As the leaves on the trees turn
Date Added: 21/09/2022
Following the long hot Summer of glorious sunny days and not so glorious drought, the meteorological Autumn has arrived with Lincolnshire experiencing cooler temperatures than recent weeks, frequent rainstorms, and the occasional misty morning so far.
Even though the astronomical Autumn has not officially started yet (Friday 23rd September is the official start), the leaves on the trees have turned to amber earlier than usual due to them entering a ‘false Autumn’ following the Summer droughts.
The bright Harvest Moon has been and gone (Saturday 10th Sept), but we are still busy harvesting our crops grown in Lincolnshire.
Traditionally in the days before tractor lights, the light from the Harvest Moon used to assist farmers gather their crops, despite the gradually declining daylight hours. Farmers even believe the light from the moon encourages the crops to grow faster too!
Since ancient years the phases of the moon has been thought to influence the way crops grow. From planting time to harvest time, farmers believe the moon can affect everything from moisture levels in the soil due to the gravitational pull causing tides to rise and fall.
With the seasons changing and Summer holidays now just a collection of distant happy memories, salads and BBQ’s are now less desirable than ‘meat and two veg’ dinners, which means our fresh, good-quality Brassicas will be in high demand.
Our harvesting and farming teams are busy reaping in this year’s harvest from Brassicas to Potatoes. Trailer loads packed full of freshly picked, Lincolnshire-grown produce are regularly travelling past our office windows destined to be stored (Potatoes) or packed and distributed to our customers with speedy efficiency to ensure optimum freshness.
Purple Sprouting Broccoli (or ‘posh’ sprouting Broccoli as some like to call it) is plentiful and tastes delicious right now. This incredibly versatile vegetable is great served on the side of many dishes or even featuring in fragrant stir-fries and creamy pasta dishes.
When you next make the classic and comforting winter favourite – Toad in the Hole - why not try adding stems of Purple Sprouting Broccoli and sliced Leeks amongst the sizzling sausages prior to pouring over the velvety Yorkshire Pudding batter before popping in the oven to bake? Not only are you ensuring you eat your 5-a-day but it saves on the washing up!
If you’ve not tried one of the recipes from our website yet, then our Pappardelle Pasta with Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Blue Cheese & Walnuts is one not to miss!
It really is a delicious, and filling, creamy dish – perfect for those Autumn evenings where you want a warm and comforting meal to devour.
Click on this link to view full recipe: Pappardelle Pasta with Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Blue Cheese & Walnuts | T.H. Clements