Lambing 2013...

Spring is in the air all be it only just and it is lambing time again. We use contraceptive sponges to deliberately control the period during which our lambs are born. Sponging involves a progesterone sponge sitting against the cervix for two weeks. After two weeks it is removed and the ram is able to serve the ewes. in Theory approximately 147 days later they should give birth...

With 30 ewes including 12 first time Mum's this year is keeping us fairly busy...

The lambs have been well received, cuddled to their very limit and of course will be raised to show students the entire food chain from 'Field to Fork'...

Not Just For Christmas...

At Redborne we produce a whole range of Fayre for Christmas from Bronze and Norfolk Black Turkeys right through to Hams and Sausages...

The thing is; not only do we produce food all year round, not just at Christmas but we also sell all year round...

With this in mind why not have a look at a few of our Alternative suggestions to see that Turkey and Ham is not just for Christmas...

Ingredients:
1 x Redborne Ham (2-4kg)
1 x 1.5 litre bottle of Idris Fiery ginger beer (Other ginger beer will do as long as it is the full sugar version
6 tsps of Redborne Honey
1 x Savoy Cabbage (Finely Chopped)
1 x 500g pack of Redborne Streaky Bacon
Assorted Vegetables for roasting

Method:

1. Soak the ham for 24 hours in a big pot of cold water, change the water at least twice

2. Place the now soaked ham in a slow cooker and cover with ginger beer. Cook for 6 hours. If using a pan and the hob, simmer gently in the ginger beer for at least three hours and for larger joints as long as 5 hours

3. Remove the joint from the ginger beer

4. Carefully remove the skin leaving as much of the fat as possible

5. Gently warm some honey and smear liberally over the top of the fat

6. Place in a preheated oven for no more than 20 minutes

7. For the cabbage cut the bacon into lardons and fry on a high heat until crisp

8. Add a little butter and place the finely chopped cabbage in with the bacon

9. Cook until soft.

10. Serve with Roast parsnips and potatoes, a little gravy and of course a smidgen of bread sauce

How about a variation on Coq-Au-Vin using our very tasty Turkeys:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/turkeylegscoqauvin_13962

Meet Bill...

Apart from providing education Redborne School also aims to preserve rare breeds...

We keep Large Black and Saddleback Pigs as well as Norfolk Black Turkeys, Norfolk Horn Sheep and a whole host of other UK breeds...

This is Bill our new Large Black Boar, he still has some growing to do but is coming along nicely. As You can see he is clearly making his home his own...


At Redborne we offer boars for Stud (Including our Saddleback, Percy) around Bedfordshire and sometimes the surrounding counties of Herts and Cambs...

Ham, Peas and Eggs (Egg Yolk Ravioli)...

We produce a good variety of products at Redborne and at this time of year sometimes find that we have a few odds and ends left in the freezer...

Surprisingly we managed to find a ham hock, cured and deliciously fatty they are often neglected and somewhat out of favour...

Well if you fancy something truly delicious and guaranteed to impress try this recipe for Ham, Egg and Pea Ravioli...

Ingredients: Serves 4

300g '00' Pasta Flour
2 dozen eggs (We used duck as as we produce plenty of them and they are extremely delicious)
1 Ham Hock (Cooked; 90mins - 2hrs at 180 degrees Celsius)
1 tub of cream cheese (250g)
Handful of sage leaves
500g of pea shoots
Pepper

Method:

1. To make the pasta tip the flour on a board and add 3 beaten eggs to a well in the centre
2. Mix well with hands and start to knead into a dough
3. Knead well for at least 10 minutes
4. Leave to stand for 20 minutes at room temperature
5. Once rested divide into two halves and roll out with either a pasta machine or by hand until almost translucent. (Use semolina to dust the board as it will not stick and also will float free of the pasta in the pan. One sheet must be slightly bigger than the other...

Meanwhile

5. Strip the meat from the hock and add to a food processor along with 6-8 good sized sage leaves and 250g of Cream cheese
6. blitz until a coarse paste
7. Make a ring from your paste (Like a doughnut) mix and place it on the pasta
8. Seperate an egg yolk from the white and place the yolk in the centre of the meat ring
9. repeat until you have filled the smallest sheet
10. Brush around the rings with beaten egg
11. Place the larger pasta sheet over your filling and form the ravioli very carefully
12.  Use a cookie cutter to remove the ravioli from the sheet
13. Cook in boiling but unsalted water for 4 minutes, then remove and drain
14. Melt a little butter in a pan with the rest of the sage finely diced