However, it’s not quite over for the root vegetables and you could try Jerusalem Artichoke for a change!

Ingredients:

I Jar Pinkham’s Lemon Curd

125ml/4floz whipping cream

For the meringue:

2 free-range egg whites

100g/4oz caster sugar

1. Heat oven to 120C/fan 100C

Make meringue by whipping the egg whites until quite stiff, then gradually whisking in the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time. Once you have a glossy-looking mixture, dollop 6 blobs onto a baking tray lined with non-stick baking parchment and pop in the oven for 2 hrs.

2. To assemble, roughly crunch up the meringue so that you have a mixture of different-sized chunks and textures. Reserve a little of the lemon curd, then fold most of it, followed by all the cream, into the meringue before dividing the mess up into bowls (this is important to create the ripple effect). Finish off by running the remaining curd over the mixture in the bowls. You could garnish the pud with some lemon zest or mint. It is best to put this together at the last minute or the meringue could lose some of its crunch and become rather soft.

Know-How: Meringues keep really well for a few days in an airtight container or tine, if you want to make them ahead. Or to save yourself the hassle buy your meringue from our producers at the HFML markets – there are several outlets from which to choose.

HFM Recipe 16 – Lemon Meringue Mess
Cook Yourself Thin

Before we moved to the Smallholding at Tufton on the edge of Whitchurch, John and I had never looked after farm animals so we have experienced quite a learning curve. Our reason for moving was to increase the size of our plant nursery, but with the size of our holding, diversification became the name of the game.

We started with four sheep and that has now become a flock of around 55 of which we sell the meat privately and, more importantly to me, we use their fleece. It is important to me that we use as much of the animal as possible. The wool is truly sustainable requiring very little in the way of oil or chemicals to produce clothing, blankets and knitting yarn.

The pleasure and achievement our customers get from making their own items from our knitting wool is obvious from the pictures we see. As well as the sheep, we keep free-range poultry. We sell the eggs at market and also use them in our ‘very lemony’ Lemon Curd. (See Recipe of The Month).

Another part of the business is Preserves, home-made to traditional recipes, some handed down by my mother and that is how we came by the name ‘Pinkhams’ – a tribute to the many hours mincing orange peel for marmalade.

We have been coming to the Farmers’ Markets since it started over 10 years ago and its great advantage is that you can put together a great meal with the freshest of ingredients and actually talk to the people who are involved in its production. This makes the shopping experience quite unique – through it we have met so many interesting people, both fellow producers and customers.

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Win a Lavender Basket featuring products like these

Be in with a chance to win our Mother’s Day Lavender basket from English Lavender! If you receive our monthly email, simply click the right link when you receive it this month. If you don’t, sign up below and we’ll send it to you.

Hampshire Farmers Markets are offering a fantastic chance to win £100 and a personal shopper to accompany you around a Hampshire Farmers’ Market.

To be in with a chance of winning, purchase a copy of this week’s Hampshire Chronicle or the Southampton Daily Echo which also features an article on HFM and great offer vouchers to cut out and use.

Hampshire Farmers Markets operate in locations throughout Hampshire and offer the best of local food and products that have all been produced within the county or ten miles of its borders.

£100 can buy a lot of great value produce at one of our markets – just pop into your local newspaper seller and buy a copy to find out how to win!

The company, based in Alton, is to supply Hampshire County Council Catering Services (HC3S) and Southampton City Catering with apple juice for school meals in over 500 primary and 40 secondary schools across the two authorities.

The deal will also see the form bring apple juice to all Hampshire County Council care homes.

The juice will be made from various varieties of apples including Cox, Royal Gala, Bramley, Russet, Discovery, and Braeburn, and are all grown on Blackmoor Estate near Liss.

The juice is pressed and bottled at Selborne near Alton and contains no added sugar, chemicals, flavours or preservative. Previously, apple juice on the school meals menu was imported.

Angus Whitehead of Mr Whitehead’s Drinks said: “This opportunity provides Mr Whitehead’s Drinks with long term stability. For children to learn about how food is produced and where it comes from has to be good for their education. With all the various varieties of apples we’re using throughout the year they’ll also be able to discover how different apples have different flavours. We’re also planning to be able to invite school groups to come and see how apple juice is made and have a go at pressing juice.”

More information about this apple juice is available at www.mr-whiteheads-drinks.co.uk. The deal was brokered by county foods group, Hampshire Fare.

Greenfield Pork, based in Andover, also won champion trophies for Best Hampshire Sausage, Best Speciality Pork Sausage, Best Traditional Pork Sausage and Best Hampshire Farmers’ Market Entry. The competition was held by Hampshire Fare, the county food group.

Greenfield Pork rears its own free-range pigs, ensuring that the meat in his sausages is high quality and that consumers know the origin of the meat.

The Great Hampshire Sausage, Pie & Ready Meal competition is sponsored by The British Pig Executive, with support from Hampshire County Council, SEEDA and Lucas Ingredients.

Hampshire Farmer’s Markets spokesman Alex Handford said, “We send our very best congratulations to Martin. His sausages are really tasty and this award can only boost awareness that buying local is best for the Hampshire economy as well as best for the customer.”
Martin and his Greenfield Pork products are available at most Hampshire Farmers Markets  held around the county and will be at Andover  markets this Sunday. For further details contact the market office on:  01420 588671.

The winner will be notified by email and the prize Lavender Basket will be available for collection from Alton Farmers Markets on 13th March or Winchester Farmers Market on 14th March.

A5 Double Sided Leaflet Romsey Dates 2010 & Map