Essex, Orange and Proud

Yes, it's nearly Halloween, and El Diablo dog is disguising himself as a pumpkin to avoid the ghosts of past unholy collie-terrier unions. Wise werewolf.

   Here in Essex, those of us who cannot afford a spray tan, take this seasonal opportunity to surround ourselves with as many pumpkins as possible for a reflected TOWIE orange glow. Nothing is more effective at scaring the undead.  And so, to celebrate this joyous pumpkin-filled Hallowe'en, we've delved into Hannah's recipe "book" (a scary task in itself, see right), and as requested, the recipe for a family favourite:

 Pumpkin Bread

1lb pumpkin (peeled and diced) , 2 oz butter/marg, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. ginger, large pinch nutmeg, 1lb flour (1/2 white, 1/2 wholemeal is best), 1 tsp. salt (optional), 2 tsps. sugar, 2 tbsps. warm water, 1 egg (beaten)

Peel and dice the pumpkin.  Cover with water and cook for 20 minutes until tender then drain and mash with the butter, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.  Make sure it is smooth.  Leave to cool.

Meanwhile, mix together the sugar, warm water, egg and yeast.

Once the pumpkin mixture is lukewarm, combine all the ingredients and knead.  The mixture can be quite wet at first.  The best advice I've had is to start mixing and kneading with a spatula and give the flour time to absorb some of the liquid.  If needed, gradually add extra flour a little at a time on your hands or in the bowl and knead in until you have a smooth dough. 

Cover and leave for 10 minutes to prove in a warm place. 

Punch down and divide the dough in two.  Knead each half and place into two greased 1lb loaf tins.  Cover the tins with a tea towel and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size.

Cook at 200oC for about 30 minutes, or until bread sounds hollow when knocked on the base. (My favourite part of the bread process!)

Enjoy toasted with lashings of butter, Marmite or jam and try not to eat the two loaves before you get a chance to take a photo...ahem.

This year, mini pumpkins (munchkins) are available at Wiston Church, including the adorably named 'Wee Be Little'.  It's worth a walk over to Wiston to enjoy the autumn colours and return home with pockets of pumpkins. They also act as excellent improvised "go fetch" balls if you are uncoordinated enough to drop them near annoyingly fast werewolves with vegetarian tendencies - a socially acceptable werewolf if ever I've met one.

Happy baking and Happy Halloween!

Windfall Piglets

   It's time to catch up with our apple-mad pigs.

   The pigs arrived the day before Open Farm Sunday, and refusing to sign an involvement contract, spent most of OFS hiding.  Fortunately, pigs quickly learn that humans = food and if you bite that human, you get to the food faster as buckets fall and the air turns a little blue.  So here are the big, bad piglets now...

   They have (fingers crossed) literally grown out of their escape artist phase, but are still popular with walkers along the lane.  Those who cry "Here Piggy Piggy!" on Water Lane are rewarded by our piglet display team performing a screeching, ear-flapping yet balletic sprint in the wrong direction - their echolocation is about as highly tuned as Humbug's, and they tend to head to the food bowl first.  Something I can relate to.  But all the exercise and snuffling makes for a tasty free-range pig, and at this rate, we expect a full complement of bacon, sausages, joints and gammon for Christmas.

   Currently, they are guzzling their way through a vast quantity of apples.  With competition in our little orchard from the chickens, help is at hand from the people of Nayland - in particular the magic porridge pot of apple trees in Fen Street.  If anyone has any windfalls they would like cleared, we can put them to good use!

   In other great news, it is finally dry enough (with a little rain-dodging) to muck out the barn.  This window of dry weather has all the local farmers excited.  For us, it means for the first time this year we can transport the muck over grassland without damaging the fields.  We like the barn to be spankingly clean for the cows when they head inside for the winter and it's good to finally see that muck heading up the lane.

I am so thankful, I even papped a trailer load of manure.  I'm off now to start writing a talk for the East Essex Food and Farming Group next week.  I promise not to include the muck photo.

Spuds away!

It's National Potato Week!

  Whilst we're not potato farmers (last grown at LDF in the '50s), we are surrounded by a potato growing giant, so to celebrate, we're delving into Grandad T's farming archive to compare two very different harvests...

From one horsepower  c.1945...

..to today in Horkesley

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  The valley is alive at the moment with the merry harvesters working from dawn 'til dusk to harvest the humble potato.  I like to adopt a dig-for-victory approach to growing potatoes in the garden, but Humbug rejoices in the opportunity to chase the big machines.

   And so, as Rix's workers fill the local pub comparing which model of tractor adorns their credit cards (only the most dedicated make the harvest cut), we salute the potato -provider of employment, most versatile tuber and saviour of dinnertime.

Beef chilli and baked potatoes for supper?  Yes please!

Red Tractor Week 2012

Because great food starts with great farming!

Click here to find out more about the Red Tractor mark and enter your favourite recipe for the chance to win some fabulous Aga Cookware.

#buycookeat

SOS Dairy

Dairy farmers from across the country are meeting in London today to call for wholescale change in the dairy industry.  The recent regime of price cuts have resulted in the lowest retail milk prices for seven years and immediate action is needed to bring about a sustainable dairy supply chain.

There is a lot to celebrate in the British dairy industry, but not the current regime of price cuts.  Milk producers deserve a fair price.  We may only be 'Dairy' by name, but we are 100% behind British Dairy Farmers.

Westminster in a sash

A baby tractor and a big Hero bear hit Westminster for the launch of Great British Beef Week.

Followed by the lovely Ladies in Beef with Jim Paice MP.  As a child I struggled to master the sash as a Brownie and Girl Guide.  Apparently, I have not grown out of it (or learnt to look at the camera!).

Back home on the farm, the tractors may not be as shiny (or have cabs), but we're about to celebrate the start of GBBW with a lovely roast silverside joint.

Delicious!

Roll up, roll up!

For the past week the valley has roared with tractors rushing to cultivate, drill and do whatever it takes to keep some moisture in the soil. To celebrate the end of drilling and another week of arrivals (not forgetting my updated list of future calvings in, get this, date order), it's time to feed those tired, hungry farmers!

Today, we're honouring our very own Easter chicks with a family favourite,  Cheesy Yorkshire.

Forget toad-in-the-hole, this is far superior!   And don't worry Marmite-haters, you cannot taste it (trust me), so unless you are allergic to or have a genuine phobia of Marmite, you are not allowed to leave it out.  No excuses!

Cheesy Yorkshire

6oz plain flour, 3 of Lower Dairy Farm's finest eggs*, ~1/4 - 1/2pt milk, 1 onion - diced, 2 tsps chopped sage (mixed herbs if easier), 1/2 tbsp Marmite, cubed cheese - Cheddar is best (British of course)

Dice the onion and brown in a little oil in a cake or roasting pan/ovenproof dish.  Make the batter as for a Yorkshire pudding - combine eggs, flour, milk and beat until the batter "whoops".  Beat in the herbs and Marmite.  Sprinkle cubes of cheddar over the onion and pour over the batter.

Cook at 220oC (G.M.7) until well-risen, cracked and golden.  Don't panic if it doesn't rise or falls flat, some (me) say the denser version is the best!

Delicious hot or cold (excellent picnic food) and particularly good for breakfast - if it lasts that long!

WARNING: Batter may have mesmeric qualities.  People have been found staring at batter - or cooking it with the power of their mind?

* Multiply quantities up or down with 1 egg for every 2oz flour.

As seen in Essex Life!

Forget TOWIE, rush out to your newsagent (if you live in Essex at least) and read all about life in this fantastic county!

And don't forget Great British Beef Week April 23rd - 30th!  Start saving those pennies for Help for Heroes!