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Beth’s Blog – feeling grateful….

It’s been a difficult week in the news. I’m so grateful my boys are safe and living their lives in their chosen university cities. I wanted to feel close to them this week so I have organised a weekly organic veg delivery for each of them. I really can’t understand why I didn’t do it before. I’ve picked a certified organic box scheme that’s as close to the way we do things as possible. So not a big national company but a small producer that is operating a mixed organic farming system. Looking for sustainable farming practices and not a box of ingredients that are mostly imported produce. I know they will make great use of these box deliveries because they always fill their freezers up with meat from home when they come back and both are very capable cooks, have slow cookers and big appetites..!

Knowing your family is well fed on sustainable foods is a great comfort and not one that a great proportion of the world enjoys. I feel very grateful and privileged to not only feed my family this way but also to have the opportunity to feed yours as well.

……So we are in March. The farm will truly start to come to life again. There are new leaf buds on the fruit trees and I’m hoping that they will crop well this year. That means we don’t want any late frosts after the blossom has set.

The grass already looks like it is greening up. The farm salads and greens are cropping and we are picking/ harvesting and packing them into the box deliveries. It’s lovely to have fresh greens along with stored roots at this time of year.

Once the poly tunnels, that were destroyed in the storms, are replaced, we will be motoring with plenty of fresh and vibrant spring and summer fruit and veg. The garden team are very busy sowing as well as harvesting and preparing beds for new crops to go into. If you would like to become one of our volunteers, please do get in touch.

Menu ideas for this week

I’m looking for quick one pot meals because we are extra busy trying to get the usual jobs done and making a start on the new road!!

Big Beef Stew: a great one pot, slow cooker meal.

Brown off the meat before you put it in the slow cooker with chunky cut root veg like carrots and potatoes. Some red wine or good stock makes this dish richer and very satisfying. Onions and leeks are good in here, I use the well washed leek tops. The green bits and save the pale shafts for other dishes.

A big pan of bubble and squeak goes so well with this dish. Serve it with buttery mash and half the Savoy cabbage steamed. Then you can use the leftovers as bubble and squeak.

If you aren’t beef stew types a goulash with tinned tomatoes and smoked paprika goes well with the mash and cabbage too.

Toad in the hole or a sausage casserole ( if you’re not saving the sausage for a big cooked brunch on Sunday). Put a spoon full of horseradish in the the Yorkshire pudding batter for a little change….

French Onion Soup

Garlic and Lemon risotto

BLT’s for Lunch on Saturday.

The apples and oranges will be eaten at lunch time or I might make some apple pies if I have time.

Enjoy your Christmas Farm box deliveries and please let us know what you’re cooking up this week.

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