It’s a gift to grow food; to harvest and pack, knowing it’ll be on tables a few miles away. Food is more than sustenance; whether it’s a garden gathering or a solitary plate, each bite is a celebration of what makes us human - pleasure, comfort, community. It is also a testament to human endeavour, working tirelessly in extreme conditions to plant and pick and pack. Each bite is a thank you, from us for your support for real farming by real humans.
Notes From The Field
Summer’s here but, as farmers, we are always looking ahead, to the next season and beyond - there’s so much to plan and prepare. Still, the warmth has meant harvests are better than ever, the farm is in a bloom of colour and we do our darndest to just enjoy the moment. It’s non stop this time of year, the 1000s of leeks are in and now we’re planting for the, dare we say it, winter, which means brassicas! Over in Isfield, the team have been braving the sweltering temperatures to get everything planted out. Cauliflowers, Kales, Broccoli and PBS, all the cabbages and sprouts too are going in. The work is intense, with high temperatures and no shade and the team are absolutely frazzled after each day. Worth it though when we see the spoils of our hard work packed up and winging it’s way to you.
New Produce
Florence Onions
An heirloom variety from Tuscany, these Florence Onions are usually harvested in early autumn but we like to pull up when they’re slightly younger and milder. Shallot-like with purple-red skin, they’re perfect in salads or scattered on a pizza. Try slicing a few and then scattering with sea salt and sumac. Give it all a rub together with your fingers, add some Honest Toil, apple cider vinegar and throw on top of a chopped beefsteak tomato and scatter over capers and fresh basil.
Patti Pan Squash
These dinky little Summer squash are a lovely addition to any table. Try them grated raw into a cherry tomato salad or sliced into wedges, brushed with Kashmiri Chilli Oil and griddled straight on the BBQ. If you can bear to turn the oven on, roasted whole and stuffed with cooked Naked Pearl Barley, our fresh basil and a melty cheese is a thing of real beauty.
Courgette Gratin Bundle
A returning special recipe bundle from Head Grower Harry, celebrating our prolific courgette patch, this gratin is great to feed a crowd on a Summer’s evening. Including our gorgeous courgettes, white onions and our French beans you just need to add Basmati rice, veg stock and some punchy cheddar and you’ve everything you need for this comforting dish. We’ve got the full recipe on our website so add a bundle to your box and get cooking!
Organic Flowers At The Farm
Our flowers are coming along beautifully with the sunshine. The top field is filled with mixed sunflowers, elichrysum, cosmos and borage and the polytunnel zinias are just opening. With the backdrop of wild carrot bordering the glasshouses the farm is bursting with blooms. Check out our July news on the website for photos and keep your eyes peeled for our pick your own event coming soon.
Open Day & Artwave
We’re gearing up for another open day on the 12th of September - it’s a little while away but get it in your diary now before the Summer runs away with us! We are also hosting Artwave that weekend across both days. There’ll be basketry, tile making, natural dyes, glass wear & pottery to marvel at and get involved with plus we’re hoping to host a little music too so watch this space for more info!
Seasonal focus
The wait is over, our Barcombe tomatoes are ready! We’ve got some wonderful varieties this year - a few returning favourites along with some new flavours.
Beefsteak Tomatoes
These great dobbers are the kind you might coo over in an Italian market - except, forget those food miles - they’re grown right here! Try stuffing them with cooked orzo and feta and roast in the oven until they almost collapse.
Brad’s Atomic Grape Tomatoes
Bred in California by Brad Gates (known as the “Willy Wonka” of tomato breeding) these are sweet and smokey in flavour and a returning favourite here at the farm. Chop them up, squeeze over some lime, throw over your Honest Toil, plenty of sea salt, a few chopped Florence Red Onions and sliced fresh chillies and you’ve got a super smokey salsa ready to be spooned over any Summer dish.
Mixed Cherry Tomatoes
Tip a punnet into an oven dish along with a few peeled whole garlic cloves. Lay over a block of feta and tip more cherry tomatoes on top. Drizzle with Honest Toil , some fresh oregano and a splash of balsamic, season well, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes until soft and juicy. Serve on toasted sourdough and don’t waste the juices! Or throw some on top of your courgetter gratin before you scatter over the cheese on top!
Our cherry varieties include:
Orangello - Lovely long trusses of very sweet, orange tear drops.
Sukura - A firm cherry with a gorgeous sweetness.
Floridity - A beautiful red mini plum with a crunchy, juicy texture.
Mango Lassi - A small red cherry with a deliciously sweet flavour.
Pink Tiger - An elongated plum cherry, long and striped red and gold.
Thank you for reading.
See you here next month for all our monthly news, produce and recipes!
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