We are a group of micro farmers who welcome anyone who keeps animals or grows vegetables and fruit, or loves cooking! Who would like to come along to our meetings or events and share their experiences with others. You don't need to have lots of animals to be a "smallholder." Many people who grow vegetables, have some bees or maybe a couple of backyard chickens come along and enjoy the meetings and events as well.
Saturday, 28 July 2012
OAKhouse Newsletter - Sausage Tasting - 5th August 2012 with EESG
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Sunday, 15 July 2012
Sunday, 8 July 2012
New Corporate Supporter - The Gardeners Farm Shop
Gardeners Farm Shop - Goldhanger
Gardeners Farm has been breeding cattle for over 20 years. We have a lovely herd including Aberdeen Angus, Simmental and Belgian Blue and a few years ago we introduced a herd of Dexters. These are a miniature breed of cattle that have never been commercially reared and have not had BSE. They are raised slowly on grass and their meat is succulent and flavoursome.
We have also introduced Saddleback and Kune Kune pigs and more recently, Peitrane pigs. As much as possible these are outside in the sunshine for the best possible life and taste.
We also have some sheep including Ryland, a rare breed, and now we are lucky enough to have our lovely shop and to be able offer you our delicious meat butchered by Danny Spence.
Danny is a Master Butcher. He has trained and worked in some fantastic establishment's and is now happy to join us in offering you what we can only describe as the best meat you will ever taste !!!!
Special offers available every week.
We sell lovely tasty meat, reared on our farm and butchered to the highest level.
Fresh bread, cheeses, local preserves, pies, pasties, sausage rolls, fruit crumbles, cakes, apple juice, ice creams
plus loads more...
Awarded 5 stars by EHO
Hybrid and Purebreed Chickens and Bantams for Sale
Ruby the foal
OPEN EVERY DAY APART FROM MONDAYS
01621 788162
Miniature Animals
Donkeys, cattle, pony's, pigs and goats
Meet our baby lambs and Lilly's piglets
Sit in the sun and enjoy an ice cream and the view
Friday, 6 July 2012
Recipe of the Week - Mo Saville
We have made this pudding once, and it is terrible and wonderful at the same time. The pudding tastes fantastic, but is so calorific that we’ve never been brave enough to do it again!
That said, we feel that everyone should try it at least once, so here goes...........
Mo & Charlie Saville
Sussex Pond Pudding
Ingredients
225g Self Raising Flour
110g Shredded Suet
50ml Water
75ml Milk
110g Cold butter - cubed
115g soft brown sugar
2 large unwaxed lemons
Method
First make the suet pastry. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the suet and a pinch of salt. Mix together well and sprinkle over a little of the water and milk. Bring together with a palette knife. Continue adding water until the starts to come together. Use your hands to work the dough to an elastic consistency. Keep back quarter of the pastry (to form the lid) and roll out the rest on a lightly floured surface to a round of about 25cm. Take a large pudding basin of around 11.5cm deep and grease well with butter. Lift the rolled out pastry carefully into the pudding basin and ensure it is well pressed around to form the lining allowing it to come just above the rim of the basin.
Place half of the butter and soft brown sugar into the suet lined basin. Prick the outside of the lemons with a skewer or sharp knife and place on top of the sugar and butter already in the basin. Pack the remaining butter and sugar around the lemons.
Roll out the reserved pastry to form a lid for the pudding. Moisten to top of the lining and the edges of the pudding lid. Place the lid over the pudding and pinch together to form a good seal. Trim of any excess pastry and discard.
Take a double sheet of foil and form a pleat across the middle. Cover the top of the pudding and tie well in place with kitchen string. Form a handle with string to make it easy to lift the pudding out of the steamer when cooked.
Partly fill a large pan with boiling water and place a steamer on top. Bring the water back to the boil and place the pudding in the steamer and steam for three to three and half hours. Check the water every thirty minutes to make sure it doesn't boil dry.
When cooked, remove the cover carefully and place a serving plate on top of the pudding. Invert the pudding and plate and gently lift off the basin. Serve hot with single cream.
Enjoy
That said, we feel that everyone should try it at least once, so here goes...........
Mo & Charlie Saville
Sussex Pond Pudding
Ingredients
225g Self Raising Flour
110g Shredded Suet
50ml Water
75ml Milk
110g Cold butter - cubed
115g soft brown sugar
2 large unwaxed lemons
Method
First make the suet pastry. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the suet and a pinch of salt. Mix together well and sprinkle over a little of the water and milk. Bring together with a palette knife. Continue adding water until the starts to come together. Use your hands to work the dough to an elastic consistency. Keep back quarter of the pastry (to form the lid) and roll out the rest on a lightly floured surface to a round of about 25cm. Take a large pudding basin of around 11.5cm deep and grease well with butter. Lift the rolled out pastry carefully into the pudding basin and ensure it is well pressed around to form the lining allowing it to come just above the rim of the basin.
Place half of the butter and soft brown sugar into the suet lined basin. Prick the outside of the lemons with a skewer or sharp knife and place on top of the sugar and butter already in the basin. Pack the remaining butter and sugar around the lemons.
Roll out the reserved pastry to form a lid for the pudding. Moisten to top of the lining and the edges of the pudding lid. Place the lid over the pudding and pinch together to form a good seal. Trim of any excess pastry and discard.
Take a double sheet of foil and form a pleat across the middle. Cover the top of the pudding and tie well in place with kitchen string. Form a handle with string to make it easy to lift the pudding out of the steamer when cooked.
Partly fill a large pan with boiling water and place a steamer on top. Bring the water back to the boil and place the pudding in the steamer and steam for three to three and half hours. Check the water every thirty minutes to make sure it doesn't boil dry.
When cooked, remove the cover carefully and place a serving plate on top of the pudding. Invert the pudding and plate and gently lift off the basin. Serve hot with single cream.
Enjoy
Recipe of the Week - Mo Saville
We have made this pudding once, and it is terrible and wonderful at the same time. The pudding tastes fantastic, but is so calorific that we’ve never been brave enough to do it again!
That said, we feel that everyone should try it at least once, so here goes...........
Mo & Charlie Saville
Sussex Pond Pudding
Ingredients
225g Self Raising Flour
110g Shredded Suet
50ml Water
75ml Milk
110g Cold butter - cubed
115g soft brown sugar
2 large unwaxed lemons
Method
First make the suet pastry. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the suet and a pinch of salt. Mix together well and sprinkle over a little of the water and milk. Bring together with a palette knife. Continue adding water until the starts to come together. Use your hands to work the dough to an elastic consistency. Keep back quarter of the pastry (to form the lid) and roll out the rest on a lightly floured surface to a round of about 25cm. Take a large pudding basin of around 11.5cm deep and grease well with butter. Lift the rolled out pastry carefully into the pudding basin and ensure it is well pressed around to form the lining allowing it to come just above the rim of the basin.
Place half of the butter and soft brown sugar into the suet lined basin. Prick the outside of the lemons with a skewer or sharp knife and place on top of the sugar and butter already in the basin. Pack the remaining butter and sugar around the lemons.
Roll out the reserved pastry to form a lid for the pudding. Moisten to top of the lining and the edges of the pudding lid. Place the lid over the pudding and pinch together to form a good seal. Trim of any excess pastry and discard.
Take a double sheet of foil and form a pleat across the middle. Cover the top of the pudding and tie well in place with kitchen string. Form a handle with string to make it easy to lift the pudding out of the steamer when cooked.
Partly fill a large pan with boiling water and place a steamer on top. Bring the water back to the boil and place the pudding in the steamer and steam for three to three and half hours. Check the water every thirty minutes to make sure it doesn't boil dry.
When cooked, remove the cover carefully and place a serving plate on top of the pudding. Invert the pudding and plate and gently lift off the basin. Serve hot with single cream.
Enjoy
That said, we feel that everyone should try it at least once, so here goes...........
Mo & Charlie Saville
Sussex Pond Pudding
Ingredients
225g Self Raising Flour
110g Shredded Suet
50ml Water
75ml Milk
110g Cold butter - cubed
115g soft brown sugar
2 large unwaxed lemons
Method
First make the suet pastry. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the suet and a pinch of salt. Mix together well and sprinkle over a little of the water and milk. Bring together with a palette knife. Continue adding water until the starts to come together. Use your hands to work the dough to an elastic consistency. Keep back quarter of the pastry (to form the lid) and roll out the rest on a lightly floured surface to a round of about 25cm. Take a large pudding basin of around 11.5cm deep and grease well with butter. Lift the rolled out pastry carefully into the pudding basin and ensure it is well pressed around to form the lining allowing it to come just above the rim of the basin.
Place half of the butter and soft brown sugar into the suet lined basin. Prick the outside of the lemons with a skewer or sharp knife and place on top of the sugar and butter already in the basin. Pack the remaining butter and sugar around the lemons.
Roll out the reserved pastry to form a lid for the pudding. Moisten to top of the lining and the edges of the pudding lid. Place the lid over the pudding and pinch together to form a good seal. Trim of any excess pastry and discard.
Take a double sheet of foil and form a pleat across the middle. Cover the top of the pudding and tie well in place with kitchen string. Form a handle with string to make it easy to lift the pudding out of the steamer when cooked.
Partly fill a large pan with boiling water and place a steamer on top. Bring the water back to the boil and place the pudding in the steamer and steam for three to three and half hours. Check the water every thirty minutes to make sure it doesn't boil dry.
When cooked, remove the cover carefully and place a serving plate on top of the pudding. Invert the pudding and plate and gently lift off the basin. Serve hot with single cream.
Enjoy
Monday, 2 July 2012
Too many bees?
Interesting article:
This is an interesting perspective on the current thinking of experts such as the LBKA, University of Sussex research fellows and the Friends of the Earth who are behind the Bee Cause campaign. Data suggests that 1 sq km of forage can sustain about 5 colonies. Consider that only 25% of that space in London is green and then how much within that is planted in a way that is beneficial to bees. Within a 10 sq km area of my apiary in NW5 which is fifteen minutes from Oxford Circus the NBU has 466 apiaries listed. There will be at least two or three hives at each so that totals a possible 1398 colonies. Only 75% of people register their hives so you can increase this figure by 25% = 1747 hives which equals 174 hives per sq km which is way, way higher than the 5 we think can be sustained. Steve Bebow is right that the weather has played its part this year but the underlying trend, regardless of weather, is that honey yields are decreasing below the level that bees need to get themselves through the winter … an all time low in 2010 of 31lbs per hive across the SE and bees need 35 lbs just to survive the cold months. NBU Bee Inspector’s have been saying for some years now that they think there are too many bees in London. Steve’s reaction is emotional rather than factual and very common amongst bee keepers who make a living from keeping bees for corporates. “Saving bees” does not necessarily mean keeping bees and those that choose to do so will get the support of the LBKA since we have a strong ethos of responsible bee keeping. The LBKA has a message of education, encouraging more forage and not keeping bees on rooftops higher than a tree. They have not evolved to live at heights unnatural to them. The tide may be turning though as corporates begin to understand that piling more bees into Central London may be contributing to the demise of the bee and other pollinating insects who suffer in the competition for nectar and pollen.
This is an interesting perspective on the current thinking of experts such as the LBKA, University of Sussex research fellows and the Friends of the Earth who are behind the Bee Cause campaign. Data suggests that 1 sq km of forage can sustain about 5 colonies. Consider that only 25% of that space in London is green and then how much within that is planted in a way that is beneficial to bees. Within a 10 sq km area of my apiary in NW5 which is fifteen minutes from Oxford Circus the NBU has 466 apiaries listed. There will be at least two or three hives at each so that totals a possible 1398 colonies. Only 75% of people register their hives so you can increase this figure by 25% = 1747 hives which equals 174 hives per sq km which is way, way higher than the 5 we think can be sustained. Steve Bebow is right that the weather has played its part this year but the underlying trend, regardless of weather, is that honey yields are decreasing below the level that bees need to get themselves through the winter … an all time low in 2010 of 31lbs per hive across the SE and bees need 35 lbs just to survive the cold months. NBU Bee Inspector’s have been saying for some years now that they think there are too many bees in London. Steve’s reaction is emotional rather than factual and very common amongst bee keepers who make a living from keeping bees for corporates. “Saving bees” does not necessarily mean keeping bees and those that choose to do so will get the support of the LBKA since we have a strong ethos of responsible bee keeping. The LBKA has a message of education, encouraging more forage and not keeping bees on rooftops higher than a tree. They have not evolved to live at heights unnatural to them. The tide may be turning though as corporates begin to understand that piling more bees into Central London may be contributing to the demise of the bee and other pollinating insects who suffer in the competition for nectar and pollen.
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