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Etherley Farm

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Etherley Farm, Leith Hill Lane, Ockley, Surrey, RH5 5PA

The upside: Ethically reared poultry and meat from a well run rural business with provenance.

The downside: Don’t expect a picturesque arrival this is a working farm.

The flipside: You can buy direct from the farm shop or from any of the markets they attend and several independent food retailers.

Driving to Etherley Farm near Dorking in the Surrey Hills is an adventure through some of the most beautiful countryside this county has to offer. As you arrive on the farm you can see open fields that are home to chicken, ducks, geese, turkey and sheep. There is nothing fancy here just a good old-fashioned farm slowly raising their stock in a healthy, natural environment. Sheep are a newer addition here and are the only animals not slaughtered on site for the butchery. Lamb, hogget and mutton are all available in season and much loved by their growing band of customers who love the quality and provenance of the products here. The fact that you can see the animals outside and how healthy they are is a big plus too.

I discovered Etherley farm through my friends over at Village Greens Farm Shop in Ockley. Just around the corner from their Coles Lane shop they directed me to Charlie (who heads up the team here) who not only sells direct to the public from the small butchery and produce shop, but also via a few retail outlets and farmers market (such as Ockley Farmer Market) in the county too. In addition they also supply some of the top restaurants in Surrey . At the time of writing Etherley Farm duck is on the menu at Michelin Star Chef, Steve Drakes new venture, Sorrel in Dorking.

Etherley Farm started life as a dairy farm in 1958 and continued to produce milk up until 2001. By that time membership of the EU and a common market policy saw a decline in the price paid for milk. In the years leading up to this, Richard (Charlie’s Husband) had already started producing poultry to supplement the farms dwindling income. Like many farmers they decided to pull out of milk production when the cost of producing it became higher than the price paid. Sadly they sold their dairy herd and started to get serious about rearing birds instead. It was around this time that Charlie and Richard got married and while he looks after the livestock Charlie runs the shop and does the markets. On the farm year round you will find chickens, ducks, geese and sheep. They have laying birds for eggs and birds destined for the table. In July 1,000 young turkeys arrive to live outside on the farm in a massive field to slowly mature for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

My first visit to Etherley Farm was around five years ago. At that time the farm shop was a shed with a couple of freezers in it. Not very appealing but because I had already sampled their chicken from Village Greens I knew it was really great quality with depth of flavour and texture. Thanks to a grant from Rural Surrey Leader they have been able to convert a derelict farm building into a new toilet and shower block for their campsite and add a new farm shop and on site butchery. This has allowed the farm to grow its core business and expand their range of products offered to the public. In addition to whole and jointed birds they offer a lovely range of prepared products such duck sausages, chicken , duck and turkey burgers. The duck sausages are apparently delicious with mash and sweet and sour red cabbage.

Their ethos is one of simplicity, with low intensity, low stocking rates and the minimal amount of additives to ensure healthy stock. Ducks (including laying ducks), turkeys and geese arrive as day old chicks and spend the first few weeks in their brooder and airy barns to develop and be strong enough to go outside. Both types of our chickens (laying and eating) arrive when they are a bit older. However, all the animals have the opportunity to roam around the fields. The turkey, geese and ducks here are really top end and its no wonder that they supply many local award winning butchers and restaurants too.

The newest addition to the farm, are sheep, a flock of 61 North of England Mules and two rams. Grass fed, they are outside all year round, apart from a short period during the lambing season when they need to be indoors for monitoring and extra food. Their aim is to finish the lambs on grass only which is always perceived to be the optimum process, however sometimes they may feed them for a short period of time to ensure a quality finish to the resulting meat. Some of the animals are kept beyond one year to produce hogget and mutton, which has seen a revival in the last few years. Cooked a little slower the meat is delicious and full flavoured.

All slaughter of poultry is done on the farm, which means the animals only have a short distance to travel, reducing the stress on the bird. All the butchery, plucking, preparation, making of sausages and burgers and packaging is also carried out onsite. Sheep however are taken to a local abattoir and then returned, to be butchered. One of the quality aspects of their turkeys, Charlie explained is that they dry pluck the birds which takes longer but extends the shelf life allowing the birds to be hung (like beef) for the flavour and texture to develop. Battery turkeys will be wet plucked (quicker) reducing shelf life and increasing water content making the meat dryer once its cooked.

Turkey’s Charlie says, make great pets, as they are very sweet and inquisitive birds. I asked her if she got attached to them and she laughed and said they have a built in death wish! Apparently they will eat anything that they see which could be bit of plastic, string or fabric, which often get blown onto the farm. The team have to diligently remove all items on a daily basis or run the risk of a fatality as they have an inability to deal with anything getting caught in their throats. So when it comes to doing the deed and getting them ready for Christmas Orders it’s a sigh of relief all round.

In addition to Village Greens you can also buy Etherley Farm birds from several award winning butchers in Surrey too, the list is on the website (details below).They also attend Ockley Farmers Market which started in March 2107 and is on the first Sunday of each month.

Why not support your local independent producer this Christmas by buying the main attraction of your celebration dinner directly from them. It’s a decision that has winners at both ends of the transaction.

Tel. 01306 621500

enquiries@etherleyfarm.co.uk

www.etherleyfarm.co.uk

Thai style Tomato & Chili Jam

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I make a batch of this versatile relish every Christmas for canapés , cheeseboards and spicing up leftovers ! It’s a lovely hot spicy sweet concoction that is as good in a fried egg sandwich or on a gorgeous cheese board. This jam was featured in the Sugar Club Cookbook by Kiwi chef Peter Gordon who in the early 1990’s bought his brand of fusion cooking to London. He is still cooking up a storm at Providores his own restaurant in Marleybone High Street in London. I tweaked his original recipe to feature some of my favourite ingredients. Be sure to use proper Asian fish sauce not a supermarket own label which doesn’t deliver on flavour. On its own fish sauce smells pretty awful but it’s the essence of many Asian dishes and an absolute winner here!

Download a print version of the recipe Thai Chili and Tomato Jam here.

500g fresh vine tomatoes
4 medium size red chilies remove tough stalk and roughly chop
4 cloves garlic, peeled
50g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
30ml Asian fish sauce
300g coconut or palm sugar
100ml red wine vinegar
1 bunch green onions, washed & finely chopped

Method

Wash and roughly chop the tomatoes.

Puree half the tomatoes with the chilies, garlic, fresh ginger and fish sauce in a blender until smooth (the tomato seeds contain pectin and help the jam to set)

Pour the puree into a thick based saucepan and add the sugar and vinegar, bring to the boil slowly, stirring frequently.

Add the remaining tomatoes and green onions. Simmer the mixture over a really low heat for 1.5 hours skimming off any foam that develops. Stir regularly making sure the jam does not get stuck on the sides or base of the pan.

Towards the end of the cooking time prepare a jar to store. * Either 1 large (I litre) or a couple of smaller will do. Place a shallow dish in the oven set on low with about 2-3 cm of cold water in the base. Place the jars and lids in the dish and leave in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Pour the jam into the warm jars and cool to room temperature. When cool seal the jars and store in the refrigerator. The jam will keep for 3-4 months.

If you are making this for gifts use 6 smaller jars.

Gooseberry, Rhubarb and Elderflower jam

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I love making small batches of preserves when I have ripe fruit in the garden. Jam making this way is easy, stress free, and an incredibly satisfying hour of creativity. My gooseberry bushes were re-sited this year and I thought the trauma would kill the yield. In fact they actually they blossomed in their new home and a bumper crop is ready to pick. Right next to the gooseberries the rhubarb was also ready to cut so I decided to combine three early summer flavours in my first jam of the new season. Here it is; it’s heady with the aroma of elderflowers, tart from the gooseberries and with a pink glow from the rhubarb. I saved a handful of gooseberries and rhubarb to chuck into the last five minutes of cooking to add a little chunkiness but if you prefer a smoother finish put all the fruit in at the same time.

I give amounts here and use the classic ratio of the same weight in sugar as the fruit. That means there is no pressure on how much you make and it always works. I use jam sugar that has pectin added but actually gooseberries have their own but as I was adding other fruit it helps. If you want a lower sugar jam, use 50g sugar to every 100g fruit. It will be a little runnier and you must keep it in the fridge and use it up in three weeks.

Download a printable pdf of the recipe Gooseberry, Rhubarb and Elderflower jam .

Before you start cooking just heat the oven to 100°C. Take an oven proof dish and put around 2 cm of water in the bottom. Place your jam jars in the tray and leave in the oven to sterilise while you make the jam. Lids can be placed in a mixing bowl and covered with boiling water from the kettle.

250g gooseberries, topped and tailed (you can do this with scissors)
150g rhubarb, cut into 1 cm chunks
200ml clear apple juice or water
3-4 heads of elderflowers (or add a few spoons of elderflower cordial)
400g jam sugar
4 tablespoons elderflower cordial

Place the fruit and juice in a medium size heavy based saucepan. Lay the elderflowers on top and allow to infuse, while you bring the mixture to the boil. As soon as it boils turn off the heat and leave for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the elderflowers and add the sugar to the pan. Bring to the boil for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and looks syrupy then stir in the elderflower cordial. If you have a jam thermometer handy you are looking for 105°C. I never use one and don’t regret it! Allow the jam to cool for 10 minutes before pouring the jam into the jars.Leave the jam to cool covered with some kitchen paper. Cover the jam with waxed paper circles and cover with sterilised dry lids.

This recipe was first published in Essence of Surrey Magazine.

Spring Asparagus and Courgette Flower Scarpaccia

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Spring Asparagus and Courgette Flower Scarpaccia

When I was at Hunts Hill Farm Shop there was a magnificent basket of newly laid duck eggs. Larger than normal and just laid, a few had to be mine. I bought half a dozen unsure where they would end up; a cake had been on the cards. With a box of courgette flowers at home, I did a little bit of research and found this delicious sounding Italian dish called Scarpaccia. A vegetable traybake covered in a cheesy batter and baked with fresh thyme and chilli. Normally made with courgettes I adapted the recipe for asparagus and used the courgette flowers too. I know these are wonderful stuffed with ricotta and fried but I am not a big fan of food cooked in oil. This bake is simple and alarmingly effective for something that is so easy to prepare. When just baked its quite delicate but it firms as it cools. Perfect for lunch with salad, for picnics or as part of a buffet. I am serving mine tonight, in small squares to go with pre-dinner drinks.

300g fine speared asparagus, *snap off the tender spears
1 red onion, very finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 dessertspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 generous sprinkle of chilli flakes
10-12 Courgette (male flowers) remove petals for use and discard the stems (optional due to short season and availability)
200g Self Raising gluten free flour (I used Doves Farm)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 duck eggs
200ml milk
100g crumbled feta cheese
50g grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
Some extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

A baking tin 22cm x 32cm lined with silicone non-stick baking paper – traditionally this is made in a larger flat tray (swiss roll size) but I decided to go a bit deeper frittata style.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan / Gas Mark 4

Scatter the Asparagus on the baking sheet. Mix the sliced onion and garlic in a spoon of oil before together scattering on top. Arrange in even but not-too-organized layer and sprinkle with chilli flakes and courgette flower petals. Combine flour and seasoning in a mixing bowl.   In another large mixing bowl, whisk up, the eggs and milk. Whisk the dry ingredients into the eggs and stir in the Parmesan cheese then pour batter evenly over the asparagus all the way to the edges of the pan. Crumble with feta and drizzle with a little EVOO. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until golden and puffed.

Delicious served warm or cold. Great for picnics, lunches with salad or cut into cubes to serve with drinks.

  • If you hold the asparagus in your hand and bend it, it will break naturally where the woody part starts. If you are using very fine asparagus you wont need to do this.

Download a printable version of the recipe Spring Asparagus and Courgette Flower Scarpaccia.

The Plough Inn, Brewery and Village Shop

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The Plough Inn, Brewery and Village Shop, Coldharbour, Surrey RH5 6HD

The upside: A historic pub bought back to life in a thriving community

The downside: Purely selfish; but its a hike from where I live

The flipside: A perfect feel good destination in the heart of Surrey

A 17th century Inn with its own brewery, a local food menu and a carefully stocked village shop, may sound too good to be true. But read on and be prepared to put this venue on your ‘to go to’ list.

The Plough Inn is located in Coldharbour, a small village with 250 residents; it has one bus a day, which leaves at 10am and the nearest shop is 5 miles away. Dating back to the 1700’s The Plough Inn had by 2015 had lost its shine and most of its reputation and was in dire need of some tender loving care. Put up for sale the pub was bought by local entrepreneur Richard Eshelby who used the pub regularly during the shooting season and didn’t want to see it close. Forming a company to manage his new asset he bought in John (an IT consultant and his wife Becky to run the business) a great plan as they are also shareholders and have a vested interest in making this business a success.

The new team started in mid September 2015 and traded whilst they formed a refurbishment plan. As part of that, they had, a vision to re-instate the village shop and keep the onsite Leith Hill Brewery open too. Today the inn has had a complete refit with six attractively furnished rooms, a new kitchen and landscaped garden and addition of a village shop. Its heart warming to see how much detail and attention has gone into the reinvention of this business, which today is central to village life.

This is a story of three parts; the Inn, Leith Hill Brewery and the village shop. Intertwined of course but each lending additional purpose.

The Inn was already on the radar of CAMRA who say this is the only pub in the South East who brew their own beer exclusively for their customers. Made on site in small batches twice a month they produce 10 firkins (around 400 litres). This process takes around a month to brew, ferment and condition in their cellars before its ready to sell. There are three beers made on site by Antoine Josser from Westcott and local resident Mark Chapman. Not all are available all year round but the day I visited Crooked Furrow and Surrey Puma (a seasonal stout) were on tap. They also have a an American pale ale called Smilers Happiness, named after a much loved local John Steele who died of cancer in March 2016. In dedication to him the Inn conceived the idea of a beer in his name.

In addition to their own brews, this free house sells beers from other local breweries such as Fools Gold from Tillingbourne and a selection from Hogs Back. Whilst as a free house they don’t have to buy any national branded beers they have found that lager drinkers are more fickle so you’ll find Carlsberg and St Miguel on tap plus one from a more local brewery Firebird. They also have an eclectic range of new wave local gins such as Silent Pool, Brighton & Gutsy Monkey (made in nearby Dorking).

On the pub menu the focus is on local and seasonal food. The core menu changes four times a year but is supplemented with a specials board. This John stressed, really is for specials and they often test run dishes here before placing them on the new seasons menu. Much of what is on offer here is made on site. What isn’t comes from suppliers such as local artisan bakers Chalk Hills of Reigate, and meat from award winning Rawlings of Cranleigh. Eating lunch with a friend recently we shared a starter of game, apricot and gherkin terrine served with home made chutney and warm (great attention to detail here) Chalk Hills fig and walnut bread (£7.50) .

For mains I went for local producer Ravi Ollies beetroot and feta ravioli pasta with a fresh cream and dill sauce (£10.95) while my dining partner opted for home made chicken pie, gravy, mash and vegetables (£11.95). We loved the food, it was full of flavour, carefully prepared and with sensible portions. The pie was served with a selection of fresh vegetables and we felt the food represented good hospitality at a fair price. Although we were fairly stuffed we felt it would be rude not to sample a dessert and chose the coffee crème brulee served with shortbread and Caroline’s Dairy chocolate ice-cream (£6.50). This combination was a huge hit and so delicious that we ate the lot. All made on site apart from the ice cream (from local producer Caroline’s Dairy)  this was a brûlée to remember for its presentation, taste and texture. After coffee from local roaster Coffee Real we went to take a look around the shop.

The shop, which was the final element of the business to open in October 2016, was envisioned for both locals and visitors alike. The last village shop in Coldharbour closed its doors in 1982 forcing locals to shop in nearby Dorking. Sadly over the last few years Dorking has become so busy that parking at certain times is a challenge if not impossible. This, locals say, makes having a shop on the doorstep again all the more appealing. It’s amazing how much stock a small shop can carry. Stocking a wonderful range of products from basics (toothpaste and washing up liquid) to gourmet artisan cheeses, chocolate and seaweed mayonnaise is all down to thoughtful curation.

Becky’s mum Sue, who clearly has, a natural affinity for food retailing, is at the helm here. Energetic, lively and clearly passionate about her new venture she has filled the shop with a superb range of complimentary food and ingredients. Surrey Cheese, Norbury Blue is here (and on the pub menu) as is Burwash Rose from East Sussex. In the freezer you will find ready meals from Surrey Spice, Pasta from Ravi Ollie and ice cream from Caroline’s Dairy. Gourmet pies come from Toms Pies in Devon and meat stuffed sausage rolls and pasties from Rawlings Butchers in Cranleigh. Bread comes from artisan bakery Chalk Hills and a craft bakery in Cranleigh.

For cyclists and walkers a couple of stools in the shop window are a great place to sip a Barista Coffee and enjoy a homemade cake if you don’t fancy a full meal in the pub. While I was sitting there a local smallholder arrived with a tray of free-range eggs from his chickens. I also met some walkers from Holland who were committed to coming back for another visit. The positivity that this business has given to the village and wider community is evident and another good reason to veer off the high street and into the Surrey hills.

www.ploughinn.com

This review first appeared in the March Issue of Essence of Surrey Magazine. I was invited to dine at the Plough by the owners on the understanding that I only publish reviews if I can really recommend the experience. I loved everything about it!

 

 

Butternut Squash & Feta Pie

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I wrote this recipe to accompany as article I wrote for Essence Magazine about the Plough Inn in Coldharbour near Dorking in Surrey. They have some pies on their seasonal menu and also to sell in their small but perfectly stocked village shop. Sometimes pie fillings for me are a bit gloopy so I decided to use roasted butternut squash in mine and instead of a sauce or gravy I used creme fraiche. This worked really well and the resulting tart is now a family favourite. Its satisfying, tasty and perfect for entertaining non meat eaters. I finished my pie with pastry leaves using a maple leaf cutter I have in my rather large collection. I always used the excuse that I needed to buy different cutters for food styling which was really only half true.

1 butter nut squash (approx 750g), peeled and flesh cut into 1-2 cm chunks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
A pinch smoked Maldon sea salt
2 medium red onions, peeled and finely chopped
1x200g pack feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons crème fraiche
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
A handful of chia or poppy seeds to garnish

I x 375g pack ready-rolled short crust pastry (feel free to make your own here I usually do but being time poor on this occasion I cheated)

Pre-heat the oven to 180°c fan / 200°c /gas mark 5

Prepare the butternut squash and place in the mixing bowl with 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper and mix well to evenly coat. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile using the leftover oil pan fry the onions until softened and leave to cool. Mix the butternut squash and onions together in a mixing bowl, add the crumbled feta cheese, crème fraiche and herbs. Mix together and leave on one side while you prepare the pastry case. I used a rectangular tin, measuring 10cm x 32cm this, but a round or square tin works just as well. Line the tray with pastry and fill with the butternut squash filling. Use the leftover pastry to create a lid using one whole piece to cover or cut shapes to create a pattern. Brush the pastry with egg or milk and sprinkle with some chia or poppy seeds.

Bake in a medium hot oven for 45 minutes. The top should be golden brown.

Cool slightly before serving with a tossed green salad.

Leftover Mincemeat Cake

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I always end up with leftover mincemeat from Christmas. So, as I make my own booze filled creation it is just too good, not to use up. This cake always goes down well and can double up as a pudding first out of the oven! Its an old fashioned recipe that your granny will love too. Print a copy of the recipe using this link Leftover Mincemeat Cake. This recipe was created for a project I undertook for Guildford Borough Councils ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ Campaign a few years ago and it is a regular in our house every January.

Ingredients

200g light brown soft sugar
200g softened salted butter
3 eggs, beaten
200g self-raising brown or white flour (gluten free works well here too)
400g jar mincemeat
1 eating apple, grated (optional)

23cm x 23cm size baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper.

Make by hand or in an electric stand mixer.

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC/ 160ºC fan oven/gas mark 4.

Beat the sugar and butter together until soft and creamy.

Stir in the eggs a little at a time adding a spoon of flour with each egg (this will stop the mixture curdling). Fold in the remaining flour with mincemeat and apple.

Using a silicone or rubber spatula spoon the mixture into the baking tray. Spread the mixture evenly and place in the pre-heated oven to bake for 30 minutes or until golden and firm to touch.

Remove from the oven and cool.

Eat warm from the oven as a pudding with custard or cream or cool completely for a teatime treat.

Leave on a cooling rack until completely cold and store in an airtight tin for up to 5 days.

Carolyn’s Pies

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Delicious traditional meat pies made by hand for farm shops and direct to the public in true cottage industry style!

The upside: Locally made using quality ingredients, these pies are the best for miles.

The downside: Not available outside Milford currently, but that might change in the future.

The flipside: You are supporting a new food start up when you buy Carolyn’s pies and helping to keep the local economy afloat!

carolyn-and-sally

These meat packed home-baked pies are made with top quality ingredients by experienced dedicated pie maker Carolyn who is famed for her culinary prowess. Delicious products like these are the epitome of what a really good, meat pie should be! Quality local ingredients, fresh stock, gravy and of course perfect handcrafted pastry.

I love modern contemporary cooking but sometimes you seriously need a throwback to the traditional. Meat filled pies with gravy or a creamy sauce are part of our food culture. Eel pies sold by hawkers in London were one of the first fast foods we had and there are still some old school pie and mash shops around the UK. When done well a meat pie is hard to beat but they take time and a good skill set to confidently produce. On a recent visit to Secretts Farm Shop I met Carolyn Smith who had just started her own pie business, the pies she had just delivered looked fantastic and I wanted to find out more. Carolyn lives just a mile away from the farm shop in Milford so we arranged to meet. This pie-maker literally lives right down a leafy lane and luckily Carolyn warned me beforehand otherwise I probably wouldn’t have made it as far as Pie HQ.

trio-1-for-carolyns-pies-blog-post

On arrival I was shown into the newly built kitchen, the core of her business. Well designed, spotless and professional it was no surprise that Carolyn was awarded 5 Stars for food hygiene by Waverley Council. Unlike many small food business start-ups Carolyn knew exactly what she was getting herself into as she has years of pie making experience up her sleeve and her kitchen and its organisation reflects this. Starting her early career as a pub chef Carolyn took time out to raise her children. Returning to work years later Carolyn worked for Country Cooks who produced a range of pies for a local butcher. This gave her a really good understanding of what products sell in this category. This market sector is divided into hot and cold eating pies. Hot pies have meat or poultry with a gravy or white sauce, which creates a delicious middle to a good pastry case. Cold eating pies are known for hot water crusts (usually made with lard or white fat) and minced or cubed meat, which is finished with a jelly. When you boil down bones for stock it will solidify when its cold but you can add aspic or gelatine to achieve this too. This is added to the pie once it’s cooked to fill the cavity at the top and make it air tight and add texture and flavour.

pies-and-descriptions

There are a few commercial pie-making companies around but they tend to have a high sauce to meat ratio, thick pastry and lack the finesse of a handmade relative. Not surprising as it’s a business too so profit is king. This is where Carolyn is different. She prides herself on producing the real deal, the sort of pies that your granny would make packed with meat, chicken, ham, mushrooms or leeks. Carolyn for example makes pies for Black Barn Butchers in Milford using their meat. Free-range chicken, ham and beef is poached or casseroled and seasoned into scrumptious fillings. These are then chilled and packed into pastry cases. You can buy these from their fridges and freezers to cook at home. In contrast pies for the farm shops are ready cooked and will just need heating through again before eating. These pies come in foil trays and should be reheated in an oven and not in a microwave. Microwave ovens heat food by vibrating the water molecules and with this destroy the texture making pastry soggy to eat. The oven should be your choice here.

carolyun-pies-trio-with-open-pie

On pie production days Carolyn works with her sister Sally who looks after the paperwork for the business. The day before a pie making session Carolyn prepares the fillings and pastry. Poaching chickens she reserves the stock for the silky white sauce that accompanies the filling. Beef is cooked with red wine for some recipes and mushrooms for other. She rings her regular customers for orders and then may also have a few additional pies to make for individuals. As a new business but with a hardcore following Carolyn sells direct to consumers as well as butchers and farm shops. Secretts were the first farm shop to take her pies as they knew of her from Country Cooks they were keen to support her new venture realising that their customers would love her fabulous pies. The price of these pies reflects the level of filling and quality of the ingredients, individual pies start at £3.85 and a larger one for 2 from £8.75 a keen price given that similar products are inferior.

pie-trio-with-logo

On pie making days Sally put on her apron too as she is key here to making a production day go smoothly. Carolyn makes a core range of products but once a pie is finished it has to be identified. So here the trick is to use pastry cut outs in the form of animals and letters. So a chicken and leek pie will have a chicken pastry topper and the letter L on top. No chance of a mix up here. The day I was there they were producing pies for Black Barn and Secretts. So all the meat for this came from the butcher. David Mitchell’s meat is always top notch and its all local too apart from the chicken, which, comes from Crediton. The pies are produced and baked to a strict production sheet. Filling for each pie is weighed and labelled, brushed with an egg glaze before being labelled and baked. Chilled and packed for delivery later in the day this is as close to an old school cottage industry as you can get.

It is really heart warming to see that the local food movement is alive and kicking in our county.

For orders email Carolyn at Carras.60@gmail.com

Currently this business does not have a website, Facebook page or twitter feed.

beef-and-red-wine-pie

 

 

 

 

Spiced Granola

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I always have a big glass jar of this granola in my kitchen. Made with honey,nuts seeds and oats it’s perfect for breakfast. At Christmas, I like to add cranberries instead of sultanas or apricots and mixed spice instead of cinnamon. But this is one of those recipes that provided you stick to the measurements for honey, oil and dry ingredients you can play around with the rest. Pecans, apricots, cherries and walnuts are just some of the ingredients I swap around. The white chocolate stars just add a bit more Christmas sparkle! Pack it up in bags for friends – I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a bag of crunchy honey sweetened goodness.

 Ingredientsxams-granola-crop

600g rolled oats
50g raw pumpkin seeds
50g sunflower seeds
50g milled flaxseed
50g flaked almonds
1 x 15ml spoon ground mixed spice
240ml clear honey (or maple syrup)
210ml sunflower oil
50g dried cranberries
50g crimson raisins
50g mini white chocolate stars (optional)

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c. Place the first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl and combine.
  2. Place the honey (omit this step if you are using maple syrup) and oil in a plastic jug and microwave for 20-30 seconds or until runny (do not allow to boil)
  3. Add the honey and oil to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
  4. Line 2 baking sheets with non-stick paper and divide the granola between them.
  5. Bake for 25-30 minutes stirring occasionally or until the oats are golden brown.

 

Tips & tricks

  • Allow the granola to cool completely before storing for up to 6 weeks in an airtight jar
  • Use cinnamon instead of mixed spice
  • Stir the granola whilst its cooling otherwise it will set into a solid mass
  • Once it has cooled you can add dried fruit of your choice such as apricots, raisins, cranberries or sultanas
  • Never add the fruit before baking as it will harden and burn in the oven
  • Only add chocolate to the granola when it is completely cooled
  • Try using different nuts, spices and fruit

 

I buy a lot of my Christmas wrapping in Tiger (branch in the Friary Centre in Guildford and Peacock Shopping Centre in Woking)

Beetroot and Feta Dip

Blog, Local producer, Recipes, Vegetarian, , , , , , , , , , ,

I like to do veggie packed snacks for pre-dinner drinks or quick lunches. I have been making beetroot hummus for a while now so when I was deciding what to do with my latest bunch of roasted beetroot I decided to do something different. A pack of feta unused in the fridge and memory of beetroot and feta burgers from a food styling session was the trigger I needed. This is so simple it’s really a kitchen sketch than a proper recipe. The variations could be endless too. I used chioggia beetroot that is home grown at Secretts in Milford, which is why it has a delicate pink hue but any beetroot would work. Although these candy stripe beetroot are gorgeous looking raw you lose the stripe when they are cooked but the flavour is sweet. Roasted beets are superior as they are not as watery as boiled so give a more robust texture to the finished dip. The beetroots can be roasted the day before.

Ingredients

I large bunch of Chioggia beetroot, scrubbed
1 x 200g pack of feta, reserve 50g for the garnish
Juice of 1 lemon
2-3 dessertspoons of natural yogurt
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme, remove the leaves and discard the stems
Freshly ground black pepper
To garnish
The reserved feta cheese crumbled or finely cubed
A drizzle of rapeseed oil
Some fresh herbs (I used blackcurrant sage flowers)
Pre-heat the oven to Gas 5/ 200°C /Fan 180°C

Place the beetroot in a roasting tin and cover with foil. Roast until tender approximately 40mins to 1hr. Leave to cool in the tin. Remove the skins they should just slide off with the help of a sharp knife.

Chop the beetroot roughly and place in a food processor with the feta, lemon juice and 2 spoons of yogurt. Process until smooth and add more yogurt if the mixture is too thick. Add the herbs and pepper and blitz just to combine. Test the seasoning you shouldn’t need salt as the feta should be enough. But suit your own taste here.

Using a silicone spatula, heap the dip into a serving dish and make a swirly pattern on the top with a metal spoon. Place the reserved feta in the centre and then garnish with herbs and finish with a drizzle of rapeseed oil. Serve with crudités, warm pitta or bread sticks.