Church FarmYour Weekly Newsletter

Friday 20th January 2012

A Note from the Grower

Well, the seed order has arrived and I can hardly contain my excitement for the potential wonders it brings. One small box contains the prospect of eight acres of land and five polytunnels groaning with luscious, gorgeous, delicious veg. This is always an exciting time for any gardener, and those outside the horticultural fraternity might wonder at why the arrival of a few brown paper packets of little grains could engender such a reaction. Well, it’s impossible to describe the satisfaction received from carefully setting seeds, watering with care, and then the unique thrill of witnessing germination. As I write, I’m in the process of preparing a full seed-sowing schedule for the new season. This will set out the timing and quantities of sowing of each of our vegetable and herb crops throughout the year, including successional sowings of certain fast-maturing crops such as lettuce, beetroot and calabrese, to maximise the availability of fresh produce from our land. This year we have built two-tier staging in our propagation tunnel, in order to increase the available surface area for trays of new plants. Thus we will be able to propagate all of our seedlings, rather than using a local nursery to raise some of our plants, that previously there just wasn’t space for here. This month we will be starting our indoor tomatoes, peppers and aubergines. Next month, early carrots in a polytunnel. The main sowing time, of course, will begin in March. Here we go!! Rik

Potato of the WeekThis week, the potatoes in your box are a variety called Arran Victory. They were first bred in Scotland in 1918 and released after WW1 (hence the name). They have a floury texture that makes them ideal for boiling or mashing.

However, all of this interesting information is not half as exciting as their delightful colour! They’re often referred to as being blue, but the skin is really more purple in colour. Either way, they’re lovely to look at. Enjoy!

Image source: http://www.suttonelms.org.uk/arran-victory.html

Meat Offers of the WeekLeg of Pork £4.99/kg(boned and rolled)

Sausages £5.99/kg

While Stocks Last

If you think you don’t really like sprouts, or you’re just out of ideas of what to do with them after Christmas, why not try out this recipe:Cut the sprouts in half and lay in a roasting pan which has a layer of soya sauce covering the bottom. Cook for around 30-40 minutes at 180C (until browned).

This recipe gives the sprouts an almost meaty flavour, apparently quite sausage-like. Thanks to Liz, one of our farm-workers, who’s passed this recipe along.If you’ve got a great home-recipe, why not pass it on to share with the rest of the box members. Email info@churchfarmardeley.co.uk

Doing Something Different with Sprouts

This week we’ve noticed some odd things going on with the labels of the sausages at Waitrose. We’ve seen meat described as “Hampshire Sired British Pork Sausages”. Not only is this a very funny way of trying to make cross-breed animals sound like pure breeds, it also hides the fact that the Hampshire is an American breed of pig!

If you want traditional British rare-breed sausages, from high welfare pigs, you can rely on Church Farm.(Oh, and don’t worry, we weren’t in Waitrose buying sausages for ourselves, we do regular checks on all the major supermarkets to make sure we keep our prices as competitive as possible.)

Decoding the Mysteries of Waitrose

Church Farm, Ardeley, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG2 7AH, T: 01438 861 447E: info@churchfarmardeley.co.uk www.churchfarmardeley.co.uk

What’s in my box next week?

MEATFarm VarietySausages, whole/crown duck, diced pork, minced beef, back bacon, chicken portion

Lean CutsSkinny sausages, skinless chicken breast fillet, lean beef mince, trimmed pork loin strips

Old English CutsLamb’s liver, pork shoulder joint, beef shin, stock pot bag

Premium SelectionSausages, pork loin roasting joint, back bacon

VEGETABLESExtra Small (6 varieties)Potato, carrot, onion, jerusalem artichoke, cauliflower, purple sprouting broccoli

Small (8 varieties)Spring greens, fennel

Medium (10 varieties)Mini leek, kale

Large (12 varieties)Vine tomato, celeriac

Extra Large (15 varieties)Mixed herbs, rocket, brussel stalks

FRUITMangoes, apples (kidds orange) bananas, kiwis, grapefruits, clementines.

Please note that these are standard items and are subject to change. If you have asked not to be supplied with a particular item, a substitute will be provided in your box.

Real Ales: Real Food : Warm Welcome at the

Jolly Waggoner

Now taking bookings for Burns Night, Valentine’s Day and

Mothers’ Day.Book a table today to avoid disappointment!

Call 01438 861 350

www.thejollywaggoner.co.uk

This week some of the co-farmers and pupils from Pinewood School were lucky enough to take part in music workshops. These were kindly organised by the Hertfordshire Music Service and will be running for the next two Wednesdays as well. Each co-farmer had a laptop to work on and had the opportunity to create music from different sounds and instruments which they liked. Next week they will be adding lyrics. One of the co-farmers said “I really enjoyed this workshop as I got to make my own music on a computer”. Of course, there was still work to do after the workshops finished, Pinewood carried on the task of removing old tree guards from the 10-year old woodlands enabling these trees to thrive now the need for protection has passed. Co-farmers are also helping to ‘thin out’ smaller trees, which is a process that allows most of the trees to reach up for the light and grow bigger.

Music Workshops at Rural Care

Lamb and Feta Meatballs in a Sweet and Sour SauceServes 4

Ingredients500g minced lamb1 large onion, diced2 garlic cloves, crushed60g black pitted olives, diced1 egg100g fetaSauce:2 (400g) tins chopped tomatoes2 red peppers, diced2 onions, diced3 garlic cloves, crushed2 tablespoons white wine vinegar2 tablespoons dark brown soft sugarsoy chilli sauce - to tasteTabasco - to taste

MethodFor the meatballs: Combine all ingredients except the feta in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Cube the feta into about 25 pieces. Roll meatball mixture into balls and place one piece of feta in the middle of each ball. Heat a frying pan over medium high heat and cook the meatballs till browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Set aside.For the Sauce: Fry onion, garlic and red peppers in olive oil. Add tomatoes, wine vinegar and sugar, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add Tabasco and chilli sauce to taste.Add meatballs to the sauce, cook for a few minutes to heat through and serve.

http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/385/lamb-and-feta-meatballs-in-a-sweet-and-sour-sauce.aspx

This week, all veg boxes contain pointed cabbage, a wonderfully weird-looking thing. It’s incredibly sweet and tender, and needs very little cooking. Try steaming, stir-frying or boiling it. Cut in half lengthways, slice thinly, then wash and drain. You can steam in a pan with a tight lid for 5-10 minutes, or boil in 5-8 minutes. For stir-frying, cook cabbage in 1 tbsp of oil for 4-5 minutes. For a little more flavour, try cooking it with garlic. To keep your cabbage at its best, store in the refrigerator (preferably in the vegetable crisper). It will stay fresh for several weeks! If it’s looking a little droopy on the outside, pull off any brown wilting leaves and the middle should still be fresh. Have too much for right now? Cabbage can be shredded and frozen, brined as sauerkraut or made into coleslaw or relishes and either eaten fresh or frozen. Whole leaves can be frozen unblanched for use as wrappers for baking or stuffing, and used immediately after thawing. To use it, thaw coleslaw in the refrigerator or add frozen cabbage directly to dishes. Cabbages should not be frozen whole!

Image source: http://www.thinkvegetables.co.uk/vegetable.asp?VegetableID=16

Getting the Best from your BoxPointed Cabbage