We aim to provide a healthy diet made from locally-sourced organic ingredients, where possible.
Since starting the Landshare scheme (allotments for five families at Assington Mill), we have been able to use some of the produce grown here organically.
Lunches usually consist of soup and salads. They are prepared here by us at Assington Mill. Cakes and biscuits are also home-made. Almost all the ingredients, if they are not grown here, come from Assington Farmshop, and are organic if possible.
Typical menus at the moment are:
Soups: cauliflower, carrot & sherry, carrot, tomato and rocket, beetroot, lentil & mixed vegetable, salmorejo (tomato & garlic), apple, parsnip and ginger , pea, sweet potato, carrot & cardamom, broccoli & lemon, apple & ginger, etc.
Main courses: ham (from pigs raised in a field adjacent to our farm), smoked fish from Orford or vegetarian quiches with salads such as Waldorf salad (apple, celery & walnut), carrot & orange & cabbage, green salad of mixed leaves (some of it found on the farm!), mushroom & anchovies, French beans & shrimps, tomato, feta, basil and black olives, etc.
We specialise in gluten-free food and are happy to cater for any other special needs, as long as you give us notice on the booking form.
If you would like the recipe for anything you eat at Assington Mill, you will probably find it written out below. If not, please do ask. Many people ask where they can get the ham. The answer is from Kevin Blundell (07917 324431) who lives at Brookfields Farm in Assington, or from farmers' markets in Hartest, Halesworth, Wickhambrook, Sible Hedingham, Lavenham, Sudbury and Mildenhall. Give him a ring to check when he is going to be where. His pigs are totally free-range (Essex Saddleback and Gloucester Old Spot) and he will also sell you weaners to rear yourself.
Student comments:
Thank you for the gorgeous food you arranged. With my work I am fortunate to dine in many fine restaurants, but given the choice I would be back to your kitchen every time!
Incredibly enjoyable, wonderfully organised, fantastic and beautifully presented food, companiable group, wonderful teacher (Drawing for Beginners).
Food was worth half the course fee on its own.
I would like the ability to buy a recipe book for the food eaten over the weekend.
The lunch was delicious (as were the biscuits and cake) and were very comforting on that cold wet day! I am looking at other courses in the list and am sure that I will be visiting you again this year to acquire some more practical knowledge and skills.
4-6 apples
3 stalks celery
2 handfuls of raisins
2 handfuls of walnuts or pecans
1 handful of toasted pumpkin seeds or cubes of mature Cheddar cheese
Lemon juice
½ cup of mayonnaise
Spices (mixed cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice) half a teaspoon of each
Method: quarter the apples and cut out the cores, then dice and toss them in lemon juice. Slice the celery stalks diagonally. Break the walnuts of pecans in half. Mix the apples, celery and nuts together, adding the pumpkin seeds or cheese and the mayonnaise and pour over the salad. Toss well. Eat as it is or served on a bed of shreeded Webb’s Wonder.
As a variation try making Curried Waldorf Salad, substituting 1/2 t curry powder for the other spices.
1-2 tbs olive oil
knob of butter
1 onion & a clove garlic
2 large potatoes, peeled and chunked
.5 pt milk
1 pt stock
1 pt frozen peas
Melt the butter with the oil. Gentley cook the chopped onions and garlic until soft. Add the potatoes and pour on the milk and stock. Simmer gently until the potatoes are cooked. Tip in the peas and simmer for a further 2-3 mins then blend until smooth.
4 carrots
1-2 cups white or red cabbage
6 oranges (blood oranges look good with red cabbage)
2 handfuls of raisins or small seedless grapes
4 tsps sesame seeds
Juice four of the oranges and blend the juice with the carrots until you have a smooth mixture. Finely shred or grate the cabbage and put it in a bowl with the raisins or grapes. Mix with the carrot mixture.
Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and garnish with the two remaining oranges, peeled and slices.
Red onion, cooked gently in olive oil
Add half a tsp allspice, 2 tsp marjoram or mixed herbs, pinch of nutmeg
1.75 pints (vegan) stock
Add 350g potatoes, chopped and cook until soft
Add 130g of the top two leaves of nettles and blend immediately
Add 2/3 tbs almond or ordinary milk and some chopped parsley
Melt (but do not boil) 4ozs(100g) margerine with 3ozs (75g) golden syrup. Add to 1 beaten egg. Pour into the centre of 12ozs (300g) self raising flour mixed with 8ozs (200g) sugar, 2 tsp ginger and 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda. Place in small balls on a baking tray, well apart, and cook for about 20 mins 300-325F. These biscuits are meant to be large when cooked.
