Kent Farmers Market Association

Free demonstration and taste session.

Why not come and join us at one of the Kent Farmers Markets events listed for a free demonstration and taste session.

Starting 21st January to 10th February 2012

Free cooking demonstration

Ever wonder how to love leeks more or want to spice up your sprouts but don’t know how?

Taking inspiration from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage and its recent “Veg Every Day” series, professional chef, caterer and smallholder Nicci Gurr will be showing visitors to various Farmers Markets in Kent this winter how to get the most out of locally produced seasonal vegetables.

By cooking a selection of simple but delicious recipes using ingredients available from the farmers market Nicci will show how locally available produce can offer excellent quality, value for money and most importantly great flavour.

Free tasters

Free tasters will tantalise taste buds and free recipe cards will help to continue to inspire home cooking. Demonstrations will take place at the following markets:

When?

• Wye Farmers Market – Saturday 21st January from 10am
• Hythe Farmers Market – Saturday 28th January from 10am
• Chartham Farmers Market – Thursday 2nd February from 2.30pm
• Egerton Farmers Market – Friday 10th February from 2.00pm

About the Kent Farmers Market Association

The Kent Farmers' Market Association has been set up by the managers of Kent's Farmers' Markets. 

We all believe passionately that Farmers' Markets provide shoppers with higher quality, more nutritious, easily traceable, fresher local food and drink. The Association provides leadership, advice, guidance on regulatory requirements and practical ideas about operating and promoting markets and products.

More Information

Kent Farmers Market Association

I was thrilled recently to be invited to add a ‘UK twist’ to a new cook book, 'The Ultimate Nepalese Cook Book' to be published Christmas 2011. 

The Nepalese are not famous for their desserts so it was a real creative challenge to find traditional Nepalese ingredients that went well together into a pudding.

I knew very little about their style of cooking. As I started to research, I was stunned by the unusual use of ingredients and the diversity of their staple foods.

I am a traditional British chef but I really enjoyed the challenge of creating a fusion between the two cultures and cuisines. I learnt so much about Nepalese cooking, including its relevance to today’s healthy eating.

It uses fresh ingredients including chillies, garlic, turmeric, ginger and fenugreek seed. All so easy to source in Kent and with such health giving qualities.

After much deliberation I came up with the following

• Momo Pot Stickers with Chocolate and Chilli
• Green Tea Ice Cream
• Pumpkin and Tea Pie
• Rice pudding (kheer)
• Gajar ko haluwa (sweet carrot pudding)
• Milk balls with salty tea pistachio

I hope you like them. I think they are a perfect way to round off a traditional Nepalese dinner.

I will include one of the recipes in the next few blogs for everyone to enjoy.

Until then please visit www.gurkhabusinesscommunity.com to find out more about this book.

Thanks

Nicci

The wind is blowing and would I like the end of year’s flour..?

‘Yes please.’  I reply, and set out on my journey eagerly with my 20kg barrels in hand.

When I get there I climb the 75 foot single file stair case. The giant apple wood cog is turning and grinding the wheat between the millstones. It sends my flour warm down the shute into my bucket.

{jb_quoteright}The wind is blowing and would I like the end of year’s flour?{/jb_quoteright}

7 stories up is a high climb but the view is beautiful. The amazing thing is its totally open to the public. It is run completely by volunteers and one of the very few left in the South Coast that actually works completely by the wind.

The Cranbrook Windmill is one of the reasons, why so many ‘Cranbrook tonians’ are proud to be.

The flour is consistently strong, ideal for bread, however when using half white flour it makes a delectable savoury pastry.

All my quiches are made with Cranbrook Windmill Flour and so I'm told by my customers really makes a difference.

For more information go to http://www.unionmill.org.uk I am sure they will be happy to have you view the site, or even go along for a visit. Do check their website for opening times.

Last month ITV came to Kent to film an episode of Country Wise Kitchen. Home Gurr'own along with many other wonderful Kent producers were featured. It was nice that they featured Sissinghurst farmers market. It is a lovely venue, especially in the summer with the backdrop of the castle. For this episode I was filmed making a plum and Polenta tart with orange scented Thyme.

Serves 8 healthy appetites. :)

Sweet pastry
300g Flour
75g Sugar
150g Butter
1 Egg
1 Egg yolk

Plums

1kg (about 10 plums)

Plums cooked in a Stock syrup
300ml plum wine or dessert wine
300ml of good quality black tea
50g caster sugar
A few sprigs of orange scented thyme

(Alternatively you could use any of the strong cooking herbs such as
(Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano or even Bay)

Frangipane topping
250g Butter
250g Sugar
4 Eggs
165g Ground almonds
60g Polenta

Method:

Pastry:
Cream your butter and sugar together until white and fluffy then slowly add eggs and flour. It is important to add the eggs and flour slowly to ensure the mix doesn’t curdle. Rest in the fridge for 20 minutes then roll out the pastry into a loose bottomed tin or dish. To prevent the pastry sides from collapsing you need to blind bake the pastry. To blind bake line the pastry with grease proof paper and add baking beans. You can also use raw beans or raw rice.  Place in the oven at180c (Gas Mark 4) for 20 minutes.

Kent Plums:
Stone the plums and put to one side. To make the stock syrup put the wine, tea leaves, sugar and herbs into a pan and bring to the boil.  Let the tea infuse for at least an hour and then strain. Next place the plums in the saucepan and cover with the stock syrup, bring to a rolling boil until the plums just start to crack. When cool enough to touch, place into the casing and start the frangipane.

Frangipane:
Mix the sugar and the butter together until creamy then slowly add the eggs, one at a time with the ground almonds and polenta. You can also use ground hazelnuts to give it an earthier taste. When all the almonds and polenta are added you should have a nice drop consistency. Spoon on top of the plums.

Cook
Place in the middle of a preheated oven to 180c (Gas Mark 4) for about an hour. When it stops wobbling its ready.
Serve and garnish

Serve hot or cold. Ideally serve with crème fresh and garnished with edible flowers, such as Nasturtium, Violas, Pot Marigold petals.

In this month's edition, of Kent Life, Benjamin Dent, Chairman of the Kent Farmer's Market Association (KFMA) has written a great article about Summer Picnics using Kent produce from Farmer's Markets.

" With nearly 40 Farmers' Markets in Kent there's a market near you to help you pick up all your fresh and seasonal picnic goodies, from Kentish cheeses, meats and smoked salmon to pickles and chutneys, bakery and sweet treats."

A picnic at Sissinghurst Farmer's Market

Benjamin, who also runs Penshurst, spoke to me recently, about what was nice to take on a picnic at this time of year. Well, I got terribly excited and rambled on about our pate, especially our chilli and chocolate flavoured chicken liver pate, and our beetroot and horseradish scotch eggs, which are proving very popular at all our summer events.

One of our favourite farmer's markets for the summer months is at Sissinghurst. What a beautiful place to have a picnic! The Market is located near the ancient Elizabethan Barn, next to the Granary restaurant within the famous Sissinghurst National Trust site. During June, July and August the market is open on the 2nd and 4th Monday every month. You can borrow a blanket from the information center, choose your items from the farmer's market then sit back and relax. Donald Keen, a volunteer who runs the market has done a wonderful job of the market. There is a wide selection of vendors including Cliff and Julie Dyball of The Traditional Cheese Dairy and Anna and Edna (mother and daughter) from Sugar and Spice with their jams and chutneys.

Where to find a Kent farmer's market near you

We encourage anyone who wants to find out more about Kent Farmer's Markets to head to the KFMA website to find the latest events and markets. Another site worth checking out is the fine people at Produced in Kent who are an organisation dedicated to promoting local food, drink, products and services in Kent.

For a list of the farmer's market we are attending please check out our farmer's market calendar.

With so many farmer's markets in and around Kent there is no excuse not to pick up some scrummy food and head off into the countryside.

Nicci Gurr 

P.s.  On a final point the ITV show Countrywise was filming in early July for a show dedicated to the producers and countryside of Kent, It will be aired on 29th August. More on this in a later story?

Towards the end of April in and around Kent we start to see the first white sweet and fragrant flowers of the Elder tree come into bloom. The flowers give a very distinct aroma that combines well with a jam or marmalade.

•    1.8kg of Cherries
•    1.25kg of sugar,
•    2 lemons
•    6 elder flower heads

Elderflower jam method:

Put the cherries in a pan and heat slowly. I usually leave the pips in the cherries and then strain through a colander when the boiling has reduced them to a mush or pulp. Once the pips are removed bring the cherry juices and pulp back to the boil and slowly add the sugar. I find that warming the sugar before hand in an oven works best, it aids the dissolving process. I rapidly boil the sugar and cherry pulp for about 10 minutes adding the elderflowers after 5 minutes. Finally I empty the jam into sterilised glass jars.
The smell of the cherries and the elderflowers fills your kitchen with a fabulous aroma. What a way to start a days cooking :)

I thought for this month’s news I would bring out an extract from a Home Gurr'own article that appeared in More from your garden exactly one year ago. It was a lovely piece about my husband Jules and his flowers.

Julian Gurr continues his family tradition on the Kentish land by growing vegetables and cut flowers on a small six acre Cranbrook holding.... During May time the soil is rotavated, compost and organic matter added before planting out. Weed suppression matting, and polythene helps cut down the need to weed while the flowers are sown or planted densely  to reduce the need for staking and hand watering is augmented with trickle irrigation.

“I grow what works, what’s easy, grows well and is popular. Cut and come again varieties are best”, explains Jules. There is an emphasis on summer blooms such as cheerful Cerise Cosmos, Zingy Zinnias, Vibrant Gladioli, Sunflowers, Marigolds, Dahlias and Asters. Successful core flowers are the basis and then the new varieties added each year – “Cosmos is the absolute best. I cut the blooms and they are back within two days. They don’t suffer from much and need little water”, he adds.   (Source - more from your garden, June 2010)

One year on Jules continues his flowers with additional space for more vegetables including, Courgettes  :  Leeks  :  Carrots  :  Chard  :  Asparagus  :  Sprouts  :  Sweet corn  :  Potatoes  :  Squash  :  Broad beans  :  Fennel  :  Broccoli  :  Cabbage  : There is nothing better than using our own home grown vegetables in my menus. Hopefully this year we have more than ever to use. :)

P.s. If anyone is passing Dulwich Prep School on the Golford Road we have our flower and plant kiosk which sells cut price flowers. Hopefully the flowers should be ready around early July time.

On Sunday The House Meadow had a photo shoot to show off their lovely new Kent Wedding Venue.  We were delighted to help out and provide sample wedding food for the occasion.

Kent wedding food
With such a lovely location we had to really work hard to provide good looking food for the photo shoot.  We arrived early to ensure all the food was set up and looking good for the photos.  An old friend, Bryan who built our new website was on hand to provide help and assistance. We decided to keep the food simple and wholesome. We had mini cream tea canapes, smoked salmon scotch eggs, wedding cheese board and  our yummy ‘trifle in a jar’.  To add to my wedding food Claire from The House Meadow had made some beautiful looking cakes.

Kent wedding photography
The photos were taken by Steve from Cap2ure who was a photographer in the Army and a really nice chap. He turned up with a vast array of gadgets and equipment. He took great care on every shot to get the right look and feel. Anyway enough of me jibber jabbering I am sure you will agree Steve’s photos are fantastic.

Trifle in a jar

Wedding Catering, Kent

We think one of our favourite wedding foods was the trifle in a jar. We had to keep a close watch on this one so it wasn’t eaten before Steve had finished the photos. It is such a simple idea that would be perfect for any wedding.  Layers of seasonal fresh soft fruit with crème anglaise, ginger biscuit layer, and Chantilly cream all presented in a jar.

Trifle in a jar photo by Steve Wood of Cap2ure

Cream Tea Canapes

Wedding Catering, Kent

The canapés are part of our cream tea buffet wedding menu.
The savoury Cream Tea Canapes: Creamed stilton, cucumber and walnuts, Smoked salmon and rocket and Tomato Basil and Caerphilly Cheese. The sweet cream tea canapés were strawberry and clotted cream, fresh raspberries and edible flowers, (viola), Fresh Homemade lemon curd, clotted and cream mint.

Cream Tea Canapes photo by Steve Wood of Cap2ure

Fresh Cheese Board

Wedding Catering, Kent

So simple but perfect for a wedding our wedding Cheese board are for all you cheese lovers out there. The cheese board was finished off with our home made red onion marmalade. A wedding cheese board with Quenby Stilton, Camberbert, Sussex Charmer Mature cheddar, Chevre bouche goats cheese, Brie de meaux.

Wedding Cheese Board Photo by Steve Wood of Cap2ure

Smoked Salmon Scotch Eggs

Wedding Catering, Kent

Our own Homemade Smoked salmon scotch eggs.  These are always a firm favourite with our customers at the farmer markets. Our other homemade varieties of Scotch egg include beetroot and horseradish, minted peppered lamb and pork and sage.

Smoked Salmon Scotch Egg photo by Steve Wood of Cap2ure

Wedding Garden Salad with edible flowers

Wedding Catering, Kent

Everyone liked the beautiful colours on our Wedding Garden salad with our own seasonal edible flowers.  In the picture we have viola and chive edible flowers.

Wedding Garden Salad photo by Steve Wood of Cap2ure

Along the hedgerow near where we live we have lots of fresh wild garlic, which smells beautiful and really is one of my personal forage favourites. It is perfect for a wild garlic pesto.

I pick lots of lovely young wild garlic leaves, take them home and put them in a big sink of cold water.  Give them a quick wash and then spin dry using a spinner or loosely wrap them in a clean towel and spin them around outside. Get out your food processor and put in a good glug of olive oil. It is important  to do this first so not to bruise the leaves and end up with a black mess. Then add your cleaned garlic leaves, some toasted cobnuts, or pine nuts if cobnuts are not available, and grate some hard cheese. I like the traditional cheese companies The Lord of The Hundreds which is similar to a really good parmesan. Add some salt and pepper and whizz or pulse and WOW you have a wonderful powerful pesto to use.

It stores for about a month or alternately you can freeze it and use whenever you need it.

Perfect as a garlic shot for salad dressings, soups, stews or even to marinade meat for the bbq.

Nicci

P.s  Come and say hello at our next farmers markets

Ingredients: Wild garlic pesto

• Toasted cobnuts or pinenuts: 50g
• Olive Oil:  a good glug (100ml)
• Salt and Pepper: pinch
• Hard cheese: (Parmesan): 50g
• Wild Garlic Leaves 100g

I started Home Gurr'own by making a dozen quiches in my home kitchen. They all sold so well that I made more, lots more and today they are one of our most popular dishes.

I first learnt the principles of making a great quiche in the hectic London kitchen of the Roux brothers over 15 years ago. The secret to making the perfect quiche is to start with simple, good, fresh ingredients. We are very fortunate to live in Kent and close to some of the finest and freshest food producers in the UK.

"The secret to making the perfect quiche is to use simple, good, fresh ingredients"

Quiche Pastry

I always use half wholemeal flour and half white. The white just lightens up the pastry while good wholemeal flour compliments and adds a distinct ‘nutty’ flavour.  If using a porcelain dish then you must blind bake. Blind baking is when you bake the pastry without the filling. You might do this if your pastry has a longer baking time or if you have a fairly wet filling that might soak into the pastry too much. If you are using tin then there is no need to blind bake just slow down your oven to 150c and extend your cooking time.

Sift the flour into a bowl, rub your butter into the flour to form bread crumbs, and then mix in cold water with a knife to form a dough that just holds together. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes. Roll out and blind bake if needed. Place greaseproof paper and baking beans or raw kidney beans inside the dish.  This will put a light weight on the pastry help prevent the pastry from shrinking away from the sides and keeping its shape while baking. Bake for 20 minutes at 180c.

Quiche Filling

Place your cheese in the base.  I like to use a good mature cheddar, goat’s cheese, or feta.  Then add your topping. I would probably go for something quite simple like mixed fresh herbs, cooked smoked bacon or onions that have been sweated in butter. For a good egg mix all you need is 4 large free range eggs, 350ml double cream and a little salt and pepper.  Mix together and pour into your pastry and over your filling. By using cream you get a richer flavour and also you don't get a soggy bottom even if cooked from frozen. There is nothing worse than a soggy bottom!

Ingredients 18 inch flan quiche

Bake
Bake in a preheated oven at 150c for 45-50 minutes
If already blind baked turn oven up to 180C and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Local quiche Ingredients

This week Julian and I have been really excited about a new 2012 season. Most of our flower and vegetable seeds have arrived and Julian will be planting our first lot of carrots this week.

In addition Julian will be sowing our first lot of peppery salads at the end of February. They will be placed in pots, with a fleece in case of a late frost. In about 6 weeks hopefully I should be having my first rocket salad probably served with a bit of bacon and stilton for a punchy winter supper.

The first week of February will see the return of the first Horsmonden Market, which we will be in the hall instead of on the green thankfully. :) Although the up and coming Penshurst farmers market will be held outside. I shall be there gritting my teeth against the cold, for the first market since the snow.

In both markets I shall have quiches, pates, game pie, mushroom scotch eggs, smoked salmon scotch eggs and a couple of surprises to wet your appetite.

I hope to see you there

Nicci

As many smallholders will undoubtedly testify it is sometimes difficult to get time off. There is always something to get done even when the weather is bad.

However, nonetheless Julian and I are enjoying a well earned break and spending some time with our family at home. Daisy is really happy with her new sister Lori who is as good as gold. During the first week of January we will return to normal farm life kicking off with our homemade soups for Taywell farm shop, followed by our pies and ready meals for Hartley Dyke farm shop in Cranbrook. Our first farmers market for 2011 will be at Penshurst in Tonbridge on the 5th Feb after this we will back to our normal markets and hopefully a few new ones. For a full list of which farmers markets we will be at see here.

During January we are also taking over the Cranbrook farmers market. We are planning to update the market but first need to talk with the Revd Richard Williams about the use of the church and their facilities. We will of course keep everyone up to date on proceedings. Just remind anyone the Cranbrook farmers market is held in the Vestry Hall from 09:00 – 12:00 on the fourth Saturday of each month. Once we have everything confirmed we will post a link on our website and also build a small Cranbrook farmers market website to hold all relevant information.

Sorry got to run the babys crying and daisy is back.

Thanks, Nicci

Hi everyone sorry for the delay in writing I had a wee delivery to make first. Lori Ann Gurr was born at Crowbororgh birthing centre on the 11th December 2010. Thanks to everyone for their support and to let you know that Lori and family are doing well.

I am planning to resume cooking again in the first week of January. My first farmers market for 2011 will be first weekend of February at Penshurst. I hope by then the weather will be a bit less severe.

Like any farmer and smallholding the winter can be a bit challenging at times. During these cold months there are still many important jobs to do around our smallholding. Julian is busy with winter jobs such as fixing poly tunnels, fencing, thinning out the orchard, and planning next year’s crops and flowers. At the moment our sheep seem to doing ok although with a little shelter they are very resilient to severe cold and wet. Luckily I am still able to get my orders out with a big thankyou and help from Farmer Palmer and their super Landrover.

I will finish on letting you know about the The Oxo book launch which happened early in the month. As mentioned previously it was the culmination of events organised by The Hawkhurst Community Partnership celebrating 100 years of the Oxo cube. We were delighted that our Southdown Lamb Stifado was the winning recipe. The whole day was very enjoyable and I got to meet some really interesting people over lovely cream teas. What more could you want! For anyone that wants an online copy of the book Gary from Visit Hawkhurst has very kindly placed a pdf version on his site. You can download it from here.

Next time I will tell you about the Cranbrook Farners Market we are going to take over. All exciting stuff :)

 This week we found out we had won the Oxo cookbook award for our Southdown Lamb Stifado recipe. The Oxo cookbook was a culmination of events organised by The Hawkhurst Community Partnership celebrating 100 years of the Oxo cube. Local residents and producers from around the Weald countryside submitted recipes.

It was a surprise and of course honour to receive this award for our Lamb Stifado recipe. The Cookbook will be available from 7th December 2010 from a variety of places around Hawkhurst, (if anyone needs a copy please let me know). Julian and I are really looking forward to our prize which is dinner at the lovely Thackerays Restaurant.

Oh and I am having a baby which is due on the 3rd December. :)

This summer has been very busy for us with loads of farmers markets and events in and around Kent. We've had a good summer and wish to say thank you to everyone for their support.

Pies! Pies! Pies! I have lost count of the number of pies I have made recently and happy that so many of you like them. Our lovely friends down at Farmer Palmer supply the beef. Their Aberdeen Angus breed produces marbled, succulent beef that is matured for a minimum of three weeks. The beef is mixed with locally produced veg and seasoned with my special herbs and spices. If you want to try one just check out our 'where to find us page' .

Lastly we hope you like our new website and welcome any feedback you may have. We feel our old crusty friend Bryan has done such a wonderful job. What do you think? If you like it or have have any suggestions to make it better please let us know.... Thanks Nicci

I am proud to work along side Farmer Palmer in the production of our pies, infact apart from some of our hand reared lambs I use their meat in all my produce, We share a similar view on what good food should be.

As well as their farm being managed under the countryside stewardship scheme, Graham and Miranda Palmer are an asset to the local farming community. They believe in happy, healthy animals that have the freedom to behave naturally. With no growth promoters or in- feed antibiotics. The breeds of their animals are also unsurpassed with their Aberdeen Angus beef, local breed of Romney lamb, and Berkshire and saddleback pigs that produce pork second to none. All the meat is fully traceable with low mileage from farm to plate and is the best meat that I personally have tasted.

The pies I make in partnership with Farmer Palmer include:

• Lamb and Apricot
• Mediteranean lamb: (Hartley dyke only)
• Steak and Kidney Aberdeen Angus beef.
• Steak and guiness Aberdeen Angus beef
• Steak and red wine(Hartley dyke only)
• Steak and Stilton (Hartley dyke only)
• Chicken and Mushroom:
• Chicken and Leek (Hartley dyke only)

Our pies can be found at the following farmers markets and farm shops

Penshurst Farmers Market  .  Horsmonden Farmers Market  .   Egerton Farmers Market  .   Hartley Dyke Farm shop  .  Weald Smokery Farm Shop  .   Pluckley Farm Shop.

We here at Home-GURR’own really feel that we have had a positive year. It was tough at the beginning, with such a cold start. All our flowers and vegetables were late going in the ground which immediately put us behind, but the support and growth of the farmers markets more than made up for it.

This year we also had a fabulous magazine article (Gardens Monthly June 2010 ) which went national, featuring Daisy and Julian....

Another success this year was that we had our flowers in a new farm shop, (Hartley Dyke) and although the flowers had an early depart due to frost please be reassured that they will return next year again at Hartley Dyke, and Taywell farm shops.

For those of you who have seen me recently, may have realised that instead of just eating lots of pies. I am expecting a new addition to our family, which was again another surprise at the beginning of this season, and although I will be taking November, December, and January off from the farmers markets you will see us back in February. We would like to take this opportunity to assure our customers that our produce and farmer palmer pies can be bought from the following farm shops.

• Hartley Dyke Farm shop – Ready meals and an exclusive range of farmer palmer pies.
• Taywell farm shop – fresh quiches and scotch eggs.
• Weald Smokery - for quiches, farmer palmer pies, and seasonal hand raised pies.
• Silcox farm shop – Their own pies and quiches, made by me, with their own organic produce

As you know there is no rest for the wicked and I shall still be working so If there is something for an occasion or just to fill your freezer you would specifically like, please contact us and it can be delivered to either Penshurst farmers Market, Rolvenden Farmers market or the above farm shops.