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Well – Is Local Better? Here’s what the locals had to say….

January 31st, 2012

Well….Is local better??!!

This was the question of everyone’s lips last Thursday at Orchard Park, when their New Year events programme started with a fascinating evening of food, drink and debate.

Richard Cumming Managing Director of Orchard Park said “We wanted to offer our customers the opportunity to explore the issue and to show how local producers and local supermarkets need to work together.  This was illustrated by the menu we planned for the evening – which was a compliment of locally produced, locally sourced and not so local food and drink”.

On arrival guests were welcomed with a glass of vintage Cava which was kindly donated by Jamie Charrington-MacKenzie of Hicks & Don wine merchants,  or a glass of beer from the Keystone Brewery, then the panel of experts chaired by BVM editor Fanny Charles answered a series of questions from the audience that covered issues as diverse as how many people actually buy their weekly groceries from local producers and there was even a question close to Orchard Park’s heart when  the question “why more farmers do not rear traditional breeds if the meat is so superior?” fortunately Sheila Clarke of Lagan Farm was on hand and responded that ‘there has been an age of specialisation in Holstein cattle which produce a huge amount of milk, and Belgian Blues who produce large quantities of meat, however this is now changing with animals performing well on what the farmer can produce in a sustainable way with a move away from importing products such as soya and in turn reducing carbon footprint”

The illustrious panel included Charles Dowding a commercial vegetable grower and passionate campaigner for local produce, Jason Payne Manager of Asda, Gillingham, Charlie Turnbull of Turnbulls Deli and Shaftesbury Feastival, Jim Highnam MD of BV Dairy and Alasdair Large of Keystone Brewery.  All were delighted by the high standard of the questions asked and were certainly kept on their toes by the knowledgeable audience.

During the evening a carefully planned menu  was served including a delicious antipasti of olives from Olives Et Al, cheese from Longmans Dairy and Godminster  and award winning chutney from ‘Dorset with love’ . Anya of Orchard Park made blini’s which were topped with Mere smoked trout terrine.  Shaun Carthy, chef at OP made a mouth watering soup of Celeriac, spinach and horseradish which was followed by fillet of Irish Moiled beef from Lagan Farm with lentil du puy, prepared by Callum Keir of Holbrook House who, in the interval, gave a short cooking demonstration.  After a second round of questions, a not so local dessert was served of exotic fruits supplied by Asda which was complimented perfectly with a good serving of local clotted cream from BV dairy.

Mr Cumming said “We were overwhelmed by the interest in the evening and we have had some wonderful feedback from audience members and the panel and we hope that this will the first of many such events here at Orchard Park.

In fact Orchard Park have already planned a Gardeners Question Time on March 28th, please visit www.orchardpark.biz  or call 01747 835544 for further details

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Fillet of Red Poll Beef with Lentil Du Puy

January 17th, 2012

Fillet of Red Poll Beef with Lentil Du Puy

– Serves 4 people

Ingredients

4 x 6-8oz Fillets of Beef
3-4 spoonfuls of Oil
150g of Lentil Du Puy
2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
1 Carrot
½ Celeriac
1 Leek
2 Celery Sticks
30g of Pancetta or Smoked Bacon
2-3 Cloves of Garlic
Salt & Pepper
Knob of Butter
Optional – Gratin, Fondant or Roast Potatoes, Red Wine Sauce

Method

  • Cook the Lentils in boiling water with 1 Garlic Clove, 1 Sprig of Thyme, and 1 Bay Leaf until soft, which should take approximately 10-15 minutes, then strain.
  • Cut the Carrot, Celeriac, Celery & Leek into Cubes, and the Pancetta into Lardons.
  • Season the Beef Fillets with Salt, heat a heavy based non stick frying pan until hot, brown each side of the Beef for 3-5 minutes, add a little Butter and rest.
  • Heat a Saucepan and sauté the Pancetta, then the Lentils. Add a little Garlic and picked Thyme. Season well and cook until lightly browned.
  • Spoon the Lentils into the centre of a plate and place the Fillets on top of the Lentils.  Serve with either Gratin, Fondant or Roast Potatoes and Red Wine Sauce as an optional extra.

 

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Question Time – have your say, is local best?

January 17th, 2012

Orchard Park Question Time.

There has been huge interest in the forthcoming Question Time event being held at Orchard Park on Thursday 26th Jan at 7pm, and now that details of the menu have been published, there is going to be a lot more!!

Orchard Park’s own chef Shaun and guest chef Callum Keir of Holbrook House have been busy planning a delicious tasting menu for guests to enjoy throughout the evening as they battle with the question “Is local better”!

First there will a chance to try some olives by Olives Et Al, a local cheddar from Godminster organic, and a blue cheese from Longmans Dairy all set to get the taste buds buzzing!  Winter root vegetable soup follows as the questioning debate gets under way.

During the interval Callum will give a short cooking demonstration using Lagan Farm’s own Red Poll beef; he will be preparing Fillet of Red Poll Beef with Lentil Du Puy and this delicious dish will then be served to guests.

After the second session of questions the evening will end with a delicious selection of exotic fruits supplied by Asda and served with BV Dairy clotted cream as guests chat with members of the panel.

Local brewer Alastair Large of Keystone Brewery will be offering samples of his locally produced ales and Jamie Mackenzie-Charrington from Wine Merchants Hicks & Don will show how French wines can complement both local and international dishes!

The evening promises to be a perfect blend of the local and not so local, come along and join the debate, tickets are £12 each or 2 for £20 to include the complete tasting menu and a soft drink.

Tickets are available from Orchard Park, Turnbulls Deli and Shaftesbury TIC.

For more details please contact Jilly at Orchard Park on 01747 835544

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January Plant of the Month – Hamamelis (Witch Hazel)

January 3rd, 2012

Hamamelis (Witch Hazel)

The Witch Hazels are deciduous shrubs (and sometimes trees) growing to approximately 3 – 6 metres.

The botanical name means ‘together with fruit’; its fruit, flowers and next year’s leaf buds all appear on the branch simultaneously.

These are very popular ornamental plants, grown for their clusters of rich yellow to orange-red flowers which begin to expand in the autumn as (or slightly before) the leaves fall, and continue throughout the winter, thus making it a favorite to brighten up beds that can often be dull during the winter period.
They are best grown in a slightly acid soil & prefer a good humus-rich, fertile soil which is moist but well drained. Provide regular water during summer dry spells.
They can also be grown in pots but will need a bit of care if you choose to grow them this way as they must have a cool root-run in summer. Re-pot them regularly and move to a place out of hot sunshine in summer when they are not in flower.
They don’t generally require pruning, but it might occasionally be necessary to remove dead or dying wood. It is possible to prune them after flowering but is not advisable because the wounds do not heal readily and the natural grace of the shrub can be lost.
Witch Hazel is also known for it’s medicinal uses; the bark and leaf being astringent, the extract (also referred to as witch hazel) is used in aftershave lotions and lotions treating bruises, insect bites, eczema and acne.

Here at Orchard Park we have a good variety of this most versatile and pleasing shrub.

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A Selection of Christmas Recipes for the holidays

December 21st, 2011

Shaun’s Famous Stuffing Recipe

  • 300gms Whole Chestnuts
  • 60 gms Whole dried Apricots
  • a tblspn of fresh Parsley
  • 1 sprig of Thyme
  • The zest and Juice of a lemon

    Blend all these together, and then mix well with 500g good pork sausage meat.
    Either use to stuff the turkey or rolled joint in the usual way, or make into balls and bake for 10 to15 mins in a hot oven.

    Makes an incredibly tasty stuffing -  as served in the Orchard Café!

Bubble & Squeak

  • Mash all your left over vegetables, either by hand or with a blender.
  • Add a splash of tabasco sauce, seasoning and gently saute in olive oil until slightly crispy on the outside
  • Serve with a fresh poached egg OR a selection of cold meats and a good chutney

Winter Root Vegetable soup

  • Using a blender, puree any leftover vegetables and put into saucepan
  • Add 1 pint of vegetable stock and half a teaspoon of garlic puree, bring to boil
  • Season to taste with cracked black pepper and sea salt
  • Serve with a swirl of cream
  • Diced turkey or ham, or crispy smoked bacon can be added if required

3 Cheese & Pinenut Tart

  • Using either homemade or ready made pastry, line a flan tin with shortcrust pastry
  • Blind bake the tart case putting baking parchment and baking beans in the centre of case to ensure that the pastry doesn’t ‘bubble’.  This will take approx 15 mins
  • Use any odd bits of cheese you may have left in your fridge, doesn’t matter if they are hard soft or blue (in fact this makes the tart tastier!) – dice the cheeses and place on top of pastry
  • Toast some pinenuts and scatter on top of cheeses
  • Mix together 6 eggs and half a pint of double cream.  Pour this over tart.
  • Bake for approx 20 mins at 180c (or until light brown all over)
  • Allow to cool, serve slightly warm with mixed green leaves

New Year Risotto

  • Chop onion, celery and garlic and gently sauté in olive oil and 1 knob of butter
  • Add 400g risotto rice, stirring constantly.  Alow to cook through for approx 15 mins
  • Add 2 glasses of white wine or vermouth – keep stirring until wine cooked into rice
  • Turn down the pan to simmer and add 1 ladle of stock and pinch of salt – stir through and then add another ladle and so on.
  • Very important to allow each ladle of stock to be absorbed into the rice before adding the next.  Taste rice to check cooked.
  • Remove pan from heat, add any left over cheese, mushrooms, vegetables, meat (just one or mix and match!) and stir into rice with a knob of butter. Place lid on pan and ‘rest’ pan for 2/3 mins allowing ingredients to ooze into each other and serve with green salad.

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Anya’s Christmas Biscuit Recipe

December 6th, 2011

Ingredients

225g softened butter
360g brown sugar
340g sieved plain flour
180g roasted hazelnuts coarsely chopped
360g dark chocolate buttons
80g candied orange peel
11/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
2 eggs lightly whisked
Pinch of ground cloves

Method

1.    Beat the butter in the mixer for approx 4 – 6 minutes, add the sugar, salt, flour and spices and mix well
2.    Add eggs to combine, then stir through the remaining ingredients
3.    Spoon the mixture onto a sheet of cling film and roll away from you to form a cylinder.
4.    Twist the end of the cylinder to seal and chill until firm.
5.    Preheat the oven to 190c
6.    Once chilled  remove the film from the biscuit mix and slice into 1cm thick slices
7.    Place biscuits on baking try and cook for 10-12 minutes

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Christmas at Orchard Park – why go anywhere else?

December 6th, 2011

Looking for inspiration ahead of the festive season? Looking for presents for all the family, ideas for your Christmas dinner and decorations to make your tree stand out from the crowd? Orchard Park in Gillingham has Christmas wrapped up.  Inside you will find locally sourced ingredients for your Christmas dinner, presents for everyone as well as Christmas trees and decorations to get you in the Christmas spirit.

Orchard Park is now in its 7th year. It was built on the Clarke family’s farmland, Lagan Farm as an outlet for their prize-winning rare breeds, joined with a well-stocked garden centre and restaurant.

Ron & Sheila Clarke of Lagan Farm have been rearing rare breeds of sheep and cattle for thirty years and are passionate supporters of traditional British breeds. When they moved to Park Farm in Gillingham in the eighties, Mr & Mrs Clarke set up the Rare Breeds Centre with a view to educating the public about Britain’s native breeds and farming activities. The Clarkes added other traditional breed such as Irish Moiled, Red Polls, Longhorns and Belted Galloways to their collection as well as a variety of sheep breeds and began selling their meat but in many ways, they were ahead of the times. ‘In those days rare breeds were very unconventional but we have always known that they produce the best meat.’ Since then, numbers of herds of rare breeds have increased all over Britain as farmers recognise the benefits of cattle that can thrive in an extensive system and the message about the quality of their meat is spreading to the consumer. Mr & Mrs Clarke now keep herds of Red Poll, British White and Irish Moiled, chosen for their tender, marbled and tasty meat. Mr & Mrs Clarke have been instrumental in championing these rare breeds and thanks to their work and others like them, the British White is no longer on the rare breed survival list. Mrs Clarke says, ‘meat produced slowly, from a grass fed animal is always going to taste better than one that is corn fed and finished in a fraction of the time.’

Lagan Farm Shop at Orchard Park, with its team of skilled butchers, is fast becoming a destination for people who value the meat they put on their table. Particularly as the Clarkes ensure that the other producers that stock their shelves share their ethos. The journey from field to shop is kept to a minimum to ensure the meat you serve at your table is of the highest quality.  White or BronzeTurkeys from Dorset, succulent hams, duck and your Christmas goose are all available from the butchers together with Orchard Park’s homemade stuffing. Orders are being taken now but last date for ordering is 20th December. The Clarke’s work is really paying off with Lagan Farm recently triumphing in the Taste of Dorset Awards, with a win in the coveted ‘Best Meat Producer’ category. All the meat stocked in the farm shop can be bought fresh or frozen and Lagan’s team of experienced butchers also produce tasty sausages, burgers and faggots and delicious home made pies, pasties and sausage rolls.  Why not top up your freezer in case of unexpected guests!!

Orchard Park is strongly aware of the importance of supporting local producers, so you will find some familiar names on their shelves including Fudges, Purbeck Icecream, Pink’s Organics, Dorset Cereals, Moore’s Biscuits, Stoate’s Flour, cakes by Lavender Blue, eggs from Blackacre Farm and coffee from Spicers in Wimborne, and those are just a few. The shelves are groaning with eye catching and tempting treats to stock your cupboards for Christmas. The farm shop is also well stocked with festive drinks from local brewers & producers. You will find beer from Keystone and Piddle breweries, Lyme Bay Wines, Burrow Hill Cider and various warming tipples from the Somerset Cider Brandy Company.
Bespoke Christmas hampers can be prepared – all you have to do is choose the contents and we will do the rest!

In the garden centre there is a huge choice of Christmas trees both natural and artificial and there are 3 varieties of needle fast trees of fantastic shape and quality.  There really is no excuse for a dowdy tree this year as in the Christmas shop you will find a wide selection of glittering decorations and sparkling lights along with garlands, Christmas stockings and candles.  Complete your decorating with a gorgeous Christmas wreath for your front door!

Presents for all the family will be easy with gifts ideas for all the family and a treasure trove for the gardening enthusiast.  Father Christmas himself will be at Orchard Park on 10th, 11th and 17th December so come along and say hello but in case you miss him we have our very own post box for Santa where Children (or grown up’s!) can send him that all important letter!

After all that shopping why not visit the Café where all kinds of festive treats including warming hot chocolates with all the trimmings, mince pies and homemade cakes are on offer daily and every Tuesday and Sunday throughout December a delicious 2 course Christmas lunch is being served.
Much of the fine food available in the farm shop is also served in the café, which caters for breakfasts, lunches and teas. Daily specials always include meat from Lagan Farm as well as fresh, sustainable fish from Brixham.

The floristry department is preparing beautiful Christmas bouquets to compliment your home or as a wonderful gift and a delivery service is available.
Come to Orchard Park for all your Christmas needs. Late Night Shopping is on Thursday 15th December.

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Cupcakes, Flapjacks and Brownies – the Orchard Park way…

October 28th, 2011

Cupcakes  (all in one method)

Ingredients:

160g melted butter
480g caster sugar
240g plain flour
240g self raising flour
4 eggs
440ml milk
2tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla essence

Put everything in one bowl and whisk.

Bake for 25 mins 145C Gas Mark 4

Flapjacks  (all in one method)

Ingredients:

300g brown sugar
1000g rolled oats
450g butter or margarine
600ml syrup/treacle

Melt butter, stir in all other ingredients.

Cook for 25-30 mins at 145 C Gas Mark 4

Brownies

Ingredients:

8 eggs
2 cups caster sugar (450g)
2tsp vanilla essence

Whisk until really thick.
Melt 2 cups of dark chocolate (500g) & 400g butter together.
Pour melted chocolate & butter into egg mixture.
Fold in 2 cups of self raising flour & 1 cup chopped walnuts.
Pour into a tray (40cm x 30cm)

Bake for 25 mins at 145C Gas Mark 4

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Orchard Park wins Best Meat Producer for Lagan Farm Shop

September 9th, 2011

Lagan Farm has triumphed in the Taste of Dorset Awards with a win in the coveted ‘Best Meat Producer’ category. Lagan Farm Shop has been selling rare breed beef and lamb produced on neighbouring farmland for over 20 years and the award is a great accolade for the farmers, rare breed champions Ron and Sheila Clark. Mrs Clark is thrilled with the award because it shows a public vote of confidence in meat produced slowly in a traditional, non-intensive way. ‘People are starting to realise that good quality meat doesn’t come from the supermarkets but the independents and Britain’s rare breeds are gaining the recognition they deserve for the exceptional quality of their meat.’

Ron & Sheila presented with Best Meat Award

Ron & Sheila presented with Best Meat Award

The Lagan Farm Shop at Orchard Park, just outside Gillingham on the B3081 Shaftesbury Road, is a real destination for people who value the meat they put on their table. The shop has a team of skilled butchers who are passionate about the produce and only too pleased to share their expertise and advice with the customer.

It didn’t stop there because Orchard Park have also been spreading the word about the value of producing your own vegetables; the allotments at Orchard Park were runners up in the ‘Grow your Own’ category of the Taste of Dorset Awards.

Ron & Sheila presenting the Best Pub Award

Ron & Sheila presenting the Best Pub Award

Orchard Park Press Release 6th September 2011
All photographs courtesy of Blackmore Vale Magazine/Ian Sumner

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Summer Entertaining Recipes

August 2nd, 2011

Following the success of the Summer Entertaining evening in July with Liam Mason, Head Chef from the White Lion at Bourton, here are some of the recipes he demonstrated on the evening:

Moules Marinière

Butter
2 cloves of garlic
Sprig of chopped parsley
Half glass of white wine
Cream

Gently fry garlic in butter. Turn up heat and throw in the wine. Boil for a minute. Add parsley and mussels. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add cream and cook for a further minute with lid off.

Thai Mussels

Chopped Coriander
25 grams of grated Galangal (Thai Ginger)
½  tin Coconut milk
5 Kaffir lime leaves
Shake of Fish sauce
Inch of finely sliced Lemon grass
1 finely sliced red chilli

Heat a little oil in a pan and add ginger, chilli, lemongrass and sweat. Turn up the heat and add coconut milk and lime leaves. Boil for a couple of minutes. Add mussels and cover. Cook for 3 minutes.

Best end of Lamb Salad

Lamb loin
Scallops
Watercress
Curly endive
Lavendar oil

Season and sear loin for 2-4 minutes. Pan sear scallops for 2 minutes. Wash watercress, rocket, curly endive, season and mix with lavender oil. Roast baby vine tomatoes, carrot, courgette and baby corn.

5 Onion Risotto

250g Aborio Rice
1 finely chopped red onion
1 finely chopped Spanish onion
2 finely chopped shallots
Handful of chopped chives
3 finely chopped spring Onions
Pint vegetable stock
½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

Put vegetable stock on heat and simmer. Heat oil in a saucepan (next to the stock) and add rice. Cook on high heat stirring all the time until rice starts popping. Add a ladle of stock and stir in along with all of the onions. When the stock had been mostly absorbed, add more stock and keep stirring. Keep adding stock and keep stirring until the rice is al dente (still with a bit of bite in the middle). Add parmesan, stir in and season if required.

Veal Stock

3 kilo Veal Bones
3 kilo mixed vegetables, diced:
Carrot
Onion
Celery
Peppercorns
6 roughly chopped shallots
1 Head of garlic (peeled)
Handful of rosemary and thyme
Bottle of red wine

Roast veal bones until brown. Fry mixed veg in a stockpot in a little oil until brown. Add bones. Cover with water. Bring to boil and simmer for 6 hours. Strain through fine sieve. Return strained stock to heat. Add peppercorns, shallots, garlic, herbs and red wine. Bring to boil and simmer. Skim thoroughly with ladle. There should be no fat left on the surface at all. Reduce the stock till it has velvet gravy texture

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