0:00:02 > 0:00:05Over half the land in the UK is dedicated to producing food.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09But how much do we really know about what ends up on our plates?
0:00:09 > 0:00:13I'm Nigel Slater, a cook. And I know my way around a kitchen.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17And I'm Adam Henson, a farmer. So crops and animals are my expertise.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20We're joining forces to get us all back in touch
0:00:20 > 0:00:22with where our food really comes from.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27We've moved into Old Farm in Moreton-in-Marsh
0:00:27 > 0:00:28with the Righton family,
0:00:28 > 0:00:31who have lived and worked on this land for three generations.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34Together, we're growing crops.
0:00:34 > 0:00:35Should be a piece of cake.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38It would be, but I haven't actually driven for 40 years.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43And rearing animals.
0:00:43 > 0:00:44You want me to water the pigs?
0:00:44 > 0:00:47- Just a little bit down their back. - They're not going to like this.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51And if all goes to plan, I'll be cooking up our produce
0:00:51 > 0:00:54and turning your top 50 fresh ingredients
0:00:54 > 0:00:57into delicious, cheap and healthy dishes.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01So join us to get the most out of what we eat.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04As we celebrate the very best of British food.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18You know, it doesn't get more seasonal than spring lamb.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20And here we've got our own little flock.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Spring is a season that I really look forward to
0:01:24 > 0:01:27as the grass starts to grow and the trees come into blossom
0:01:27 > 0:01:29and the cute lambs are skipping around in the field.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33You say cute. I'm thinking hotpot.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36- BLEATING - A little bit of mint sauce.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Lamb is number 21 on our list of fresh foods,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44but we're eating 40% less than we did 20 years ago.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50When we do buy it, we're mainly eating the costliest cuts,
0:01:50 > 0:01:52and we're eating them out of season.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57Eating food in season can be
0:01:57 > 0:02:00tastier, cheaper and more nutritious.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04But with the technology to grow and store food all year round
0:02:04 > 0:02:07and out-of-season imports flooding our shelves,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10it seems we've lost touch with seasonal eating.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Seasons? I haven't got a clue.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15I'm just relying on what's in the shops.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19Winter, potatoes and oranges and stuff like that.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21It's not about seasonal with me.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23I just sort of... Whatever takes my fancy, really.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28So tonight, we're putting the spotlight on seasonality.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33I want to see my own bread through from grain to loaf,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37so I've challenged Adam to grow me this seasonal staple.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40I'm expecting you to do something magical with it.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43I find out how scientists are outwitting the seasons,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46but I'm not sure Nigel's convinced.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51These are strawberry plants and they've been frozen.
0:02:51 > 0:02:52Looks like compost.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55And I really want to get cheaper,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58overlooked cuts of lamb on the menu again,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01so I'm cooking up the best of our flock
0:03:01 > 0:03:04and our crops into a tasty harvest supper.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Spring isn't just the season for lambing.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Traditionally, it's also a time for planting.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Seedlings will appear within 10 to 18 days.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24In the vegetable garden, we're putting in everything
0:03:24 > 0:03:27from potatoes and courgettes to runner beans.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32And I've been given my first ever greenhouse.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35I've got this space. Our space.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Ha! I'm glad you added that!
0:03:37 > 0:03:40It'll be perfect for growing my tomatoes.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43I'll stick to the farming, you can grow the veg.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Well, I also want bread flour.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48And for that, I think we'll need a bit more space.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52We've got a very common spring wheat that many farmers would grow
0:03:52 > 0:03:54that produces flour to make bread
0:03:54 > 0:03:57that many of us would buy in supermarkets today.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00- Is he going to make something with that, is he?- Well, I hope so.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03- Have you got any weight, or have I got it all?- You've got it all.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07With two million hectares of wheat grown every year,
0:04:07 > 0:04:09it's one of Britain's staple crops.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12So it should be an easy one for us to grow.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15Right, let's get it in the ground.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18That's if the weather doesn't intervene.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23Last year's wet summer meant farmers lost 2.5 million tonnes of wheat
0:04:23 > 0:04:25and we had to import more than we exported
0:04:25 > 0:04:27for the first time in a decade.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31So far, this year isn't looking any better.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35It's the coldest March since 1962.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Across the country, farmers are losing
0:04:41 > 0:04:43thousands of lambs to this harsh weather.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48But here in the Cotswolds,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51thankfully, our flock have been spared the worst.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53# Ba Ba Ba Ba Barbara Ann
0:04:53 > 0:04:56# Oh, Barbara Ann
0:04:56 > 0:04:57# Take my hand
0:04:57 > 0:04:59# Ba Ba Ba Ba Barbara Ann
0:04:59 > 0:05:01# Barbara Ann
0:05:01 > 0:05:03# Ba Ba Ba Ba Barbara Ann
0:05:03 > 0:05:04# You got me rockin' and a-rollin'
0:05:04 > 0:05:06# Rockin' and a-reelin', Barbara Ann
0:05:06 > 0:05:08# Ba Ba Ba Barbara Ann...#
0:05:08 > 0:05:12A real noise, a real cacophony of bleating.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16I know. This myth about the countryside being quiet.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18It's completely the opposite.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23When will they be ready to cook?
0:05:23 > 0:05:28Well, at about 16 weeks, so four to five months old.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31It needs to have the right amount of fat and meat coverage.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33And there will be some lambs out here
0:05:33 > 0:05:35that'll be perfect for our harvest feast.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Lamb has become less profitable to farm than other animals,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44so supply has gone down and prices have gone up.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49In the past 20 years, they've risen by 108%.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53That's twice as much as beef and three times as much as chicken.
0:05:56 > 0:05:57But despite the expense,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00there's one time of year when we all want lamb.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Now, lamb, I would guess that would be spring.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06We'll eat lamb Easter Sunday.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08And whatever's left over on Easter Monday.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11- Springtime, isn't it? - Aye, usually springtime.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Lamb is the only meat on our shopping list that's seasonal
0:06:15 > 0:06:18with offspring born naturally in springtime.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22So eating lamb in spring means eating it out of season.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24It will either be last year's lamb imported,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27or specially bred to be born in winter.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32So, if we've got our lamb-eating season all back to front,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34what do we really know about the meat?
0:06:36 > 0:06:38To find out, we've come to Wales,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41where they've got more sheep per square mile than anywhere else in Britain.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44I reckon this lot will know their racks from their rumps.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49What noise do lambs make? Do they go moo?
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Baa! LAUGHTER
0:06:51 > 0:06:54So Adam's gone off with the lamb, taking it round the town,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57and I'm going to have a listen to what everybody's saying.
0:06:59 > 0:07:00Nothing else tastes like lamb.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Mint and some roast potatoes, eh. Now you're cracking on, aren't you?
0:07:04 > 0:07:06- Good. - What's your favourite cut of lamb?
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- Leg.- Leg.- Leg of lamb, yeah.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Stick it on the sheep, where it comes from.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Straight away, the leg is the favourite. It wins hands down.
0:07:16 > 0:07:17Can I have a quick photo?
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Yeah, yeah, sure, yeah. Let's stand by the sheep.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21It's like working with a film star, honestly.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24I like a nice cutlet.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27A nice cutlet. Do you? What do you do with that, then?
0:07:27 > 0:07:28- Grill it.- Mm.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31Chops and, er...fillet.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35These are all lean, quite luxury cuts.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Little bit more expensive.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41But in fact, there are good value cuts
0:07:41 > 0:07:43to the lower part of the animal.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46You sometimes get it in restaurants. Lamb shank?
0:07:46 > 0:07:50- Lamb shank.- There you go. And that goes on the bottom of the leg.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54- All right.- Now, what about this one? Do you recognise that one?
0:07:54 > 0:07:55Less common.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57No.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59That's the scrag end. Do you ever use that?
0:07:59 > 0:08:00No.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Oh, it's a pity. It's such a good cut.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06I think it needs reinventing. I think it needs another name.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- Say bye-bye. - LAUGHTER
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Say bye! Thank you.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14It seems the people of Cardiff are mainly eating the expensive cuts.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18So, what about everyone else?
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Well, the rest of Wales relish a roast.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Scots love their chops.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28In Yorkshire, it's a shoulder.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32While surprisingly, the south choose to stew.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37But the biggest lamb lovers of all, Northern Ireland,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40tucked into over 2,000 tonnes last year.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44But there's one thing that unites us all.
0:08:44 > 0:08:50Our favourite cut is also one of the most expensive, the leg.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Now, one of the confusing things when it comes to a lamb
0:08:53 > 0:08:56is a lamb hasn't got four legs. Did you know that?
0:08:56 > 0:08:58A lamb's got four legs, Adam. I've seen them.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Well, they have got four legs, but when it comes to the butchered lamb,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04they have two legs, which is the back legs,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08and then the front legs are called a shoulder of lamb.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Now, this is the one that people tend to cube
0:09:10 > 0:09:14and sometimes even mince, but I think makes a great roast.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Because for me, it's all about flavour.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21I think the flavour is often at this end in the cheaper cuts.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23That's the bit that does all the work.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25You've got the shoulders and then the neck.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28And very few people mentioned these cuts, did they?
0:09:28 > 0:09:30This is scrag end.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Now, this is a really good cut for slow-cooking.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37Overlooked, makes a marvellous stew, or you can mince it.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41And that...is the neck fillet that kind of goes on there.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44It's that hard working bit, isn't it?
0:09:44 > 0:09:46I mean, you never see a sheep that isn't eating.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48They've always got heads down.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Absolutely. The other cheap cut is the belly.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54I mean, that's three quid from the butcher.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57And I think it's totally underrated.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00This is going to form part of my harvest feast.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02But today, I need some mince.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04- So you can have a little bit of this...- Yeah.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08- ..some of the scrag and maybe a bit of the shoulder, as well.- OK.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11I want some nice juicy mince for my burgers.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14OK. He's always getting me to do things.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16And he's always getting to eat it.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Right, into the mincer.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Lamb mince is another under-used cut.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Of all the lamb we eat, only 9% is mince.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Whereas with beef, it's 50%.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35So, what's the technique in making a lamb burger?
0:10:35 > 0:10:36I'm learning a lot from this man.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39You know, I think it's a really coarse mince.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Good, fatty meat.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43And I don't think we should be too scared of lamb fat either.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46When I see it like this with these lovely little pieces of fat,
0:10:46 > 0:10:47I mean, just look at that!
0:10:47 > 0:10:50That's all going to melt down as you cook the burger.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54The secret centre of my burgers will be a cheese filling.
0:10:54 > 0:10:55Ooo, I recognise this one.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Sheep's cheese. Sticking with a sheepy theme?
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Exactly. It just seems right
0:11:00 > 0:11:02to put the sheep's cheese in with the lamb burger.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05This is quite a fruity, well-flavoured cheese
0:11:05 > 0:11:07- so you don't need too much of it. There you are.- OK.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12I'm going to put in three or four teaspoons of capers.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15I like a little bit of piquancy from the salty brine.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17- A little bit of what?- Piquancy.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19You know, a little bit of sharpness, a little bit of bite.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23That little spritz of excitement when you eat something.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Now I'm adding six to eight small gherkins.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Makes me nervous when you're chopping with that sharp knife
0:11:28 > 0:11:30- and not looking at what you're doing.- Does it?
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Don't want minced Nigel's fingers in my lamb burger.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38And now my little secret ingredient.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Anchovies. I mean, do you like anchovies?
0:11:40 > 0:11:43I do. I love them. On a pizza. I'm not sure about them in a burger.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46The wonderful thing about using anchovies as a seasoning
0:11:46 > 0:11:48is nobody knows they're there.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51They melt down. And they add a deep savour to the meat
0:11:51 > 0:11:53without even remotely being fishy.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55So give this a really good mix.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- That's the fun bit. - I know, I know, I know.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02You know you could do this with a spoon,
0:12:02 > 0:12:03but it's much better to do it with your hands.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07It's more efficient and food feels good.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09So, what do you want me to do with this cheese?
0:12:09 > 0:12:14If you roll that into little balls about the size of a gobstopper.
0:12:14 > 0:12:15Then where do you want it?
0:12:15 > 0:12:18- If you pop your cheese into there. - In the middle?- Yep.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23- Cheeseburger with a difference. - Exactly. And that's the joy of it.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25All of the ingredients
0:12:25 > 0:12:28that you would have as an accompaniment are in the burger.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31'I'm going to bake my lamb burgers.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34'But to give them some colour, I'm searing them first.'
0:12:34 > 0:12:36They should sizzle the minute they hit the pan.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42The fat in that burger is going to baste it, exactly like a sausage.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44How long will they be in the oven for?
0:12:44 > 0:12:46About 20-30 minutes.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48- OK. See you then. - Yep. See you later.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Now, they're really quite thick
0:12:52 > 0:12:55and I want to cook the lamb right through to that delicious cheese.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59So from now on, it's in the oven for about 30 minutes at 180.
0:13:12 > 0:13:13Nigel?
0:13:13 > 0:13:17Funny how you always turn up at the right moment, isn't it?
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Got some hungry farm boys here.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24I'm not going to give you ketchup because I've got something much better.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27I've got all the meat and cheese juices.
0:13:28 > 0:13:29Look at that!
0:13:32 > 0:13:34- Here's your burger. - Thanks very much.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36It's going to make a mess.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Oh, it's dribbling everywhere!
0:13:38 > 0:13:40- You said you'd get it down your shirt.- Mm-hm.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43The best food is always messy. Always messy.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47- Now, then, Cookie, where's mine? - It's not a drive-through, you know.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50That is one serious lamb burger.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55DOG WHINES
0:13:55 > 0:13:56# We're busy doing nothing
0:13:56 > 0:13:59# Working the whole day through
0:13:59 > 0:14:03# Trying to find lots of things not to do
0:14:03 > 0:14:07# We're busy going nowhere Isn't it just a crime?
0:14:07 > 0:14:13# We'd like to be unhappy but we never do have the time. #
0:14:14 > 0:14:18Top of our list of favourite foods is fresh vegetables.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21And spring is the season to eat asparagus,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23tender spinach and rocket.
0:14:25 > 0:14:26In the farm garden,
0:14:26 > 0:14:30the nation's favourite vegetable is ready for picking.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33We spend more on spuds than any other veg,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37eating 500 each every single year.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39But there's one type of potato
0:14:39 > 0:14:42that's only available for a few months each year.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45And it can only be grown in one place.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51For many of us in Britain, the arrival of spring
0:14:51 > 0:14:55is heralded by this, the Jersey Royal.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59It might not look much, but this is one of our most celebrated foods,
0:14:59 > 0:15:01despite its very short season.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06I've come to Jersey to find out what makes these little gems so special
0:15:06 > 0:15:10and why they command such a high price.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14The season for these is very, very short. Why so short?
0:15:14 > 0:15:17I mean, can't we just store them like ordinary main crop potatoes?
0:15:17 > 0:15:19No. Because they're a fresh potato,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21it's very soft, tender.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24It's got to be picked at the right time
0:15:24 > 0:15:26and sold at the right time, as well.
0:15:26 > 0:15:2712 weeks and that's it.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30And then after that, the freshness is gone.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32So, where does the flavour come from?
0:15:32 > 0:15:35It's the soil we've got in Jersey. It's a very sandy loam.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38They just thrive in that, the Jersey Royals,
0:15:38 > 0:15:39and it just gives them that extra taste.
0:15:39 > 0:15:45Almost a third of the island is devoted to growing the Jersey Royal.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48But the first, sweet little potatoes of the season
0:15:48 > 0:15:50come from steep slopes like this
0:15:50 > 0:15:52that are almost constantly bathed in sunlight.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56These hills might create a great potato,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59but they make for a very tricky harvest.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03The entire crop must be painstakingly hand-picked.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06You get used to walking up and down after a while.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Wow! Just look at these. Like buried treasure.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11Look at them, they're so beautiful!
0:16:11 > 0:16:14And all this harvesting is done by hand? There's no machines involved?
0:16:14 > 0:16:18Yep. It's labour and land that cost the money over here.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20But the product at the end of the day is worth it.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23The Jersey Royal is the only British vegetable
0:16:23 > 0:16:26to have been granted a protected origin status.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28So just like Champagne,
0:16:28 > 0:16:32no-one else in the world can lay claim to the Jersey Royal name.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34You know, suddenly all is clear.
0:16:34 > 0:16:39I can understand why these little potatoes cost more.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42The love and the work that goes into producing them.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44I just cannot wait to get them into the pot.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Didier's wife Christine has cooked some for lunch.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51She's simply boiled a few and sauteed the rest in butter.
0:16:53 > 0:16:54They both look delicious!
0:16:56 > 0:16:58- Nice?- Good?
0:16:58 > 0:17:01See, that's what I want a potato to taste like.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03It's earthy and it's nutty.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06And it tastes like spuds did when I was a kid.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09And that's the point, isn't it?
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Eating fresh foods in season just as our parents did.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16They were seasonal eaters because there was no other choice.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21We have gluts of fruit during the summer and autumn
0:17:21 > 0:17:25and yet around Christmas time, we have to pay scarcity prices.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28Couldn't something be done to even supplies out a little?
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Her wish has been granted.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Today, the average supermarket
0:17:33 > 0:17:37offers food from all four seasons all year round.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42And that's largely thanks to one thing, imports.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Tomatoes are number two on our list of favourite vegetables.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51Yes, I know technically they're a fruit, but we use them as vegetable.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55Anyway, our climate isn't hot enough to grow them all year round
0:17:55 > 0:17:57and we import a whopping 80%.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03As a cook, it's nice to have all this choice,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05but when tomatoes are in season,
0:18:05 > 0:18:07I think nothing tastes like home-grown.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11Most commercial tomatoes are grown to look perfect.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Red, round, six to the pound.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17But I don't think they're very interesting to eat.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20It's as if they've had all their character bred out of them.
0:18:20 > 0:18:21And that's because they're pampered.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Too much food, too much water.
0:18:24 > 0:18:25They're just looked after too well.
0:18:27 > 0:18:32In fact, I have a theory that a really good tomato can be had
0:18:32 > 0:18:34if you treat it rough.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37So to prove my point,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40I'm going to move one of my plants out of the greenhouse.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44I'm going to dig him out and give him a new life outside.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48No longer the pampered life,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50being fed and watered every five minutes.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54We'll see what the weather throws at it and how it fares.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58There you are. Sink or swim.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02Well, I hope Nigel's tomatoes have better weather
0:19:02 > 0:19:05than our other crops have had so far.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08We're just coming out of the two worst farming seasons
0:19:08 > 0:19:09that I can remember.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12We had an incredibly wet autumn
0:19:12 > 0:19:15and then the coldest spring in 50 years.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Wheat crops across the country have been really suffering.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Thankfully, our little acreage of spring wheat is doing rather well.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27So fingers crossed, Nigel should get his harvest loaf after all.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32# In the summertime when the weather is high
0:19:32 > 0:19:35# You can stretch right up and touch the sky
0:19:35 > 0:19:37# When the weather's fine
0:19:37 > 0:19:40# You got women you got women on your mind... #
0:19:41 > 0:19:45Summer treats include broad beans and peas in the pod.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47But nothing says summer's arrived
0:19:47 > 0:19:50more than the sweet taste of fresh red fruits.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55For me, it's definitely got to be strawberries, raspberries.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57My favourite fruit is cherries.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01My favourite food here is strawberries.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Our absolute favourite summer fruit is the strawberry.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12We eat a mammoth 240 million punnets of them every year.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14But this hasn't always been the way.
0:20:14 > 0:20:1650 years ago, the great British strawberry
0:20:16 > 0:20:20was outsold by this, the cherry.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24Cherry orchards once covered the landscape of Kent.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27But it took a huge labour force to pick the trees
0:20:27 > 0:20:29that were up to 80-foot high.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32And they couldn't be protected from bad weather and hungry birds.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38So in the decades following WWII,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41land was given over to easier, more profitable crops
0:20:41 > 0:20:44and 90% of our cherry orchards disappeared.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51But today, the lovely British cherries are making a comeback.
0:20:51 > 0:20:52And it's all thanks to science.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56How have you managed to get these small trees?
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Because the cherry tree I've got at home is 30 foot high.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03The biggest development was the dwarfing root stock,
0:21:03 > 0:21:07meaning that it will only grow to 10 to 12 foot high.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09You can pick them from the ground, you don't have to go up a ladder?
0:21:09 > 0:21:13Absolutely. And the varieties crop a little bit heavier, as well.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15So you've got a smaller, more manageable tree,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18but you're producing virtually twice as much fruit, as well.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Absolutely. Correct.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23And the smaller the tree, the easier it is to protect.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26As you see, we grow now under a polytunnel.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Basically, it's for rain protection.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Because if cherries get a sniff of rain, they will start splitting.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Thanks to these innovations,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37the popularity of British cherries is rising again.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40But they're still a long way from being number one.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Because science has given an even bigger advantage to the strawberry.
0:21:47 > 0:21:5150 years ago, the British strawberry season lasted just six weeks.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Today, it's six months.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59So, Abi, how have you managed to get strawberries
0:21:59 > 0:22:01with such an extended season?
0:22:01 > 0:22:03The main way is through the breeding.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07Picking early lines that maybe haven't got very good fruit quality
0:22:07 > 0:22:10and matching it with something else that does to get a new variety.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12So, you're taking two strawberries
0:22:12 > 0:22:15and matchmaking to try and find the ultimate plant?
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Yeah. Basically, it is a bit like the Holy Grail.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22Of the 13,000 varieties in this field,
0:22:22 > 0:22:26only one will make it to the supermarket shelf.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28They've got a good shape. They're a bit seedy, a bit hairy.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31You have to be really fussy, don't you?
0:22:31 > 0:22:32You do, yeah.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34- No.- Reject.- No.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37OK. Nice sort of bright orange colour.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44- Mm! Quite nice.- Quite sweet. - Might be a winner.- OK.
0:22:44 > 0:22:45I can name it after you.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Thank you. Adam Henson strawberries.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52'It's thanks largely to this intensive breeding system
0:22:52 > 0:22:54'that we now have strawberries for half the year.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00'But there's an even stranger way to outwit the strawberry season.'
0:23:00 > 0:23:01So, what have we got here?
0:23:01 > 0:23:04So we've got frozen strawberry plants here.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07They don't look very alive, they don't look very impressive,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10but this is one of the ways that the growers are extending the seasons.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13They look like they're dead, but they should burst back into life?
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Well, yes. If you plant them out,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18they'll start to produce fruit in about two months' time.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21These could be perfect. We're having a harvest feast in September
0:23:21 > 0:23:25and Nigel has got strawberries in one of his recipes.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27- There you go. Present from us. - Can I take the whole lot?
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Yeah. There you go.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31- Thank you very much indeed. - That's OK.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Now, then, Nigel, I've got a little present for you.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Hello, sir. What's that, then?
0:23:50 > 0:23:51What have you got, then?
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Oh. Thanks.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58These are strawberry plants and they've been frozen.
0:23:58 > 0:23:59And I've been assured
0:23:59 > 0:24:03that if you look after them and plant them out now,
0:24:03 > 0:24:07they'll produce fruit in time for our harvest feast.
0:24:07 > 0:24:0960 days from frozen plant to fruit.
0:24:11 > 0:24:12It looks like compost.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16They do take a bit of looking after, so I'll leave them in your capable green fingers.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19I think you're expecting a bit much, mate.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23I'm really not sure about this.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27There's something I look forward to so much
0:24:27 > 0:24:30about strawberries at the right time of year
0:24:30 > 0:24:34that I'm not entirely convinced I want to extend the season.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36I'm not sure they're going to taste the same.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42I don't know. We'll see.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45I think you need more than tender loving care, I think you need a miracle.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51'Those frozen plants are a long way off giving me any fruit.
0:24:51 > 0:24:52'But in the greenhouse,
0:24:52 > 0:24:56'some of my in-season strawberries are ready for picking.'
0:24:56 > 0:25:00And I know exactly what I'm going to do with these.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Summer fruits, they're the biggest treat of all.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09When I was a kid, it was either a bowl of strawberries,
0:25:09 > 0:25:11a bag of cherries or my mum's jam sandwiches.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14They give me the inspiration for all sorts of things,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16including bread and butter pudding.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19And this is my version. This is lovely fresh bread.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22You could use something that was slightly staler if you want.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26'We throw away 24-million slices of bread every day,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29'so this is a great way to use it up.'
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Now, most of my favourite puddings have got butter in them somewhere.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36With this one, it's actually a major part of the ingredients.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38I'm going to spread this really thickly.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43'I'm replacing the custard you'd get in a traditional bread and butter pudding
0:25:43 > 0:25:45'with a lovely cherry jam.'
0:25:46 > 0:25:49I'm using this because it's not too sweet
0:25:49 > 0:25:50and it's got a beautiful colour.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53'I'm adding an equal amount of water
0:25:53 > 0:25:57'and gently heating it with the jam to form a syrup
0:25:57 > 0:26:01'before laying the bread slices into the baking tin.'
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Now, you can do this really neatly and take lots of time over it,
0:26:04 > 0:26:08but I think it's more fun just to jumble them in.
0:26:12 > 0:26:13So squish that right down
0:26:13 > 0:26:18so that the bread drinks up all the cherry syrup and melted butter.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21And then a little scattering of Demerara.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24'That's all there is to it.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27'Just into the oven at 200 degrees for about half an hour.'
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Morning.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39So that's crisp round the edges, still soft inside.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43And all that bread has soaked up the cherries and the butter.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47'Now it's time for my beautiful summer fruits.'
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Now, there's good cherries and there's the best cherries.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54The best ones have got green stalks. It just means they're fresher.
0:26:57 > 0:26:58I love a strawberry.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Now, I don't wash strawberries,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04but if you do, it's best to wash them with the leaves in
0:27:04 > 0:27:07and very, very quickly because they soak up a lot of water.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Cream and summer fruits were made for one another.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15'I'm adding a couple of drops of vanilla extract.'
0:27:15 > 0:27:18And then I'm going to softly whip it.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22That is as far as I'm taking it.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34This is the very essence of summer.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39These are some little flowers from some fennel in the garden.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Just a bit of fun.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45So that's inspired by my mum's jam sandwiches.
0:27:49 > 0:27:50Come on!
0:27:50 > 0:27:53It's lunchtime at the farm.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57- They're very friendly when there's food about.- They'll expect it all the time.
0:27:57 > 0:27:58You go for it, girl!
0:27:58 > 0:28:01# Look for the bare necessities
0:28:01 > 0:28:04# The simple bare necessities
0:28:04 > 0:28:08# Forget about your worries and your strife
0:28:08 > 0:28:11# I mean the bare necessities
0:28:11 > 0:28:13# Old Mother Nature's recipes
0:28:13 > 0:28:17# That brings the bare necessities of life. #
0:28:19 > 0:28:22That's the animals sorted, but what about me?
0:28:22 > 0:28:24It's all very well when Nigel's here
0:28:24 > 0:28:26cooking up something delicious for me to tuck into,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28but when he's not, I've got to fend for myself.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31So I've a secret stash of tins here. But I'm not alone.
0:28:31 > 0:28:3699% of us keep canned food in our kitchen cupboards.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40The invention of canning was a revolution in food preservation,
0:28:40 > 0:28:46letting us blur the seasons and have the food we wanted all year round.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Today, we get through a can a week each.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51That's three billion every year.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Our favourites are soup, beans,
0:28:56 > 0:28:58tomatoes and tuna.
0:28:58 > 0:29:03A mammoth 97% of all the tuna we eat comes out of a can.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05But the choice is bewildering.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08There's flakes, chunks, steaks,
0:29:08 > 0:29:11tuna in brine, in oil, in spring water.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Decisions, decisions.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16All I want is something for a quick snack. So, how do I choose?
0:29:18 > 0:29:21# I wish I was a fisherman... #
0:29:21 > 0:29:25I've come to London to the UK's biggest inland fish market.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31As a farmer, my instinct is always to go back to the animal itself.
0:29:31 > 0:29:3625,000 tonnes of fresh fish pass through this place every year.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39And I'm guessing that none of it is packed into one of these.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42But if anybody knows their fish, it's this lot.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44So, have you got any of this here somewhere?
0:29:44 > 0:29:46- Tuna? Yeah. John...? - Have you got any in tins?
0:29:46 > 0:29:48- No, no, no! - LAUGHTER
0:29:49 > 0:29:52- I ain't got a tin opener! - LAUGHTER
0:29:52 > 0:29:56Silla Bjerrum teaches fish-filleting skills
0:29:56 > 0:29:57at Billingsgate's own school.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59She's offered to show me the type of fish
0:29:59 > 0:30:02that nine out of ten tins of tuna come from.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05So, here, Adam, we've got a skipjack tuna for you.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08Goodness me - that's lovely, isn't it?
0:30:08 > 0:30:11Now, I know about butchering lambs and pigs and chickens -
0:30:11 > 0:30:13what's the difference in a tuna?
0:30:13 > 0:30:16What I can do is I can show you. I can cut it up and show you.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20It's a torpedo-shaped fish. It swims extremely fast.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23So it's all pure muscle in here. Divided into four loins.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27- Beautiful.- And that's obviously what you see inside a tinned tuna.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31- So really this is just one great big solid lump of meat?- Yes.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34There's no internal bones and that's probably one of the reasons
0:30:34 > 0:30:35why it's a good fish to can as well.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39This looks like a lovely piece of fish. I don't understand why
0:30:39 > 0:30:41we don't eat it for sushi or as steaks.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45It looks the part but I think it doesn't taste as good. Go for it.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50- It's horrible.- Oh, my God!
0:30:50 > 0:30:53'Apparently, the rancid taste is caused by the brine
0:30:53 > 0:30:59'the fish was preserved in when it was caught, but thankfully it gets
0:30:59 > 0:31:03'destroyed by the cooking process when canning tuna.'
0:31:03 > 0:31:06Don't eat it. In a tin only.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10So what's the difference between chunks and flakes in a tin?
0:31:10 > 0:31:13I think it's pretty much the same but you will have bigger chunks
0:31:13 > 0:31:16at the top of the loin and then more flaky bits at the bottom.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18So the quality is pretty much the same.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22The quality of the loin is pretty much the same throughout.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25'If the meat inside the cans of tuna is all the same,
0:31:25 > 0:31:27'why is there such a difference in cost?
0:31:28 > 0:31:31'I'm going to try and find out, with Nigel's help.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35'Though I'm pretty sure he's not a fan of the can.'
0:31:35 > 0:31:39Here we are. I thought it was about time I made you lunch again.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41And we're going to have some tinned tuna.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43Oh, you've really pushed the boat out, haven't you?
0:31:43 > 0:31:46But first off we're going to go for a taste test.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49I've got three different cans of tuna, all from one supermarket.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54Different price range - the cheapest is 49p, right through to £1.32.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58And I chose brine because more than 70% of us
0:31:58 > 0:32:01in this country choose to eat it in brine.
0:32:01 > 0:32:02So have a little taste,
0:32:02 > 0:32:06tell me which one you think is the cheapest and the most expensive.
0:32:06 > 0:32:07- Right. - So number one.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Hmmm - quite nice?
0:32:17 > 0:32:18Yeah.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29- Don't you like the smell? - No.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33There's no difference in flavour between 1 and 2.
0:32:34 > 0:32:362 is just meatier.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38- Try 3.- Do I have to?
0:32:40 > 0:32:44It's about texture. This one is not very nice in the mouth.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47It's kind of squishy.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50Mmm - quite wet, this one, isn't it?
0:32:50 > 0:32:54So the most expensive is number 2. That's steaks.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59Then at 86p we've got number 1, that's the chunks.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03And the cheap one at 49p is the flakes, so all the little bits
0:33:03 > 0:33:06that are left behind after they've jointed the rest up.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10The flavour to me is pretty much the same.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13The truth is, most of this would be eaten in a sandwich with
0:33:13 > 0:33:16some mayonnaise - you'd scrunch it up, so really
0:33:16 > 0:33:22I can't see the point in paying so much more for the expensive one.
0:33:22 > 0:33:27But of course, environmentally, that's what we're paying for.
0:33:27 > 0:33:32Ethical fishing. This expensive one, or the more expensive one
0:33:32 > 0:33:37is pole and line caught tuna, which is more sustainable.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41'If you want to buy sustainable, look out for the MSC label.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44'But a recent report claimed that "dolphin friendly" labels
0:33:44 > 0:33:47'can be irrelevant because dolphins
0:33:47 > 0:33:50'and skipjacks don't swim in the same waters.'
0:33:50 > 0:33:52How about an omelette?
0:33:52 > 0:33:55- I went to quite a lot of effort here! But omelettes sound good. - Yeah.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05Today it's time for my tomato test results.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07The plant I moved out of the greenhouse
0:34:07 > 0:34:10has been exposed to the elements for months.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16These here have been at the mercy of the British weather.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19They've had pouring, pouring rain, some very cold nights,
0:34:19 > 0:34:23blazing sunshine. They've had the lot.
0:34:23 > 0:34:28What I really want to know is how they taste.
0:34:28 > 0:34:29And more importantly,
0:34:29 > 0:34:33how their flavour compares to my pampered greenhouse tomatoes.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40Farmer Sarah and son Sam are my guinea pigs.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44Very sweet.
0:34:44 > 0:34:45Now have some of that one.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51So which one do you like best?
0:34:51 > 0:34:53Number one.
0:34:53 > 0:34:54Number one.
0:34:54 > 0:35:01- Why?- Definitely a bit sweeter, bit more substance to it.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03Definitely a tastier tomato.
0:35:03 > 0:35:08Well, that first tomato was the outdoor grown one. Told you.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12It was the one that had basically had a tougher time.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16And it wasn't pretty, it was a bit scarred, it had cracked,
0:35:16 > 0:35:20it certainly wouldn't have got into a supermarket, but I'm so pleased.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23It did actually taste better. YES!
0:35:23 > 0:35:26# You say ee-ther, I say eye-ther... #
0:35:26 > 0:35:29But whether they're outdoor or indoor,
0:35:29 > 0:35:31all our tomatoes are coming into season.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37I want to preserve them, so I can have a taste of summer
0:35:37 > 0:35:41once the weather turns cold, without relying on imports.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45# You like tomay-to and I like tomah-to... #
0:35:45 > 0:35:51I've got one batch of soup on the go, and I'm starting another.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55It's a great thing to cook in bulk when you've got a glut to use up.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58You know, as a nation we waste 15 million tonnes
0:35:58 > 0:36:01a year of the food that we buy.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04It's just crazy. Well, not me.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08What I want to do is to make enough soup that I can freeze it.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12It just means that when I come home - tired, hungry -
0:36:12 > 0:36:15I just get a bag of soup out of the freezer.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19And wham, supper's done.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22'Smoky bacon and red onion help transform this dish
0:36:22 > 0:36:25'into a main course.'
0:36:25 > 0:36:26It's kind of a soup stew.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30'Now for my hero.'
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Every tomato I can find now.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35None of these boys are going to waste.
0:36:35 > 0:36:41So this is the place for all those tomatoes that look a bit weird and craggy.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44The ones I've grown outside. The supermarket rejects.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51I want this to have a really smoky depth so I've got some smoked paprika here
0:36:51 > 0:36:55and I'm just going to sprinkle in a couple of teaspoons.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00'Now I'm adding water and seasoning.'
0:37:03 > 0:37:07Then - two or three of these. These are star anise.
0:37:07 > 0:37:13And what they add is a slight aniseed warmth that will really lift this.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17'I'm going to leave that to cook down for half an hour.
0:37:23 > 0:37:28'I want a chunky, filling soup so I'm adding some drained pinto beans. You could use any, really.'
0:37:31 > 0:37:33That needs a few minutes more.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37My first one is ready for freezing.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47So good.
0:37:47 > 0:37:48So good.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52'Each pot will give me six good-sized portions.'
0:37:54 > 0:37:56Supper's done for weeks.
0:37:58 > 0:37:59Now for my little ones.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04These are too sweet to make into a soup or a stew
0:38:04 > 0:38:06so I'm going to pickle them.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Now I've got some sterilized jars here.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15I've got a mixture here - lovely little red Gardener's Delight,
0:38:15 > 0:38:19little orange ones, yellow ones, couple of pear shaped.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21The brighter the better.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25'I'm adding fresh garlic cloves and some rosemary to each jar.'
0:38:25 > 0:38:27A little bit of oregano.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31This is golden oregano - it works really well with tomatoes.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33I think of it as the pizza herb.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39'A bayleaf, coriander seeds and some black peppercorns.'
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Now the pickling juice has come to the boil...
0:38:44 > 0:38:49'It's a simple mix of malt vinegar, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt.
0:38:51 > 0:38:56'I'm making sure there's no room for air before I seal the jars.'
0:38:56 > 0:38:58So I've got something for my store cupboard
0:38:58 > 0:39:01to have with a ploughman's lunch or a pork pie.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05And I've got something to give away.
0:39:05 > 0:39:06My pickled tomatoes.
0:39:16 > 0:39:22Our flock of lambs are now three to four months old and today is a big day.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25So what Simon wants done today is for these lambs to be weaned.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28So they're being weaned off their mother's milk.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30Which is a gradual thing, I thought. No?
0:39:30 > 0:39:33No. Instant. It's the beginning of independence, really.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35They're like teenagers leaving home.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39So the lambs will go one way and the ewes the other way and that's it.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42'But telling them apart is easier said than done.'
0:39:43 > 0:39:46And there's the black sheep of the family over there.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50- That'll be you, Nigel. - Thank you so much for that.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52- So we'll get into the pen, shall we?- Yeah.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Go on, sheep!
0:39:54 > 0:39:56I'll get the front ones going,
0:39:56 > 0:39:58Nigel, and then these other ones should follow.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01Yeah, I get the rear. Great(!)
0:40:01 > 0:40:03Go on... go on...
0:40:04 > 0:40:07go on... go on...
0:40:07 > 0:40:09I'm making a f... not very good job of this.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15Which is which? Cos I'm getting confused.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17Some of these are really quite big, Adam.
0:40:17 > 0:40:23- The ewes are generally the ones with the speckeledy faces. - Come on, ewe, and ewe.
0:40:23 > 0:40:24Lamb.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32And one last little lamb.
0:40:35 > 0:40:36Job's a good 'un.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38So it should be - lambs in here.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Ewes over there. One or two wrong ones, is there, Simon?
0:40:41 > 0:40:45- There's one or two. - The odd one. His. The odd one.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50- So these are all off to market soon? - Yes, some of them are ready now.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53And some others have got a little bit more growing to do
0:40:53 > 0:40:55so they'll be here for the next month or two.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57As long as they leave some for our harvest feast.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05But there's more to a meal than meat.
0:41:05 > 0:41:06The veg patch is in full flow.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10I've got cabbages, courgettes, Brussels sprouts,
0:41:10 > 0:41:14I've got squashes, runner beans, French beans, peas, the lot.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17But the thing I'm most excited about are these.
0:41:18 > 0:41:23They're the frozen strawberries that I didn't think would survive.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26The ones that Adam brought over. I didn't give them any hope.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30And yet - lots of new shoots. Beautiful leaves.
0:41:30 > 0:41:35And - some really lovely flowers. But flowers are one thing.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38Fruit for a feast for 30 is another thing altogether.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43To go with our lovely seasonal foods,
0:41:43 > 0:41:46I want to find a seasonal drink to serve at the feast.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51As a nation, our favourite alcoholic drink is beer.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55We drink 21 million pints of it a day.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01In all its glorious varieties.
0:42:01 > 0:42:07And here in Kent, they're making one that is a truly seasonal tipple.
0:42:07 > 0:42:08It's green-hop ale.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10And unlike most beers,
0:42:10 > 0:42:13it's made with fresh hops rather than dried and it can only be made
0:42:13 > 0:42:15during the four-week hop harvest,
0:42:15 > 0:42:18which is happening all over Kent, right now.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21Just as it has done for hundreds of years.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26Picking this many hops over such a short period requires
0:42:26 > 0:42:28an army of temporary workers.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33Before the war, hundreds of families from all over London would
0:42:33 > 0:42:35join the harvest for a working holiday.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40But where does the flavour lie in this precious crop?
0:42:40 > 0:42:43They're very beautiful things to look at.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46But which bit do we actually use in making the beer?
0:42:46 > 0:42:48OK, if we break one of these down.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51The petals and seeds, which I'm throwing away,
0:42:51 > 0:42:54aren't actually used in the brewing process.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57But then we come down to these little globules on the end...
0:42:57 > 0:43:00- I had no idea. - ..which hold the essential oils
0:43:00 > 0:43:02and the flavour is in the essential oils.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08Yeah. It's grassy and it's fruity and spicy.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12Well, these look like two nice ones for you to use.
0:43:12 > 0:43:16- Whoa!- We'll just pull them down
0:43:16 > 0:43:21and there's two beautiful hops for you to brew with.
0:43:21 > 0:43:26Amazing. Thank you! Brilliant.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28Can't wait to get this lot in a glass!
0:43:28 > 0:43:31So I'm headed to Britain's oldest brewery.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34You know, you can smell the malt and the hops in the air.
0:43:34 > 0:43:36There's a real sense of history here.
0:43:36 > 0:43:40They've been brewing beer on these premises since the 16th century.
0:43:40 > 0:43:45Then, beer was safer to drink than water.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47To get my seasonal brew underway,
0:43:47 > 0:43:49the fresh hops need to be picked from the vine.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51Here you are, Sir.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54Thank you, Nigel. Pop 'em down here.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57So what, apart from these, actually goes into beer?
0:43:57 > 0:44:01Well, beer is very, very simple. There's four ingredients.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03That's all you need to make beer.
0:44:03 > 0:44:09We have water, malted barley, yeast and hops. All natural ingredients.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11So how come different beers have different flavours, then?
0:44:11 > 0:44:15Well, it's varying those ingredients.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18Hops are a bit like sort of herbs and spices that you would use.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21- OK.- Normally we would use hops in a dried state
0:44:21 > 0:44:24and they'd be something like this and the difference with this beer
0:44:24 > 0:44:27we're brewing today, with it being a green hop ale,
0:44:27 > 0:44:31is that you get a really fresh hop aroma that comes through.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34'Malt and water are boiled together to release sugars,
0:44:34 > 0:44:39'forming a sweet, sticky liquid which is the basis of our beer.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42'My green hops are the final touch.'
0:44:42 > 0:44:46- What we're adding here is a top note, isn't it?- It is.
0:44:46 > 0:44:47When you're drinking this beer,
0:44:47 > 0:44:49as you raise the glass up and then inhale,
0:44:49 > 0:44:53you'll get that lovely fresh green hop note coming through.
0:44:53 > 0:44:57Now we're just going to leave it to ferment and with a bit of luck
0:44:57 > 0:45:00it'll be ready just in time for our harvest feast.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06So that's the drinks sorted - now it's back to our main course.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10It's time to say goodbye to the first 20 of our flock.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13These ones we're selecting now for market.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17They'll be in the shops middle of next week for people to go and buy.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23Lambs make up over a quarter of the farm's income
0:45:23 > 0:45:25so it's crucial they fetch a good price.
0:45:29 > 0:45:31The buyers range from the local butcher to some of the UK's
0:45:31 > 0:45:33biggest supermarkets
0:45:33 > 0:45:36and they're all looking for the same thing.
0:45:36 > 0:45:38A good weight but without too much fat.
0:45:40 > 0:45:42AUCTIONEER SPEAKS QUICKLY
0:45:55 > 0:45:57Hi, Si. So how did they get on?
0:45:57 > 0:45:59What sort of price were they making?
0:45:59 > 0:46:01Sold well. Better than I expected.
0:46:01 > 0:46:05And do you think all that snow in the spring has affected price?
0:46:05 > 0:46:12Yes, I think so. There wasn't so many lambs around so it should hopefully keep the price up.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14Righto - I'll leave you to it.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21It's the busiest time of year on the farm.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23Even Nigel's come out of the kitchen to bring in the wheat,
0:46:23 > 0:46:25with a little help from Bonnie.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32You know, as a cook, I bake bread all the time,
0:46:32 > 0:46:37but it's amazing to see the main ingredient go from seed to grain to harvest.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42I'm getting the hang of this farming lark.
0:46:42 > 0:46:43I'll find you a summer job.
0:46:48 > 0:46:49This is great.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52This is better than buying a bag of flour.
0:46:52 > 0:46:54This is much more exciting!
0:46:58 > 0:47:02I've come back to Shipton Mill where our wheat is being ground,
0:47:02 > 0:47:05sieved and transformed into flour.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11So this is our bread flour. With wonderful traceability.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14We've seen it planted, grown, harvested,
0:47:14 > 0:47:17milled and hopefully soon made into lovely bread.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27So I'm expecting you to do something magical with it.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31Well, you know, I think the best way to test flour is with a simple loaf.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34# He likes bread and butter... #
0:47:34 > 0:47:36And it couldn't be easier.
0:47:36 > 0:47:41For my plain white loaf, I'm mixing flour, salt, yeast and water.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46I'm going to put some flour on the board.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48And you're going to knead it in.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51It's great having our name on here, isn't it?
0:47:51 > 0:47:54Yes. Nigel and Adam's.
0:47:54 > 0:47:56Should be Adam's and Nigel's. But there you go.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02The important thing with kneading is not to be too rough.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05You know you see people slamming the dough down. No.
0:48:05 > 0:48:09You treat any food like that and it's going to bite back.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12It's quite good fun, isn't it? Quite therapeutic.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15I can start to smell the dough. It's lovely.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18You know there's something happening in there. You know it's alive.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20- Well, there's a lot of love gone into growing it.- Yeah.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23- And you did a wonderful job of harvesting it.- Thank you.
0:48:23 > 0:48:27Shall I come back when it's ready to come out of the oven?
0:48:27 > 0:48:28Yeah, you usually do.
0:48:28 > 0:48:29Bit of tasting later. See ya!
0:48:32 > 0:48:34'Now the dough needs to be left somewhere warm
0:48:34 > 0:48:35'to prove for around an hour.'
0:48:37 > 0:48:39Bread is number eight on our list
0:48:39 > 0:48:43of favourite foods and we get through 12 million loaves every day.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47But to give us the bouncy, long-lasting bread we love,
0:48:47 > 0:48:51the average supermarket loaf can have up to a dozen different
0:48:51 > 0:48:54ingredients, including additives and enzymes.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57'My version is all natural.'
0:48:57 > 0:48:59Look at that -
0:48:59 > 0:49:02and once you've got the dough in this stage,
0:49:02 > 0:49:05the world is your oyster - you can do anything you want with it.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09So I'm just going to punch it a little bit.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11Just gently to get rid of some of the air.
0:49:11 > 0:49:15And then into a non-stick loaf tin.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18Push it gently right into the corners.
0:49:18 > 0:49:20'Again, I'm leaving it somewhere warm
0:49:20 > 0:49:23'until it rises enough to fill the tin.'
0:49:23 > 0:49:26Now, with the rest of the dough we can have a little bit of fun.
0:49:29 > 0:49:33I love the idea of having a roll all to myself.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35Could flavour this with all sorts of things.
0:49:35 > 0:49:36But I've decided on rosemary
0:49:36 > 0:49:40because what else is going in here is some goat's cheese.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43They work beautifully together.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46The mixture will slowly melt through the rolls as they bake.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50If these work as well as I hope they're going to,
0:49:50 > 0:49:53they'll be perfect for our harvest supper.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55'I leave everything to prove,
0:49:55 > 0:49:58'before baking in a hot oven for half an hour.'
0:50:02 > 0:50:04Right on cue.
0:50:05 > 0:50:09- Warm bread - that smell is just delightful.- Good, eh? - Good rolls too.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12- Yes. Do you want a taste? - Yes.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18Oh, the crunch. This is our bread!
0:50:18 > 0:50:19Our bread, our flour.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25Mmmm...
0:50:26 > 0:50:28That is really good, isn't it?
0:50:28 > 0:50:31- Do you like that little bit of goat's cheese? - I do. So what about the loaf?
0:50:36 > 0:50:37Oh, look!
0:50:39 > 0:50:41That is what I want my loaf to look like inside.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44Look at that crust as well. Just beautiful.
0:50:44 > 0:50:45Give us a bit.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55Harvest is in full swing across the country.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58It's all hands on deck as crops are brought in
0:50:58 > 0:51:03and surplus foods are stored for the winter - for us and our four-legged friends.
0:51:04 > 0:51:07Autumn treats like chestnuts, blackberries
0:51:07 > 0:51:10and sweet British apples are ripe for the picking.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24Now, traditionally at this time of year, the farming community
0:51:24 > 0:51:28come together to celebrate harvest and have a bit of a knees-up,
0:51:28 > 0:51:30and to thank all those who have helped to bring it in.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33'So we're hosting our own seasonal feast.'
0:51:34 > 0:51:40Nigel's green hop ale has arrived, Meg's in charge of seating
0:51:40 > 0:51:44and Sarah has helped transform our very own wheat into a harvest loaf.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48And I want to do something with our lambs.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52So, I'm using a very economical cut which is the breast of lamb,
0:51:52 > 0:51:54or as I like to call it, the lamb belly.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59So I've scored almost to the chopping board,
0:51:59 > 0:52:02so the seasoning is going to go right down, through the score marks
0:52:02 > 0:52:05and it will flavour the lamb as it cooks.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08But for once, I'm not the one doing the cooking...
0:52:09 > 0:52:12I've asked Adam to find his inner caveman.
0:52:12 > 0:52:17There's something very satisfying about lighting barbecues.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20Get this nice and hot. Then we can put the lamb bellies on.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25So I told Adam that I'm going to be doing all the prep.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28That means making a coarse rub.
0:52:28 > 0:52:33So thinking of flavours that go with lamb, I'm starting with rosemary.
0:52:33 > 0:52:38Then I'm adding fennel seeds, garlic salt,
0:52:38 > 0:52:41mustard seeds and celery salt.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44I want this to stick to the lamb as it cooks
0:52:44 > 0:52:47so I'm just going to put a little bit of oil in there,
0:52:47 > 0:52:51mix the herbs and spices to this nice slushy paste.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55And that will season the lamb.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58Before they head out to the barbecue, I'm going to sear the lamb bellies
0:52:58 > 0:53:01on griddle pans, to seal all the flavour in.
0:53:01 > 0:53:05I think one of the reasons this isn't a more popular cut is
0:53:05 > 0:53:06because it looks fatty.
0:53:06 > 0:53:09We're going to use that fat.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13As it cooks, the fat will melt and it will mix with the spice rub
0:53:13 > 0:53:16and we'll have deliciously moist and seasoned lamb.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21Oh - look at that! Isn't that beautiful?
0:53:21 > 0:53:25That's exactly how I wanted it to be - really quite brown.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28Now this is a big feast, I've got a lot to do.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32So I'm going to get a little bit of a lamb production line going.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35'Each lamb belly will feed three to four people
0:53:35 > 0:53:38'so it works out at less than a pound a portion.'
0:53:38 > 0:53:42Hello, darling. We're going to give you something, I promise.
0:53:42 > 0:53:43We're not going to tease you.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46But you might have to talk to the ginger one.
0:53:46 > 0:53:50Ah, Mr Slater. The barbecues are nice and hot, ready for cooking.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53- Wonderful.- A present. There you are, Mr Barbecue.
0:53:53 > 0:53:57'The lamb needs to slow cook for an hour and a half
0:53:57 > 0:53:59'to send smoky notes right the way through.'
0:54:00 > 0:54:05- Marvellous. Now while you're here your green hop ale has arrived. - Brilliant.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07'Time for a sneaky taster.'
0:54:09 > 0:54:11Mmm - zesty, lovely.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14Wow! Clean tasting, fresh.
0:54:14 > 0:54:19I think all these farmers are going to tuck into this. Lovely!
0:54:19 > 0:54:20If I don't get there first.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25'But there's no time for drinking.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27'Our guests have started to arrive
0:54:27 > 0:54:30'and I've got roast potatoes for 30 to prepare.'
0:54:34 > 0:54:37- How's the season been for you? - It is pretty full-on.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39But at least we have got fruit to sell this year
0:54:39 > 0:54:41whereas last year, we had virtually nothing, really.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44We still haven't finished. That's where he is now.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46So he can't come to the party?
0:54:46 > 0:54:48No, unfortunately!
0:54:48 > 0:54:50Do you think people have lost touch with the seasons
0:54:50 > 0:54:52and where their food comes from?
0:54:52 > 0:54:55Whatever you want, you can have now.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57And I think that's where we're spoiled.
0:55:00 > 0:55:04'My potatoes from the vegetable garden are browning nicely.
0:55:04 > 0:55:09'To give them some crunch I'm putting in skinned, whole hazelnuts.'
0:55:09 > 0:55:10So hazelnuts in.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13Now I'm going to add a very big lump of butter.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18And actually let it almost burn.
0:55:18 > 0:55:22You get the most delicious nutty flavour.
0:55:22 > 0:55:27And that goes in the oven at 150 to cook very slowly.
0:55:27 > 0:55:32I want something fresh and crisp to go with that delicious juicy lamb.
0:55:32 > 0:55:36'I'm making a coleslaw out of shredded fennel, red cabbage
0:55:36 > 0:55:39'and our own beetroot and spring onion.
0:55:40 > 0:55:44'Adding soured cream and nigella seeds for a fresh-tasting dressing.'
0:55:49 > 0:55:50There we are.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54Time to check on the lamb.
0:55:54 > 0:55:59Look at those. Look at all the juice in there as well.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01Adam, that is gorgeous.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03This is slicing so tenderly.
0:56:03 > 0:56:04It is, isn't it?
0:56:06 > 0:56:09Lamb from our own little flock, just over there, on to the table,
0:56:09 > 0:56:11just over there.
0:56:12 > 0:56:14Here we are, people.
0:56:14 > 0:56:16OK, ladies.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26What about lamb belly? Is it something you would usually eat?
0:56:26 > 0:56:27Never had it before.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29- Really? You like it? - Yeah, very nice.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33Lamb - fantastic. The whole meal was faultless.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36It's really good. And you can see I'm still tucking in.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41Lots of very happy farmers. And they're being well fed.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44Our meat, our vegetables,
0:56:44 > 0:56:46wheat off the field for the bread.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49- Our own potatoes. - Fantastic, isn't it?
0:56:49 > 0:56:52And I've got one more trick up my sleeve. Come and have a look.
0:56:52 > 0:56:56Do you remember those crusty, dried-up frozen strawberries you gave me?
0:56:59 > 0:57:02They look lovely! They're not the same plants - are they really?
0:57:02 > 0:57:03I promise you.
0:57:03 > 0:57:07I did wonder whether they'd ever grow. It's your green fingers. Beautiful.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09But the real test is what they taste like.
0:57:09 > 0:57:10Yeah.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20Mmm - they're really juicy and they're full of flavour.
0:57:20 > 0:57:22That is really, really good.
0:57:24 > 0:57:26I'm a firm believer in eating foods in season,
0:57:26 > 0:57:30but I have to admit these strawberries taste great
0:57:30 > 0:57:34and they're the perfect accompaniment for my bread and butter pudding.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37Ooh - don't squash my flower.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42Who'd have thought it? Strawberries in late September.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45Hope it's worth the wait.
0:57:45 > 0:57:46- Thank you very much.- Thank you!
0:57:52 > 0:57:54A feast fit for farmers.
0:57:54 > 0:57:58Here's looking forward to another successful harvest next year.
0:57:58 > 0:58:00I think we should be very proud of ourselves.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03I know. And they really seem to be enjoying themselves.
0:58:03 > 0:58:07I was wondering if it's maybe because they know the hard work that goes into producing the food.
0:58:07 > 0:58:11- They're enjoying your beer. - Yes, where is our beer, Adam?
0:58:11 > 0:58:13Might not be any left.
0:58:17 > 0:58:19Next week - on the menu, chicken.
0:58:20 > 0:58:23I'll be showing Nigel what to look for in a bird.
0:58:23 > 0:58:26This one is the Sumo wrestler of the chicken world.
0:58:26 > 0:58:30Adam's managed to grown durum wheat, but how will rice - yes, rice -
0:58:30 > 0:58:33fare in the Cotswold climate?
0:58:33 > 0:58:35And given you like your takeaways so much,
0:58:35 > 0:58:38I'll be spicing it up at the farm
0:58:38 > 0:58:39so you can cook them at home.
0:58:40 > 0:58:43Well, all Nigel's recipes are available on our website
0:58:43 > 0:58:45so get cooking.