Castlefarm Shop Newsletter

3-Apr-2010

Castlefarm Newslettter, April 10

Castlefarm Shop newsletter and diary April 2010
Email jenny@castlefarmshop.ie to receive this newsletter by email
Castlefarm diary for April
• Saturday, 3 April, from 12pm – 2pm (extended time due to lots of interest). Easter egg hunt at Castlefarm.  €5 per child and each child to receive goody bag and entered into a draw for a luxury Easter hamper.
• Saturday, 3 April Getting growing, free gardening talk (11am) and allotment open day (10-12pm)
• Closed Easter Sunday
• Saturday, 10 April Gardening club meeting 2pm
• Saturday, 10 April 3pm Seed/plant/seedling swapping day
• Thursday 15th April 7.30pm Cookery demonstration with Louise O’Hare of Whats Cooking? ‘Family meals – cooking tasty, inexpensive family meals using seasonal produce’.  Cost is €15 per person to include tastings and refreshments.  The farm shop will be open from 7-7.30 pm and again for ½ an hour following the demonstration.
• Other dates for your diary
• Castlefarm Summer Club dates 28 June-2 July, 5-9 July, 2-6 August, 9-13 August.  Please contact Michelle for programme/booking form 086-3736402 or email tours@castlefarmshop.ie

Easter egg hunt Easter Saturday 3rd April 12pm-2pm
This promises to be a fun for all the family.  Join our Easter trail to find the Easter eggs. On the way see some calves and hens.  €5 per child and each child will receive a goody bag and goes into a draw for a luxury Easter hamper.  Suitable for all ages, although all children must be accompanied by adults.  PS we are now doing teas and coffees.  Call Michelle 086-3736402 or call into the shop to book your place.  Booking essential and please book let us know as soon as possible if you intend to participate to avoid disappointment.

Getting growing a free gardening talk 3rd April 11am and also allotment open day 10-12
Learn a bit more about what to do in the garden this April with a practical walk and talk around the Castlefarm garden.  Anyone thinking of taking an allotment with us should also drop by and we will show you around.

Castlefarm gardening club – still time to join
With  more meetings to go as well as 5% off in our farm shop and 10% off all Castlefarm courses as well as seed swap days and special seed discounts and getting to talk to fellow gardening enthusiasts there are still many reasons to join our gardening club.  Family membership is €50 and single membership is €40 with discounted rates for allotment holders.  Our next meeting takes place on Saturday 10th April.  The pros and cons of raised beds, how to make cheap organic liquid feeds and summer flowers are the topics up for discussion.

Seed/seedling/plant swap at Castlefarm Shop on Saturday 10th April 3pm
This will provide customers, gardening club members and allotment holders with a chance to excess swap seeds, seedlings and plants. 

In the garden
New seasons Castlefarm rhubarb will be on sale in the farm shop from Easter weekend.   We have planted our first courgette plants in the polytunnel and this week tomato and cucumber plants will also be transplanted. 

On the farm
Calving has at last nearly ended and we are now waiting on the last few late calvers to calve.  The milking herd is now outdoors full time, although the cold start to spring means that grass is still scarce.  In early April (the first few days look like they are going to be pretty cold and wet unfortunately) we will be putting our spring calves out to grass.  These will probably be in the field underneath the car park.  We will then slowly wean them off milk by changing to a once a day milk feeding regime.

Don’t forget to pick up your Castlefarm loyalty card!
Make sure you collect your loyalty card next time you are in our farm shop.  Every €20 you spend you get a stamp.  With five stamps you get a complimentary tea or coffee in the new Castlefarm cafe and when you reach 10 stamps your reward is a €10 gift voucher.

Recipes
Wicklow Blue-Brie Soup – from John and Bernie Hempenstall
Serves 6 
Ingredients
• 400g leeks washed, trimmed and sliced
• 25g butter
• 25g plain flour
• 425ml chicken stock
• 275ml milk
• Wicklow Blue Brie
• 1tbsp fresh dill
• Salt & Pepper to taste
Method
Lightly fry the leeks in butter for 5 minutes.  Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes.  Add the chicken stock, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Liquidise the mixture and return to the pan.  Cut the blue brie into small cubes and add to the soup.  Heat until the cheese has melted.  Add the chopped dill and season to taste. 

Ps...i have just made some homemade mayonnaise and am amazed at how easy it is to make and how delicious it is ...so anyone wanting to make some here is the recipe i used.

Garlic Mayonnaise
Ingredients
1 fresh Castlefarm organic egg
½ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon of Dijon mustard/ordinary mustard (if coeliac check the ingredients for gluten)
1 clove of crushed garlic (optional)
1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar/lemon juice
225ml of olive oil/vegetable oil

Crack the egg into a blender machine adding the salt, crushed garlic, vinegar and mustard.  Mix at top speed until the mixture starts to thicken.  Slowly add the oil through the hole in the top of the blender running the blender at a fast speed.  The mayonnaise will start to thicken quickly.  Add one tablespoon of boiling water into the blender at the end.  Refrigerate and eat within 4 days.
Opening hours Friday and Saturday 10am-6pm Sunday 12-5pm
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Contact Castlefarm Shop, Narraghmore, Athy, Co Kildare, Telephone 059-8636948, jenny@castlefarmshop.ie, www.castlefarmshop.ie