Like Honey To The Bees...

When I bought Dan two beehives for his birthday way back in January, I wasn't sure if the look on his face was one of surprise or anxiety! Fortunately now, the pleasure of enjoying our own honey at breakfast has taken the sting - sorry, I couldn't resist that - out of establishing another new home grown product.

This is a hectic time of year for us with holiday makers appearing in greater numbers at the shop. There's so much to be done around the shop and farm. Last month On The Table were runners up in the Diversification category for the Cornwall Business Awards 2007. This was both a surprise and an achievement - the competition was stiff and included many much larger businesses. The judging panel was stuffed with the great and the good - people like Tim Smit and Eddy George - so to have garnered a silver was a real thrill.

Talking of hectic and bees, I love this poem by W.B. Yates - stress busting poetry at its finest.

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,

And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;

Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee,

And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,

Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;

There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,

And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day

I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;

While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray,

I hear it in the deep heart's core.

xx Jo

Down On The Farm - May

The baby chicks have lost their fluffy down and replaced it with a fine set of feathers. They are maintaining their weight and we're waiting on our first eggs from them. The eggs will be small to start with but should progress into fine double yolkers! Thanks for all your patience with regards to the slow egg supply. Unfortunately we can’t rush a good thing!

Daniel has been busy with our potato crop. Our Cornish, organic new potatoes are in the process of being lifted as I type. They are still very young and their skins delicately thin. Please remember that you only have to gently rub the dirt off and boil. Please do not overcook - fresh potatoes will only need a few minutes.

Daniel is now pulling a small amount of our fresh garlic. This is still in the green form, and therefore has a fantastic fresh taste and is fab in salads or homemade pesto.

With the recent spot of fantastic weather (quickly followed up by a good downpour), all the salads, spring/summer veg is coming on very quickly. We have already started picking the Cornish strawberries and will soon be frantically harvesting the beans, peas & lettuce.

Our bake house is going from strength to strength and I'm enjoying my time spent creating for all you lovely customers. We have now started making our own sausage rolls, only using prime pork cuts, fresh herbs and homemade pastry. As always, I am trying new and exciting combinations of foods. Our pork and apricot sausage rolls proved very popular last week.

We are now also making individual quiches daily; our pasties are back with the home produced beef, sausage rolls, and lots of really yummy cakes. Our biscuits will be part of our regular production from next week. And remember ...

If you do need a birthday cake, cakes, party food for grownups (or the children) just pop in or phone me for a chat. We'll try to take the hassle factor out of catering!

Also, any fantastic tried and tested recipes would be very gratefully received. Just e-mail them to me at Josymons@hotmail.com or drop them off at the shop. Don't forget to mark them with your name and locale - we want to add the best ones to our forthcoming On The Table XMas cook book!

I am trying very hard to get organised! Not sure how well I am doing yet but could I ask if you do want bread, pasties, eggs etc on a specific day do let me know and I will do my best not to disappoint. Lot's going on - phew!

Jo xx

Baker Tom & Cornish Pigs

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter! It's been a busy time at On The Table. We've teamed up with Baker Tom to combine his bread making skills with the new bake house we've built at Hendra farm. Tom makes the most wonderful breads using methods that date back centuries.

As Tom says himself "using only the best quality ingredients out bread is left to prove naturally without compromise. Letting the bread prove twice gives our bread a lovely soft texture that you will find in all Baker Tom's products. All our loafs are shaped by hand, in turn all our bread are unique and treated with care and attention."

So we are starting with our own scones, buns and muffins as well as quiches and fruit tarts. Give me a ring (minimum of a day in advance please!) on 01872 571400 and I'll rustle up whatever you fancy.

Onto something more meaty now. I've been really impressed with the quality of the Cornish Pig Company . These free range porkers are rare breeds of black pigs traditional to Devon & Cornwall. We've started to stock some of their hand made pork pies. Their Scotch eggs are the largest I've ever seen and absolutely scrumptious!

Jo xx

Jo's Recipe Of The Month - A Bit On The Side

Finally, after a couple of days of wild winds and gales, the sun is out and the sky is beautifully blue. It puts a smile on everyone's face down on the farm - and in the shop. The recipe this week is for anyone who would rather be in the garden or doing anything other than cooking. It’s a fast, easy but effective recipe. Simple flavours but just delicious, I think. I call it my "bit on the side" - don't ask!

BIT ON THE SIDE

Ingredients:

2 local chicken breasts (or fish filet of choice)

1 un-waxed lemon

1 tub of Helsett Farm creme fraiche

1 bag of gorgeous fresh watercress

Grill your chicken breasts or fish until cooked. Leave on a warm plate to rest. Finely chop your watercress. Mix with the creme fraiche. Finely grate one half of your lemon. Pour in the juice of your lemon and the grated rind. Place into a small pan and gently heat whilst folding in the lemon juice.

Serve with Bulgar, rice or couscous. Garnish with a sprig of watercress.

Really yummy.

xx Jo

Down On The Farm

It’s been busy, busy ,busy down on Hendra Farm. Dan has been planting our seed potatoes -in between showers! The varieties are Milvoir, Junior and Raja - the fabulous red skinned potato. All ready to be enjoyed in the spring as 'Cornish Earlys'

Then there’s all the garlic which has been planted and is growing well. Looks like we'll have a fine crop this year.

Dan has been checking the fencing ready for the cattle to go out when spring comes. Our own Hendra farm beef will be back in the shop again for March. We should have a regular supply then for the rest of the year. As always, call ahead (01872 571400) if you are looking for a specific joint to make sure we have what you want when you call in to the shop.

We have a shortage of eggs at the moment and one of our green houses is now the home to lots of day old chicks. The children are very excited! We hope that our feathered ladies will be back to business very soon.

Jo xx

Jo's Recipe Of The Month - Hot & Juicy

We're almost finished with February, and I don't know about you, but I'll be glad to see this wet and windy misery of a month come to close. It has been a time where coughs and sneezes, cooped up crotchety kids & endless washing cycles have had me hanging onto all those little tricks we use to keep ourselves energised. I've found myself saying out aloud this snippet of a poem that helps keep me sane.

The things that haven’t been done before
Are the tasks worth while to-day;
Are you one of the flock that follows, or
Are you one that shall lead the way?
Are you one of the timid souls that quail
At the jeers of a doubting crew,
Or dare you, whether you win or fail,
Strike out for a goal that’s new?

Well our new goal, in case you didn't know, is to open our second shop at Blackwater by the end of March. We intend to have a small coffee shop and eatery on site so you can sample some of our fab pastries, breads, soups and other goodies.

I'm heading off to Hampshire soon to do some market research on farm shops and see what ideas are out there that might work well for On The Table and our customers. In the meantime, try this "pick-me-up" to get the juices flowing.

HOT & JUICY

Ingredients:

1 apple, peeled and quartered
12oz squash or pumpkins
1/2 small chili or chili powder
1 handful of lamb's lettuce
small slice of fresh ginger (optional)

Whizz or juice together in a blender, add a little water if required and enjoy the shot!

Jo xx

On The Table Lords It Up

If I was a surfer I'd be "stoked" - I'm not sure what adjective to use here but I'll stick with "over the moon" after tripping up to London to receive the "Best Local Food Retailer" award for the South West Region.

No, I didn't get a chance to buy that new dress, but I did get the chance to enjoy an event that was really a celebration of the nationwide effort and commitment that's going into supporting rural businesses. The fact that it was held in the House Of Lords was a bonus. We were up against stiff competition from Lobbs, another Cornish farm shop and The Local Food Company up in Devon. Again, I have to thank all of my customers for voting for us.

Now it's back down to earth and business. With us opening up and expanding into a new premises at Blackwater, it's as busy as it's ever been. We’re looking forward to trying some new ideas there including a coffee shop in-house serving fresh coffee ... watch this space!

Jo

Jo's Recipe Of The Month - January & Soups

Yummy Cream Of Celeriac Soup

Winter walks with warming soups and chunky hunks of freshly baked bread to follow are a favourite combo here at Hendra Farm. I'm going to have to resist saying "super soups", but we are tremendously excited about the new range of delicious soups that are available from On The Table right now.

Not only are these home made soups 100% organic and made from the finest seasonal veggies, but when you've licked the bowl clean, bring back the glass jars for us to recycle them and we'll give you something off your next soup purchase.

With a selection that includes Cornish Onion Soup, Sweet Potato, Leek & Potato, Carrot & Ginger, Spicy Parsnip and my own favourite - Cream of Celeriac, there's something to suit everyone's taste.

Here's how I rustle up this particular soup at home (serves 4-5) - bon appetit!

Ingredients:

1 Medium sized celeriac
2 Large potatoes
2 cloves of Garlic
1/2 Teaspoon of chillie flakes or powder
1 Pint of vegetable stock
2 tubs (250ml) of cream
Salt & Pepper
Parsley (optional)

Grate the potatoes and peeled celeriac into a pan. Chop up the garlic finely and mix with the chillie flakes into the pan. Add the vegetable stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Fold in the cream. Whizz for a smooth texture. Serve with chopped parsley and small pan fried cubes of bacon or pancetta.

XX Jo

Happy New Year!

It was so hectic coming up to Christmas, I didn't get a chance to wish all my customers and friends a "Merry Christmas" here on the "blog" so I'm starting the New Year with best wishes to all of you! It's so much easier trying to run a shop when your customers are such a lovely bunch of people - so thanks again for all your custom and support in 2006 and here's to a fantastic 2007!

One special Christmas present this year for On The Table and the team at Hendra Farm was the announcement that we're a winner in the "Best Rural Retailer" competition. This is brilliant news - we were so excited when we got the notification - but it's down to you folks who nominated and voted for us. So thanks so much - with extra hugs - for this too! The final is being held at a reception in London on the 7th February in the House of Lords - I think a new outfit is called for - any excuse, eh girls?)

Now back to our food and goodies. We've got our new soup range ready to go and the bakehouse is coming along nicely. I've been working on a range of Gift Cards that incorporate some photos of farm life and the countryside taken by yours truly. Over the next few posts, I'll give you the scoop on these bits and pieces in more detail - so check back soon!

Jo