< Previousspecials January © stock.adobe.com/chandlervid85 40 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY FOOD & DINING Serves 2 You’ll need: 1 small sweet potato, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces Handful of cauliflower florets, approx 150g 1 carrot, peeled and sliced into 2cm disks 1tbsp oil 100g quinoa 1 avocado 4 brussel sprouts 1tbsp pumpkin seeds For the dressing : ½ clove garlic, grated ½ cm ginger, grated ½ tsp miso paste ½ tsp soy sauce 1tbsp Meridian Peanut Butter with Seeds What to do: Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Put the sweet potato, cauliflower and carrot in a large roasting tray, drizzle with the oil and season well. Roast in the hot oven for 30 minutes, shaking the tray halfway through to shuffle the veg. While the veg is cooking put the quinoa in a saucepan with double the depth of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. When the quinoa is cooked drain any remaining water. Make the dressing by mixing together all of the ingredients with 3tbsp hot water until smooth. Slice the avocado, finely shred the sprouts and toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan. In two large deep bowls, build the dish in sections, piling the roast veg in one side then add a mound of quinoa, some slices of avocado and pile of sprouts. Scatter over the toasted seeds and drizzle with dressing. Recipe provided by; www.meridianfoods.co.uk Roast Winter Veg & Quinoa Buddha Bowl Tis the new year with cold weather, healthy living and all those new resolutions to keep (or break). We’ve collected some simple, warm and hearty meals – and also something a little fresh and healthy to break it all up. 40-43.qxp_Layout 1 14/12/2021 17:33 Page 1Slow cooked lamb shoulder A super easy meal that tastes great, is easy to make and is the perfect way to warm up on a cold January afternoon. Don’t be turned off by its simplicity as this is a firm favourite and tastes delicious. You’ll need: Lamb Shoulder (Vary weight by servings) Olive or vegetable oil Onions Carrots Garlic Lamb stock Salt & Pepper LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 41 FOOD & DINING Award Winning Butchers in Louth We consider ourselves very traditional but also very modern. We not only offer a wide selection of quality meats but also a range of home-made pastries and pies. 29-31 Mercer Row, Louth LN11 9JG Tel: 01507 603230 Email: orders@woolliss-butchers.co.uk woolliss-butchers.co.uk Woolliss & Son Butchers Delivery within an 8 mile radius of Louth © stock.adobe.com/myviewpoint What to do: Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the lamb on all sides Dice onions and carrots into a slow cooker, and place the browned lamb on top Dice some garlic into the pot along with some rosemary leaves if you have any, then season with salt and pepper Pour in lamb stock – ideally, this should be about to halfway up or two-thirds of the way up the shoulder of lamb, fully covering the vegetables beneath. Cook on high for 5 hours Remove lamb and leave to rest for 30 minutes. We suggest using the remaining stock and juices to make a gravy to serve alongside the lamb shoulder and vegetables. 40-43.qxp_Layout 1 14/12/2021 17:33 Page 2Serves: 8-10 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 30-35 minutes You’ll need: 5 juniper berries, bruised with the back of a knife 1 tsp ground cinnamon 5 cloves 4 tbsp Streamline apricot jam 3-4 pears depending on their size, peeled cored & sliced (we used Blush pears) 150g unsalted butter 150g caster sugar 3 medium eggs 100g self-raising flour 100g ground almonds 1 tsp baking powder crème fraîche to serve What to do: Heat the oven to 180C/ 160C fan/ gas 4. Grease the bottom of a 9 inch spring form tin and line with greaseproof paper. Heat the juniper, cinnamon and cloves with the apricot jam in a pan then add the pear slices and cook gently for 5 minutes until they are soft. Set aside to cool. Whisk together the butter and sugar till light and fluffy, then whisk in the eggs one at a time. Use a large metal spoon to fold in the almonds, flour and baking powder. Pick the spices out of the pear juices and discard. Arrange the pear slices in the bottom of the tin along with just 2 tablespoons of the juices. Pour over the cake batter and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until cooked through and the cake springs back when you touch the top. Take out of the oven and cool for 15 minutes then turn out onto a serving plate and peel off the greaseproof paper. Reheat the remaining pear juices and drizzle over. Serve warm or cold with a dollop of crème fraîche. Note: Cook the pears gently so they don’t break up and adjust the cooking time depending on their ripeness. Recipe provided by: www.streamlinefoods.co.uk Spiced pear and Streamline apricot jam 42 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY Deceptively easy to make, this show stopping cake is full of delicate spicing and made with a lighter sponge and sticky fruit topping, meaning less need to feel guilty about indulging in this tasty winter treat. frangipane cake FOOD & DINING Horncastle Cake Art & Hobby House Everything for the Crafter Cake Decorations, Knitting, Crochet, Felt, Ribbons & more www.horncastlecakeart.co.uk 25 North Street, Horncastle, Lincs. LN9 5DX Tel: 01507 525926/522659 40-43.qxp_Layout 1 14/12/2021 17:33 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 43 Boost your nutrient intake with this super green juice. Enjoy in the morning for a healthy start to the day or in the evening to help with a good night’s sleep as celery contains the chemical serotonin, one of the most important brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters, for regulating the sleep/wake cycle. FOOD & DINING Picture your venue Click’em Inn Swinhope, Nr Binbrook, Market Rasen, LN8 6BS Tel: 01472 398253 Web: www.clickem-inn.co.uk The Click’em Inn is a family-owned freehouse, established for over 30 years in its current incarnation. Steeped in history, the inn is open 6 days a week, Tuesday- Sunday, offering a wide choice of drinks, including six real ales available at any time, with a regularly changing selection of personally recommended guest ales. The Kitchen is open Tuesday-Sunday for evening dining, plus lunchtimes Friday-Sunday. The menu varies from day-to-day with the chef’s specials, alongside regular meals. To promote your services call Angie Cooper on 01472 310302 or email: a.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk © stock.adobe.com/kwanchaichaiudom Celery, spinach and Serves: 1 Preparation time: 5 minutes each Cooking time: n/a You’ll need: 1 cucumber5 sticks of celery 2 apples1 lime 1 bag Fresh & Naked 1 tsp honey baby spinach leaves What to do: Chop the cucumber, celery and apple into chunks. Put everything through a juicer then chill in the fridge. Stir well before serving. Recipe courtesy of www.lovethecrunch.com cucumber juice 40-43.qxp_Layout 1 14/12/2021 17:33 Page 4As 2022 approaches, the farming industry prepares itself for another year. It may be a tough one with Plan B measures coming in at the time of writing, but for many in our region this won’t make too much of a difference. The work still needs doing and it’s a rare day when farmers are crammed close enough together to not be socially distanced already. The future of farming The future of farming Sustainable practices, lockdown and robotics – the future of farming is looking more and more real, and this decade could well be make or break for the industry’s future. 44 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY AGRICULTURE It’s not only COVID-19 that has threatened to put a spanner into the works of the agriculture industry, however. This year saw COP26 looking at numerous industries and how they could become more sustainable. Farming naturally came up, and as Lincolnshire is such a rural county it was no surprise that the University of Lincoln was invited to showcase cutting edge robotics and AI that can help increase sustainability in the agri-food sector. At COP 26, the UK stated its aim as to have 75% of farmers engaged in low carbon practices by 2030. Robotics and AI on farms may seem like the prologue to a Terminator franchise we would all love to watch, but with very real labour shortages (especially for fruit picking) thanks to Brexit and a shortage of UK labourers willing to do such work, it may be a staple of the future. In theory, as long as the 44-47.qxp_Layout 1 14/12/2021 17:27 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 45 AGRICULTURE expect a lot of Lincolnshire farmers to be visiting – and many Lincolnshire suppliers and manufacturers of farm machinery as well. The UK’s leading farm machinery show has been going for forty years now, and they’re confident that the show will continue (at the time of writing) despite the possibility of a lockdown. Much like at COP26, one focus of the LAMMA Show this year is going to be on the introduction of robotics and autonomous machinery to the farming landscape. Their Farming 4.0 Trail: The Future of Agriculture section of the show is going to look at how data sensing and measurement will help introduce accurate decision-making to automated systems and are inviting farmers to come and bring their teams to see live examples of this and even experience © stock.adobe.com/Alexey Zarodov 46 Á equipment was either reliable or easily maintained enough, it would see a return on investment on repeated years of labour costs, and our region is no stranger to spending big on farm machinery. You can see that at the Lincolnshire Show and, much closer to now, the LAMMA Show taking place at the NEC in Birmingham on the 11th and 12th of January. Though it’s not in our region, we can 44-47.qxp_Layout 1 14/12/2021 17:29 Page 246 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY AGRICULTURE displays using VR technology. While it may seem like something from the future, the agri-food industry is one expected to rise in the coming years. The UK Government defines Agri-food as the process of using technology to process agriculture, horticulture, food, and drink. This certainly sounds vague enough to be something from Boris Johnson’s Government, but the basic idea is using advanced technology to make the supply chain greener, and to use substitutes aided by technology where possible. None of this is designed to take work away from old-fashioned farming, however. As the world continues to try and fight poverty and with very real concerns for food supply in the future, the agri-food industry is being touted as an addition to what already exists, rather than a replacement. It is hoped that some of the sustainable technology used will transfer over to traditional agriculture however, particularly in reducing emissions and waste. There is already a lot of innovation in our region when it comes to sustainability – from anaerobic digestors to recycling plans and more, but farmers – especially those with large herds of cattle and livestock – may begin 2022 wondering what, where and how the Government will help with the transitions. With any luck, there will be funding. There almost has to be if the UK wants to reach its target of 75% engagement. After years of exploitative contracts with supermarkets, the industry isn’t really in a place to shell out the tens or hundreds of millions required for such a rapid overhaul. With a new lockdown on the horizon and a new variant, however, farmers have a right to be sceptical of the Government getting anything sorted in the first quarter. As such, it may well be business as usual, albeit with the promise of future technology and changes to come. That’s not necessarily something to be upset about. Better the improvements in the future than never. For many, it will be the usual issues of crop disease and fertility, combined with agricultural thieves and crime. In recent years the Lincolnshire police have cracked down on much of that, including illegal hare coursing and fox hunting on farmland. If © stock.adobe.com/hiv360 44-47.qxp_Layout 1 14/12/2021 17:29 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 47 AGRICULTURE CHARTERED CERTIFIED ACCOUNTANTS To find out how to get your business on the up visit www.dextersharpe.co.uk Offices in Boston, Bourne, Horncastle, Lincoln, Louth, Skegness & Spilsby We pride ourselves on providing a pro-active, friendly and accessible service. Experts in Accounts and Tax Returns Tax Planning and Book-Keeping Audits and Business Advice We’re here to get you in the right direction Keeping business on the up… KEVIN JOHNSON - AGRICULTURAL CONTRACTORS “For those times when you need a helping hand on farm or on land” 4 Church Road | Wittering | Peterborough | PE8 6AG Tel: 01780 782924 | Mobile: 07860 608825 enquiries@kevinjohnsoncontracting.co.uk www.kevinjohnsoncontracting.co.uk • Fertiliser Spreading 12m to 36m • Lime Spreading • Maize Drilling • Grass Mowing with Triple Mowers www.mjp.supplies • Tel: 01406 362325 • Mobile 07702293727 MJPSupplies mjpsupplies For the purpose of importing and selling Algifol™ biostimulant products to farmers and growers of specialist crops Watch your profits grow Small quantities Amazing results Special offer on 1 litre bottles bought direct from our website Suppliers of a range of liquid storage tanks for: • Oil • adblue • Water • Fertiliser the economy does suffer through a second lockdown however, that might leave some people desperate enough to turn to crime again. If farmers are going to invest heavily in machinery, then investing equally into farm security might also have to be on the table. Insurance costs are already high enough as it is but having above- average security in place might just convince some insurers to offer a lower rate. © stock.adobe.com/ kinwun 44-47.qxp_Layout 1 14/12/2021 17:29 Page 448 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY SOCIAL SCENE Willow Charity Ball Guests were wined, dined and shown a good time at the Belton Woods Hotel in Grantham recently in support of the Willow foundation charity. The willow charity works with seriously ill young adults aged 16 to 40 and helps to provide unforgettable memories and special days for them. 48-49.qxp_Layout 1 14/12/2021 17:22 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 49 SOCIAL SCENE Images by Richard Picksley 48-49.qxp_Layout 1 14/12/2021 17:22 Page 2Next >