With little rain and record high temperatures in May, our crops have been climbing and reaching for the warmth rather over excitedly. Every where is bursting in rich green and colourful blooms, the comfrey and the borage dotted around the farm are vibrating from the bees making their rounds, providing the soundtrack to our work. June is a time of abundance and flavour where the real rewards of our hard work across the colder months and the hungry gap, are beginning to come into view.
Notes from the field
Summer's bounty is still a little way off though and it’ll be a while until our tomatoes are in full swing. However, our covered cropping areas are still incredibly productive with endless salads greens, bunching onions and beets. Our focus in June switches from indoor planting to outdoor planting with 40,000 leeks and 5,000 kale transplants ready to go. Thankfully, this isn't done by hand but with our tractor mounted transplanter and subsequent weeding also with tractor mounted implements. All we need now is some decent rainfall. Luckily we invested in a new outdoor irrigation system a few years ago so we are set up well but, there’s nothing like a downpour to water plants in. Who knows what the weather has in store! With the weather ever more unpredictable and out of kilter, the plants, insects and animals must be rather confused. Our squash which we sowed the week of 27’c temperatures then had a shock the week after when temps dropped to near freezing. Luckily they recovered but it’s an example of how the changeable weather can cause real problems. However, there's always a flip side and crops like our French beans and courgettes are coming along a lot more quickly than usual. There's never a dull moment; as Metske, one of our suppliers says 'as a grower at the beginning of the season, it’s like jumping on a wild horse and just trying to stay on!
Calling all Eastbourne locals
We are really delighted to be taking part in Eastbourne's new farmer's market this month. Saturday the 7th June we'll be outside the Towner Gallery selling our produce alongside some wonderful local food heroes such as Longman Brewery, Nelson Coffee Roasters, Pevensey Cheese, Henners Vineyard and To The Rise Bakery. If you're local come down and say hi. We'll be there from 9:30am until 1:30pm and then after that on the 5th July.
Check out the Towner website for more information
New spice tins
You may already be familiar with our Field Blend spice tins as we've been stocking their Maple Chilli Salt and their Smokey Chilli BBQ rub for a little while now but some new flavours have just dropped which are definitely worth a try, especially since BBQ and camping season is now in full swing. Their Pink Peppercorn, Sea Salt & Garlic is perfect on bbq meat or veggies & pizza. The Lemon, Sumac & Green Herb is great in salad dressings or BBQ fish and the Smokey Jalapẽno & Peach is obviously perfect on Mexican dishes as well as cheeses like halloumi and burrata.
Use any for a rub or marinade or just sprinkle as seasoning to finish off a dish. In their handy little tins they really are your one stop pot for seasoning at home or on holiday.
Supplier spotlight: Field Blends
Since outdoor cooking season is now in full swing, we thought it was a great time to learn more about the team behind those cute little spice tins. Connor, Sam & Ryan - keen campers and cooks - were tired of lugging jars, tubs and single-use plastic bags to make a meal, so they set out to change and Field Blends was born. Delicious, convenient, and packaged in reusable tins, they’re perfect for the campsite or kitchen.
“We’ve made a number of conscious decisions to reduce packaging waste while supporting British producers and championing sustainable practices,” says Connor. “The plastic-free packaging and reusable nature of our tins is a core part of our mission. We often share creative ways to reuse them—through our refills, or turning them into fire-lighting kits or windowsill micro herb gardens.”
Their flavours are fresh, fun and unique; "The ideas for the blends often spark from memories and moments around the campfire when we wish we had a particular flavour to pair with the dish we are creating. From there it’s a case of finding the right suppliers and ingredients combinations to bring the vision to life." Working with the best suppliers and producers possible, there's also a family flavour: "We're super lucky to share a unit with Sam’s Dad who runs a coffee roastery, meaning our Smokey Chilli & Coffee Blend includes some of the best coffee around. We also proudly partner with British sea salt suppliers and opt for organic options wherever these can be certified." Like us here at the nurseries, they continue to develop the quality and power of their supply chain and champion British produce.
When asked if they had any favourite recipes or ideas for the blends, they didn’t disappoint: “Maple Chilli Salt mixed with butter makes a sweet, spicy glaze for corn or bacon. Lemon Sumac is fantastic on eggs and grilled veggies. Coffee BBQ adds a brilliant crust to slow-cooked meats. Our latest, Smokey Peach & Jalapeño, is perfect on BBQ chicken or halloumi skewers—the peachy heat wraps around the juices and Pink Peppercorn gives a lovely finishing touch to any dish!”
We love how versatile these little tins are, you can even use them in ice creams, on noodles or to rim a cocktail. "We try not to be too prescriptive with their use and just allow others to get as creative as possible to elevate simple, quality ingredients.The most important thing is to have fun, relax outdoors, and share moments with family and friends.”
You can explore the Field Blends range on our Essentials page.
Seasonal focus
Chard grows pretty much all year round here at Barcombe. Mild, earthy and slightly sweet, it's one of those leaves that people can get a bit phased by, but it's a kitchen workhorse! Great cooked or raw, both leaves and stems, blanched, sautéed, steamed or left as is. It's such an easy way to add extra greens to your diet and it doesn't take much cooking either so you can throw it in at the last minute. It's the star of our June recipe and our '4 ways with' feature so why don't you add a bag to your box and you'll see why we love it!
June recipe: Chard farinata
A farinata is an Italian pancake made with chickpea flour, traditionally baked in a woodfire oven. Don't worry though, it's a simple one to put together with only a few ingredients and is a gluten-free alternative to pizza. Mix up the toppings and drizzle over our Honest Toil extra virgin and this is a light, summery meal that takes less only 30 minutes to put together.
4 Ways with our chard
Looking for more chard options? Our 4 ways with feature is the perfect way to get some inspiration with one of our favourite staples. Why don't you add a bag to your box and try these out. You'll soon see those rainbow stems aren't just for show.
Open day at the farm
The farm open day last month was a huge success and we had a really enjoyable day of interesting chats with you, our lovely customers. It was a day of great variety with pond and soil soundscapes, face painting, ping-pong, home-made cakes and of course a guided tour with Harry. We even had a guest appearance from Michael Kennard, aka Compost Michael, who's something of a celebrity in the gardening world, giving us some fascinating facts on our soil. Thank you to everyone who came down. The next open day will be for the Art Wave festival in September so watch this space for more info on our forthcoming events.
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