Family Day Out: Stepney City Farm

We enjoyed a fabulous afternoon out this week at Stepney City Farm, in the East End of London; a gem I'd never visited before and that was fun for all of the family.

Stepney City Farm



Bridget saying hi to the chickens

Fun at Stepney City Farm

Stepney City Farm
 


The city farm is fairly compact as far as farms go, but packs in plenty.

Animal feed is available to purchase at the farm reception so children are able to try their hand at feeding their favourite animals, Bridget loves animals so she found this super fun.

There are lots of 'buzz facts' boards up around the farm with interesting little nuggets of information about farm life and the animals within, which provide an interest and an educational side to the trip - perfect for older, more curious children.

Stepney City Farm buzz fact

In the centre of the farm is a huge area dedicated to some allotments for local residents. My Dad has recently took over an allotment so this proved to be quite interesting to my Mum and I, less so for Bridget and Beatrice and my brother Dan who came along for the fun. You can tell a real care and dedication goes into these small growing patches, every effort has been made to repel birds and bugs from eating the produce and we saw some impressive things growing, from courgettes, tomatoes, squash, onions and an abundance of beautiful smelling fresh herbs. The farm apparently sells 'veg boxes' to locals too, which I thought was great. 

 

Allotment at Stepney City Farm

The farm hosts a number of events for locals - there was a music group for toddlers taking place when we arrived and there's a play section with lots of toys and ride ons available to enjoy - again popular with Bridget.

There is a little farm shop, which was unfortunately shut on Friday when we visited, and a picnic area too.

Stepney City Farm runs as a charity organisation, so rather than ask for an entry price fee, there are simply donation points to offer up what you can afford or would like to pay. This makes for an affordable day out for the family, especially if you have more than one child; a lot of farms or petting zoos charge a fair amount per adult and child, so for the summer holidays, this is a great shout as a cheap way of keeping them entertained for a day!

Stepney City Farm has a heart and soul that is based all around the local community, and there's something really special about that.

 

Stepney City Farm is open Tuesday-Sunday 10am-4pm and is about a ten minute walk from both Limehouse and Stepney Stations.

Chunky Lentil, Bacon and Kale Soup

This is my final and favourite post from my 'Seven Days of Soup' challenge - the Lentil, Bacon and Kale Soup was utterly delicious and a different version to the one I often make.

Keeping it chunky really made it feel more hearty and more of a meal than some of the more watery soups and it felt like a real, restorative, robust treat during my week long liquid diet. I've made it again since, and this will firmly be one of my staple soups going forward.

Chunky Lentil, Bacon and Kale Soup



Here's how:

• 2 rashers smoked bacon
• 250g red split lentils
• 1 white onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 celery sticks
• 1 large carrot
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 litres chicken stock
• Pinch sea salt
• Pinch black pepper
• Handful bay leaves
• 1 pack kale
• Water to top up as necessary
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Firstly place the lentils into a sieve and give a very thorough rinse to remove any excess dirt or starch from the lentils. Keep running water pouring over if possible whilst you prepare the other parts of the soup.

Place the coconut oil into the pan and onto a low heat. Cut the bacon into small pieces and add to the pan to slowly cook through.

Peel and finely chop the onion, mince the garlic and finely dice the celery stick and add all the pan. Throw in the thyme and rosemary and season generously.

Peel and dice the carrot into small cubes and add to the pan with the lentils. Cook like this for five minutes.

Now pour over the stock and give a thorough stir through and up the heat to a medium. Add the bay leaves now too.

You will need to keep an eye on the soup throughout cooking and remove the 'cooking scum' or the weird bubbly mess that will rise to the top of the pan. Cook for a good 30-40 minutes, then remove the bay leaves.

Now remove about 2 ladle fulls of the soup and set aside. Once cooled, this will be blitzed then returned to the pan, so there is a real combination of textures. Taste at this point and add salt and or pepper as required.

Once the blitzed and chunky part of the soup are combined, return to the heat and add the washed kale and allow to cook for 7-8 more minutes before dishing up into deep bowls. Enjoy!

The other soups I enjoyed during my 'Seven Days of Soup' included:

Asparagus and Crispy Bacon Soup
Red Pepper Soup
Vegetable Soup
Curried Parsnip and Spinach Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup with Pak Choi Soup
Thai Sweet Potato Soup

Vegetable Soup

Another one of the soups I enjoyed during my 'Seven Days of Soup' challenge whereby I took on souping and juicing for one week, to shift some baby weight before our family holiday to Spain (7lbs in one week is not to be sniffed at).

This particular soup though is a fail safe, and can be adapted to whatever you may have in the fridge or larder. I make this regularly and batch cook so it makes a family dinner, but then the same again, which goes in the freezer for another week. Soup freezes really well!

Feel free to adapt to the ingredients you have to hand but I suggest always using either a white or sweet potato, a carrot or parsnip to make up the 'bulk' of the soup. This recipe is suitable for vegetarians too.

Vegetable Soup



Here's how:

• 1 white potato
• 1 carrot
• 1 parsnip
• 2 celery sticks
• 1 leek
• cupful peas
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp celery salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1.5 pints vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp rapeseed or vegetable oil
• Handful bay leaves

Firstly pour in the olive oil into the pan and place on a gentle heat. Peel and dice the onion and mince the garlic and add to the pan.

Slice the celery and leek and they can go into the pan too.

Peel the potato and wash thoroughly, add to the pan. Do the same with the carrot and parsnip.

Make up the vegetable stock and pour over. Give a stir and season accordingly with the salt, pepper and bay leaves.

Cook for 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft to touch with a fork.

Remove the bay leaves and allow to cool slightly. Then blitz with a hand blender or a Nutribullet or alternative blender, return to the pan and re-heat. Enjoy!


The other soups I enjoyed during my 'Seven Days of Soup' included:

Asparagus and Crispy Bacon Soup
Red Pepper Soup
Curried Parsnip and Spinach Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup with Pak Choi Soup
Thai Sweet Potato Soup
Chunky Lentil, Bacon and Kale Soup

Red Pepper Soup

This soup is bright and vibrant - perfect for a summer's evening or afternoon - it looks and tastes equally beautiful and takes hardly any time to prepare at all.

The final flourish of natural yoghurt with harissa stirred through before serving, only adds to the Mediterranean allure of this dish and it made a welcome addition to my 'Seven Days of Soup' challenge whereby I followed a liquid diet of souping and juices for 7 days and shifted half a stone of baby weight pre-holiday. Delicious!

Red Pepper Soup



Here's how:

• 3 red peppers
• 1 red onion
• 1 aubergine
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tomato
• 1 tsp oregano
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• 1.5 pints vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp natural yoghurt
• 1 tbsp harissa
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Firstly pour the olive oil into a pan and place on a medium heat.

Peel and dice the onion and garlic and slice the peppers and add to the pan to soften.

Roughly chop the tomato and aubergine, which will add a slightly firmer texture, and add to the pan.

Once the contents of the pan are slightly soft, add the sea salt, black pepper, oregano and pour over the vegetable stock. Cook for 20-30 minutes.

Now cool slightly before blitzing with a hand held blender or you can do in a Nutribullet as I do then return to the pan to reheat before serving.

Whilst re-heating, combine the yoghurt and harissa and mix well and just before stirring swirl through the soup for a final, delicious addition of flavour. Enjoy!

The other soups I enjoyed during my 'Seven Days of Soup' included:

Asparagus and Crispy Bacon Soup
Curried Parsnip and Spinach Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup with Pak Choi Soup
Thai Sweet Potato Soup
Chunky Lentil, Bacon and Kale Soup
Vegetable Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup with Pak Choi

This classic Chicken Noodle Soup is my absolute go-to 'quick dinner' if I'm short on time or have been out all day, as it takes hardly any preparation but is packed full of flavour and is so super nourishing too.

I always turn to this if I'm feeling under the weather too - it's true it is medicinal - it must be the chilli, garlic and ginger. Restorative and delicious this was another soup in my 'Seven Days of Soup' challenge recently - this one is a naughty carbohydrate one though with the noodles but the Mama Instant Rice Noodles complete this meal for just over 160 calories per portion and they're well worth it.

You can of course cook your chicken for this soup yourself, but for me it benefits from being made from cooked chicken (throw the bones in and remove before serving) and using a really good quality, or homemade chicken stock.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Pak Choi

Here's how:

• 500g cooked chicken
• Handful Spring onions
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 cm fresh ginger
• 1 chilli
• Handful mushrooms
• Handful bean sprouts
• Handful fresh coriander
• Handful fresh chives
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp Shaohsing wine
• 1 tsp Sriracha sauce
• 1 lime
• 2 portions Mama Instant Rice Noodles or alternative
• 2 bulbs of Pak Choi
• 1.5 pints good quality chicken stock

Firstly tear up the chicken and throw into a large pot. Use kitchen scissors to snip in the full spring onions.

Peel and slice the garlic and ginger and place all in the pot. Slice the mushrooms and chilli, keeping in the seeds, and add these too.

Pour over the stock, the fish sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, shaohsing and soy sauce and cook for 30 minutes.

In the final few minutes of cooking, add the noodles, and tear in each individual leaf of the pak choi. This will literally need 1-2 minutes more of cooking.

Now remove from the heat and add the final seasonings. Cut the lime in half and squeeze over half into the pot and stir. Now tear in the coriander leaves and throw in, add the bean sprouts, which will cook enough in the heat of the broth and finally again use the kitchen scissors to snip in the chives. Stir thoroughly and serve each portion in a deep bowl with a sprig of coriander and an additional lime wedge for personal seasoning. Chilli fiends may wish to add some fresh, raw chopped chilli too. Enjoy

The other soups I enjoyed during my 'Seven Days of Soup' included:

Asparagus and Crispy Bacon Soup
Red Pepper Soup
Vegetable Soup
Curried Parsnip and Spinach Soup
Thai Sweet Potato Soup
Chunky Lentil Bacon and Kale Soup

Thai Sweet Potato Soup

Another hearty, warming and delicious soup that formed part of my 'Seven Days of Soup' whereby I followed a liquid diet for 1 week pre-holiday to shift some further, stubborn baby weight and lost half a stone.

This one is heavy on the spice so not for the faint-hearted, and if you have it over more than one sitting (makes sense when making a batch of soup) expect the heat to intensify overnight.

It's really simple and you can use either Green, Yellow or Red Thai Curry paste - I use Sainsbury's own brand Red personally.

Thai Sweet Potato Soup



Here's how:

• 1 white onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 3cm piece ginger
• 500g Sweet Potato
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 pint vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp Red Thai Curry Paste
• 1/2 tsp Fish sauce
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Handful fresh coriander
• Pinch black pepper
• Pinch sea salt
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Firstly pop the coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and place on a low heat. Then peel the garlic and onion and finely dice - add to the pan to soften.

Peel the ginger and slice and add to the pan.

Peel the potatoes and cube into small pieces - add to the pan with 1 tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste, sea salt and black pepper and allow to cook for a few minutes.

Now add the coconut milk and make up and pour in the vegetable or chicken stock with the fish sauce. Allow to cook for 30 minutes, then check the sweet potato with a fork - it should be nicely soft - if not cook for a further 10 minutes then test again.

Once you're happy the potato is soft, add the fish sauce, lime juice and coriander and allow to cool before blitzing in a blender or Nutribullet.

Return to the heat once blitzed until completely warmed though - enjoy.


The other soups I enjoyed during my 'Seven Days of Soup' included:

Asparagus and Crispy Bacon Soup
Red Pepper Soup
Vegetable Soup
Curried Parsnip and Spinach Soup
Chunky Lentil Bacon and Kale Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup with Pak Choi

Curried Parsnip and Spinach Soup

Another delicious soup recipe which formed part of my 'Seven Days of Soup' souping/liquid diet adventure pre-holiday and really helped boost my postnatal weight loss.

The parsnips make for a hearty, almost creamy soup but without the heavy calories of a cream-based soup and the sweetness is offset by the curry and spices - a traditional flavour pairing, but one that works time and time again. You can up-spice if you're a chilli fiend or make slightly milder if you have some diners that are less tolerant of heat.

Guarantee you'll make this more than once after the first time - so easy, so delicious and moreish. You can stir through a tablespoon of crème fraiche or sour cream at the end if you want a slightly richer finished article - but be warned it ups the calories and fat content significantly.

Curried Parsnip and Spinach Soup

 

Here's how:

• 1 white onion
• 1 large clove garlic
• 400g parsnips
• 1.5 pints vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 heaped tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 bag spinach
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Firstly peel and dice the onion and mince the garlic and add to a heavy-bottomed pan with the coconut oil and place on a low heat to soften.

Peel the parsnips and cube then add to the pan with the curry powder, salt, pepper and all the spices. Stir so all parsnips are slightly covered in the spices.

Make up the stock and cover the parsnips. Place the lid on and simmer for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool before blitzing with a blender or Nutribullet and then return to the pan to re-heat. Add the washed spinach one minute before dishing up as it will cook incredibly quickly. If adding crème fraiche stir through the entire pot before dishing up. Enjoy!

The other soups I enjoyed during my 'Seven Days of Soup' included:

Asparagus and Crispy Bacon Soup
Red Pepper Soup
Vegetable Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup with Pak Choi Soup
Thai Sweet Potato Soup
Chunky Lentil Bacon and Kale Soup