Weather forecast is pretty good … but be prepared!  Bring goodies to share if you want, but not compulsory … just bring yourselves …. and a BIG BOX for your share of the wonderful organic COCA veggies.

1 large onion, 2 large carrots, 4 mushrooms, about 6 fresh tomatoes (or a tin of tomatoes), garlic (optional), bacon (optional), seasoning and thyme,  2 tbsp sherry or a glug of red wine plus 1 tsp sugar. (optional).  Enough for 2 to 3 people as a main course.

Cut the onion and carrot into chunks about half cm thick. Toss in olive oil in a large saucepan and sweat over gentle heat, with the lid on, for 10 minutes. Chop the bacon, garlic and mushrooms and add to the pan. Continue to sweat with the lid on for another 5 minutes. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces (if you are fussy, remove the skins first … I dont bother) (or add the tinned tomatoes now) and add to the pan. Turn up the heat a little. Add pepper and thyme and a very little salt. Cook with the lid on, with the occasional stir, until the tomatoes are a juicy sauce and the carrots are well cooked .. about 20 minutes.  Strain the juices from the vegetables into a new pan; keep the carrot mix warm. Add the sherry/ wine if using and boil rapidly until juice is reduced and bubbly, on the point of becoming sticky but not burnt. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Return the vegetables to the concentrated sauce, stir and serve. Good with rice or potatoes or bread.

Very easy to freeze, if you think you have too many. Prep the beans, drop into simmering water for 30 secs til it is back on the boil. Then remove with slotted spoon straight into chill water with ice cubes. Drain after they have cooled and seal in plastic tubs in the deep freeze.  If you freeze a lot all at once when they are wet they become a solid block that all has to be thawed at once.  But if you “open freeze” them for an hour on a baking tray loose in the deep freeze and then pack them into the boxes or bags and back into the freezer, they will freeze separately and in the winter or next year’s “hungry gap” you can just take out as much as you need for any meal … and the taste and texture is almost as good as they are now.  And the vitamin content high as ever.

Same basic method for freezing all our wonderful glut of summer veg.

We look forward to seeing more people at the farm!    Email [email protected] for more info as usual.

Gill

A MIDSUMMER TAPAS FEAST ……  with Shakespearean Undertones.

Saturday July 8th, about 6.30 for 7pm start til late

Tickets will be £10 each (children under 10 are free) BYO as before.

Scorching array of tapas is promised from the kitchen of an expert chef, plus Spanish guitar, other musicians and original entertainment on a Shakespearean theme from “members of the cast” and others….. it promises to be a jovial and exotic evening!

Posters out soon

Tickets on sale from usual local shops and outlets by end next week.

Contact [email protected] or just turn up when you can. Children welcome!