Spanish Hay Feast!!

18 Jul

The original idea behind our Hay feast was always that it would be a glorious celebration of the harvesting of a magnificent hay crop from the farm!

This may seem an odd thing to celebrate, but for a beef farmer in particular, it is the climax of the Spring and Summer months. Alongside the immense satisfaction of a barn or two packed to the rafters with large round bulging bales of hay, comes the truly magical feeling that there is enough there to stop the cows getting hangry and bellowing loudly through the dark cold February days.

For those of you that are not aware, the hay-making process is an arduous, all-consuming and exhausting task that dominates the farming calendar from May to August. Firstly, it involves numerous hours on the internet from dawn to dusk, over several days and indeed weeks, perusing a vast array of different weather forecasts. This is almost certainly followed by a considerable amount of daily swearing at the weather (too dry……too humid…..too wet…….too windy….not windy enough…......you name it, I’ve heard it!), and subsequently, an equally considerable amount of procrastination about whether “to cut or not to cut”. This then dominates all conversations taking place in our house for several days and can (although I feel guilty admitting it!) get a little wearing when trying to switch off at the end of the day whilst unashamedly watching the latest series of “Below Decks”.

Once the decision has been made to go for it, there follows a few long days in the tractor of getting very hot and bothered, (a tad short tempered some may say…) combined often with some immense frustration when the British summer weather does not play ball and do what it says it’s going to do!

Cutting happens first, then turning, once, twice, maybe 3 times if the hay needs better drying out (or if an unexpected shower suddenly appears out of nowhere at which point the swearing can become really quite enthusiastic…). Once considered dry enough to bale it is then rowed up in preparation of the baler arriving to suck up the thick mounds of sweet smelling dried grass, and spew out big fat rounded bales from its rear end.

Almost there……a final couple of days of more bouncing about in the tractors loading up giant trailers to transport the giant bales from the fields to the barns, where they can be stacked up in perfectly precise, neat rows, (a process that I hasten to add can also be accompanied at times by a little light swearing), and then, and only then, that final magical moment. Stepping back and looking on to the barns, bursting with all that summer grass from the fields, with the peace of mind that there is enough food for to keep the cows happy and healthy through the long winter months until Spring arrives again. Phew!

So hence the need for a fabulous feast to mark this important moment in the farming calendar at Copsegrove! This year, the hay harvest was significantly poor due to the complete lack of rain, but perhaps therefore worthy of even more of a celebration …….at least we got some.

Ian, Martin and I fancied bringing a bit of Spain to the occasion! So, on Friday July 18th, brilliantly clashing with Chalfest for the second year running, we held our second Hay feast, Spanish fiesta style! Having spent a fun evening back in March in a tiny tapas bar in the heart of Bristol (thanks Em and Paul!), where we were completely transfixed by the beautiful flamenco dancer Aneta, and the brilliant guitarist Cuffy and singer Carlos, much to Martin’s embarrassment, I accosted them at the end before we left and invited them out to Copsegrove! Thankfully, they were up for it, so with the music and dancing all sorted, Ian set to work with his usual enthusiasm creating a delicious and fully authentic Spanish menu.

The weather proved to be suitably Spanish for us fortunately, with a wonderfully warm balmy evening forecast, and so for the second time this summer, we were able to take the feast outside into the courtyard, kitchen and all. We spent the day laying up tables around the outside of the courtyard, with beautiful flowers in Spanish reds and oranges and yellows, with barley and wild oats interspersed (thank you Amy!). Ian and his team set up their courtyard kitchen, and lit fires ready to throw on the enormous heavy steel paella pans in which many elements of the feast would eventually sizzle away, whilst Martin and Wilf built a stage for Aneta to dance, and with generous use of the spirit level, brilliantly managed to negotiate the slope of the yard!

Guests arrived in the sunshine to jugs of sumptuous Sangria with oodles of colourful delicious red wine-soaked oranges, apples, and peaches bobbing about. Once all the mini skewers of octopus, paprika potato and green olive and Manchego had been devoured, guests took their seats to be warmly welcomed by Ian, who proceeded to explain how to make their own “Pan con Tomate” by rubbing a clove of garlic vigorously over their fire -toasted Copsegrove bread, followed by an equally vigorous rubbing with a ripe, juicy tomato drizzled in olive oil.

The fire cooked tapas dishes were then shared round for guests to enjoy. Firstly, the salty padron peppers, then juicy chunks of chorizo cooked by Rupert in generously poured lashings of cider, and finally the giant prawns which had been sizzling away with masses of garlic and red chilli…. very yummy indeed. Guests enthusiastically mopped up the juices with the remaining bread, before taking a little break and settling on a straw bale to watch Aneta take to the stage for the first time and dance to some brilliant Spanish guitar and singing.

Meanwhile Ian and Rupert set to work on paella for 80, in the corner of the courtyard, with a traditional Valencian meat option of chicken and rabbit, and a veggie one with broad beans and artichokes. Guests returned to seats, and tables were then laden with heaped dishes of the tasty paella to share, together with sides of spicy patatas bravas, charred courgettes with lemon and Manchego, and burnt leeks with Romesco sauce. Those who could still move after feasting then took to the dancefloor after some gentle encouragement from Carlos, and jiggled hips to some more lively Spanish tunes whilst the night became dusky.

The feast was finally rounded off with Ian’s rich Crema Catalana with a light and fluffy Torte de Santiago to indulgently scoop up the remnants in bowls.

It was a lovely evening, with much chat, laughter and merriment, and a huge thank you to all who came along and joined us!

Thank you also to the brilliant Aneta for her mesmerising flamenco moves, and Carlos, Cuffy and Koska for their wonderful music and energy.

Time for a little rest now in August, but we shall be back in September with special guests the Bisley Mummers… they have a tale to tell, involving a plot to kidnap the infamous Ian Ballantyne from Bisley……the question is, will the plot be uncovered in time to enable Ian to make it back in time to cook for us all for the Food Mile feast………?

Talented young musicians Rowan and his harp, and Billy and his guitar will return to entertain us just in case Ian is late…….