This year you can find some of the plumpest, juiciest blackberries I’ve ever seen in the hedgerows. The combination of sunshine and rain has at least been appreciated by the berries, at the expense of the British holidaymakers. Now is the time to take advantage of this berried treasure, with … Read More
This recipe is ideal for spring veg (especially asparagus) and elderflowers, but you can also add mushrooms, onion slices, pepper or whatever veg looks freshest. Elderflowers are popping up throughout our hedgerows and the flowers seem particularly fragrant after some good sunshine. Pick the heads whole, give them a quick … Read More
Venison is back in season and blackberries are back in the hedgerows, but the last of the summer sunshine makes this an ideal BBQ dish if you want to cook outside. You could also use elderberries, but if you don’t have time to forage, then you can substitute either with … Read More
Another great local supplier has popped up in Hambrook. Roger has started growing Oyster Mushrooms using straw and used coffee grounds from an Emsworth cafe as his substrate. The mycelium grows into the substrate log in a dark, warm room for 3-4 weeks, before being moved into a light, high … Read More
St Georges Mushrooms have started to appear nearly a month late. They are so-called as they tend to pop up on St Georges day, but with last month’s drought and cold, they very sensibly stayed tucked up in bed until it got a bit warmer. They grow in pastures and … Read More
This is such a simple dish, the trick is to cook the mushrooms right and be extremely generous with the garlic. Chestnut, button, or large flat mushrooms are great, and we also have a mix of more exotic mushrooms from the New Forest which include yellow and pink oyster mushrooms, … Read More
It’s wonderful to have Kent grown nuts available, along with their delicious oils, because while I’m just as keen on cashew as the next person, we need to support our local farms and producers, and I’d much rather have an English Walnut over its Chinese counterpart (where most Christmas walnuts … Read More
Last week we had a swarm of honey bees near the car park, and called up the Stansted beekeeper, John Geden to come and rescue them. A swarm forms when a bee colony grows too large for the hive. The existing queen bee moves out, taking half the colony with … Read More
This is the perfect fresh, green, garlic hit that our bodies are craving at this time of year. Picked from the local woods by our chef, Adam, and full of healthy nutrients, anti-oxidants, and free from pesticides, fungicides and herbicides, this is food as it is meant to be. You … Read More
We have a selection of wild, foraged spring greens available this week, hand-picked by Adam. With the mild winter this year, spring is already underway and many plants are coming through earlier than usual. We have 3 cornered wild garlic (£3.50), Sea Beet and Miner’s Lettuce (£2.50) available in punnets, … Read More
Wild Garlic is popping up in the woods as we speak, and at this early stage of the season, the flavour is mighty, while the leaves are tender – making it ideal for salads or blanched and seasoned as your greens. It’s also great as the base for pesto or … Read More
This year the pannage season has been fairly short, despite huge amounts of acorns in some areas of the New Forest. Richard has had his pigs (rare breed Middle White / Landcross) out on the acorns fattening nicely. They’ve enjoyed the relatively mild weather this autumn and have been hoovering … Read More