Author Archives: Kim Hartshorne

This cheese is made by a tiny family owned fromagerie Les Cateliers in Buchy, in the Seine-Maritime region in Normandy.

Neufchâtel is a soft, slightly crumbly, mold-ripened cheese made in the Neufachatel-en-Bray. One of the oldest kinds of cheese in France, its production is believed to date back to the 6th century. It looks similar to Camembert, with a dry, white, edible rind, but the taste is saltier and sharper. It has the aroma and taste of mushrooms. Unlike other soft-white-rinded cheeses, Neufchâtel has a grainy texture. It is most usually sold in heart shapes. It wasn’t originally heart shaped, however, the heart-shaped design wasn’t invented for St. Valentine’s Day, it did come about through love…During the Hundred Years’ War (1337 – 1453), the French dairymaids of Neufchatel naturally fell for their English occupiers.

Consequently they started to mould the cheese into a heart shape to give as gifts. It is typically matured for 8–10 weeks.  £6.25

Godminster heart shaped smooth and creamy organic cheese, this Vintage Bruton Beauty is a multi-award-winning cheddar covered in burgundy wax. The cheddar is made to a traditional 90-year-old recipe and matured for up to 12 months.  It has a rich depth of flavour with a wonderfully smooth texture. £8.50

It is always exciting in the shop when the first of the Yorkshire forced rhubarb arrives, Slender and bright pink, this elegant British speciality is ‘forced’ in the famously dark growing sheds of Yorkshire’s rhubarb triangle.

Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb is an out of season rhubarb that is first grown outside for a period of two years so that the exposure to frost toughens the roots. After initial exposure to the frost, the Rhubarb is lifted from the ground and placed into forcing sheds. Once in the darkened sheds, heat is applied causing the rhubarb to grow quickly in search of light.
The Rhubarb is harvested by candle light to maintain the tenderness of the shoots and ensure that growth continues. This growing process produces rhubarb that is sweeter and more delicately flavoured with an especially vivid red colour.
This really is the best of British produce.

We all have our favourite way of using Rhubarb, simply stewed, in a crumble (why not add our delicious crumble mix, you just need to add butter Fruit Crumble Mix – Village Greens, Charlesworth )

£6 for 500g

Our fish of the week is Scottish cod, sourced from the North East coast of Scotland. We collect fresh everyday from the market. 2 x 200g portions with our caper and chilli butter £15.50

This beautiful selection of winter tomatoes are perfect for adding to salads, their colour and shape make a very impressive tomato platter.

Mar Azul (Marazul) a delicious variety of tomato with delicate blue, purple and pink tones with a fruity flavour, juicy with a scent of plum and green tomato.

Black Plum tomatoes with a rich, smoky-sweet flavour, ideal for making tomato sauce, however they are juicy enough to be eaten fresh. These tomatoes are very sweet with a meaty texture with few seeds.

Marmande tomatoes – a ribbed tomato, fleshy and juicy. Slightly tart, but sweet and fragrant. They will arrive with a green-ting, don’t wait for them to turn completely red; Marmande tomatoes ripen from the inside out, so some will remain slightly green on the outside even at their ripest.

We are coming to the end of the season so if you want to make one more batch of this delicious Marmalade you need to come in this week or better yet just ring and we can put them away for you.

Did you know you can freeze them whole for up to a year. So stock up whilst you can. We have put together a bag including recipe, oranges and lemons you will just need to add sugar and jam jars. Enough to make approx 5 jars.

Seville oranges are a bitter variety that are a cross between a pomelo and a mandarin, Seville oranges earned their name from Seville, Spain, where they were introduced from Asia during the 12th century and became a symbol for the city. There are more than 14,000 bitter orange trees that line the streets of Seville.

We have to say nothing beats homemade marmalade, if you haven’t tried it please have a go you will be a convert.

Fancy entering a marmalade completion Check out the British marmalade awards, this prestigious competition has entries from all over the world.

https://www.dalemain.com/competition-entry

We have added a new tzatziki dip to our deli counter, Odysea Tzatziki features real Greek yoghurt at its heart, made from Greek cow’s milk for a thick, creamier dip with more authentic texture.
This traditional Greek recipe blends extra virgin olive oil, cucumber and garlic for an essential meze dip, or for an authentic eastern Mediterranean experience. Whether you’re dipping, spreading, or wrapping, its authentic Greek flavour will transport you to the sunny shores of the Mediterranean with every bite.
Won a 1 Star Great Taste Award.
Judges said “This looks and tastes home-made and there is a wonderful creaminess to the Greek yoghurt. The seasoning is spot on and we liked the way the cucumber had been cut” £4 per pot

We have new season Roscoff onions this week, full of flavour and slightly sweet,

You’ve heard of rosé wine, but this is a rosé vegetable! Totally versatile, the Roscoff Onion can be used as a vegetable, a side-dish or as a condiment, raw or cooked. They are celebrated not just for their colour, but also for their unique flavour, their high vitamin C content and their long shelf-life. They won’t be around long you can add them to your box for £7.50, they come in a 1kg rope and will keep really well hung in a cool location.

ROSARY GOATS CHEESE is a fresh, creamy goat’s cheese with a mousse-like texture and a natural acidity. Winner of the Supreme Champion Award at the British Cheese Awards 2014, it is made from pasteurised milk, using a microbial rennet, which makes it suitable for vegetarians. Just enough salt is added to enhance its unique flavour. £5.70