Unboxing the Dunwood Farm meat box

I’m back! I’ve been in and out of the country and jobs and so on, but finally I have settled down with a new meat box waiting to be revealed and consumed. I’m excited to announce that my eighth meat box is from Dunwood Farm, a small family business from Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. Owned by Peter and Gwyneth Pearson, it was their son Will who contacted me out of the blue one day to ask for some thoughts from a customer’s point of view. One thing led to another and, well, I am now the proud owner of a beef tasting box, kindly gifted by the Pearsons. We had some problems with the courier (who failed to deliver and therefore spoiled the meat by leaving it out for more than 48 hours), and I was surprised and delighted when Will personally delivered a new box to my doorstep. Now THAT’S good customer service.

Chicken skewers with satay sauce

Pollo alla cacciatora with chicken supremes

Apparently ‘chicken supreme’ has two meanings. On one hand, it’s known as a rather dubious recipe from the 60′s where you cook chicken in tinned condensed mushroom soup. On the other hand, it’s a chicken breast with the ‘drumette’ part of the wing left on. And according to Larousse Gastronomique, if both parts of the wing are left on, it’s a cotelette. Other useless chicken supreme terminology: it’s known as a Statler Breast on the East Coast of the USA, and an Airline Breast on the West side. Thanks chowhound.

Unboxing the Roaming Roosters meat box

My, my, how the first month and a half of 2012 has whizzed by! Yet again, it’s time to introduce my next meat box – and this time it’s from the Lancashire-based family business Roaming Roosters. I first stumbled across Roaming Roosters in a routine internet search for new meat boxes. I started chatting to them on Twitter, and then went to their Facebook page – where their images of cute Gloucester Old Spot piglets clinched it for me ! But aside from that, I do enjoy buying meat boxes from suppliers who take the time to talk to me and answer my questions. It’s a shame that I’ve tried to make contact with some companies who that don’t so much as send you an email back.

Thai green [thrifty] chicken curry

Here’s a quick and tasty meal that’s ready in 30 minutes (if you’re not making the curry from scratch, that is!). I used the thrifty chicken from my field&flower meat box. It’s £5.50 on their website for 650g (or two wings, two drumsticks and two thighs); great value for free range chicken. I’m not sure why these parts are the ‘thrifty’ parts – I much prefer wings and thighs to breasts!