. The weather was warm and there was a light breeze, the hot air balloons were out in force and one looked like it was going to try and land on the farm. Thankfully it landed on a neighbours field and not our crops, I made do with my apple.

This Week At Farm Direct....

While we've all been basking in the North London sunshine this week, the lack of rain on our farms have been causing a few headaches.

The new crops are now ready to bed, but with recently ploughed fields rapidly drying out, the race is on to plant our veg as quickly as possible.

Last week's brief wet spell did, however, give a huge boost to our salad leaves (we now have land cress back as well as purslane) as well as our organic spinach and chard (both will be available next week).

Our white sprouting broccoli has been causing a bit of a storm on our twitter page, it really is like a 'spring asparagus' and apparently quite hard to come by. It's only likely to be with us for a few weeks so try it while you can.

After several customer requests, we are able to bring you gluten free sausages for the first time this week. Andrew Bates from Gill Wing Farm will be making a 100% pork, rusk free sausage, from his organic rare breed pigs and at only £8.80/kg. Choose from pork and herb, spicy pork or 100% pork.

This Saturday is St Patrick's day, and as a nod of acknowledgement we have Irish themed sausages in the form of 'The Dubliner' (steak, pork and cabbage) and steak & Guinness. Also, try Shokoh's home-made colcannon, using our wild fields veg.

Our featured slow cook cut this week is lamb neck chops from Beatbush Organic Farm. Perfect for a St. Patrick's day Irish stew or even oven baked, this cut is great value and the bones impart delicious juices into your dish. Pair it with some traditional Irish Soda Bread for a hearty, warming meal.

And finally, this Sunday is Mothering Sunday - a tradition stemming from the annual practice of visiting one's mother church on the fourth Sunday of Lent. This is the time when young apprentices and women in service were released by their masters and allowed to see their mothers for one day a year. Show your appreciation by giving a bunch of daffodils or tulips to your mum this Sunday.

This Week At Farm Direct....

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.