Courgette and basil soup
This fresh summer soup is a lovely way of polishing off extra courgettes. It’s a good light lunch with bread and salad, and is especially excellent if you serve it with a generous dollop of tomato chutney in the middle of the bowl. Use Pecorino or any other substitute hard cheese in place of Parmesan if you are a vegetarian. Ingredients 3 tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 6 or 7 courgettes, diced a handful of basil leaves 600ml hot chicken or vegetable stock 50ml cream, double or single parsley, chopped (optional) 50g Parmesan, grated salt & pepper Method Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then fry the garlic, courgettes and basil with a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes, until softened. Add the stock, then simmer for another 10 minutes. Blitz the mixture in blender or food processor, reserving some of the courgette if…
Farm Newsletters – Issue no. 3
Find out all the latest farm news; Issue no. 3 June 2016 – Click here to read or download Peppa grazing happily in her field, early June morning 2016 Photo: EB June: The heat and dry weather these past weeks has left us in no doubt that summer is definitely here and the kids, newly released from the confines of school, are looking forward to even more sun for their summer holidays… but on the Farm we hope for rain between the rays and moderately warm temperatures. After an unseasonably cold April/start of May where frost threatened plants very late in the season (we had them snuggling under fleeces even in the tunnels!) we headed straight into spectacularly hot weather and drought, where four times daily watering was necessary to keep the plants alive…we even had to water some field crops. Read more….
Whole-Wheat Penne with Sausage, Chard, and Artichoke Hearts
The Swiss chard in this pasta dish is the perfect economical veggie: You can eat both the leaves and the stems. Body+Soul, April 2009 Yield Serves 4 Add to Shopping List Ingredients Coarse salt and black pepper 12 ounces whole-wheat penne 2 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 pound chicken sausage, removed from casing 1 bunch Swiss chard (about 1 pound) cleaned, stems and leaves separated and chopped 1 (9-ounce) box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced 1 tablespoon tomato paste 3/4 cup grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces), plus more for serving 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes Directions Set a large pot of salted water to boil for pasta. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking sausage into pieces, until cooked through and lightly browned, 10…
Farm Newsletter – Issue No. 2
After biding our time for the wayward weather to calm down, the sun has finally arrived to herald Spring proper. This month has been unseasonably cold and the sun’s heat sparse but over the last few days green shoots have burst forth in the polytunnels thanks to the new sun’s rays and in the days and weeks after St. Patrick’s Day we will be going into overdrive on the Farm…sewing trays and trays of seedlings, transplanting into pots, after that into the fields. Our irrigation systems are being cleaned and restored, channels dug for new fencing, old crops cleared, fruit beds weeded, soil turned over in the tunnels and fields…..after winter’s hibernation we are limbering up for the explosive abundance of life and growth in the madly busy weeks ahead. Read more…Issue 2 of Farm News
Farm Newsletter – Issue No.1
It is February and the weather is still wild and wintry but at the Farm we are looking forward to Spring and already some planting is underway. In Celtic times, this is the time of year when the pagan ritual of Imbolc would happen- or the Rites of Spring. Click Here to read more…Farm News-Issue No1