FROM THE MILL
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Bedfordshire has always been an important county for vegetable production, during the 1800’s the area was producing a wide range of crops on small plots, links to London and other markets first by canal and then rail created a large increase in the number of market gardens.
The Mill Gardens keep this heritage alive, using small plots with different rotations and demonstrate how crops like cereals were grown alongside vegetables. One of our rotations is the “Norfolk Four Course” originating from the county, it was developed by “Turnip Townshend” in the 17th Century as a way of protecting the ground from erosion and returning nutrients to the soil.
Charles Townshend spent most of his life working in politics, he retired to an estate in Norfolk to concentrate on his interest in farming, rotating crops and ploughing in Clover allowed him grow more crops with better yields.
We use Barley, Wheat, Clover and root crops in the area nearest the shop. On large scale farms roots such as Turnips were grown to feed livestock, they produced manure to improve the soil and Clover is used instead of a traditional fallow year, this adds nutrients and helps to smother weeds.
By the middle of May most of the beds in our gardens have been sown and planted. Wheat, Barley, Rye and Spelt are growing with all sorts of vegetables plus lots of different ornamentals, the range varies throughout the year so there is always something interesting to see.
The much loved desert that many shy away from home making ... the meringue! This simple no-fuss recipe will have you tucking into your delicious melt in the mouth desert in no time. The great thing about the meringue is that it can be combined with whatever you have in your cupboards/fridge - we hope you enjoy!
Ingredients
4 large organic egg whites, at room temperature
115g caster sugar
115g icing sugar
Method
1. Heat the oven to 110C/ 100C fan/gas ¼.
2. Line 2 baking sheets with non-stick liner or parchment paper (meringue can stick on greaseproof paper and foil).
3. Tip 4 large egg whites into a large clean mixing bowl (not plastic). Beat them on medium speed with an electric hand whisk until the mixture resembles a fluffy cloud and stands up in stiff peaks when the blades are lifted.
4. Now turn the speed up and start to add 115g caster sugar, a dessertspoonful at a time. Continue beating for 3-4 seconds between each addition. It’s important to add the sugar slowly at this stage as it helps prevent the meringue from weeping later. However, don’t over-beat. When ready, the mixture should be thick and glossy.
5. Sift one third of the 115g icing sugar over the mixture, then gently fold it in with a big metal spoon or rubber spatula. Continue to sift and fold in the remaining icing sugar a third at a time. Again, don’t over-mix. The mixture should now look smooth and billowy.
6. Scoop up a heaped dessertspoonful of the mixture. Using another dessertspoon, ease it on to the baking sheet to make an oval shape. Or just drop them in rough rounds, if you prefer.
7. Bake for 1 ½-1 ¾ hours in a fan oven, 1 ¼ hours in a conventional or gas oven, until the meringues sound crisp when tapped underneath and are a pale coffee colour.
8. Leave to cool on the trays or a cooling rack. (The meringues will now keep in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for a month.) Serve two meringues sandwiched together with a generous dollop of softly whipped double cream
This recipe has been sourced from:https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/ultimate-meringue
Originally a working mill and factory site; the gardens opened in 2013, designed as an ornamental food garden with small plots of cereals grown with vegetables plus ornamentals planted to give a constant display of colour which attract bees & butterflies. A small orchard includes Apples and Pears, the fruit cage produces Currants and various berries.
Bedfordshire has a long history of Market Gardening and much of we do is linked to this heritage. Cereals are sown in autumn and spring, we don’t grow enough here to use them but the small plots are a great way to see how they all grow, this year we have sourced Barley seed from Italy and other organic varieties from the UK.
A wide range of vegetables are all produced on site from seed. Sowing starts in late January to have the beds planted by mid May, different rotations and successional sowing mean as something is harvested we have a new crop waiting to go in so there is always plenty to see.
No chemicals are used on our plants and much of what we grow is lifted fresh and available for sale next to the shop.
Watching the gardens change over the seasons is very rewarding, in just a few months beds that were dug over in winter are starting to fill with plants and seedlings, empty beds we cut back last year are bursting into colour. As the days get longer and warmer all this work attracts an amazing variety of wildlife.
The RHS website has some great ideas to get involved, the smallest garden can be a colourful place to grow your own tasty vegetables, and bring nature closer to home.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved
If you've been meaning to test out the number one trending coffee, look no further!
The Korean coffee drink taking the internet by storm, dalgona coffee is like a cappucino turned on its head, with the frothy coffee on top and the milk underneath. It only requires three ingredients to make and you can have it hot or cold. The hardest part is getting your picture just right!
Our Head Chef has sourced the following recipe:
Ingredients
2 tbsp instant coffee or espresso powder
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp very hot water
400ml/14fl oz milk
Method
1. Add the instant coffee, sugar and hot water to a medium mixing bowl. Using an electric hand-held mixer, whip the coffee mixture until it is light brown, fluffy and holds stiff peaks when the whisk is removed.
2. Heat the milk, if desired, and divide between two heatproof glasses. Spoon dollops of the frothed coffee mixture on top and smooth out with a spoon. Serve.
This recipe has been sourced from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/dalonga_coffee_20606
More migrant birds have been arriving this month. The first Swallows and Sand Martins have been flying over, Blackcaps and Willow Warblers are singing in and around the gardens and even a few bats have been seen flying at dusk.
Peacock, Orange Tip and Comma Butterflies plus a few Damselflies are now emerging in the warm weather. Unlike the much larger Dragonflies these are tiny Blue Tailed and Large Red Damselfly have been seen on the calm sunny days, slightly larger Banded Demoiselle are common all over the gardens and Meadow.
Some of the wildlife here is easy to overlook, the gardens are home to all sorts of animals, reptiles and insects, in the summer months a harmless Moth trap is placed in one of the meadows, the special light attracts all sorts of large Hawk Moths, plus some strange beetles and other bugs.
Grass Snakes are very elusive quickly moving into cover if disturbed, on warm summer days they can be found basking in a sunny spot, often on piles of rotting garden waste which they use to lay and incubate their eggs.
The Kingfishers are probably nesting now so have been seen less frequently, our regular Little Egret is being joined by two or three more. A Barn Owl has also been seen hunting along the roadside verges near the Mill, an Owl box has been put up in a secluded spot which will hopefully encourage them to nest in the next few years.