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Spring 2007. Cereal crop recovers after a very dry start. In line
with much of the rest of the country, yields were very poor this year -
a combination of a dry start, wet mid summer and difficult harvest meant
that ears were small and harvest losses high. |
| ORGANIC FARM PRODUCE@DUCKALLER FARM |
Potatoes 2007. The crop was eventually planted in late March in near
ideal conditions. The wet period from mid June onwards ensured that irrigation
wasn't needed this year, but with the rain and damp conditions came potato
blight.
In 2006 there were just 5 Smith periods during the growing season (May to
July) but in 2007,
Smith periods were experienced throughout much of June and July (www.blightwatch.co.uk). |
Parsnips. One of the most important points in growing a successful
crop of parsnips is to keep weeds well under control. Because of the wet
conditions in the early summer, mechanical weed control was less effective
as for one the dry weather windows were few and far between, and secondly
the weed seedlings re-established themselves rather than wilted in the sun.
Hand weeding the rows using the stretcher weeder is usually a hot and dry
job in June, but in 2007 the correct clothing was waterproofs and wellies. |
Jerusalem Artichokes seemed to like the growing conditions this year
the tops growing over 12ft tall before flowering in October. |
| Various vegetables are grown for Riverford Organic Vegetables for their
box scheme. |
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| Two other culitivated crops to look out for are Parsnip and
Jerusalem Artichoke. |
| Parsnip - a biennial umbelliferous plant, commonly growing
wild in Southern and Central Europe. The first year's tap root contains
cane sugar and glucose and a little fatty oil, and can be used for the manufacture
of a coffee substitute, but is mainly used for culinary purpose. Up to the
eighteenth century it was much cultivated, but was supplanted buy the carrot,
in spite of the fact that the parsnip is a much more frost-resistant plant. |
Jerusalem Artichoke - a perennial plant with composite flowers,
a kind of sunflower. It is a native of North America. Various American Indians
grew it for centuries as a staple food. They referred to it as girasole,
while the French prefer to call it topinambour. It practically never blooms.
It has short subterranean runners, at the tips of which are potato-like
stem tubers, sweetish and fairly nutritious which are not damaged by frost.
The plant is less exciting in its requirements than the potato as regards
to climate and soil. |
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PARSNIP
Pencadenum sativum |
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE
Helianthus tuberosus |
RECIPE - Parsnip and Ginger Bake
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
2 lbs parsnips
1 tsp fresh root ginger
2 eggs beaten
rind and juice of half a lemon
4 tbsp single cream
1 oz butter or margarine
1 oz chopped almonds
Instructions:
1. Peel and slice the parsnips and cook in boiling, salted water for
about 15 minutes until tender. Drain and mash.
2. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Stir into the parsnip mash with the
beaten eggs, lemon rind and juice, butter and cream. Mix well and season
to taste.
3. Turn into a lightly greased, shallow over dish. Sprinkle with the
flaked almonds. Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes. |
RECIPE - J/Artichoke Quick Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
2 medium Jerusalem artichokes
2 cups spelt or whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
Herbs: basil, coriander, thyme, sage, dill...any of your favorites.
1/2 tsp salt
1 carrot; 1/2 of a turnip; 1/2 of a parsnip
1 stalk celery
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 to 1 cup water
2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Finely chop the artichoke into very small pieces.
3. Place in a bowl with all the dry ingredients. 4. Grate carrot, turnip
and parship into the mixture. Finely slice celery, and add to the mixture.
Add milk, maple syrup, and enough water to moisten the entire mixture.
5. Pour into a greased baking pan, or bread pan, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes,
or until a skewer pierced through the middle of the bread comes out clean.
6. Remove from the pan, and place on rack to cool. |
RECIPE - Devonshire Pasty
Ingredients:
1lb Shortcrust Pastry
1lb lean, chopped beef - raw
or 1lb of scraggy venison - raw.
2 medium sized, finely chopped potatoes - raw
1 medium chopped onion - raw
1 medium chopped swede - raw
1 beaten egg
salt and pepper
Instructions:
1. Roll out pastry to 1/4 inch thick and cut out 4 dessert plate sized circles.
2. On to each place layers of the above ingredients and season well, especially
with the pepper.
3. Moisten the edges and fold over and then press the edges firmly together
and crimp along the join. 4. Make a small 'entry wound' type slit
in the top to let the steam escape.
5. Repeat the above process with all four pasties and then place on a baking
sheet and put in a pre-heated oven (400F) until the pastry turns to a pale
golden colour.
6. Take the pasties out of the oven and brush with the beaten egg and shove
back in the oven.
7. Reduce the temperature to 350F and bake for a further 40 minutes.
The pasties are always best eaten hot but do make for ideal cold meals. |
RECIPE - Devon Squab Pie
In old recipes squab usually refers to a young pigeon. Sometimes in Cornish
and Devon cookery squab is used to describe mutton or lamb dishes as in
this case.
Ingredients:
10 neck of mutton chops
1 onion, peeled and sliced
ground allspice
6 sour apples, peeled and cored
shortcrust pastryto cover
seasoning
1/4 pint gravy or water
Instructions:
1. Fill a pie dish with a layer of chops and onion and apples.
2. Season well and repeat until the dish is full.
3. Pour in gravy or water and cover with pastry.
4. Bake for 2 hours in moderate oven 325F gas mark 4. |
RECIPE - Devonshire Apple Dappy
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter milk to mix
1 tablespoon golden syrup apples peeled cored and chopped into small cubes
brown sugar
1/2 cup water
Instructions:
1. Rub the butter into the flour.
2. Add cold milk to make a dough.
3. Roll out into an oblong and cover with apple and sugar.
4. Roll up apple and sugar in the pastry (like a Swiss roll).
5. Cut into slices about 1 1/2 inches thick.
6. Place in a baking dish.
7. Put the syrup, butter and water into a pan.
8. Heat gently and mix together.
9. Pour over the apple pastries.
10. Bake for about 30 minutes at 180F.
11. Serve hot or cold with clotted cream |
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[ Home Page | Holiday
Information | Organic Farm | Our Pigs | Meat
| Hog Roast | Equestrian
Page | Caravan Storage
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| Contact ] |
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