Dear Customer,

I have a note from Jane Edwards whose small, but tenderly grown, cauliflowers are in the bags this week. The Edwards have been farming for generations on land reclaimed from the sea on the fens of Lincolnshire.

" It is an extremely busy time of year here at New Farm. We have just finished making the first crop of silage - thankfully the weather has been good and the bales need to be moved off as soon as possible to let the clover grow again ready for a second crop.

The first crop of our organic cauliflower was a disaster. Due to weather conditions - warm in early February then cold and wet in March - the plants didn't grow at all and we lost the whole lot. If we were conventional farmers we would apply nitrogen to help overcome the stress in the plants but this is not allowed under organic regulations. We are now harvesting our next field which is much better and were planted two weeks later than the first.

We also grow potatoes, cabbage, wheat, barley and field beans. Our day begins at 6.30am and tractor driver Harry ( 84 years old ) arrives at 7.30am by which time our orders for produce must have been sorted out, problems that have arisen the day before solved, tractors filled with fuel and a dozen other jobs completed. Thankfully all our cows are out in the fields for the summer and only need checking once a day. The weeds are growing like there's no tomorrow and everyone is fed up with hoeing ! In two weeks time it is our annual village show - where does all the time go ? "

I have spoken of Edwards in previous newsletters to you. They are the ones who, for their summer holiday, take their caravan to a campsite about 20 miles away for one week. Each year they go to the same campsite and with Jane's sister's family. The ladies laze around reading magazines in utter luxury and the men drive back to the farm each morning to carry on farming.

In the bags this week we also have the first crop of English spinach from Pam Bowers.

Very little room left now for a recipe. At this time of year all the new season vegetables have so much taste I often opt to boil or steam them and eat them simply with a mint cream sauce. The sauce is easy - just heat up a tub of cream and add some heaped spoons of mint sauce or mint jelly to taste and simmer for a few minutes. This works very well with carrots, new potatoes and cauliflower - cook them, pile them up on a big serving plate and put the sauce in a big jug. It is simple but delicious.

All best wishes

Isobel Davies