Flower of the month: Hoary plantain (Plantago media)

Hoary plantain is native to central and western Europe. Its generic name

is derived from the Latin for sole (as of foot for example).  It is a calcicole

or limestone loving plant and thus prefers soils over chalk or limestone. It

is also hermaphrodite (having both kinds of reproductive organs) and is

pollinated by the wind and insects, particularly bees. Plantain species are

considered to be of “acceptable” forage value and are freely grazed. They

contain between 3 and 13% of protein (according to different sources), are

quite rich in potassium (K) and have the added advantage of being resistant

to trampling. Plantain species had many medicinal uses in the past.

Recipe of the month: Cakey buns with cheese and salami

We have come by this rather unusual recipe, perhaps for those willing

to experiment with different combinations of taste.

250 ml olive oil

250 ml milk

6 eggs

500 g whole cane sugar

600 g raising flour

Grated rind one lemon

50 g grated cheese (medium to strong taste)

50 g finely diced salami

Beat the eggs in a bowl and then mix in the sugar. Then mix in the milk

and olive oil. Once thoroughly mixed together add the flour and lastly the

cheese and salami. Leave the mixture for half and hour and then put mix-

ture into bun trays without filling each space as the buns will rise. Place in

a 200ºC oven for 15 minutes and then a further ten minutes at 180ºC.

We had two health inspections this month, on the 6th by a consulting

company to revise all our documents related to traceability and health

and safety measures (protocols, laboratory analysis results, daily work

sheets….) and on the ninth, a closer inspection by the local Health De-

partment. In the latter case an Inspector may turn up at any time and

also goes through also documentation, checks all installations and any

other aspects at random, such as product labels, storage conditions and

that all water facilities work properly.

This month we started using new pots for our fresh cheese, replacing

conventional petrol based plastic pots with bioplastic pots. Whilst use

of bioplastics reduces use of fossil fuel components, the production of

bioplastic is not necessarily 100% environmentally or socially sound,

given that the crops used for their production may be intensively cul-

tivated or replace crops formally used for food production. We are trying

to source those bioplastics that have least impact. For more information

on the advantages or disadvantages of bioplastics, please visit see our

article on packaging:

http://www.vistaalegrebaserria.com/index.php/en/ontziak-eztabaidagai

We had some very hot dry weather interspersed with cooler days,

sometimes dry, or misty and rainy. The thermometer reached 30ºC

in the hot spells whilst some mornings the temperature had dropped

to only 11ºC. We collected a total of only 40 in the rain gauge. Misty mor-

nings left us cobwebs covered in dewdrops.

We made more silage in and continued to top fields.

One “mixed” calf was born in July (mixed milk and meat) and will be sold on.

What did the cows eat?

The cows’ menu was similar to that of June recently mown fresh grass,

hay and a little feedstuff. They were also able to graze.  The heifers con-

tinued to graze the steeper slopes.

Our Somatic cell count has been higher than usual over the last few

months but has at last begun to return to normal. Although it never

reached anywhere near advisable limits we prefer our SCC to be be-

low 200.000 cells.