Supplier Spotlight ~ Nicki ~ Jams & marmalades

 

Nicki lives locally and loves to cook she has been making preserves for Country Matters for a number of years, and made in small batches they sell quite quickly.

Recipe ~ Summer Pudding

With the abundance of soft fruit in the summer months here is a really easy recipe, and it is even low in fat :)

Supplier Spotlight ~ Corbett & Son ~ Local Honey

We have been a regular stockist of Corbett & Sons local honey in the shop for a number of years, they are just down the road in Barton Le Clay.  

Swede or is it a Turnip

 

We normally have swedes when they are in season, and are a veg that are super tasty and can see you through the winter. 

Carrots

 

At Country Matters Hexton, we collect our fresh fruit and veg on a Thursday and this will normally include carrots and wherever possible these will be as local as possible.  You can buy as many as you want and you can bring your own bag, or we will pop them in a brown paper bag.

Did you know that: 

• Carrots were first grown as medicine.
• They were originally purple, red, white, black or yellow.
• They were imported to Europe in the 14th century, and into UK in the 15th century.
• Orange carrots were bred by the Dutch to match the House of Orange.
• In WW2 carrots were used to make marmalade and fizzy drinks.
• Apparently weight-loss-friendly food, linked to lower cholesterol levels and improved eye health.
• Their carotene antioxidants have been linked to a reduced risk of cancer.
• There is an entire website dedicated to the carrot
• 
  

And let's be frank they are excellent value, you can boil them, roast them, mash them, make soup bake them - would love to hear what you do with yours

Lovely carrot cake recipe here:

There is an entire museum devoted to the carrot (well virtual anyway)

www.carrotmuseum.co.uk

and it tells you that:
"There are good reasons to include carrots in human diet, since they are enriched with carotenoids, phenolic compounds, polyacetylenes, and vitamins and by this reason they may help reduce the risk of some diseases. Experimental evidence has reported that these carrot compounds exert antioxidative, anticarcinogenic, and immunoenhancer effects. Anti-diabetic, cholesterol and cardiovascular disease lowering, anti-hypertensive, hepatoprotective, renoprotective, and wound healing benefits of carrot have also been reported. The mechanism by which these carrot compounds decrease the risk of some diseases is complex and sometimes largely unknown. The cardio- and hepatoprotective, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects of carrot seed extracts are also noteworthy.

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Lemons

At Country Matters not only do we have a good selection of local produce we generally have lemons.  Lemons are versatile and can be used in baking, preserves, cooking, cleaning and of course in your gin and tonic.  You can use the juice and the zest.

Supplier Spotlight ~ Corbett & Sons ~ Honey

Corbett & Sons are selling their local honey in the shop, they are from Barton Le Clay, so very close to Hexton.  

Supplier Spotlight ~ Mrs Middleton's ~ Oil & Flour

We have been stocking Mrs Middleton's Rapeseed Oil for a number of years at Country Matters.  

And now we are open

We are now open, with reduced opening times, check our Facebook page for details.  All the shelves are not fully stocked, over the coming weeks we will be adding more. 

Supplier Spotlight - Honey - Corbett & sons

Corbett & Sons have recently started selling their local honey in the shop, they are from Barton Le Clay, so very close to Hexton.  It is certainly proving very popular.

See their Facebook Page

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Supplier Spotlight - Helen - Hens & Eggs

Helen is the 'boss' and you will often see her at the counter serving you.

Helen has a flock of 50 hens and 5 very happy cockerels and brings along their fresh eggs, you just can't beat a fresh egg!  perfect poached, fried, scrambled - what is your fav way to enjoy a fresh egg?

Re-use and re-purpose - Garden planters

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I will admit to buying this on a market new - so more of a re-purpose than a re-use as it had no lid, but with a lick of paint it now matches the garden, there are brush marks, but it is fine for the garden!

We have lots of plants suitable for pots, and they and a great splash of colour to your garden.

Rhubarb

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It is rhubarb season and we have some locally grown available.... did you know that orange is a good partner?  So how about cooking it in a drop of orange juice or even adding an orange.  

Leek and onion scones

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We have leeks and onions in the Country Matters Hexton and they are local, so all the better for getting those miles reduced.  I made these recently and they were lovely, I couple them with some homemade chutney - also in the shop, and some cheese and salad.

Restocking Thursdays

Country Matters at Hexton is open from Thursday through to Sunday every week (except we are closed first Sunday of the month).  So Thursday is our day for stocking the fresh produce.  All our produce is locally sourced, and therefore will be what is in season.

Carrots and a carrot cake recipe

At Country Matters Hexton, we normally stock carrots, so I thought I would wow you with some interesting carrot facts:

Spring Onion & Cheese Scones

We have spring onions in the shop this week, so thought I would make some savoury scones.

Perfect for lunch with pickle, salad and cheese, or with a bowl of soup.

Flour and onions available in the shop Hexton Country Matters

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Hexton Country Matters

Local Produce

An area that has been expanded this year is local fresh produce, we have sold locally made jams and pickles for a number of years, but now we sell seasonal fruit and vegetables.

See the facebook page for regular updates.

We would love to know what you think, and what sort of items you would like to buy.

Locally grown produce

We now do a small range of locally grown produce, some of the basic essential, so there really is something for everyone now :)

Supplier Spotlight - Mrs Middleton's - Rapeseed Oil

We have Mrs Middleton's Rapeseed Oil at Hexton Country Matters.  The rapeseed used in the oil is grown at Barton Hill Farm, Bedfordshire - so only a few miles down the road.  Reduce your carbon footprint by buying locally.