Castlefarm Shop Newsletter
7-Jul-2007
Castlefarm Shop July Newsletter
We are now open a month and business is steadily growing. Our range of produce is also growing. Each day more of our own vegetables are ready for eating. Our own lettuce, spinach, rocket, radishes, rhubarb and summer berries are on sale in the shop. My own range has grown to include gooseberry jam; green pepper chutney, pesto and hot garlic stir fry sauce.
Our launch
Our official launch on 14th of June went very well. Despite the rain we had a good turnout and Hugo Arnold (below), our special guest did a great job tying a knot in baling twine (rather than cutting a ribbon), to signify the rejoining of the broken link between farmer and consumer.
Other food news!
We have found a bread maker – Angela Slattery from Narraghmore, already her orders for the shop have increased. Her healthy, wholesome brown traditional soda bread travels just over one mile every morning to Castlefarm Shop. We have sourced some delicious new potatoes (British Queens from O’Briens, Athy). Louise O’Hare (Maynooth) has stocked our fridge with some really tasty fresh ready-made meals. We are also stocking her caramelised almond cookies, which were served at the launch, and they literally melt in your mouth.
We have smoked Irish eel in stock. Organic chickens are winging their way to Castlefarm (we hope to stock them the week beginning 18 July). We also have a range of organic wines and olives in stock – neither are Irish but we can confirm they are really tasty!
On the farm
It’s a fairly quiet time on the farm so fencing is being done and a general tidy up is happening on farm. The cows are grazing really nice clover, which will do wonders for both them and the natural fertilisation of the soil (which is extremely important in organics). We are still awaiting the arrival of our day old Blackrock chicks and the sooner these are reared the better as we are finding it difficult to cope with the demand for our real free-range eggs.
The Castlefarm Foodies
Due to our customers (and our own) interest in really good food we have decided to have a monthly food meeting at Castlefarm Shop. This will include tastings, education, cookery demonstrations and socialising. Our first meeting was a cookery demo (by me). The two July meetings are listed below. Places are limited and there will be a small charge to cover costs (the remainder going to a local charity).
To book places please email jenny@castlefarmshop.ie or phone 059-8636948 asap.
Dates for your diaries – Evening events at Castlefarm Shop
- 8pm, Thursday July 12th Winetasting with our suppliers Vendemia Organic Wines
- 8pm, Thursday July 26th ‘What is organic’ a talk by Peter Young (to include a brief talk on seasonality by me)
Product of the month (and two July recipes)
This month my favourite product has to be Glenilen double cream, made on the Kingston’s farm in West Cork. It is so rich and tasty and is extremely versatile. I eat it sweet or savoury.
Sweet serving suggestion
Our summer berries have ripened; when I say ripened they look gorgeous but are sour. To counteract this sourness I wash the berries, dust with caster sugar and leave to stand for a couple of hours at room temperature. The fruit absorbs the sugar (you can also use an artificial sweetener). Then I simply smother with double cream. This is one for the weekend but is divine.
Savoury serving suggestion
I sweat some scallions in olive oil and add spinach and chillies. I lightly stir-fry and then add the double cream.
Frequently asked questions
Over the past month some of you have asked some questions, which I thought I should answer in this newsletter.
Is Castlefarm Shop an organic shop?
No. The farm is in organic conversion and we stock a certain amount of organic produce but our range is predominantly made up of good quality local and Irish food.
How many litres of milk do your dairy cows yield every day?
Approx 21 litres a day – this is on a grass feeding system
Are the Castlefarm eggs organic?
No they are free range. Since last October we have been in organic conversion and since that date they have been fed on an organic, GM free ration. The organic conversion period takes two years so our eggs will be certified organic in Oct 2008.
Why is Peter Byrne’s beef so tender?
Because he hangs it on the bone for 22 days
Does organic wine give you a hangover?
This is probably one better answered by Urs Tobler, our organic wine supplier but my answer is that like conventional wine, organic wine if you drink too much of it and if you don’t drink enough water, will give you a hangover.
The Castlefarm Chicks
The mother and her three chicks are thriving. Their home is still a large container to protect the chicks. We move them onto fresh grass every couple of days (mother immediately scratches all the fresh grass up in order to find the tasty bugs in the new grass patch).
Elis our Austrian student will become ‘mother’ to 100-day-old chicks on approx 10th August when our Blackrock chicks arrive. These will have been born in an incubator – hence the absence of their biological mothers.
Opening hours Wednesday – Saturday 10am-6pm
To receive our newsletter and news of new products on line please email Jenny
For further information contact Castlefarm Shop, Narraghmore, Athy, Co Kildare, Telephone 059-8636948, jenny@castlefarmshop.ie