Food & Drink
Modern dairy farm in same family for 90 years By Karen Bate Sitting on the edge of Sherborne, Castle Farm has been home to the Dimond family for almost 90 years. On this farmland, which stretches through the valley in front of Sherborne Old Castle towards Crackmore Woods, Ian, his wife Dawn and daughter Georgie farm a herd of 140 pedigree Holstein cows in this idyllic setting. In 2011 Ian and Dawn were given the prestigious award of Master Breeder Herd, a rare accolade for high level stockmanship resulting in top quality pedigree cows. Dawn said: “We have recently installed 2 Lely A5 Astronaut ‘robots’ to automatically milk the cows. This amazing technology allows the cows to choose when and how often they want to be milked, thereby giving the cows much
more freedom of choice and a relaxed lifestyle. “During the spring and summer months the cows graze the fields around our farm as long as the weather is good! In the winter when it is too wet and cold to be out, they are housed in a large spacious building with comfy cubicle beds and an all-day breakfast buffet!” Dawn added: “All of the cows are cared for on an individual basis. We truly do know our cows, many have their own unique characteristics and personalities. The Health and Welfare of our cows comes before anything else.” The milk is pasteurised on the farm, in the new purpose built pasteurising room through a flow pasteuriser. Although the milk is pasteurised it has not been through the industrial
processes of homogenisation and standardisation, meaning it retains all of its wholesome natural flavour and quality and once it has settled, cream will rise to the top. Dawn said: “If you are not keen on this, just give the bottle a shake to mix it back in. We then place it into our
milk vending machine ready to sell directly to you. The milk can be in your fridge within 24 hours of the cows being milked.” The milk vending machine is open Wednesday to Sunday, 8am-6pm. castlefarmdairy@hotmail.com facebook@castlefarmdairy
Popeye’s right – there’s so much good in spinach As the weather has not decided if we are truly entering spring just yet and the evenings still have a chill about them, I have opted for another comforting dish. This time showcasing swede and spinach. Perhaps an unlikely pairing, but one worth trying, I assure you. Spinach has long been renowned as a nutritional powerhouse, historically believed to increase energy and vitality, and improve the quality of the blood. It is well known as a great source of iron, and while plant sources of iron are less efficiently absorbed than meat sources, its absorption is boosted by vitamin C, of which spinach is also a great source. A great example of nature solving a problem, as it so frequently does. Spinach is also a good source of vitamin K, B2, B6, B1, E, carotenes, manganese, and magnesium. Swede is a 34
Rebecca Vincent is a Wincanton nutritionist
good source of vitamins E and C as well as calcium, magnesium, potassium and of course fibre. Swede makes a great mash and is frequently added to stews, but this recipe uses it a little differently.
Swede and spinach gratin (serves 4-6) 1 medium swede 100g fresh spinach 300ml pot crème fraiche 60g grated cheese 2 garlic cloves (grated) Few sprigs fresh thyme
Pinch of black pepper Heat the oven to 180 and set a small pan on the hob on a medium-low heat. Mix the crème fraiche, cheese, garlic, thyme, and black pepper in the pan and let it gently warm through. Meanwhile peel the swede, cut in half and slice into approximately 1/2 cm thick half circles (easiest on a thick mandolin setting). Wash and dry the spinach. In an oven proof dish, layer the spinach and swede, adding a little of the crème fraiche mix between each. Grate a little cheese over the top and pop in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the swede is soft when tested with a knife or skewer and the top is golden. This is lovely as a side to your Sunday roast or a delicate fish dish. Rebecca Vincent BSc BANT registered nutritionist rebeccavincentnutrition.co.uk
