Church FarmYour Weekly Newsletter

Friday 11th May 2012

A Note from the Grower

Remember those peas I wrote about back in November when we planted them? Well here they are now looking rather splendid, and some of you will be getting a portion of those delicious mangetout in your deliveries this week. They’re also available in the Farm Store. Last week, however, I had a bit of a scare when I was checking the plants to see if there would be enough to harvest a week ahead. Some of the leaves (not the pods) were hosting colonies of greenfly, a sap-sucking aphid that might possibly ruin a potentially excellent crop if they got out of hand. I resolved to keep a close eye on them and be ready with a spray of garlic emulsion if necessary. This year I intend to have an array of botanical substances on hand such as preparations of garlic or wormwood to use in case pest insects become a problem. Both of these plants are known to have powerful insecticidal or repellent properties. However these will not be used routinely; they will only be deployed as a last resort. The story has a very happy ending, I’m glad to say. This week, while harvesting the pods, we examined the affected area and witnessed one of nature’s mini-dramas in action. The aphids had been utterly decimated by hoverflies and by the minute parasitic wasp, aphidius ervi. This great garden ally lays its eggs in the bodies of the aphids, and the developing larva eventually destroys the host, exiting alien-like as a fully formed adult wasp. I’m especially pleased about this, as it demonstrates a perfect example of the organic ideal, where a happy balance is achieved in the garden, allowing the natural enemies of pest insects to control them for us, with no need to use sprays of any kind. We must be doing something right! If I had sprayed, I might well have harmed the beneficial wasps and hoverflies, as well, or at least deprived them of their supper. This time, nature is on our side.

Rik

Spring greens are the first cabbages of the year. They have fresh, loose heads without the hard heart of other cabbages. Essentially they are immature cabbages, and our first opportunity to tuck into a new season of brassicas. They should be stored in the fridge and used within 4-5 days. On their own: Spring greens are a great side dish sliced and steamed or fried with butter.Stir-fry: They add a wonderful splash of green to any stir fry; add them with just a few minutes to go and they’ll wilt nicely into the mix.Risotto: Boil the spring greens for a minute and remove from the heat, then use the water as your risotto stock, gorgeous with a nice blue cheese stirred through at the end. Whichever way you cook them, be careful not to overcook, the leaves can develop an unpleasant flavour and smell.

Getting the Best from your Box

Becca joins Box adminFor those of you who are familiar with Francesca as your contact for the Farm Box scheme, you’ll now also be getting to know Becca (pictured), who’s joining in with the admin side of things after having spent a few weeks with the packing team.

Keep an eye out on the website for more information coming soon about Becca and the rest of the box team.

15% off all sausages in our Farm Store

This week only, get 15% off our delicious sausages

Made with Church Farm meat by our own butchers

Deal of the Week

We joined in the May Day celebration at Stationers Park in Crouch End with our ‘Wooly Corner’.

We have a drop point for our Farm Boxes in Crouch End, and wanted to go and join in with the festivities in the area. With lots of animal transportation paperwork in hand, we took our lambs down to a temporary pen in the park. Lots of city dwellers got to enjoy a taste of the countryside, and hopefully we’ll see some of them visiting us here in Ardeley soon.

Lambs to London for May Day

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?

MEAT (small boxes)

Farm VarietySausages, lamb shoulder, pork chop, minced beef, back bacon

Lean Cuts (NEW FOR 2012)Skinny sausages, skinless chicken fillets, extra lean minced beef, extra lean lamb steaks

Premium SelectionSausages, lamb leg/joint, back bacon

VEGETABLESExtra Small (6 varieties)Potato (cara), carrot, onion, red pepper, cucumber, cherry tomato

Small (8 varieties)Calabrese, courgettes

Medium (10 varieties)Chard, salad, spring greens

Large (12 varieties)Mixed herbs, mangetout

Extra Large (15 varieties)Turnip, fennel, aubergine

FRUITOranges, blueberries, rhubarb, bananas, apples (braeburn), pears (william), peaches

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

Book a table today to avoid disappointment on 01438 861 350!

Join us for the Jubilee WeekendMid week fixed price lunch - 2 courses

for £12, coming soonSpecial Offers:

“Pimms & Pitchers” in celebration of Summer - free cheesy chips with every

pitcher of Pimms, lager or bitterCelebrate your birthday with us and get a free bottle of wine for each table of 6 or

more people.

www.thejollywaggoner.co.uk

Brazilian PicadilloPicadillo is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries. It is often served with rice or used as a filling in dishes such as tacos, savoury pastries or croquettes. The name comes from the Spanish word “picar,” which means “to mince” or “to chop”.Serves 12Ingredients2 tablespoons olive oil, divided7 cloves garlic, chopped3 medium onions, chopped2 small green peppers, chopped1.5kg (3 lb) lean beef mince175g (6 oz) green olives, pitted and halved140g (5 oz) capers, rinsed and drained4 tablespoons white wine vinegar1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1 teaspoon ground cloves2 dried bay leaves1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce3 (400g) tins chopped tomatoes

Method1. In a large stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté garlic, onions and green peppers until onions are transparent. Transfer onion mixture to a bowl and set aside. In the same pot, heat the remaining olive oil and brown the mince.2. In a separate saucepan, combine the olives, capers, vinegar, salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and hot sauce. Let simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.3. Place the olive mixture and the onion mixture into the pot with the mince. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 hour over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/1048/brazilian-picadillo.aspx

In recent weeks the co-farmers have been helping to feed the orphaned spring lambs. The lambs are fed by our co-farmers twice a day, it’s a really lovely job and it’s amazing how quickly lambs get used to humans providing their milk.

During the frequent wet spells, we have also been potting various herbs, and watching videos of lambing and other farm activities.

Lamb Feeding at Rural Care

New in Store: High Weald CheeseThe Farm Store now has a new range of delicious cheeses from a family-run farm in Sussex. It is a certified organic dairy farm, and all of the cheeses produced are suitable for vegetarians! Come to the store to find out about the exciting new flavours (including Chilli Marble and Brother Michael), or contact us to have cheese included in your farm box (info@churchfarmardeley.co.uk).

Friday 8th June - 1st monthly fish supper evening at the Jolly Waggoner, featuring special starters and main courses of seasonal and sustainable fish

Saturday 9th June - Over our next Campfire Weekend at the farm, we’re privileged to play host to a fantastic art exhibition. It stops here for the day on it’s tour of Britain, bringing an amazing sculpture trail to our land that asks you to ‘Think About What You Eat’ and also an exhibition of other works on the Olympic theme.

Saturday 16th June - Rural Care Fundraising Evening at the Jolly Waggoner- live music and Ceilidh from 8pm, plus a BBQ of farm food to tuck in to.

22nd June - The start of“All Things Game” at the Jolly Waggoner, a monthly menu showcasing locally sourced seasonal game

Wednesday 25 July - 1st Annual Beer Festival at the Jolly Waggoner featuring at least 10 guest ales from noon onwards.

Upcoming Events