Showing posts with label sausages. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sausages. Show all posts

Tuesday, 20 May 2014

Wellbeing Farm - much more than just a venue.













Set in stunning upland Lancashire countryside the Wellbeing Farm is a must visit for anyone interested in food and where it comes from field to fork really means something here. Or you can just generally chill out and get back in touch with yourself. With amazing 180 degree views means that on a good day you can see the Welsh hills and the Wirral. This thoughtfully converted farmstead is a location for a wide variety of activities and events. Whether its llama trekking or sausage making, the Wellbeing Farm has the course for you.



On a warm late spring evening Mr LF and I ventured to pastures new for our Sausage making experience, on driving up to the farm we were gobsmacked (the only word for it !) with the views, rolling moorland with vistas as far as the eye could see.

This unique venue hosts corporate wellbeing events, private events and educational visits during the week and at weekend is open to the public. They are also hosting their first "rustic" barn style wedding in a few weeks time complete with hay bales to sit on.

                                

The calming rustically decorated buildings immediately put you at ease and the farm's environmentally credentials are second to none, evidenced by the large wind turbine on a nearby rise which powers the farm. They proudly source local produce and have a true commitment to sustainability.




























The welcome was warm and genuine as we entered the lovely licensed cafe / bistro which hosts regular gourmet evenings and we were pleased to note lots of local produce which even stretched to a good range of local beers. Whilst awaiting the arrival of all the attendees (10 in our case for the evenings sausage making event) we took the opportunity to shoots a few images so you can get the feel for the Wellbeing Farm.




Outside you can make friends with the farm's llamas or pop into the poly tunnel to grab some fresh herbs or salads for your cookery experience. The sheep in the field are raised by the farm and in season are used for the butchery courses, the farm also has resident pigs, chickens and quails amongst other animals.

                                 

So on with the sausage show ! First we had to hand mix the sausage meat and rusk with a secret blend of herbs and spices. With a bit of friendly persuasion everybody started to relax and embrace squishing the mixture. (Due to needing a Gluten free diet they also kindly mixed up a special batch just for me)



Now it was time to load the filling machine and get ready to fill the natural skins.






Loading the skins on to the filling machine


        



Filling the sausage



Tying the sausage , this was the difficult bit ! But Lee made this look very easy

                                               


Ta dah ! Sausages

                                                   



The finished product ready for cooking

                                                      


All this sausage making was hungry work and afterwards we enjoyed a BBQ of our creations with that awesome view for company.

                                            

Thanks to all the team at the Wellbeing Farm for a really enjoyable informative evening in a lovely environment. So check out their website and plan your visit soon and enjoy the full Wellbeing experience. They work in close partnership with Whiteheads Butchers in the local village for their butchery experiences.



Our experience was provided on a complementary basis however I was not required to write a positive review, all comments, views and opinions are my own.

Tuesday, 25 June 2013

Baked sausages and sweet baby tomatoes

Who doesn't like sausages ? I love this dish as its one of those which you can pull together in a few minutes and then bung in the oven for an hour or so whilst you do something else, yet the results taste like you have been slaving our a hot stove for hours. The other great thing is if you have any leftovers (unlikely but you never know) is its fab served with pasta the next day. Loosely based on a JO recipe this is a great italian style family friendly dish.




You will need

  • Quality sausages (high meat content ) - ask your local butcher
  • Small cherry tomatoes / cherry plum or similar
  • 2 garlic cloves - peeled and finely chopped
  • Selection of fresh garden herbs (bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, oregano in my case)
  • Olive oil
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Oven proof dish of appropriate size
What you do
  • Place the sausages, tomatoes in your ovenproof dish, sprinkle with the herbs and garlic and tuck in the bay leaves and rosemary, drizzle with oil and balsamic vinegar and a little black pepper
  • Bake in a preheat oven at 180c for approx 45 minutes until the sausages are cooked and the tomatoes  soft and a little caramalised
  • Serve with your choice of chunks of bread, mashed potato, pasta or in our case potato wedges.


We had this dish served with sumac potato wedges and rocket salad



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