December in The Farm Table

For generations, we’ve helped families create magical Christmas memories. There’s huge satisfaction in fuelling people’s festivities with food and drink grown, reared and crafted with care – either here on our farm or by neighbouring artisans who share our values. Of all the meals we sit down to each year, the festive feast remains the most meaningful. Every household has its own ritual: for some it’s the magnificent roast turkey, for others a marvellous rib of beef or that Boxing Day glazed ham that brings everyone back to the table.

In the days before Christmas, you’ll usually find me behind our cheese counter, which always feels like the beating heart of Darts Farm. As the towers of Stilton gradually shrink, you can’t help but smile, knowing each hunk will be enjoyed as part of someone’s cherished tradition. Inside, there’s a joyful bustle – our food hall humming, restaurants full of celebration and chatter. Step outside, though, and the world seems to pause. Each morning, the sputtering of our Land Rover breaks the stillness of dawn as we begin our haul. Fields appear bare at first glance yet brim with abundance beneath the frost. Cabbages curl tightly, kale stands tall as the wind drifts through, and red cabbages gleam with morning dew. Vegetables for the big day are pulled from the earth just hours before reaching your kitchen and the difference is remarkable. The love that goes into your most important meal of the year begins long before the chopping board. It starts in the soil, and ends around your dinner table.

Events:
From the delicious and delightful to the utterly unforgettable, Darts Farm is a place where exciting things are always taking place - and this season is no exception.

Our calendar is packed with plenty to keep everyone busy throughout the festivities, including visits from Father Christmas, carol singing, festive workshops with our in-house experts, producer tastings and much more! View our full calendar of festive events at www.dartsfarm.co.uk/events

Ingredients

2 x slices of darts roasted topside, from the deli, per person.
1 x Leek, washed and sliced.
400g of peeled and chopped parsnips.
½ x a savoy cabbage washed and thinly sliced.
Ground nutmeg.
Salt.
Ground black pepper.
400ml of double cream.
50g of unsalted butter.
1x large banana shallot sliced.
2x peeled garlic cloves.
1x bay leaf.
Ground clove.
1x tablespoon of grated fresh horseradish.
500ml of whole milk.
100g of cooked chestnuts.
100g of white breadcrumbs.

Method

For the bread sauce; in a large saucepan put the milk, shallot, garlic, bay leaf, pinch of ground nutmeg, pinch of ground clove, salt, pinch of pepper and grated horse radish. Bring the pan up to a simmer and gently bubble away for 10-20 minutes. Then remove the bay leaf, add in the chestnuts and the breadcrumbs and simmer till it thickens, if you have a hand blender give the sauce a quick pulse to smoothen it out. Check the seasoning and allow to cool, this sauce will last a few days in the fridge if you want to make it ahead of time or use it over the festive season.

For the parsnip Colcannon; boil or steam your parsnips till they are soft then keep warm. In a large saucepan sweat off the sliced leek in the butter with a pinch of salt and add in the sliced savoy cabbage, until both have softened up. While still on a low heat, add in the cooked parsnip and cream then mash together with a fork or potato masher till the mixture comes together and cook out the cream. Add a pinch of nutmeg, pepper and check for salt.

To serve, nothing fancy here, just a good spoonful of the rich parsnip mash, sliced rare topside and a good amount of the sauce.

Darts Farm

December in The Farm Table

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