recipes from organic local produce in our farm shops

At the Farm Shop we don’t treat cooking as a precise science, nor are we trying to give a comprehensive list of recipes. These are some of our favourite dishes and we hope you’ll give some of them a try. They’ve worked for us on countless occasions but that doesn’t mean, with a bit of imagination and a few tweaks, they can’t be improved. Good luck.

Mussel escabecheBy JessMussel escabeche on bruschetta has become my go-to quick supper and will definitely feature heavily Chez Ben’s around Christmas time. It keeps in a jar for at least a week and if you feel confident enough to pasteurise it, several weeks. Why we get so paranoid about mussels is a mystery. If you were to batch cook and pasteurise in a water bath, they’d be cooked three times.

In its simplest form it’s just picked cooked mussels, pickled in a mix of white wine and vinegar but once you have the basic method sorted out you can tailor the flavourings to suit you and whatever else you might be eating. A few shavings of orange or lemon zest work well, as do garlic, rosemary, bay leaves, paprika etc – but probably not all at the same time. It’s not the norm in Spain (particularly Madrid) where mussel escabeche is virtually a national pastime (often served with potato crisps) but I like to sauté a little julienned onion and carrot as well.

Crispy fried Brussels sprouts with lentils and mintBy Jess

My daughter Nell virtually forced this on me when we had lunch at Manteca in Shoreditch (where she works). Vincotta is heavily reduced, pressed, unsieved grape must and is a speciality of Puglia. Rick Stein gave it a shout-out as his secret special ingredient. You don’t see it in South Devon very often but I’d have thought pomegranate molasses would give an equally interesting result. Sprouts have never been my thing – I normally suffer, rather than relish them at Xmas - but I couldn’t stop eating these. They’d work as a small plate or side – but probably not with the trad Christmas dinner - and, if, like me, you’re not big on deep fat frying, work a treat in the Air Fryer.

Njuda MusselsBy JessThis Nduja Mussels recipe is a rich and flavourful dish that combines the briny taste of fresh mussels with the fiery kick of nduja, whether you opt for diced nduja salami or Ben’s Farm Shop’s nduja jam. It’s a perfect blend of spice, aromatics, and freshness, with white wine and parsley adding a light touch to balance the heat. Serve these mussels with a warm baguette or sourdough to soak up the delicious sauce, or try them gratinéed for a cheesy, crispy finish. Perfect for a special meal or when you're craving bold, rustic flavours.

Lemon, Garlic, Mint, and Fennel Pollen SpaghettiBy JessThis pasta dish can be as simple or intricate as you prefer. At its core, it celebrates the essence of spaghetti, with fennel pollen as the star ingredient that adds a unique, aromatic flair.

Fennel Pollen MarinadeBy JessAs we all know, wild fennel grows like a weed everywhere it lays its hat. Most gardeners pull it up because it is just that, but once you’ve given pollen a go you’ll be planning a designated fennel patch. Apparently, it keeps the slugs and snails away. Culinary website, Serious Eats says;’ "if angels sprinkled a spice from their wings, this would be it." This is only slight hyperbole. Fennel pollen is an incredibly powerful spice, with notes of liquorice, citrus and handmade marshmallows. It tastes like pure summer joy.’At around £1 per gm (£1000 per kg) it doesn’t come cheap, so picking and drying your own adds to the joy. As usual, I might have left it a bit late because in a normal year, wild fennel starts flowering at the end of June and in its desperation to reproduce, if you keep on picking the flowers it will go on flowering well into August. All you have to do is pick the flowers into a paper bag and leave it next to your boiler or on top of the hot water tank. Come autumn, when it’s dry, pulse in a food processor until the stalks have separated and shake around in a colander so the flower dust falls through. Seal in a jar and you’re good to go.

Creamy GuacamoleBy JessHere's our take on the traditional guacamole. These buttery avocados are mashed into guacamole with fragrant coriander, a hint of chilli spice, and a burst of zesty lime juice. Just a few ingredients are all you need to make the best guacamole, perfect as a side dish or dip.

Grilled vegetablesBy JessGreat as an antipasti but grilling vegetables is a lot harder than people think as you don’t want overly raw vegetables as much as you don’t want soggy ones.

King Oyster Mushrooms with Herb ButterBy JessThe hearty texture of king oyster mushrooms makes them ideal for grilling over high heat. They turn crisp and golden on the outside while remaining firm and chewy inside, with impressive char lines. This simple method adds rich, savoury BBQ flavours to a vegan dish.

Nduja TagliatelleBy Ben WatsonA quick & simple pasta dish ideal for a mid-week dinner, using our nduja jam and pomarola sauce with roasted courgettes and broad beans.

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