Food & Drink

The Festive Season at THE CLOCKSPIRE

Festive Lunch Menu

Head Chef Luke Sutton and his team will be showcasing modern English dishes inspired by seasonal ingredients, using market-led British produce and vegetables from our plots at nearby Ven House. Choose from a great selection of three starters, three main courses and three desserts. Available from November 17th and throughout December.

12 O’clock Gin

We’ve teamed up with local distillery The Somerset Spirit Company in Castle Cary to produce our own signature London Dry gin. The style is mellow and harmonious and the blend of aromatics includes some secret locallyforaged ingredients, orange leaves from the Conservatory at Ven House as well as juniper, bay, angelica, coriander and cassia bark. We’ve named it 12 O’Clock gin in homage to our own clocktower. Available to order online.

Hampers

Our glorious Christmas hamper is full of festive luxuries including our own gin and an exclusive 007 Bollinger Cuvée. There are some wonderful locally-sourced Dorset cheeses (with some great crackers) and Somerset charcuterie to enjoy. Plus there are many treats made by Luke and his team in The Clockspire kitchens including Christmas Pudding, Mincemeat, Macarons, Chutney, Biscotti and our amazing hand-made chocolates. Available to order online.

Tuesday 21st December Opening

For the Christmas week we will be open for 6 days rather than 5, enabling us to spread our reservations and provide an opportunity for all locals to enjoy The Clockspire experience in a safe and relaxed environment.

To make a reservation please book online at www.theclockspire.com or telephone 01963 251458 The Clockspire Restaurant & Bar

Gainsborough, Milborne Port, Sherborne DT9 5BA

THE CAKE WHISPERER Val Stones

CHRISTMAS MINCE PIE CHEESECAKE

Ireally love mincemeat, at any time of the year, but restrain myself to the winter season. In October I cook my easy mincemeat - perfect folded into ice cream or, on this occasion, into this creamy dessert. It turns an ordinary cheesecake into a festive treat. Serves 8-10

Timings Mincemeat can be made before the cheesecake – this will take about one hour.

For the cheesecake - 30 minutes to prepare, plus one hour baking and a further hour in the oven with the oven switched off. Overnight in the refrigerator to set completely. It will take 15 minutes to decorate.

What you will need A large pan. 3 x 1 lb sterilised jars. A springform 9-inch (23cm) cake tin about 3-inches (7.5cm) high. Baking parchment (and silicone circle if wanted). Kitchen foil to place around the pan so water won’t leak into the cheesecake. A shallow baking pan large enough to place the cake tin in to use as a bain-marie. A piping bag. A star nozzle.

Preparation Lightly grease the tin.

Cut a strip of non-stick baking parchment to fit around the sides of the tin, fold the bottom edge of the strip up by about 1-inch/2.5cm creasing it firmly, then open out the fold and cut slanting lines into this narrow strip at intervals.

Fit this into the greased tin with the snipped edge in the base of the tin and put a circle of non-stick baking parchment or a silicone circle on top.

For the mincemeat

Ingredients 150g sultanas 150g light brown sugar 150ml cider 100g raisins 2 medium-sized Bramley apples (around 150g when cored and peeled) 50g dried cherries, chopped 50g dried cranberries, chopped 30g unsalted butter or vegan alternative 25g pre-soaked Californian prunes, chopped Zest and juice of 1 small orange Zest and juice of 1 small lemon 3 tablespoons brandy 3 tablespoons orange liqueur 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (If you want to keep the recipe alcohol-free then substitute the alcohol for 6 tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice and replace the cider with apple juice.)

Method 1 Peel and grate the apples and place them in a large pan with the brown sugar, cider, orange and lemon zests along with the juice of the fruits. 2 Stir well and place on a medium heat. Gradually bring to the boil stirring frequently until the apples are soft. 3 Add the butter, dried fruits, prunes and spices to the pan, stir well and simmer until thickened (about 30 minutes). 4 Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. 5 Once cool, stir in the brandy and the orange liqueur (or the orange juice). The mincemeat can be packed into jars or into containers until needed.

Ingredients 300g digestive biscuits or you could use shortbread biscuits 70g unsalted butter 25g demerara sugar

Method 1 Melt the butter in a large saucepan. 2 Blitz the biscuits to fine crumbs in a food processor or place in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Stir into the melted butter, add the sugar and combine. Remove from the heat and put into the lined cake pan. 3 Smooth flat, but don’t push down too hard; you don’t want a tightly packed crust. Put in the fridge for half an hour to set.

Set the oven 160C, 325F, gas mark 3

For the filling

Ingredients 600g full fat cream cheese 180g caster sugar 25g plain flour 4 medium eggs separated – whisk the egg whites to firm but not dry Zest of an unwaxed orange 4 drops orange extract 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 150g sour cream 150g double cream, lightly whipped 250g mincemeat

Method 1 Put the cream cheese and sugar in a stand mixer and beat for a couple of minutes until smooth. Add the flour and beat to combine. 2 Add the orange zest, orange extract and vanilla extract. 3 Add the eggs yolks one at a time, beating each one thoroughly before adding the next. Scrape down the sides regularly. 4 Stir in the sour cream with a large spatula, then fold in the whipped cream followed by the whisked egg whites. Fold in the mincemeat with a metal spoon, stirring only enough to ripple it lightly through the

cheese mixture. 5 Remove the cake pan from the fridge, wrap it in tin foil (this will stop the water leaking into the cake pan), place it in a roasting pan, and pour in the cream cheese filling. 6 Pour hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the outside of the cake pan. Carefully slide into the oven and bake for an hour. You will find that the middle of the cheesecake will feel uncooked and wobbly, but that is how it should be. 7 Switch off the oven, close the door, and leave the cheesecake for a further hour. 8 Remove from the oven, allow to cool, and then refrigerate overnight to ensure a good set.

To decorate 200ml double cream 1 tablespoon icing sugar 1 tablespoon apple brandy or plain brandy 4 drops orange extract 10 slices dried oranges or you can use gold foil Fresh fruits if you wish Pouring cream to serve

Method 1 Place the cream and icing sugar in a stand mixer and beat to a piping consistency. 2 Add the orange extract and brandy. 3 Place the nozzle in the piping bag and fill with the cream. 4 Pipe rosettes around the top of the cheesecake and then place the orange slices angled to alternate between rosettes. If you wish you can decorate with fresh fruits and/or small pieces of gold foil. Well, it is Christmas.

The cheesecake will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days. Remove the cheesecake 15 minutes from the fridge before serving.

SPICED KIDNEY BEAN, TURKEY AND WALNUT SALAD

Sasha Matkevich and Jack Smith, The Green

Image: Clint Randall

Avariation of a Georgian classic can be found on almost every family table during the festive season. Here’s ours.

Ingredients Serves 6 1kg turkey breast, diced 3 tablespoons sunflower oil 4 red onions, halved and finely sliced 3 cloves garlic, chopped 300g walnuts, skinned and chopped 1 large bunch of coriander, chopped ½ bunch of dill, chopped 2 teaspoons ground coriander 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground marigold 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 800g red kidney beans, cooked and drained 4 tablespoons mayonnaise

To garnish: Seeds of 1 pomegranate Pomegranate molasses Basil Sea salt Chilli flakes to taste

Method: 1 Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and poach the turkey breast on a medium heat for 15 minutes. 2 Use a knife or toothpick to check the turkey is cooked through then drain and set aside to cool down. 3 Place the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and add onions and garlic, cook for 10 minutes stirring continually on a low heat until translucent. 4 Meanwhile, place the walnuts in a food processor and liquidise to a very fine smooth paste (this can take up to 6 minutes) 5 Transfer walnut paste into a large bowl with ground coriander, cumin, marigold, cloves, cinnamon, vinegar and mayonnaise – use a spatula to mix into a smooth paste. 6 Place the beans with onions and stir until well combined. Add turkey, walnut paste mix, chopped coriander and dill. 7 Stir again until everything is incorporated together, remove to a large bowl and season to taste with chilli flakes and sea salt. 8 Refrigerate for at least 40 minutes. 9 Decorate with pomegranate seeds, molasses and basil leaf and serve.

TREACLE TART

Luke Sutton, Head Chef, The Clockspire

Image: Food Story Media

Ihave always enjoyed a good treacle tart, however some can be a bit too sweet and sickly. The addition of the cider vinegar here helps to balance the sweetness along with the use of sourdough to make the breadcrumbs, which also brings a bigger depth of flavour. This also happens to be a great way to use any leftover sourdough we have at the restaurant so win, win.

You will currently find this on our menu – a great winter warmer. We serve ours with a scoop of hogweed ice cream and freshly grated chestnut but you can’t go wrong with a good dollop of crème fraiche.

Ingredients To fit a 22cm tart tin or several smaller sized ones. Treacle tart mix: 100g sourdough, dried and blended to a fine crumb (not a powder) 1 egg 125g double cream 300g golden syrup 40g honey Splash of cider vinegar 60g ground almonds

Sweet pastry: This will make more than you need but keep it wrapped in your freezer for up to 3 months. 300g butter 200g icing sugar 500g plain flour 1 egg 60g ground almonds

Method Treacle tart mix: 1 Whisk the egg and cream together. 2 Heat the golden syrup and honey together, just until it becomes runny, add the vinegar. 3 Add to the cream mix. 4 Add the breadcrumbs and almonds. 5 Mix well and leave to rest overnight in the fridge.

Sweet pastry: 6 Beat together the butter, icing sugar, flour and ground almonds to a breadcrumb consistency. 7 Add the egg and mix to form a rough dough. 8 Divide into two balls, wrap and chill the mix in the fridge for 20 minutes. 9 Take one of the halves and roll the dough out to a 3mm thickness. 10 Line your tin with the pastry, trimming the excess (this can be kept and reused). 11 Line with parchment paper and fill with baking beans. 12 Rest in the fridge for another 20 minutes. 13 Bake at 160c for 15-18 minutes until the pastry is set but not too coloured, take out of the oven and carefully remove the paper and beans. 14 Fill the tart with the treacle mix and bake for a further 22-25 minutes until golden. 15 Allow to cool before removing from the tart tin. (This recipe contains cereals containing gluten, eggs, milk, nuts and sulphites)

Food and Drink A YEAR ON THE PIG FARM (PART I)

James Hull, The Story Pig

So, yet another year nearly over and for us here on the farm it has been our most transformational yet. We have gone from a private farm to a more public space; a farm thronging with people, laughter and smiles. So I thought I would take a look back over the last 12 months and remember.

January We started the year as gloomy as the next man, the country in full lockdown – a phrase I hope we soon lose from our every day vocabulary. The weather was cold and miserable. We had had a busy Christmas; Charlotte had suffered with vertigo really badly three days before all our orders were due for collection and with everything written in Swedish I could be of little help. I was going to Bath Farmers’ Market every Saturday to sell our produce, racing back to feed the pigs in the afternoon instead of the morning, hoping that they hadn’t got too impatient and escaped! Charlotte and Sten continued with their pop-up shop here at the farm, and incredibly, helped by lockdown no doubt, with the lure of our meat and good coffee made by Paul, we got increasingly busy.

February We started to get busier with cafe preparations. Our tipi was on its way from Sweden, our poly tunnel was ordered with great excitement. We were busy putting up new fences to make two viewing pens for the pigs down by the farm. Drainage took up a lot of my spare time; re-digging a stream down across our field, building two sleeper bridges and putting in land drains in wet areas to take the water away. It’s too early into the winter to tell how well they will work.

March Our tipi arrived and with much excitement was erected in its cafe/shop position. It was all systems go to get ready to open though we were still a little way off yet. With the tipi up, things started to feel real. We built a huge wooden floor inside, which took two weeks to finish. The days were getting longer and I was trying to do a bit in the garden, although my time was mostly taken up with building work.

April Inside my mind I really started to feel the pressure looming; we still had an incredible amount of work to do and very limited finances to do it. It was a juggling act to get things done. We had to open in May as the lockdown lifted and it was going to be tight - building materials were starting to rocket in price and things were becoming difficult to source. We got the poly tunnel up but the sad thing is it’s still full of the remnants of building materials and not a plant in it yet.

May Now I can’t sleep – we are a couple of weeks away from opening, the toilets aren’t finished, the weather has not been good and I am stressed. Charlotte is busy making and baking, testing her recipes and ideas – I am a willing taster! It’s down to the wire – I am spreading gravel in the yard the night before we open. We are basically running on empty; tired, poor and overwhelmed with emotions of what we have achieved. Our dream of opening our farm was a reality. And then we were open, by the seat of my pants I learnt how to make coffee. There was no more we could do, just open the gate and wait…

This retrospective will continue in the January edition but for now, I want to write a thank you letter:

To my wife, who through thick and thin, has provided our thousands of visitors with entirely homemade food and looked after me. One day, I hope we can build you a much better kitchen darling! To all of you who have come and supported us, who have understood what we are trying to do here, who have rained lovely comments on us. Many of you come every week, have become friends – you know who you are. You make what we do so special – your comments and happy smiles spur us on to do more. To Julia, who has come every Thursday to volunteer in our garden and humbles me with your kindness – we are so grateful. To Donna, who made all our beautiful bunting for nothing – we love it. To our pigs for living up to their brief – be nice, don’t smell, be photogenic and teach. To Blue, our lovely kind dog who has greeted all of you. And finally to Max, our young apprentice, who is a breath of fresh air, proving to be a great help in the butchery, on the farm with me and also in the café on Saturdays – that’s a wide roll, always smiling and willing, thank you. Happy Christmas everyone, we hope to see you all soon.

thestorypig.co.uk

The Story Pig will be closed from Christmas Eve until Saturday 22nd January. They need a rest!

CHRISTMAS LISTS

David Copp

As Christmas draws near, I get showered with various wine merchants’ lists either on paper or online. I find them endlessly fascinating for what merchants or restaurants reveal about themselves as well as their customers.

We are lucky to have one of the country’s best independent wine merchants in Sherborne, now installed in new and larger premises. Vineyards’ success has been built on listening to what their customers tell them and finding growers that respond to their interests, as well as presenting their own ideas developed from a well organised approach to tasting and selection. Vineyards are good at finding winemakers who express the characteristics of certain varieties or wine regions.

I am also a great fan of the Wine Society’s Exhibition range, equally carefully selected for their typicity and full of lovely surprises.

Over the years I have received lists from many great wine merchants such as Corney & Barrow, Justerini & Brooks, and London’s oldest wine merchants, Berry Brothers and Rudd (BBR). I still have a copy of their 1909 list sent to my grandfather. It reveals that the most sought-after wines in those days were German. And the most expensive wines were from Tokaj. There were fine clarets and burgundy: 1888 Chateau Lafite and 1888 Romanee Conti are listed at 200 shillings per dozen. But so is Schloss Johannesberger 1893. However, you would have had to fork out 275/- for a case of 1874 Chateau d’Yquem and 480/- for a dozen 50cl bottles of Tokaji Aszu.

Peter Meech of the Sherborne Historical Society recently showed me a copy of the Wine Society Winter list for 1965-66. The great First Growth clarets and top vintage red Burgundies were now listed at 20/- per bottle. However, a bottle of a prime vintage of Le Montrachet would have set you back twice as much.

I enjoyed reading the Wine Society 1965-66 list because it included details of a dinner (taken at midday in those days) quoted from Parson Woodforde’s Diary. Woodforde was the Somerset-born vicar who religiously chronicled his day-to-day life thus giving us a unique insight into dining and wining in 18th century rural England.

He tells us that at the age of 19 he went up to New College Oxford and ‘was immediately plunged into ‘unregenerate’ days,’ as an earlier entry reveals. ‘Hooke, Boteler and myself went up Welch’s at Wadham College, where we designed to sup and spend the evening. Our entertainment was thus: one pound of lobster, a half-pennyworth of bread, and the same of cheese, with a bottle of ale, half a bottle of wine, and a bottle of Lisbon.’

He makes out he was a normal undergraduate, ‘not unoccupied with the duty of preparing himself for the priesthood.’ After four years at Oxford, he returned to Somerset to get some experience (he doesn’t say whether diocesan or dining), before being posted to Weston Longeville in prime Norfolk farming country, where he chronicled one dinner after another without any attempt at over-egging the story.

For example, his entry for 20th April 1796 reads: ‘The company assembled and dinner was soon announced. It consisted of boiled salmon with shrimp sauce, some white soup, roast saddle of mutton with cucumber, rice pudding and the best part of a rump of beef. The second course was spring chicken with roasted sweetbreads, jellies, macaroni and frilled oysters, two small crabs and a dish of eggs. He also reported that ‘the bread, all brown, was well made’ adding what might have been a prayer, ‘May we never eat worse.’

On another occasion he wrote, ‘The first course was pike, followed by a large piece of boiled beef, pea soup, stewed mutton and goose giblets. For the second course, a brace of partridges was served followed by roasted turkey, baked pudding, lobster and scalloped oysters. Then grapes, walnuts, almonds and raisins, damsons, cheeses and golden pippins. Madeira and port to drink.’

Woodforde made no pretensions at being a wine writer. In fact, he hardly mentions wine at all beyond generic reference to Madeira or Lisbon. In those days wines would have been sold by the cask unless you had your own bottles. Suppliers would most likely have been French, German, Portuguese or Hungarian. No Australian, Californian, Chilean or South African. All wine lists have a story to tell and worth setting aside a few minutes to read.