Some of the new arrivals at Park Farm...

Dear Friends of River Cottage,

It’s May and things are looking up – or at least pointing up. With unashamed childlike delight, I’ve just picked my first asparagus of the season. The slim stems are so sweet you can eat them raw, but of course that isn’t stopping me from dipping them into plenty of Anchovy and Caper Mayonnaise, my cheaty Hollandaise, or melted butter.

It’s been a busy time on the farm and not just because everything is growing furiously. We’ve been sharing our beautiful corner of Devon with camera crews for the past few weeks and on May 28th, Channel 4 will broadcast the first of four programmes which will give a real insider’s view of what goes on behind the scenes at River Cottage.

It’s my dearest wish that it will inspire viewers to plant a little of that River Cottage spirit into their lives, or at least into their gardens. When people come on our courses, particularly kids, it’s thrilling to see them make the connection between the land and the food they eat, and I hope that this new show will allow us to share that excitement with a wider audience.

In the programmes, you’ll see our Land Team hard at work in the vegetable gardens and our resident host, Steven Lamb, building an enviably well appointed house for the newly-arrived ducklings. There has been much in the news lately about bees and the show will also introduce you to Cat Streatfeild, who takes care of our hives. I’ve been spending quite a bit of time away from the farm lately, working on a challenging new project in Bristol – to find out what that is you’ll have to tune into the show!

Tending the hives

So much has changed here since we took up residence at Park Farm two years ago. We tweak, develop and improve all of the time and these programmes document this. I know you share my commitment to local, seasonal food. So as we learn and grow, I’m sure you do too.

What excites me most about the path we’re on is that it’s a continuum. Small changes that we make, that you make, have a cumulative and enormously beneficial effect on the food we eat and the land on which it’s nurtured.

I can’t leave you without a couple of great recipes which make the most of May’s bounty. I hope you’ll find time to try my Ultimate Creamed Spinach and Foil-baked Sea Trout with Salsa Verde. It’s going to be a busy summer, and these will certainly keep your strength up!

All the best,

Hugh