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