IN SEASON
Fr om fi eld
Carrots and cherries – two of summer’s beautiful local ingredients
T
here’s a great deal of local produce that evokes thoughts of sunny summer days: juicy strawberries, vibrant salad leaves, freshly podded peas and beans
to name but a few. T is summer, though, it’s time for the letter C to shine: carrots and cherries are both ripe and ready at this time of year, and have a whole host of delicious uses…
Th e Carrot A TRULY BRITISH VEGETABLE…
While it’s true that carrots are available all year round, the new season starts in early to mid-June. T ese new season varieties are packed full of delicate yet vibrant fl avour and they’re perfect eaten raw or simply steamed or boiled for just a few minutes, ensuring that there’s still plenty of crunch. According to the British Carrot Growers
Association, a massive 95% of the carrots that you’ll see on supermarket shelves are grown in the UK, including right here in the
South West. So why not break out a British favourite this summer, and experiment with some new ideas? Andy Jeff ery of Farrington’s Farm Shop
sings the praises of their home-grown carrots. We love our carrots at Farrington’s and plant millions of carrot seeds every year. We grow and sell from March to February. Most carrots are grown on very sandy
soils, notably Norfolk and, more locally, Wiltshire. T is enables them to be harvested by machine, as the carrots can be pulled out using their tops. Also, they grow straight because there are
no clods or stones to impair their growth. However, they do require more regular irrigation and more fertiliser because sand is notoriously bad at holding water and nutrients. T e Farrington’s land is a medium loam (red sandstone) soil, and we believe that is why the taste of our carrots is world-
renowned (well, maybe not world….!). People from as far away as West Wales and London have sought out Farrington’s carrots because of their fl avour. It may also help that they are grown organically.
Our carrots are used in pretty much everything in our kitchens, from salads and ready meals to cake. If I had to pick a favourite, it would be our New Zealand Carrot Cake. Our coleslaw is fabulous
and our customers must think so too as it’s one of our best sellers. T en there’s our carrot salad - fresh and crunchy with peanuts and sultanas, nothing more!
20 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
ORZO PASTA, BEETROOT, CARROT & DILL SALAD WITH GRILLED SALMON
Carrot and beetroot lend sweet, earthy fl avours and vibrant colours to this beautiful summery salad dish.
SERVES 2
150g orzo or other small pasta shape 2 carrots, coarsely grated 1 large beetroot, coarsely grated Handful of dill leaves, roughly chopped Zest & juice of half a lemon, more to taste
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