RED CHARD

 

 

                                                                    


This Red Chard was sown at the end of August, after the Charlotte potatoes were harvested  and should keep producing right through the winter. A very attractive cut and come again crop which we think is seriously under rated. To cook, cut up reasonably small, quickly stir fry in a little butter and olive oil, season and serve. Delicious!

Amazing automated garlic planter.  The Keith.

 

Here we have the amazing automated garlic planter......The Keith.
The left arm moves over the green bucket activating the five fingered grab. It lowers in and auto selects ten cloves immediately turning the first clove so that it is root end down in the fingertips. Simultaneously the right arm moves across the ridge complete with attached dibber and drops into the ridge top making a 3 inch deep hole. As it does so the left arm moves across and presses the clove, right way up,  into the hole with extended fifth digit. The right arm has already moved and the dibber is on its downwards path towards the ridge top to make the next hole. Meanwhile the left hand has already auto selected the next clove and deftly turned it root end down. The  two legs move forward in a steady rhythm and the two computerised ` eyes ` in the head of the machine are able to correct any misalignments in an instant.
 `The Keith ` runs on biofuels, and is very environmentally friendly, the best mix being 2 parts hops to one part oats She can get a bit heavy on the hops after a hard day and struggles up some inclines when ground conditions are soft but otherwise 100% reliable.

The last of the Vallelado going in on a lovely warm, sunny afternoon in November.

Its hard to believe the summer and now the autumn has gone ! What have we been doing since June ? Yes it has been dreadful with yields down by over 50% in most cases, plenty of unwanted fungal diseases, not enough sunshine and mud on everything ! We have had to work so hard for less,  which could be depressing but surprisingly, when you realise that everyone is in the same boat and that some of your produce is better than some others,, you actually feel quite pleased that you have survived at all. Lots of encouragement from customers has also helped bolster our spirits.

We now have everything safely gathered in apart from the pink Jerusalem artichokes which are dug to order and are currently being sold through French Garden at Bristol Market.

Here are a few highlights from 2012

Frome Cheese Show

 

 

Bunching up Statice and Larkspur for market

 

Garlic drying

 

Larkspur

 

The flower girls !

 

 

Buckets of Statice coming in from the field.

Phacelia. Wonderful for attracting polinating insects and as a green manure.

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Dodson`s recipe for Sea Bass and Green Garlic

 Fillet of Sea Bass with Green Garlic (4 Portions)
Ingredients
4 x 150g Fillets of Sea Bass
100g Green Garlic (Outer skin removed, and broken into cloves)
100g Leek
200g Carrots
140g Samphire
30g Butter
50ml Noilly Prat (or Dry Vermouth)
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
120g Crème Fraîche


Method

Cut the Carrots and Leeks into a fine Julienne and sweat without colour for 1 minute in the butter, add ½ of the Vermouth and then reserve.
 In a very hot pan with a little Olive Oil sear the Sea Bass only on the skin side.
Cut 4 squares of Tin Foil 30cm by 30cm and in the centre of each drizzle a little Olive Oil, onto this place the Carrot and Leek Julienne and then the Sea Bass Fillet, around the edge place the Samphire and on top of the fish place the Garlic and some Sea Salt.
Fold the Tin Foil to form a parcel ensuring the edges are tightly closed.
Pre-heat a baking sheet in the oven at 200°c and onto this place the four parcels.
Bake for 15 minutes and then take out of the oven.
ServingWith a Fish Slice carefully remove the contents of the parcel and place onto a warm plate ensuring that you have all of the cooking juices, just to one side of the fish put a good spoon of the Crème Fraîche, season the Garlic and the Bass with a little more Sea Salt and serve immediately.

Absolutely lovely !

Mark Dodson of the one star Michelin pub and restaurant, The  Masons Arms, Knowstone creating a mouth watering dish of Sea Bass and green garlic. Delicious ! Thank you Mark.

Green Garlic packed for Total Produce ( Growfair )  heading for the South West

Drought combat methods.

Its hard to believe we had to come up with this method of watering in newly planted plugs just a few short weeks ago when all was so dry !!