Food festivals & Goat chops

Mortonhampstead Food festival has restored my faith in Festivals. After the foot & mouth outbreak in 2001 our newly diversified business was involved in Exmoor food Festival, a week of farm walks, food tasting and special events culminating in a food market in Porlock village hall. Tables were £10 and we sold out of produce. The tiny village hall was packed with excited foodies that wanted to supported us desperate farmers. Now there is a food festival every week during the summer, mostly run by event companies that charge £100's for a table and after the customers have paid to get in they buy a beer, a burger and very little else. After attending a few such events last year with great optimism I came away feeling that the only one making a profit was the event company. So a big well done to Mortonhampstead that got the atmosphere just right, like the old days when festivals were a novelty, we have come home with a decent return and most of all the encouragement that customers are championing local produce and it is worth our while producing quality.
Taking along some goat recipes we quickly sold out of mince & diced. Not having any recipes for chops meant they were slower to go so .....

Mediteranean Braised Goat chops
Goat chops to feed the family
large glass of red wine
Seasoning
rosemary
handful of Smoked garlic cloves peeled

Chuck everything in a heavy based casserole pan, or in roasting tin covered with tinfoil.
Cooked 200 degreesC for 30 minutes
Serve with rice, green salad & crusty bread.

Next weekend is Totnes Good food Sunday which thanks to the dedication of Ray is another event that just gets better & better. This time I planning on selling out of chops first!

Meatballs & the Future is Goat

So "The Future is goat" and its already 23rd January and we are awaiting the goat first TV appearance, been selling goat at Totnes Good Food Sunday and we have just taken our first order for an exciting restaurant that wants to cook goat Spanish style.
So now is the time to catch up with goat recipes. In honour of Dora's recent 9th birthday we cooked Goat meatballs with spaghetti and plenty of sprinkly cheese. As usual chaos reigned and as I was making cakes at the time, Elsa made the meatballs. Slight mishearing (not paying attention) meant she tipped all the spice mixture in. After a bit of scraping the extra off they were delicious, spicy but delicious!

500g Prime kid goat mince
6 organic dried apricots - finely chopped
1tsp Ras-El-Hanout spice blend (or make your own mix with Cumin cinnamon, pepper, ginger coriander) adjust spice to suit families taste!
Salt to season

Mix all the above together then roll in meatballs using floured hands. Place in baking tin and roast in oven at 180 degreesC for about 15 minutes

Meanwhile Chop and Fry an onion until soft, Add tin of chopped tomatoes 1/2 tsp sugar and season to taste. Heat through then tip over the meat balls cook until meat is cooked through and sauce thickens.

Serve with pasta, couscous rice or mash potatoes.

I reckon with out the help and the cupcakes, an easy quick family meal. And if you can't get goat you could easily substitute lamb (we sell that to you know!

Marvelous Muffins

Finally I've finished my Nuffield report and following the great interest in my Apple cake I am going to try and get some recipes down that we cook at home. Mostly using our own produce (because after all we need the sales and money!) I cook in a fairly random way, guessing quantities and timings, mostly successful but always with passion and a love of great ingredients. Cooking is not a hobby, it is what I do to feed and nurture my 5 hungry children as well as fuel the hungry farmer. I am hoping that I get some feedback and ideas what to cook next, it will be fun!

Starting simply here is another way to use up windfalls!

Easy Apple Muffins

(makes 12 muffins)

250g (9oz) Self raising flour

1tsp baking powder

100g(4oz) light brown sugar

1 Organic duck egg

175ml (6floz) milk

75ml vegetable oil

1 large peel and chopped apple (cooking or dessert)

1 tsp cinnamon

1. Line muffin tin with paper cases
2. Measure all ingredients in bowl and beat well (I use my mixer which is ideal) Spoon into muffin cases, don't worry if the mixture is lumpy.
3. Cook in preheated oven at 180 degree C for 20 -25 minutes until risen and cooked through.