The milk is now available for both one off deliveries, and also inclusion within weekly or monthly boxes.

Below is some information about the milk, and the cows from which it is produced. Also, please scroll down to the bottom of the page for some more information about the farm, and also their Rose Veal – another new product we will shortly be stocking.

“At Gazegill we keep Old English Dairy Shorthorns, a cow which heralds from the north of England dairy pastures, a dual purpose animal which yields a natural amount of milk. Fed on grass in the spring, summer and autumn and a combination of hay and haylage in the winter our cows produce a milk which is naturally higher in omega 3. No cow is pushed to produce more than is natural and all of our ladies are treated as individuals, choice is everything. Afforded the choice of some pasture during the winter months the cows can be regularly seen on the brow above the farm sat in the snow rather than sat in the winter housing, again, choice is everything. We believe this has a direct influence on the milk we produce, happy cows on a healthy diet give the best tasting and most natural milk, we think.

The raw milk is not treated in any way, it maintains the live enzymes that help us absorb calcium and it naturally contains all the healthy bacteria we need for a happy digestive system, we take great care that the quality of this milk is of the highest standard, all natural and full of flavour, not to mention the really healthy bits.” – Ian Robinson, Gazegill Organics

Whilst we love to cook, prepare and eat our Christmas dinner, we’ve never been big fans of having to go out and face the Christmas shopping crowds – although queuing may be another great British tradition, it’s not one we want to see preserved…

Here at Green Pasture Farms we want to take the stress and hassle out of the festive period, by delivering Christmas dinner to your door, so all you have to worry about is cooking it and eating it!

We have a range of Christmas products available to suit all tastes, family sizes and budgets, including Turkeys, Geese, Ducks, extra large Chickens, Gammon Joints, Ribs of Beef and Racks of Lamb. All of them raised to better than Free Range standards, fed their natural diet and allowed to forage on green pastures, and free from the use of any kinds of chemicals or drugs. We also have a range of supplementary Christmas products including pigs in blankets, streaky bacon and sausage meat. All also free range, and gluten free.

To make life even simpler, we are also offering some pre-packed Christmas Dinner Selection packs which include either a Turkey or Goose along with a selection of sausage meat, pigs in blankets and streaky bacon in a range of sizes, at a great value price.

All orders placed containing Christmas items will be delivered on Friday 21st December, though if this doesn’t suit we have the option for delivery on Saturday 22nd December for an additional £6.

You can view our full range of Christmas Products here.

Jennifer’s books on Bones, Fat and the latest addition, Odd Bits all encourage a return to traditional ways of eating, and using the entire animal, an approach which we at Green Pasture Farms love!

We love all the odd bits, however we appreciate that while pretty much anyone can cook a steak, getting the best out of the other parts of the animal is not always quite so easy. Jennifer’s books take the mystery and confusion out of preparing and cooking the rest of the animal, and if you plan on partaking in any of our odd cuts I’d strongly recommend you check them out.

Anyway, without further ado, let me hand over to Jennifer who has for us a fascinating article on Heart, plus a delicious recipe too!

HAVE A HEART: Jennifer McLagan

Heart was a favourite of ancient warriors and hunters because they believed eating it would give them the strength and courage of the animal. But, even if you’re not in need of strength, or courage you should try heart. The heart is a hard working muscle and so has more flavour. It’s a firm-textured, toothsome piece of meat.

Recipe: Peruvian Heart Kebabs

Leigh Beisch: Peruvian Heart Kebabs from "Odd Bits: How to Cook the Rest of the Animal" by Jennifer McLagan.

Anticuchos (small skewers of grilled meat) are a very popular street food in Lima. They can be made with pretty much any meat or even seafood, however the most traditional form is made with chunks of beef heart in a spicy marinade.

Ingredients

13 oz (375 g) beef heart
1 tsp (5 mL) each: cumin seeds, coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) black peppercorns
2 serrano chiles (or other small red or green chiles), stemmed
1 clove garlic
3 tbsp (45 mL) red wine vinegar
1 tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
8 to 10 metal or wooden skewers (soaked if wooden)

Cut the heart into 2cm cubes and place in a bowl.

Toast the cumin seed in a small frying pan until fragrant, about 1 minute. Place in a spice grinder with the salt and peppercorns, and grind. Add the chiles and garlic and grind again, then transfer the mixture to a small bowl and whisk in the vinegar and olive oil.

Pour the mixture over the heart pieces in the bowl and toss to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Preheat the grill to high. Thread the heart pieces onto 8 to 10 wooden or metal skewers and grill over high heat for about 4 minutes total, turning once.

Recipe reprinted with permission from “Odd Bits: How to Cook the Rest of the Animal” by Jennifer McLagan (Jacqui Small, 2011)

We hope that Jennifer has tempted you into trying a bit of the exotic! If you do want some heart, we supply it ready trimmed for you, and can pre-slice it or mince it for you if you wish.

Jennifer McLagan has over 35 years experience in the food world as a chef, caterer, food stylist and writer. She has been called courageous, a contrarian and even a little crazy. Well in these dietarily correct times, she is definitely a provocative iconoclast who challenges us and makes us rethink our relationship to what we eat. Her books, Bones (2005) and Fat (2008) were both widely acclaimed and each won Beard and IACP awards. Fat was the James Beard Cookbook of the Year. Jennifer’s current book Odd Bits, devoted to cooking the rest of the animal also received IACP and Beard nominations. Jennifer divides her time between Toronto and Paris, and on both sides of the Atlantic, Jennifer maintains friendly relations with her butchers, who put aside their best fat, bones, and odd bits for her.

For more interesting and exciting recipes, you can connect with Jennifer via her blog and facebook page:
jennifermclagan.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/JenniferMcLaganAuthor

Made with the finest quality grass fed beef from British cows, and flavoured only with real basil, tomato and seasoning – No artificial flavourings or preservatives, or any fillers of any kind.

Our sausages are so meaty, you’ll never want to eat supermarket sausages again!

We use real thick linked sausage skins too, for that truly authentic, natural product.

When it comes to preparing and eating Odd Cuts, it is those that are still recognisable as part of the animal that are often the most challenging!

Tongues perhaps come right at the top of this list.

Don’t let its appearance put you off, however, as when properly prepared, Ox Tongue is absolutely delicious.

As all our tongues come from grass fed beef cows grazed on pasture, they have a sublime consistency from all that ruminating… Ox Tongue is also a concentrated source of nutrition, being particularly high in Vitamin B12 and Zinc.

Below if my favourite Ox Tongue Recipe:

Slow Cooked Ox Tongue Stew Recipe

Before cooking your tongue, you want to scrub it well, then boil it in a pan of water for around an hour.

Take it out of the pan and then removed the skin. I usually find it easiest to slice the tongue into 1″ thick circles first, then just trim the skin off the edge.

Once you’ve done this you’ll have some pavé style steaks, gradually getting smaller as the tongue tapers to the end.

It is possible to cook these like steaks, but personally I prefer to slow cook my ox tongue to really get the most out of the flavours.

Chop some onions and a selection of seasonal vegetables, sufficient to line the bottom of your slow cooker.

Layer the slices of ox tongue on top of the vegetable and season well with herbs and spices or your choosing.

Add half a bottle of red wine, why not pour a glass for yourself while you’ve got it open? (If the meat is not submerged, you can add a bit of extra water)

Add a layer of chunky potato pieces on the top (put them at the top so they don’t go too mushy).

Season again, pop the lid on, and leave to cook on medium for 8 or more hours.

If you’ve any top ox tongue recipe tips, we’d love to hear them. Please feel free to post yours below or send us them on twitter!

100% Meat, made from our outdoor reared rare breed pork, with just the addition of natural herbs for flavour.

These sausages are not only delicious, but nutritious too!

This month we are highlighting the benefits of Ox Tail.

In modern Britain we have for some reason fallen into the habit of only eating the muscle meat of the animal. This is a great shame, as it is very often the other more neglected parts that contain most of the nutrients and the flavour.

Ox Tail is no exception. Bone marrow and Gelatine are some of the most highly nutritious parts of the animal. Traditional cultures typically prize bone marrow above almost all other parts, with this tasty delicacy being reserved for either the hunter that made the kill, chiefs or pregnant women and young children, depending upon the culture.

The nutrients bones and connective tissue, will help you build strong bones and tendons, and healthy skin, plus contain many vitamins and minerals essential for your metabolism.

Ox Tail is best slow cooked in alcohol (our preference is real ale or red wine) for full flavour, and to extract the nutrients fully. If you don’t drink alcohol, an acid such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar will do the trick.