The Review - FOOD & DRINK- Cooking with CLARE Published: 6 March 2008
The clay oven at Freightliners Farm
Get a little taste of the good life
Clare Latimer passes on some wholesome recipes from down on the farm
I went to Freightliners Farm in Sheringham Road the other day to buy some corn for my chickens and to my surprise I discovered a wonderful café nestling in the back of the farm beside some rabbits the size of spaniels and ducks and geese bathing in a pond.
The sweet wooden hut was lined with straw bales to keep the warmth in and there were tables and chairs inside and outside.
I glanced at the food while looking at all the chickens, rabbits, cows, goats etc and thought it looked rather special.
Once inside Peter, who was dressed somewhat in the style of a character from Pirates of the Caribbean, leapt up to me with a blackboard listing scrummy foods.
On hearing my admiration of the little wood and straw house, he told me it was rather like working inside a guitar, which warmed me to him even more.
Tempted by all the food on the menu, I settled for a ginger beer and the winter vegetable soup, which turned up in a huge white china bowl with chunks of lovely white bread spread in a generous fashion with butter.
My friend had a coconut flapjack and a superb cup of coffee. The bill came to £8.50 for all that lot and everything was organic and of a very high standard. I highly recommend this little hidden gem and all the proceeds go towards teaching children the healthy ways of the countryside and more.
So go and have a look and a taste, especially on a sunny day. It beats a crowded pub garden any day and the noise of the cockerels makes you feel 100 miles away.
They say that as far as possible everything is organic and fairtrade, which shows their dedication to perfection.
Winter vegetable soup
There is nothing better than a really good winter vegetable soup on a cold day and this would be a perfect meal with chunks of warm, special bread and lots of butter if you are not on a diet!
Waitrose has the most superb selection of breads now in the Swiss Cottage store.
It is well worth a visit just for that.
Ingredients
Serves 6
100g pearl barley
1.5 litres Marigold bouillon
1 onion
Quarter celeriac
1 small sweet potato
1 small parsnip
Quarter swede
1 carrot
1 clove garlic
1 twig thyme
2 bay leaves
1 leek, washed and chopped
Handful parsley, washed and chopped
4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 desp tomato puree
Freshly ground black pepper.
Method
Chop all the vegetables finely into 5mm pieces, as this soup is not blended. Put the pearl barley into a large saucepan with the Marigold bouillon stock and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer while you prepare the vegetables.
After about 20 minutes, add the onion, celeriac, sweet potato, parsnip, swede and carrot. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients, then cover and simmer for a further 25 minutes.
Test for seasoning and serve hot.
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