Sunday 8 March 2015

Deddington Farmer's Market - Saturday, 28th February 2015.

On a very wet and miserable day last weekend, Deddington village was a hive of activity as stallholders gathered for the February Farmer's Market in the village centre and inside Deddington 's fine church.  With camera in hand, I engaged with several stalls, greeting friends from previous visits and looking for new-to-me stallholders.

From December's market new finds, I found New Creation Farm's stall with their collection of rare and interesting apples and heard again about their orchards, and their apricots available at the beginning of the year....!  They had "Rare Jams, Elderflower & Seville Orange Lemon Marmalade" for sale and apples to sample.


Apples & pears from New Creation Orchard near Nether Heyford in Northamptonshire

Their listed apples and pears are - Cox, Egremont Russet, Ashmead Kernel, Jonagold, Braeburn, Red Pippin, Falstaffs, Royal Gala, Regal Prince Gala, Galaxy, Ida Red, Bramley, Howgate Wonder, Conference and Concorde.

From Nathan at Pie and Mighty Pies I bagged two veal, ham and egg pies...











eating a portion with my homemade spicey apple chutney and mixed vegetable pickles ...


contact Nathan - orders@pieandmightypies.co.uk













Next to two other new-to-me stallholders, Styan Family Produce -   www.familyveg.co.uk - with a stall full of fresh and beautiful vegetables...

and Paddocks Products....for home farmed rare breed meat from Culworth near Banbury.  They are Stallholder of the month with Deddington Farmer's Market.  See their profile online.


UGM Nursery was my next port-of-stall to view Patrick and Jean Gardiner's wonderful collection of potted spring plants, all ready for the garden.  My garden is not ready for new plants to go in but I;m hoping to be able to buy some next month...


Spring flowers and plants are so cheerful, hey!!!

To Every Last Crumb - EveryLastCrumb14@gmail.com  and on Facebook - to inspect their remaining bakes and cakes, for I was late to visit them and they had enjoyed a good sales morning....
The on to Cotswold Baking - http://cotswoldbaking.co.uk - to view their truly scrumptious pastries and delights which I often view at Adderbury's Community Food Market at The Institute on the second Thursday of each month.  They do a wicked lemon tart...!!!... They are on FaceBook too.



Next stall for another crumb of comfort from Just Biscuits - www.justbiscuits.co.uk - to nibble on their delicious samples and to tell them how much I enjoyed eating their Cheddar Marmite Biscuit at Christmas; they were really crisp and very tasty.  So marmite's good but cirry's even better so I was very interested to hear about one of their latest ventures to produce a well-flavoured curry biscuit.  Apparently, they're having a little difficulty maintaining a full flavour in their finished product. It's crisp with butter with a good curry aroma but the flavour not quite the thing just yet.  I wish them well with their  baking.  I just might try out an own curry mix, just to see how I get on with a homemade biscuit!!!...


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The Granary Oil Company stall - www.granaryoils.co.uk -  caught my attention next and pretty quickly I was dipping small cubes of bread into their excellent Walnut Oil.  They only use their own and other local walnuts, which they shell by hand: a labour of love by anyone's standards!  Some producers roast their walnuts before processing but David and Rachel do not, which must account for the wonderful taste of their product...


Two more market newcomers...Moreton Mushrooms.. uk/producers/moretonmushrooms/                      their wide variety of mushrooms - chestnut, gourmet mix and shi-itake looked most enticing,  They also produce their own homemade Vegetarian mushroom pate, which I really must try another month: it  must be delicious on hot buttered toast!

And then - The Cotswold Curer - info@thecotswoldcurer.co.uk -  to sample his mouthwatering Salami and Sopressata: both very tasty and more-ish!  No wonder I wasn't hungry by the time I drove home!!! (having munched on several pieces!)

No more sampling with The Meat Joint  - email - mail@themeatjoint.co.uk - for I often buy at Adderbury's Community Food Market, particularly their Iron Down Farm Faggots which we like very much....and sausages and so much more...


On to Wild Berries to chat to Sarah of - Jennings516@btinternet.com -  about the difficulty of sourcing gluten-free suet for her gluten-free Mincemeat.  The suet is OK but often it has a wheat flour addition which is not OK.  You can find a gluten-free and wheat-free suet but do read the labels carefully.  Morrisons supply a Shredded Vegetable Suet containing vegetable oil and rice flour: online sources are also available.  We then discussed using Colman's Mustard Powder which is made from the seeds of some of the Brassica family  which should be fine but, as a result of possible cross-contamination in the processing, could be a problem.  You might be able to find a powder which is guaranteed to be gluten-free.  Colman's prepared mustard contains wheat as a thickener so carefully read labels if using mustard flour and prepped mustard....


On next to Bibury Trout Farm - email: biburytroutfarm@btconnect.com - for all things trout like a smoked trout pasty, fresh trout quiche with rocket and parmesan, a smoked trout fillet, fresh trout marinated in lime, ginger, chili, spring onion and olive oil and fresh gutted rainbow trout.  Their pasties freeze well too - mine did well after Christmas.....!


Next to North Aston Organic Vegetables -  for brilliant organic vegetables and their "truly local box scheme"...
having fallen for organic bread in Australia I'm sure going to have to try out their veggies soon - love organic...

And for sheer blissful food, for presents, for Christmas treats, for friends, family and self...you must visit Mariella Bliss for "Authentic Italian Food" at www.mariellabliss.co.uk for everything delicious.  At December's market I stocked up with her lovely 100% Honey Hazlenut Spread. so truly gorgeous on our homemade organic toast and bread: wished I bought some of Mariella's Ricciarelli mini cakes but had a very tasty slice of something fruity and chocolaty.  Here's her December stall and February stall...and Mariella does classes too ...


Then to Cornfield Bakery for great looking bread and bread making courses from - geoff@cornfieldbakery.com or www.cornfieldbakery.com..



And next to Callow Farm Shop for "quality meat and produce" at - email: shop@callowfarm.co.uk where I nibbled on many pieces of two of their sausages, one of which was gluten-free and very good....




And must visit Ellie's Kitchen stall and you can find them on - email: Elston@gmail.com - here's their Christmas stall at Adderbury Community Food Market's December event...for delicious Greek food.

Finally to D & B Cox of  Ixhill Farm for poultry, lamb and game - email contact at - info@ixhillfarm.co.uk - we've just cooked the piece of mutton bought at Christmas which roasted beautifully with butter, going well with roasted potatoes and veggies.  It was good on the second day too



for two jolly good suppers...


Well then, I really had to go check out the craft stalls in St. Mary's Church to see Sue  of Sue Jeffries Antiques for her covetable items:  her stall is always most attractive.  Contact her at - farmhen@googlemail.com


I can always find a "must-have" buy!!!

Then to Mary Canny, Glass Artist/Designer for her gorgeous glass - email: marycanny@hotmail.com -




And then to view two market newcomers - Vickey Hibberd, Silversmith, for her delicate and very pretty silver jewellery...and find her at vahibberd@gmail.com...



and Ruth Thomas of Adderbury for her beautifully stitched Quilts:  find her on - ruth.thomas@waitrose.com...


And of course, I said hello to the folk from Deddington Farmer's Market stall and here's a photo for you and them....



Well,, the rain failed to rain-off the stallholders and they'll be there again at the end of next month on the fourth Saturday, on 28th March, when I'm hoping the sun will be out for everyone involved with the market for another good sales experience.

Toodle loo, Daisy