We've just had our Sunday meal
The roast chicken is a Buff Orpington cockerel, hatched by us, raised here, slaughtered, plucked and dressed by us. It's not a fast growing broiler breed that can't stand by 6 weeks old, nor was it killed at hatch for being male as laying breed cockerels are. The chickens live on the grass under the trees in the orchard. Land that cannot be dug or ploughed because of the tree roots, but its perfect for chickens who enjoy shade, wind protection & occasional windfalls.
The potatoes are Sharpe's Express. Percy Throwers favourite early and developed 20 miles away and a hundred years ago. Grown by us in used feed sacks filled with compost made by us at the end of the field. The carrots grew in the field in a bed where last years potato growing compost improved the soil.
The butternut squash is grown in a bed fertilised by chicken manure gathered in 2020, rotted in 2021 and turned in in Spring 2022. The top growth will be composted to provide growing medium for next years potatoes and the following year's carrots.
The stuffing is made from pot grown sage, home grown onions, breadcrumbs from homemade bread and a little home rendered lard. We raise no cranberries so the sauce is made from the sloes we do have.
We didn't grow or grind the wheat (although we can and have). It was grown across the lane and ground in the local windmill.
We didn't grow or process the sugar for the sauce (although we can and have). The sugar beet field is 400 yards away.
There will be sufficient leftovers for two more meals and the carcass will make stock for proper gravy.
It's simple food, but none the worse for that. The idea that locally raised, sustainable food is worse for the planet than air freighted food grown abroad also makes excellent fertiliser.
The roast chicken is a Buff Orpington cockerel, hatched by us, raised here, slaughtered, plucked and dressed by us. It's not a fast growing broiler breed that can't stand by 6 weeks old, nor was it killed at hatch for being male as laying breed cockerels are. The chickens live on the grass under the trees in the orchard. Land that cannot be dug or ploughed because of the tree roots, but its perfect for chickens who enjoy shade, wind protection & occasional windfalls.
The potatoes are Sharpe's Express. Percy Throwers favourite early and developed 20 miles away and a hundred years ago. Grown by us in used feed sacks filled with compost made by us at the end of the field. The carrots grew in the field in a bed where last years potato growing compost improved the soil.
The butternut squash is grown in a bed fertilised by chicken manure gathered in 2020, rotted in 2021 and turned in in Spring 2022. The top growth will be composted to provide growing medium for next years potatoes and the following year's carrots.
The stuffing is made from pot grown sage, home grown onions, breadcrumbs from homemade bread and a little home rendered lard. We raise no cranberries so the sauce is made from the sloes we do have.
We didn't grow or grind the wheat (although we can and have). It was grown across the lane and ground in the local windmill.
We didn't grow or process the sugar for the sauce (although we can and have). The sugar beet field is 400 yards away.
There will be sufficient leftovers for two more meals and the carcass will make stock for proper gravy.
It's simple food, but none the worse for that. The idea that locally raised, sustainable food is worse for the planet than air freighted food grown abroad also makes excellent fertiliser.
