Pak Choi stir-fry with Orange Sesame Noodles

We have lovely tender Pak Choi in all our bags this week. Like all greens it’s good for you (duh!!) – lots of dietary fiber, vitamin A, C, K, B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Iron, Potassium and Manganese and despite having all this it’s not even fattening (yay!!). The way forward is Asian flavours and cooking so dust off your wok (a pan will do fine if you don’t have one) , grab some ginger, garlic and soy sauce or tamari (a healthier Japanese version).The White stalks are edible but will take longer to cook than the leaves. What I do is slice the stalk (about 1 inch thick) then tear the leaves in half or leave them intact if they’re small. Heat a little oil (as I mentioned before I’m loving coconut oil for this kind of thing as it takes high heat) toss in some minced, garlic, ginger and chilli. Stir-fry for a moment then throw in the pak choi stalks, toss for about 2 minutes then add the leaves. Allow them to wilt then turn off the heat immediately or they will start to get mushy. A dash of soy or tamari is all you need to serve. I love it with stir-fried tofu and some rice topped with lots of toasted sesame seeds and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

Noodles are another way to go and last night I used carrots and scallions along with the pak choy to make very tasty meal. As you’ve probably noticed, orange season is in full swing and I tried a stir-fry  sauce with freshly squeezed juice to add a little sweetness to the dish and it worked out really well…

Pak Choi stir-fry with Orange Sesame noodles

You’ll need:

1 bunch Scallions sliced

1 Large Carrot,washed, peeled and cut into thin strips

1/2 Red Chilli -remove the seeds if you don’t want things too hot

A piece of Ginger about 4cm long peeled and grated

1 Clove Garlic crushed

1 Head of Pak Choi

200gr Egg Noodles

1 Tsp clear Honey

Juice of 1 Orange

4 Tablespoons Dark Soy Sauce or Tamari

4 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seeds – do this on a dry heavy pan over a medium heat.When they start to change colour they are done.

Prepare the noodles then rinse in cold water, drain and leave  for later. Mix the honey, orange juice, soy sauce and a level teaspoon of grated ginger together in a bowl and set aside. Heat some vegetable or coconut oil in a wok or frying pan over a highish heat. Toss in the chilli then the carrots and spring onions and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and remaining ginger, toss for a moment then throw in the  pak choi. Stir -fry for about 2-3 minutes.  Add in the noodles and toss everything together until they are piping hot. Finally, pour in the sauce, mix everything well then take off the heat. Top with the sesame seeds and serve immediately.

This week’s red cabbage can also be stir-fired and made into salads but they way it really shines is cooked slowly with apple, vinegar, brown sugar and spices then served with any roast. This dish really completes any roast meal and is a classic for Christmas day. Another plus is that it freeezes really well (some people even reckon it’s actually better after it’s been frozen) so if your thinking about getting organised this might be a good start.  There’s a recipe on this blog from this time last year if you need one – just search for red cabbage to bring it up.

Have a great weekend,

Sarah

 

A super fast butternut soup with Thai spices topped with Lime scented crispy kale

I’m just in from work and boy it’s been a hell of a day. More computer problems(don’t even ask!), driving rain and wind that meant I just left the bike at the office and blag a lift home. When I got home I wanted something very easy and very fast (Paul came in after me and he had cycled against the wind all the way from Smithfield and could barely speak he was so hungry). Yesterday morning in yet another attempt to get organised I peeled and chopped a pumpkin which I then completely forgot about when making dinner last night (urgghhh!) so my prepared pumpkin was definitely on the menu. I made the simplest soup by combining my prepared pumpkin (oh, organisation!)with a tin of coconut milk, vegetable stock and a little red curry paste. Yep, that was pretty much it but then at the last minute I had yearning for a bit of crunch and noticed this week’s Kale. Hmmm.. Kale, as you know can be tough so I took about half the head destalked it then quickly tossed it in hot oil, added a spritz of Lime and suddenly dinner seemed more complete. To serve I left a bowl of precooked brown rice on the table and everyone added their own. The rice is my one actual successful attempt to get organised – I cook up about a kilo at the beinning of the week and use it to complete any number of meals during the busy week. In this case it made a bowl of soup a complete meal. I thought Dan (5)would find it too spicey but he loved it and we were pretty pleased too!

Butternut Soup with Red Curry spices and Coconut Milk topped with Lime scented crispy Kale

You’ll need:

800gr Peel and chopped Butternut or any kind of Pumpkin

2 Teasoon Red Curry Paste

1 Tin Coconut Milk

500ml Vegetable Stock

Vegetable Oil

To garnish – this is optional

1/2 Head Curly Kale chopped fine

Juice of half a Lime

Heat a dash of oil in a pot and add the curry paste and gently saute allowing the spices to permeate the oil (and your kitchen). Add half of the coconut milk and reduce a little. Toss in the butternut, the rest of the coconut milk, the stock and a pinch of salt.Bring to the boil then turn down the heat and cook for a further 15/20 minutes until the butternut is tender. Take off the heat and blitz until smooth with a hand blender.

To make the kale garnish, heat some oil on the pan and when it’s hot throw on the kale and toss until wilted and crispy if possible (may take a bit of practice but it’s not essential). Spritz with Lime juice, toss well then take off the heat and use to garnish the soup. Eat and feel yourself defrost!!

The very last of this year’s Irish Tomatoes, teen Fennel and Celeriac

Hi everyone,

Summer might be over but somehow we’ve managed to get hold of the absolute last of this year’s Wicklow tomatoes which makes a nice treat this week. As it’s winter I’d recommend slow roasting them with olive oil, chilli and oregano. Nice and slowly is the way to do it. Try to plan a few things for the oven so you’re not  just turning it on for the tomatoes. The longer you can bear to leave them  in the more flavor .  After that it’s anything from straight up, roughly chopped and tossed with pasta, in a salad, with some beans, a roast…..

Slow roasted tomatoes

You’ll need:

As many tomatoes as you can get your hands on but this week you have 400gr

A generous pinch Sugar

A generous pinch Salt

Oregano

Olive Oil

A little Chilli

Quarter your tomatoes and put them in a small baking dish with a splash of olive oil and the other ingredients. Roast in an oven at about Gas 4/150 degrees for about 4 hours. If you’re cooking something that needs a higher or lower temperature that’s fine and obviously it’ll change the cooking time. Just don’t go too hot or they’ll burn before they really cook and sweeten.

Wicklow proved a great source for us this week. Along with those tomatoes we made off with some  fennel which is, I think, the first time we’ve sourced it that locally. They’re not fully grown (grower Marc Michel described them as “teen” which gave us a giggle during the week) so they’re tender and extra sweet. I reckon they’re crying out to be finely chopped and dressed  with your nicest olive oil (speaking of which there’ll be a sample of some fab stuff we’ve managed to source from Italy in your bag next week which I think you’re going to like as much as we do - stay tuned!!) and lemon juice. Alternatively, try tossing it on the pan for a few minutes. Either way it’s fab and an obvious winner with fish.

All our bags have Celeriac this week a variety some of you may not be too familiar with. It’s a  celery flavoured root veg that can be used, like the other root veg, to make gratins and  mash.
This week’s recipe is an oldie but a very very goodie and it’s  from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (but I’m sure he won’t mind if I share!)

Celeriac Gratin with Chilli,  Anchovy and Rosemary

If you you’re not a big fish person don’t be put off by the Anchovy, this dish doesn’t really taste of fish- the Anchovy accentuates the flavour of  the rest of the ingredients.

You’ll need:

2 Cloves Garlic

2 Anchovy Fillets

1 Red Chilli

A sprig of Rosemary or 1 Tablespoon of dried

500gr Celeriac (about half a head)

Olive Oil

1 Carton of Single Cream
Begin by finely chopping the Garlic,  Anchovy fillets and Chilli (remove some of the seeds if you think it’s a really fiery one). Roughly chop the Rosemary and combine it with the Garlic, Anchovy and Chilli and set aside. Finely slice the Celeriac. To put the dish together smear a gratin dish with a little Olive Oil and begin with a layer of Celeriac and then top with a scattering of the aromatic mixture and season well. Repeat the layers until all the ingredients have been used and then pour over a carton of cream (250ml) and place in a medium oven (190 degrees/ gas mark 5) and bake for 45-50 minutes until the Celeriac is tender and the gratin golden on top.

If you want to check out other Celeriac recipes we have some great ones on our blog from  last Autumn

In case you’re wondering……..

The funny looking fruit in your Mediterranean bag is passion fruit. It looks like nothing from the outside but cut it in half and first of all you’ll get a blast of it’s amazing aroma then eat the flesh with a teaspoon and go straight to heaven…….. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend,

Sarah

A veggie stew for these cold days and funny cauliflower

It’s winter!!!!!!!! My fuschia was getting ready to flower again and suddenly it’s all about how many jumpers you can  wear at the same time (it ain’t half chilly up here at chez organic, good for the veggies bad bad bad for anyone sitting in front of a computer screen all day). To combat the cold I’ve been making hearty fare this week and a veggie stew/soup I made on Tuesday went down especially well. It’s kind of a version of minestrone  but faster and it’s vegan! As usual I used plenty of onions and garlic (great for combating colds and flus), then carrots, tinned tomatoes and some pinto beans I had left over in the fridge (you can use whatever you have – chickpeas, butterbeans whatever). I cooked all these up (and warmed up the kitchen and myself aswell) and just before serving I tossed some shredded spinach in a pan with garlic and olive oil then stirred it in at the end for an extra garlic hit. It’s quick, very tasty and keeps very well so you can make double quantities and freeze or have for lunch the next day. I served mine with brown rice but couscous, quinoa or pasta would all work well…..

A hearty veggie stew

You’ll need the following but it really is a moveable feast so feel free to use whatever you have:

4 medium carrots

2 onions

olive oil

6-8 cloves garlic

2 tins chopped tomatoes

1 scant teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 red chilli (take out the seeds if you don’t want too much heat)

1 tin beans

1/2 litre vegetable stock – as always I use Marigold

200gr greens (spinach, cabbage, kale etc) destemmed and shredded

Begin by chopping the onions and get them gently frying in olive oil while you scrub and chop the carrots. I did them in quarters about 1cm thick but to be honest it doesn’t make too much difference so it’s up to you. When the onions have softened and are beginning to change colour you can chop 4 cloves of garlic and throw them in along with chilli (finely chopped). Let them soften (about 2-3 minutes) then add the tinned tomatoes, oregano, salt and a pinch of sugar (gets rid of any bitterness the tomatoes have). Allow the tomatoes to cook down by at least a third then throw in the carrots and stock. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes. Rinse the beans well then throw them in, stir well and add more seasoning  if necessary. Finally, heat some olive oil on a frying pan, add the rest of the garlic then the greens and toss until they’ve wilted (if you’re using spinach this will take no time at all while things like cabbage and kale will take longer). Add the greens to the soup mix everything together and serve.

You’ve probably noticed that your cauliflower is an unusual colour (orange, purple or green). I know they look like some food colouring was added to their water but they are completely natural. I just thought it might be nice to try something different. Like all Cauliflowers these guys are especially high in vitamin C as well as lots of other good stuff. Cauliflower was supposed to be the star of a vegan curry with coconut milk and tofu but um, it just didn’t really work out. I mean it was ok but just not worth sharing – must try harder!! In the meantime, I suggest the following non-vegan idea of tossing it on the pan with lots of garlic, chilli , lemon juice and then topping with a little Parmesan. Vegans can leave out the Parmesan and it’s still yummy……….

Pan-fried Cauliflower florets with Chilli, Garlic and Parmesan

You’ll need:

1 Cauliflower

2 cloves garlic (minced)

a little minced red chilli

1 Lemon

Some freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

To prepare the cauliflower, remove the leaves and the stems then cut the cauliflower into tiny florets about the size of marbles (Dan’s going through a phase so they are everywhere I look in our house these days). Rinse in plenty of cold water, drain and set aside. Heat a generous dash of olive oil on the pan, add the chilli, cauliflower and a sprinkling of fine salt  then toss over a medium heat until the florets are golden brown which should take about 6-7 minutes adding the garlic in the last minute. Turn off the heat and squeeze the lemon over the cauliflower, mix well then add salt and pepper and finally the Parmesan. Give everything a good toss and serve.

Hope you enjoy these recipe,

Have a great weekend,

Sarah

Coriander, New baby Beetroot and Carrots

Coriander may not be very common here in Ireland but because it’s used all over the South America, the Middle East , Asia and Africa it’s actually the world’s most popular herb. It’s quite pungent and people either love it or hate it (there’s actually an online community of haters!). When I first discovered it I really wasn’t that keen but using it in guacamoles and salsas, then in thai cooking got me hooked. Recently I’ve been eating it in a Quinoa salad which is my current favourite thing to eat (I am sooooo addicted). Totally moreish, this recipe is completely healthy and what’s more it’s vegan, a direction I’d like to go in more and more as all that Feta (and Parmesan and Stilton and Cashel Blue……..check out previous recipes for proof) might be delicious but there’s no denying that dairy is just not that good for us and having recently spent a week doing lots of yoga and eating practically no dairy I can totally attest to this. As someone who is 99% (okay, 90%) vegetarian, dairy is often a default protein source for me – it’s quick and it goes with nearly everything I cook.

For me, more vegan cooking will about finding dishes where dairy has no place rather than simply taking it out of dishes I already cook. I mean what’s the point of Eggplant parmesan without the parmesan?? South east Asian and Indian are the first obvious places. Last week’s warm Asian salad is one of my all-time favourite things to eat (it also went down very well with you so I’m clearly onto something) and it was a vegan recipe so this might be the start of something. I think I’m going to try and come up with/find  at least one completely vegan (look no feta!!) recipe a week for a while.

If you’re going to be a proper vegetarian or vegan you’ve got to know your seeds and grains. I use a lot of seeds but up until quite recently hadn’t done a whole lot with Quinoa (most people call it a grain but it’s actually a seed). It’s a funny one (and I mean that in a very very good way) – it’s both fluffy and crunchy at the same time and when it’s fully cooked it sprouts a tiny tail (yes really).  It’s fab in salads but can also be used in soups and you can even make porridge from it.. It’s veggies credentials are second to none due to the fact that it’s a complete protein. This week’s salad is an adaption of one from 101 Cookbooks and it is very good starting point if you’ve never had Quinoa as it is completely addictive….

Lemon Scented Quinoa Salad for (1 very greedy person’s lunch or enough for 2 civilised people sharing)

You’ll need:

1 Cup Quinoa

2 Cups Water

Salt

1 Can Chickpeas drained

1 Bunch Coriander chopped

1 small red Onion chopped

The dressing:

2 Tablespoons Tahini (you’ll get this in any good deli, middle eastern or healthfood shop

4-5 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons Oil

3 Tablespoons Hot water

Salt

Begin by rinsing the Quinoa with a sieve then add the 2 cups of water and bring it the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until cooked ( ie all the water has been absorbed and the Quinoa is fluffy) – this should take about 15 minutes. The first time I cooked Quinoa I watched a video on youtube which was very useful as I didn’t know what to expect. Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgOxhdHoAwc for a very simple 5 minute lesson that will make things foolproof.  Probably a lot less foolproof but way more fun is a video of David Lynch cooking it with Broccoli (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XliMny3AvnE) – it’s a complete joy.  When the Quinoa is cooked drain it and set aside.

While the Quinoa is cooking you can prepare the dressing by first mixing the Tahini with the hot water then whisking  in the other ingredients. To put the salad together toss the Quinoa with the Chickpeas, Coriander and Red Onion. Mix in half of the dressing and serve the rest on the side. This recipe is perfect for a pack lunch but in my case, sadly, it rarely makes it that far…..

This week’s  Baby Beetroot is perfect for roasting and that’s how I cooked it last night. I scrubbed the Beets, parboiled them for about 10 minutes, let them cool down a bit then halved or quartered each one. I roasted them with Coconut Oil  another super healthy thing I’ve been trying out recently. Beloved of nutritionists because it can withstand high temperatures (it’s basically reckoned to be the healthiest oil to cook with) and it’s also got less calories than other oils. I bought some recently from a man who sells a very high grade organic variety which is as pure as it comes. For roasting the veggies last night  I took a tablespoon of Oil (it’s hard so it’s more than a liquid tablespoon would be) let it melt in the oven then threw on the veg (I also did some  Carrots which I scrubbed, sliced into long chunks and parboiled but not with the Beets as I didn’t want the them to turn everything pink). I served them with a Cous Cous salad with Coriander and Chickpeas dressed with Lemon juice and Olive Oil and ……. a slab of roasted Feta (what can I say??? Lunch was vegan, I’ll have to ramp to this new completely vegan lifestyle).

The Cous Cous salad took all of 10 minutes to prepare so I started on that when the veggies started caramelizing (after about 40 minutes – enough time to drink a nice glass of wine and watch David tell his story while cooking the Quinoa)

Toasted CousCous salad with Coriander, Chickpeas and Cumin

You’ll need:

1 Cup Wholemeal Couscous

3-4 small Onions (red or white but red will give you a nicer colour)

1 Tin Chickpeas drained

1 Bunch Coriander

3 -4 Tablespoon of Sultanas soaked in warm water (plumps them up)

2 Teaspoons Cumin Seeds

Juice of 1 Lemon

Olive Oil

First of all chop up Onion and get it on the pan over a medium heat with plenty of Olive Oil. In another pan toast the CousCous grains and when they start to turn golden brown turn the heat right down and add about 2 cups of hot (not boiling) water. Stir like crazy until all the water is absorbed and the grains have expanded and are cooked through. If they are still hard after this add a little more water, turn up the heat and stir until the water is gone. Stir a generous glug of Olive Oil through the Cous Cous to separate the grains. At this stage the Onions should be starting to caramelize and you can add the Cumin Seeds. Turn down the heat so the seeds don’t burn and allow the cumin flavour to gently permeate the Onions and Olive Oil for a couple of minutes. To finish things off, add the Chickpeas, Coriander, Sultanas, Onions and Lemon juice to the Cous Cous along with some Salt. Check and correct your seasoning – you may want more Lemon juice, Olive Oil or Salt.

Baked Feta

You’ll need:

1 Slab of Feta (about 200gr)

Olive Oil

Red Chilli

Place the cheese on a piece of tinfoil and drizzle with oil and sprinkle with Chilli (take the seeds out if you don’t want things too hot). Bake in a medium oven (Gas mark 6) for 10 minutes

Variations: Oregano is always lovely as are Chopped Olives

Quinoa and Coconut Oil can be hard to track down so I have got some in and we can deliver it to you over the next couple of weeks.

The Quinoa (organic) costs  3.50E per 500gr

and the Coconut Oil cost 15E for 480ml (seems pricey but this will last you for ages and I don’t think you’ll get it cheaper anywhere else.

If you want either of these things with your next delivery just let us know sarah@homeorganics.ie

Hope you enjoy these recipes,

Have a great weekend,

Sarah

Oyster Mushrooms, Ginger, French Beans and Charlotte Potatoes

This week we have Oyster Mushrooms and Ginger giving an Asian flavour to things. Last night I made a warm salad using this week’s French Beans (lightly steamed), the Mushrooms (panfried til golden) with a dressing of Soy Sauce, grated Ginger, finely chopped Garlic and a little Rice Wine Vinegar and Honey. It was so delicious that I actually ended up eating it at midnight last night instead of keeping it for lunch for today. I ate it on its own but it’s fab with steamed rice and/or some stir-fried tofu……..

Warm Asian salad with Oyster mushrooms, French Beans and Ginger

You’ll need:

200-250gr French Beans

200gr Oyster Mushrooms

1 small Onion

The dressing:

2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

2 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil

1 piece of Ginger about the size of your thumb

2 medium size cloves Garlic

A scant half teaspoon Honey

1 1/2 teaspoon Rice Wine vinegar

Top and tail the Beans and then stick them on to steam. This should take about 5-8 minutes;  enough time to get the Mushrooms ready. First of all, give them a wipe with a barely damp cloth or piece of kitchen paper (mushrooms should never ever be immersed in water as they end up completely sodden and it’s next to impossible to fry them). So, a quick wipe then slice them into large bitesize pieces. Heat some oil on the pan and them on then toss until golden brown which should take about 7 minutes. By this time your Beans should be just about ready – you want them with a bit of crunchy but with enough give so that they mix well with the other ingredients. Rinse them under the cold tap so they stop cooking and stay crunchy then drain completely and mix with the sauted Mushrooms. Finely chop your Onion and mix it into the Beans and Mushrooms.

To make the dressing, peel and finely grate the Ginger then remove the stringy bits. Very finely chop the Garlic  then mix all the dressing ingredients together.Taste and add more Soy, Vinegar or Honey as you see fit (it should be fine but just in case!!). Dress the vegetables and then serve warm or at room temperature.

The potatoes in your bag this week are the Charlotte variety and they are pretty fancy. Exceptionally waxy (I know, not very popular in Ireland but we’ve got the rest of the winter for floury spuds) they are fab in salads. Try them with this week’s Beans, Rocket or Lettuce, Walnuts and Goat’s Cheese. Dress with your best Olive Oil and some Sherry Vinegar – Enjoy!!

bananas

 

With all of last week’s rain I found myself quite housebound with the kids and I find that baking is a great distraction. It can of course be completely nuts if there’s more than one child what with all the vying for the spoon, tears about who adds what etc etc. I tend to keep it simple and to do it during August’s naptime (he’s 15 months and when it comes to getting his own way is light years beyond anything Dan got up to). We’ve been working on a new kind of Banana Bread in recent months.While I do love my regular one with it’s tea-soaked Fruit and Walnuts, we love the combination of Banana with Chocolate and so our new Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Almonds was born. As with all Banana breads if you can bear to leave it in a paper bag for a day it’s extra scrummy and this one is lovely toasted with Vanilla Ice-cream too….

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

125gr soft brown Sugar

125gr butter

3 Eggs

4 ripe Bananas

100gr Chocolate Chips

100gr Chopped Almonds

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence

1/2 Teaspoon Bread Soda

100gr Self raising flour

Grease a loaf tin and set aside. Cream the Sugar and Butter until fluffy and pale (about 5 minutes). Add the Bread Soda to the Flour. Add an Egg to the Butter and Sugar mix then add about 1/3 of the Flour and Bread Soda and mix in. Continue adding the Eggs and Flour like this until you’ve used them all (this is the part that gets really messy if you’re doing it with kids). Mash the Bananas and add them into the mixture and finally throw in the Chocolate Chips and Almonds. Bake at Gas Mark 5 for about 45-50 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into the middle – Enjoy!

Broccoli and Kiwi

While all fruit and vegetables are good for you; in recent years research has shown that some varieties are especially worth including in your diet,  mainly because they have lots of antioxidants; which help to protect against all kinds of cancers, heart disease and other bad stuff. These are  the “superfoods”  I’m sure you’ve all heard about and  include Broccoli, Blueberries, Oranges, Beans, Oats, Pumpkin, Soy, Salmon, Tea, Tomatoes, Walnuts, Yogurt and…… Dark Chocolate! (further proof that God is indeed a woman).Unfortunately, when it comes to the chocolate we only need a little to get all the benefits but at least it means that wolfing a full bar of Green and Blacks on a Friday evening on the sofa isn’t all bad……….. When it comes to the veggies however, as much and as often as possible is the rule and that’s the reason Broccoli is almost always in our bags every week. Vitamins A, B1,B2 B3, B6 and C (just one cup gives you your recommended daily dose), Folic Acid, Iron (which is absorbed easily by the body due to the Vitamin C content), Beta-carotene (an antioxidant that protects against certain cancers), Magnesium, Potassium (both great for nerve function) and Zinc (keeps your immune system in shape) all mean that it’s essential.

Broccoli is so easy to include in your diet  because you can cook it so many ways. It’s fantastic straight up with nothing more than a dressing of  Olive Oil and a tiny pinch of Sea Salt or you can put it with Asian flavors like Ginger and chili in a simple stir-fry or it works really well with Mediterranean flavors like Garlic, Parmesan and Anchovies. Try steaming or boiling florets and serving them with a dipping sauce like Aioli (Garlic Mayonnaise) or Bagna Cruda (Garlic and Anchovy Sauce) for a really simple starter or snack. As a side dish it’s fantastic sauteed with Bread crumbs or Pinenuts. If you’re after a maincourse,  Pasta is a great way to go and it’s a dish that takes about 15 minutes to put together…….

Pasta with Broccoli, Garlic and Pinenuts (for two)

You’ll need:

400gr Broccoli

4 Cloves Garlic

Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Pinenuts

Parmesan

There are two ways to approach this. If your Broccoli is spanking fresh as it is today you can break it up into bitesized florets, steam it and then add it to the dish. If, however, your Broccoli comes from the back of the fridge, seems a little past it’s bestby date you can  chop it up quite small and throw it on the pan after the Garlic has had about 2 minutes, and cook it down for about 10 minutes adding a drop of water until it starts almost falling apart and you get a slightly different but very tasty version of the dish below.

Begin by steaming the florets of Broccoli. While they are steaming you can boil water for Pasta then get the pasta cooking (any shape bar Spaghetti will do) To make your sauce, roughly chop the Garlic and gently sauté them in a generous dash of Olive Oil over a medium heat. As they start to soften (do not let them burn and if they do you’re better off starting again as they’ll make everything horribly bitter) throw in the Broccoli and toss over a medium heat adding more Olive Oil if necessary. After a couple of minutes add the Pine nuts and continue tossing for another minute or two before seasoning  with Salt and freshlyground Pepper. By this stage your Pasta should be about done. Drain it and add it to the Broccoli and mix everything together adding freshly ground Parmesan Cheese. Serve Immediately.

Variations:There are loads, this is a dish I cook and vary a lot. Try frying some Chili or a couple of pounded Anchovies with the Garlic at the beginning, adding some Lemon Juice at the end, using Feta or Goat’s Cheese instead of the Parmesan, throwing in few Sundried Tomatoes sliced into strips or Black Olive  towards the end.

If you fancy something more Asian in flavor, as I mentioned above Broccoli works really well. Try this recipe instead……

Sautéed  Broccoli with Garlic and Chilli and Sesame Seeds

Wash and break your Broccoli into large bitesized florets. Gently steam for a couple of minutes until al dente (i.e. cooked but still very firm). Heat some Vegetable Oil on a wok or pan and throw in  2 or 3 cloves of chopped Garlic and some red Chilli (the quantity is up to you). Allow the Garlic to soften but don’t let it change colour as it will burn in a very quickly after that, then throw in the Broccoli. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes, remove from the heat and add a splash of toasted Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce and some toasted Sesame Seeds (to toast your Sesame Seeds simply throw 2 Tablespoons on a dry pan and roast over a medium heat until they start to change colour and pop). Serve immediately.

New Season Oranges haven’t quite kicked in yet (we’re getting some but not enough) so we’ve included Kiwis in all our selections with fruit this week. These guys have even more Vitamin C than Oranges so are great for this time of year when the change in temperature means we’re all more susceptible to catching colds and flus.If you fancy using them to make a quick desert this fool recipe couldn’t be easier….

Kiwi Mess with Creme Fraiche and Ginger Nut Biscuits

You’ll need:

4 Kiwis

100gr Creme Fraiche

4 Ginger Nut Biscuits

3-4 teaspoons syrup from a jar of stem Ginger – this is a lovely touch but not essential so if you don’t have it just use some icing sugar.

Peel and cut the fruit into chunks. Stir the syrup or icing sugar into the Creme Fraiche and set aside. Roughly crush the biscuits - rolling pin or bottom of a bottle will work for this. Toss everything together and decant into some nice bowls or old-fashioned low champagne glasses (charity shops always good for this kind of thing). Yum!!

By the way, if you’re wondering what to do with this week’s Butternut there’s a fab soup with Thyme and Parmesan on this blog- perfect for a rainy day (Urghhhhhhhhh!)

Aubergines and Kale

Due to the lovely late September sun Marc Michel’s Aubergines perked up and he was able to supply us with enough for all our bags. Now I did have great plans to try out some thing I’ve been meaning to do for ages – aubergine slices coated in breadcrumbs and Parmesan Cheese then fried til golden then served with a rich Tomato sauce topped with Basil leaves(I’ve put a little in all the bags). But alas, I went to my friend’s sample sale yesterday evening and came out 3 hours later completely shattered (but with the most beautiful new top bought for a song) and was only fit for bed by the time I got home. So, that recipe will have to wait for another day and it’s Aubergine pasta this week – very, very easy but completely delish……..

Aubergine and Basil Pasta

You’ll need:

2 small Onions

1/2 Head Garlic

450gr Aubergines (about what you have in this week’s bag)

1-2 tins Tomatoes (this is a moveable feast. 1 will make enough for 2-3 people and 2 will feed up to 6)

Olive Oil

Roughly chop your Onions and saute over a low heat in plenty of Olive Oil.  Chop the Aubergines into pieces about the size of a dice and set aside. As the Onions start to really soften (this will take at least 15 minutes) you can turn up the heat a little and add the Aubergine. Toss well adding more Olive Oil to stop things sticking. Keep everything moving and when the Aubergines start to soften and turn a golden brown you can throw in the Garlic and a little more Oil if you think it needs it. Allow the Garlic to completely soften then add the Tomatoes, a generous pinch of Sugar (takes away any bitterness) and Salt. Lower the heat a little and cook for another 20 minutes (30 if you’re using 2 tins of Tomatoes).  Serve with the pasta of your choice and some Parmesan or Pecorino and some torn Basil leaves.

The Curly Kale in your bag this week is packed full of nutrients and can be steamed, stir-fried or boiled but if you want to try something special Chorizo and Kale are a match made in heaven.Nigella Lawson’s Kale with Chorizo topped with a poached egg is the perfect example. It’s lunch, dinner or tea in 10 minutes and it couldn’t be any moreish, a complete treat. Chorizo secretes its lovely spicy oil when gently fried and this is your sauce.You simply  wash and steam your Kale, then slowly fry small slices of Chorizo in a teeny drop of oil for about 5 minutes releasing the oil. Poach an egg, toss the Kale with the chorizo in the pan then serve on a plate topped with the egg (runny yolk of course because adds lovely richness to the dish. Serve it straight up or with crusty bread. Yummy!!

By the way, at 2.50E per half dozen our organic Eggs are really keenly priced (I regularly see them for up to 3E +) So, if you eat Eggs talk to us!!!

Final note for the ladies – the sample sale I was at is on in The Central Sale 10- 6 on Saturday and Sunday – Enjoy!!!

Basil, Tomatoes and Chilli

We’re coming to the end of our summer varieties . Courgettes are now officially thin on the ground,  at least in Wicklow,  as are Aubergines.  I had such plans but we just didn’t get enough sun to feature them as often as I’d hoped. Tomatoes are also coming to an end,  so to have them along with Basil is a last blast of  summer (you know, the one we never had). Basil + Tomatoes can mean so many things – a simple salad (just add your best Olive Oil and a little Salt) or a more substantial salad if you add Mozzarella (this is the classic Caprese). One of my first posts on this blog was Marcella Hazan’s simple Tomato salad. It still beats pretty much anything.

For an easy dinner chop up your Tomatoes and briskly fry them in hot Olive Oil with some Garlic and a little of the Chilli that’s packed in the paper bag along with the Tomatoes, then toss with Pasta,  Basil Leaves and maybe some Black Olives. It’s a dish that takes all of 10 minutes to put together.

These days I  favour Pecorino over Parmesan with pasta. I bought a big block on a whim a while back and using it has reminded me of why it works so well. It’s a saltier cheese, with Tomatoes this works well as they tend to be sweet (or should be).It’s all about contrast which sounds a bit cheffy but is true. As there’s Basil in this week’s bag I’ll give a pesto recipe. I know, it’s a bit obvious but properly made it’s really really good and nothing like the stuff you buy in jars (even the fancier brands are muck).  Good pesto has plenty of Garlic, real Pine nuts and ideally, Pecorino Cheese rather than Parmesan but you can use Parmesan if you’re stuck. It might seem a waste but using decent Olive Oil pays dividends as it adds so much to the flavour. Best of all, Pesto takes  all of ,oh, 2 minutes to make, a quality I really rate in a recipe especially when it’s Culture night and the weather is good!

Pesto (for 2)
Peel and roughly chop 2 fat cloves of Garlic and put in your blender along with 8 Tablespoons of Olive Oil (a generous glug), 2 Tablespoons Pine nuts, a generous pinch of Salt, and your Basil Leaves (remove any really thick stems first). Blast until everything is blended. A little chunkiness can be nice but you may prefer a smoother Pesto so you decide when to stop blending. When you’re finished, stir in 2-3 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Cheese. Serve with freshly cooked Pasta and more grated Pecorino (or Parmesan).
This can be made in advance and will keep in your fridge for up to a week  in a jar with a layer of olive poured over.  As Basil goes so well with all kinds of veg (especially roasted) Pesto makes a great dressing – just thin it out with some Olive Oil and a little Lemon Juice to add some zing

Enjoy!!

Tomatoes, Basil, Aubergines and Sugar Snap Peas

Hi everyone,

This week’s selections all have lovely sun-ripened Tomatoes and Basil, two flavours, that when brought together, seem to say summer  more than almost anything else. Basil and Tomatoes with almost nothing more than good Olive Oil and a little Salt form the basis of so many great (and very easy to assemble) dishes.Take the classic Tomato and Mozzarella salad (aka Caprese Salad) for instance. Just slice 3 or 4 Tomatoes and lay on a plate with about 125gr. sliced Buffalo Mozzarella  (avoid the plastic variety at all costs and get the stuff sold in little bags with liquid) and some torn Basil Leaves. Dress with some Salt and your nicest Olive Oil and leave for a few minutes so the Basil can infuse into your Olive Oil and mix with the Tomato juices…….. Delicious! Serve with good rustic bread  and maybe some Black Olives as a starter or with a simple omelette if you want to make a meal of it.

Obviously these flavour combinations work just as well with pasta so for a dish that’s a little more filling you can try somthing like…..

Pasta with Tomato, Garlic and Basil
If you are short of time this can be as simple as sautéing 2 cloves sliced Garlic (with a little chilli if you like) adding 2 or 3 Tomatoes (finely chopped), a teaspoon Sugar and some Salt. Sauté the lot over a medium heat for as long as it takes your pasta to cook. To serve simply mix the Tomatoes with the pasta adding a handful of torn Basil leaves,some freshly Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese and Black Pepper. If you want something less rustic and a little more refined you can cook the tomatoes for longer (and even use tinned ones if it’s handier) – say 45 minutes and add a dash of Balsamic Vinegar towards the end and then serve with pasta as described above.

One thing that works wonderfully with Basil and Tomatoes is of course Aubergine and they are in all our bags this week (straight outta Wicklow in case you’re wondering about whether they are local). My recipe for them them today might sound quite faffy but it’s not and it’s really gorgeous -grilled  Aubergine “sandwiches” with some Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil in the middle as a filling. Serve them on this week’s baby leaves and you have a really nice starter or lunch dish…………

Grilled Aubergine Sandwiches with Tomato and Basil

You’ll need:

400gr Aubergines (about what you have in this week’s bag)

2-3 Tomatos

1 Ball Mozzarella

Basil Leaves

Olive Oil

Salad Leaves

Aubergines tend to have some bitterness so it’s a good idea to salt them before cooking. To do this slice your aubergine (s) into rounds about 1.2 cm thick, place in a colander and lightly sprinkle with Salt then leave them for about half an hour. This will draw out the bitterness (a brownish liquid) which you wipe off  with a cloth. To cook the slices, brush them with Olive Oil and grill until golden on each side. As the Aubergines are cooking slice the Tomatoes and Mozzarella. To finish the dish, place a slice of Mozzarella, a slice of Tomato and a couple of Basil Leaves on half of the Aubergine slices then return to the grill to melt the cheese and soften the Tomato. When they’re done, top with another slice of Aubergine and serve on a bed of leaves (Rocket is also fab) dressed with a little Olive Oil and some Balsamic Vinegar.

Variations: Parmesan is also great and instead of fresh Tomatoes you can use a thick Tomato sauce

Finally, there are Sugar snap peas in our bags this week which, like Mangetout, are meant to be eaten whole (it’s better if you get rid of the string that runs each side by pulling the hooky bit at the top). I think the ones we got are slightly mature podwise for eating whole but the peas inside are just gorgeous. I meant to make all kinds of amazing things with them last night but some friends showed up unexpectedly from Spain so we ended up podding them and munching on the peas  with beers while waiting for Bombay Pantry (long day with kids meant I just wasn’t able for anything else and they don’t get good Indian in Asturias).  I’ve promised them all kinds of home cooking tonight and of course after the late one last night I am full of boundless energy…….

Hope you enjoy these recipes,
Have a great weekend,
Sarah

I’m back!! well, sort of…

Hi everyone,

I hope our so-called summer hasn’t completely defeated you.

I’ve been so busy grappling with life with 2 kids that I haven’t had time to think about the weather much to be honest. Instead I’ve been trying to figure out how anyone gets anything done (and yes that includes cooking) with a new baby and a (nearly) 4 year old. Those of you with more than one kid already will of course be laughing your heads off. I know, I’ll get used to it but in the meantime I can’t quite get over how busy I am and how little actually gets done…

As things here on planet yummy mummy (ha ha)  are still pretty hectic, for the next few weeks I’m going to confine myself to putting many of my old recipes on our new recipe blog so you can look them up whenever you’re stuck for ideas.

I hope to get back to writing new stuff on a weekly basis within the month and as always the focus will be on getting the tastiest meal on the table in the shortest time possible. As aIways, I will occasionally hit you with some fancy stuff you can impress dinner guests with from my restaurant days in Barcelona. With all this talk of recession eating in is surely set to be the new eating out so there’s really never been a better time to hone your kitchen skills.

Be sure and get in touch if you’d like more info or recipes on any of our fruit and veggies.

All the best,

Sarah

Celeriac

This week all our bags have Celeriac (that funny knobbly thing you might be wondering about) which, as its name and appearance suggest, belongs to the Celery family. It has a mild nutty flavour and is much sweeter than Celery. It can be eaten both raw and cooked. Try roasting it in Olive Oil with Garlic and Thyme, adding it to soups, mash and purees or grated raw in salads with Vinaigrette or Mayonnaise. It will keep for a couple of weeks if you store it in a cool, dark place. When peeled and chopped it should be kept in acidulated water (ie. water with some Lemon juice) if you’re not using it immediatelty as it discolours.

It’s starting to turn wintry so I thought mash might be just the thing for this evening. This one goes really well with roasted meats and would also be lovely with some good sausages…

 

Celeraic mash

 

You’ll need:

600gr. Celeriac

400gr Spuds

Olive Oil

1 Lemon

 

Peel the Celeriac and Spuds then cut them into chunks. Throw into a pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil, lower the heat  then cook for a further 15 minutes. Drain well and  mash adding a generous dash of Olive Oil and the juice of one Lemon.

For a veggie meal put the mash into single serve dishesand top with rounds of Goat’s Cheese then grill until golden. Serve with a simple salad.

 

Celeriac, as you might imagine, makes beautiful soup. This one is topped with crispy Pancetta (Italian Bacon) and Croutons which are a great contrast to the soup’s velvety texture.

Perfect for these cold evenings……..

 

Celeriac Soup with Crispy Pancetta and Croutons (for 2)

 

You’ll need:

1 medium Onion

500gr Celeraic

1 small Potato

2 cloves Garlic

400ml stock (chicken or veg)

50 ml double Cream

60 gr Pancetta or streaky Bacon

2 Tablespoons Croutons

 

Chop the Onion and begin to saute in a generous knob of Butter and a dash of Olive Oil (this stops the Butter burning) over a lowish heat while you get on with chopping the other veg. Peel and roughly chop the Celeriac, Potatoes and Garlic then add to the Onion and mix well. Season with Salt and Pepper then continue cooking until everything has softened (about 10 minutes)

Add the stock and bring everything to the boil then lower the heat and to a simmer and leave to cook for another 15 – 20 minutes or until the Celeraic is tender. Turn off the heat and liquidize until very smooth, check and correct the seasoning if necessary and finally stir in the cream.

To serve finely chop the Pancetta  and fry in a drop of Olive Oil. When it’s starting to turn crispy throw in the Croutons and toss until golden.

Sprinkle on top of each serving and serve.

 

If you’d prefer something lighter, Celeraiac and Toasted Hazelnuts make a great autumn salad. Toasting the Haelnuts really brings up their lovely earthy flavour which is fab with the nuttiness of the Celeraic. If your  Hazelnuts are unpeeled this process will help lift their skin off which you can then remove by rubbing the nuts between your palms. Toast them on a dry, unoiled frying pan over a medium heat for a couple of minutes, shaking the pan a couple of times to ensure they toast on all sides and don’t burn. When the skin starts to blister and they are changing colour take them off the heat and allow to cool before removing the skin as I suggest above. Don’t worry if it doesn’t all come off. Alternatively, you can buy them pretoasted in most health food shops.

 

Celeriac and Toasted Hazelnut Salad

You’ll need:

100gr Hazelnuts

400gr coarsely grated Celeriac

Olive Oil

Lemon Juice

 

Coarsely chop your toasted Hazelnuts (you want chunks rather than little bits) then mix with the Celeriac. Dress the lot with 6 Tabelspoons Olive Oil, about 2 Tablespoons Lemon juice and a pinch of Salt.If you prepare this salad ahead of time, you may need to add a little more Lemon juice before serving it as the Lemon tends to lose its zing over time.

 

Market Watch

Cooking Apples are now in season as are Quinces both of which make fantastic crumbles. I’ll have them next week so let us know if you’d like some.

 

Hope you enjoy these recipes,

Have a great weekend,

Sarah

Flat Beans and Green Cabbage

Hi everyone,

This week we have lovely Flat beans in all our bags which you can of course simply boil or steam but they also work really well in salads. One of my favourites is with Cous Cous and Chorizo which makes a great lunch on its own or, you can serve it as part of a bigger mezze style meal (ie with lots of other dishes like say, Hummus, Spanish Omelette, Olives, Cheese and maybe nice spanish Ham). Chorizo is a spicy sausage from the south of Spain which gives great flavour to all kinds of dishes (in Andalucia they eat it with absolutely everything). When it’s tossed on the pan it releases a beautiful spicy oil and I make sure this goes into the salad so there’s lots of flavour and you don’t need to add much more in the way of dressing.

Warm Cous Cous salad with Flat Beans and Chorizo

You’ll need

280gr-300gr Flat Beans (about what you have in your bag this week) topped and tailed

1 Cup Cous Cous

1 Onion

A piece of Chorizo 2-3 inches long

Olive Oil

Lemon Juice

Red Wine Vinegar

Begin by cooking your Beans. Cut them in three so you have pieces about an inch and a half long. Drop into boiling water and cook until tender. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.

Prepare 1 cup of Cous Cous. My method, which I explained a few weeks back, involves toasting the grains on a dry (ie. no oil) frying pan over a medium heat (this gives them a lovely nutty flavour which adds to your final dish). When they start to turn golden add 2 cups of hot water, turn off the heat and stir until all the water is absorbed and the Cous Cous is cooked adding more water if necessary. If you find the grains are still undercooked simply turn on the heat again, add more water and cook until absorbed and the grains are done.

Chop your Onion and mix it through the still warm Cous Cous, season  and set aside.

Roughly chop the Chorizo and gently saute in a little Olive Oil for a few minutes before adding the Beans. Toss everything over a medium heat for another minute then mix into the Cous Cous making sure to get as much of the Chorizo Oil from the pan as possible. Dress with a little Olive Oil, Lemon Juice and Red Wine Vinegar.

Variation: Add Chickpeas and/or chopped Parsley

The Cabbage in your bag this week is fantastic stir-fried especially with some toasted Sesame Seeds………….

Sesame stir-fried Cabbage (for 2)

You’ll need:

1/2 head Cabbage

3 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds

Vegetable Oil

Soy Sauce or Tamari

Toasted Sesame Oil if you have it

Finely shred and wash your Cabbage and set aside. Toast the Sesame seeds on a dry pan and set aside.

Heat the Oil on your wok or pan. When it’s sizzling hot throw on the cabbage and toss until wilted. Add a dash of Soy Sauce and toss until mixed through then remove from the heat.

To serve drizzle with Toasted Sesame Oil and sprinkle with the Sesame seeds.

If you’re not sure what to do with this week’s Butternut Squash check our recipe blog for recipes and info.

Hope you enjoy these recipes,

Have a great weekend,

Sarah

Brussels Sprouts and Red Cabbage for Christmas

Hi everyone,

All our bags this week have a head of Red Cabbage which can of course be used in salads but a great, and very seasonal, way to use this variety is to cook it slowly with Apple, Spices, Red Wine Vinegar and Sugar which gives it a beautiful sweet and sour flavour. It’s a dish some people serve on Christmas day (and I’d say it makes just about any roast) so if you’re stuck for ideas this might be just the thing especially because you can make it the day before and it looks really beautiful (you can do that Nigella thing of matching your food to your outfit with this one)

Braised Red Cabbage with Apple and Spices (This recipe will serve 4-6 as part of a roast meat meal but as it keeps well you may want to make more)
Finely shred 500gr Red Cabbage discarding the core and any tough leaves. Finely slice 1 large Onion and sauté over a lowish heat with a generous knob of Butter until soft. While the Onions are cooking, in a casserole dish (or any ovenproof dish with a lid) combine the Cabbage, 1 Large Apple grated, 4-5 Cloves, a Cinnamon stick (or generous pinch of powdered Cinnamon), 1/4 teaspoon Allspice, 1/4 Ground Nutmeg, 4 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar, 150ml Water, 2 Tablespoons of Dark Brown Sugar and 2 Tablespoons Blackcurrant Jam ( a friend of mine swears by a dash of Ribena instead of this but I’ve yet to try it). Add the Onions and mix everything up seasoning well with Salt and Pepper.Cover and put into a medium oven for about an hour and a half stirring every 30 minutes or so.

I thought I’d put Brussel Sprouts in the bags this week because in most houses they’re only ever cooked on Christmas day when they are usually overcooked ,because nobody knows what to do with them, then neglected on the plate and finally thrown in the bin. It’s a shame because they are actually very nice if you know what to do with them and my gratin with Bacon(organic more than ever of course!) , Parmesan and Cream will prove it. We ate it last night with lamb and lots of other good things and everyone reckoned it was the highlight of the meal.

Brussel Sprouts Gratin with Bacon and Parmesan (for 2)
Prepare your Sprouts by peeling back the discoloured outer leaves and making a cross at the base with a sharp knife (nobody knows why you have to do this but you do). Bring them to the boil and cook for about 5 minutes until soft with a hint of bite (i.e. not the pulp you might be familiar with). Drain and allow  to cool down a bit while you chop up 3 streaky Rashers and sauté in a pan. When the Sprouts have cooled halve them and in an ovenproof dish combine them with the Bacon and 2 Tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. Season well with Salt and Pepper then add 150 ml double cream. Mix everything allowing the cream to coat all the Sprouts and then top with another 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan and a light sprinkling of breadcrumbs. Bake in a hottish oven (Gas mark 6) for about 24 minutes until golden brown.
Vegetarians can leave out the Bacon and it still tastes great.

If you want to eat this on Christmas days (and you will)  prepare everything up to the oven stage the day before or on  the morning and then stick it in the oven 25 minutes  before you carve.

If you want to keep it simple on the day things to try would be steaming your sprouts  then tossing them on the pan with ……….
sautéed Onions and Butter
flaked Almonds
toasted Hazelnuts
Chestnuts
Sesame seeds, Sesame oil and a little Tamari or Soy sauce

Have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year.

Sarah

Potatoes, Mushrooms and Globe Artichokes

Hello everyone and a very happy 2009 to you,
 
If you’ve started a detox look away now. This week’s recipe is a gratin with the Mushrooms and Potatoes in your bag cooked with Gruyere cheese and Cream (just in case you didn’t do quite enough damage over the Christmas).To add extra depth to the Mushrooms I add some Porcini (dried Cepes) then use the liquid I hydrate them with in the gratin. If you can’t get your hands on Porcini (they’re generally to be found in good delis) don’t worry the dish works fine without them.
The detox starts next week(!!!)
 
Potato Gratin with Gruyere and Mushrooms
You’ll need:
10gr Porcini Mushrooms
175gr Mushrooms (about what you have in your bag this week)
Olive Oil
800gr Potatoes
120gr Gruyere (Parmesan also works well and Cheddar will do at a pinch)
200ml Single Cream

To begin with take the Porcini Mushrooms and leave them soaking in 120ml hot water then get on with preparing the rest of the ingredients. Wipe and slice the Mushrooms. Heat a dash of Olive Oil in a  pan and thrown on the Mushrooms and sauté until golden brown then set aside.
While the Mushrooms are cooking, peel and slice (about the thickness of a Euro coin or slightly less if possible) the Potatoes. Grate the Cheese and set aside. Strain and finely chop the Porcini then mix the soaking liquid with the Cream. Season this liquid with Salt and Pepper (you can add a little more Salt than normal as cream tends to sweeten things a lot especially when cooked down).

To put the dish together, in a square ovenproof dish about  24 cm x 24 cm place a layer of Potatoes. Scatter about a  third of your mushrooms and cheese on top and continue layering like this finishing with a layer of Potatoes. Pour the liquid over the Potatoes and Mushrooms and finally grate a little more cheese on top of everything. Cover with tin foil and bake for about 45 minutes at 180 degrees then uncover and bake for a further 15 or until golden brown.

Try this with a simple Lamb’s Lettuce and Walnut salad for the perfect lunch or add a dish of roasted root veg (the Carrots in this week’s bag would be perfect)to make a more substantial meal.
 
Our Mediteranean selections all have Artichokes this week and if you haven’t had them before you’re in for a treat. I tend to serve them as simply as possible to show off their great flavour. Last night I made Carciofi Fritti (Fried Artichokes) to pick on while we waited for dinner to cook and they went down a storm especially with 4 year old Dan who was appalled we were going to eat such a strange looking variety………. 
 
Carciofi Fritti 
 
First of all prepare the Artichokes by peeling off the tough outer leaves then cutting off the top half of each Artichoke (ie the tougher/pointy part). Finally, pare back the any more tough bits until you reach the heart. It’s a lot of cutting back I know and what you’re left with seems so paltry but it is worth it I promise! Discard the fluffy stuff you find there then slice the Artichoke heart into pieces about 1/2 cm thick. Place the slices in a bowl of water then add the juice of half a Lemon and a generous pinch of Salt. Leave the Artichokes to sit for about 15 minutes then drain and pat dry.
Heat about an inch of Oil in a pan and prepare the Artichoke slices for frying by dipping them in Flour then beaten Egg (you’ll need 1 large Egg) then breadcrumbs. Add the Artichokes to the oil when it’s hot but not smoking otherwise the Artichokes will burn on the outside before they’re done inside. When golden brown, remove from the pan to some Kitchen Paper then sprinkle with Salt, Black Pepper and a squeeze of Lemon Juice. Serve immediately!!!!
 
Hope you enjoy these recipes,
Have a great week,
Sarah

Juice Detox Recipes

Hi everyone,
After Christmas everyone seems to think that a grand gesture must be made to counteract all the excesses of the festive season but the truth is, with your bag of veggies or fruit and veggies you are already taking the first steps to “detox” or cleanse your body. Detoxing is something the body does naturally if you give it fresh healthy food. Something as simple as a little lemon juice in some hot water first thing in the morning is a fantastic way to get your digestive system going, eliminating all the toxins built up during the previous day while things you may be eating every day all have their functions - Apples are packed with vitamins and minerals, Celery is great for cleansing the liver while Carrots work on the kidneys.  Even humble Brassicas like this week’s Kale have fantastic cleansing properties.
If you’re busy juicing is a great way to go if you want to detox. You can pack the nutrients of a couple of kilos of fruit and/or vegetables into a single glass in a couple of minutes. As there’s no cooking involved, none of the nutrients have been destroyed by heat so it’s more nutritious than eating the same ingredients cooked. Plus, if you’re getting all the nutrients you need you’ll be less likely to crave the bad stuff (cravings are the body’s way of telling you you need something but for some reason this is usually interpreted as “time for another chocolate biscuit”) so they can be good for losing weight.
All of the ingredients in your selection this week can be juiced but some work better than others and I’ve put together a few basic juice recipes that use some of the easier ingredients to juice.

apples

Apples, Celery and Carrots – full of vitamins and antioxidants which protect and cleanse the liver which is where the body deals with most of it’s toxins so if it’s working properly so are you.
Beetroot – fantastic for cleansing/detoxing the blood and our digestive system as well as a million other properties. Flavourwise, it can take over in a juice so go easy until you get used to it.
Lemon – Citrus fruits are fantastic liver and intestinal cleansers and they work to protect against colds and coughs.
Ginger – Gently cleanses, aids digestion and also fights against colds and flu. It adds a lovely kick to almost any juice.
The proportions given are a guide, juicing is really a question of taste (and also what’s to hand sometimes). If you find the vegetable juices (especially the one with Celery) hard to take at first just add in more fruit at first. You’ll find that over time you’ll acquire the taste and you’ll be able to substitute more of the fruit for vegetables
These recipes make 2 glasses of juice.
Carrot, Apple and Lemon Juice
3 Medium Carrots
2 Apples
1/2 Lemon
Wash but don’t peel the Carrots and Apples then cut into pieces small enough to fit into your juicer. There’s no need to core the apples. Peel the lemon and cut into pieces.
Juice all the ingredients, stir and drink immediately.
Carrot, Celery and Apple Juice
3 Medium Carrots
2 Apples
2 Sticks of Celery
Wash but don’t peel the Celery Carrots and Apples then cut into pieces small enough to fit into your juicer. There’s no need to core the apples.
Juice all the ingredients, stir and drink immediately.
Carrot, Apple and Ginger Juice
3 Medium Carrots
2 Apples
1 piece of Ginger about the size of your thumb nail
Wash but don’t peel the Carrots and Apples then cut into pieces small enough to fit into your juicer. There’s no need to core the apples.
Juice all the ingredients, stir and drink immediately.
Beetroot, Orange and Ginger Juice
3 Oranges
1 Medium Beetroot
1 piece of Ginger about the size of your thumb nail
Wash but don’t peel the Carrots and Apples and peel the beetroot. Take the root and top from the beetroot.  Then cut into pieces small enough to fit into your juicer. There’s no need to core the apples.
Juice all the ingredients, stir and drink immediately

Sweet Potato and Spinach

Hi everyone,

This week our selections all feature the makings of a lovely vegetarian Thai curry- Sweet Potato (very similar to Butternut Squash and can be baked or boiled and mashed like a regular spud if you don’t fancy the curry idea) and Spinach.

If you’re worried that this recipe might be a bit longwinded don’t be. Thai curries are relatively fast to put together and don’t require nearly as much cooking as many Indian curries you might have tried. Basically, you prepare  your ingredients (in this case this involves boiling or steaming the Sweet Poato, washing and chopping the Spinach and finally, frying up cubes of Tofu) beforehand then throwing them into some Coconut Milk mixed with Green Curry Paste (this you can buy in any of the Asian markets), cooking  the lot for about 5 minutes and hey presto dinner ready and it’s soooooooo tasty (I sent out this recipe a couple of years ago and have rarely had so much positive feedback about a dish)

Thai Green Curry with Sweet Potato, Spinach and Tofu (serves 3-4)

What you’ll need:

500gr Tofu

600gr Sweet Potato (about what you have in your bag this week)

400gr Spinach (about what you have in your bag this week)

Thai Green Curry Paste

400 ml Coconut Milk

2 Limes

Fish Sauce (Nam Pla)  or Salt if you’re veggie

1-2 cups Vegetable Stock or Water

Rice

I’ve divided the instructions into stages so it’s as clear as possible.

1. Rice - Get it done at the beginning so it’s not a big panic later. I use Thai Jasmine Rice but it’s up to you.

3. Tofu – Most people I know don’t rate Tofu at all and I think it’s because it’s very rarely prepared properly. Tofu is like a sponge – it doesn’t really taste of anything but is brilliant at soaking up other flavours so it’s great in this kind of dish. When you buy Tofu it comes packaged in water and is quite waterlogged (that weird silken stuff in a box is not what I’m talking about so steer clear) so you need to squeeze some of this out to make room for the other flavours. To do this, cut the Tofu into sheets about 1 inch thick and place them on a chopping board. Cover the Tofu with another chopping board wh then put something heavy like a big pan of of water on top of this so the Tofu gets pressed and some of the water is forced out. If possible, tilt the bottom board slightly by putting a folded cloth under one side so the water can run off. Leave for about 30 minutes, then get rid of all the water that’s been squeezed out and chop the Tofu into cubes. Heat a little vegetable oil in a pan and fry the cubes until golden.

3. Sweet Potato – while the Tofu is draining peel and chop the Sweet Potato into bitesize pieces,  bring to the boil in salted water then simmer until cooked. When it’s done drain and set aside.

4. Spinach – When all the above has been set up and is cooking or draining prepare the Spinach by removing the stems, washing and roughly shredding it.

5. Putting it all together

Once you’ve got all the ingredients sorted heat a dash of Oil in a wok or pan then add 2 Tablespoons (or 2.5 if you really like it hot but please, please ignore any instructions on the packaging that says you’ll need about 3 times that amount because believe me it’ll end in tears) of Thai Green Curry Paste. Stirfry the paste in the Oil for a moment then add 400ml Coconut Milk gradually allowing the Paste and Milk to mix properly together. To this you can add the grated zest of a lime and then the Sweet Potato, Tofu and Spinach.Sesaon with a little Salt or a dash of Fish sauce iof you aren’t vegetarian. Stir for about 5 minutes until the Spinach has fully wilted adding a cup or 2 of vegetable stock or water if things start to dry up. To serve add a squeezing of Lime and eat with the Rice. Yummy!!!!!!!!!!!

Market Watch

Loads of you are planning to make Marmalade so we’ll be getting in more Seville Oranges next week. They cost 3.20E per kilo. If you’d like some just let us know. I’m not  a marmalade maker myself  but my friend Margaret who makes amazing preserves will be giving me recipes which I’ll post on the blog http://homeorganics.wordpress.com/over the next few days.

Hope you enjoy the curry,

Have a fantastic weekend,

Sarah

Jerusalem Artichokes, Rocket and Mushrooms

 

We have Jerusalem Artichokesin all our bags this week. Never heard of them? Well, they are those funny knobbly things that look like a cross between Root Ginger and Sweet Potatoes in your bag this week. Rather confusingly Jerusalem Artichokes have nothing to do with either Jerusalem or Artichokes. These tubers are a variety of sunflower. Tastewise, they’re quite similar to Globe Artichokes but are much sweeter with a nutty, smokey flavour which goes beautifully with Cream, Garlic, Bacon, Mushrooms, Hazelnuts, Lemon, Parsley and Parmesan. Like all root veg, Jerusalem Artichokes can be roasted, fried, boiled and mashed. They make fantastic soups and gratins and can even be eaten raw although with the day that’s in it that doesn’t really hold too much appeal. Instead, I’d suggest a warm salad with this week’s Rocket and some smoked Cheese. Paul and I have just wolfed this for lunch and it rocks. Or, try soup – Jerusalem Artichokes make the silkiest kind and you can garnish it by pan-frying some of this week’s Mushrooms which are just perfect for bringing up the nutty, earthy flavour of the soup….

When preparing your Artichokes, it isn’t necessary, as many recipes insist, to peel them but they do need a good scrub. If they’re very mucky, a soak in some water before you scrub will make things easier. If you do peel them, be sure and put them in acidulated water (ie water with some Lemon Juice) to stop them going brown. The first recipe this week is a very simple one and it works really well with any kind of roast and it’s also the basis of the salad recipe I just mentioned….

 Pan-fried Jerusalem Artichokes with White Wine Vinegar

You’ll need: 600gr Jerusalem Artichokes (about what you have in this week’s bag)

 Olive Oil

2-3 cloves Garlic

 White Wine Vinegar

Scrub your Artichokes well but don’t bother to peel them. Slice each one into rounds about 1/2 cm thick dropping them into a bowl of Water with Lemon juice as you go. When they’re all ready drain them and dry with some kichen paper or a tea towel. Heat some Olive Oil on the pan and add the Artichokes. Pan-fry over a slow to medium heat until golden. This should take about 10 minutes and at this stage the Artichokes will have started to soften. To finish cooking them turn down the heat and cover them for about 10 minutes tossing every few minutes to ensure they don’t blacken. While the Artichokes are cooking, finely chop your Garlic. When the Artichokes are soft to the point of nearly starting to fall apart turn up the heat a little, add a little more Olive Oil and throw in the Garlic and toss with the Artichokes until soft. To finish off the dish add a dash of white wine vinegar, toss everything together then turn down the heat, cover and leave to cook for a minute then turn off the heat, season with Salt and Pepper and serve.

A warm salad with Pan-fried Artichokes, Rocket, Pinenuts and smoked Cheese (for 2)

You’ll need:

 A portion of pan-fried Artichokes prepared as described above.

60-70gr Rocket (about what you hav in your bag this week)

100gr smoked Cheese – Apart from the Basque raw sheeps cheese Idiazabal I’m not normally wild about smoked Cheeses but it’s amazing in this salad. I used Oakwood which is pretty readily available (Idiazabal, unfortuneately, isn’t – even in the rest of Spain it’s hard to track down).

A handful Pinenuts Olive Oil Vinegar or Lemon Juice – I used that Irish Cider Balsamic stuff which is really nice but traditional Red wine or Lemon Juice also works well. I wouldn’t go for regular Balsamic for a salad like this as I think it overpowers the earthy flavours but it’s really up to you.

While the Artichokes are cooking wash and dry the Rocket. Chop the cheese into little chunks (about the size of hazelnuts) or strips about 2 cm long . Toast the Pinenuts on a dry pan until golden then roughly chop and mix through the Rocket. Add in the Cheese and when the Artichokes are ready dress everything with Olive Oil and Vinegar then top with the Artichokes and serve.

And finally…………………

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup topped with saute Portabella Mushrooms (for 2 hungry people or 4 as a small starter)

You’ll need:

A generous knob Butter

 1 Onion

1 Stick of Celery

2 Cloves Garlic

600gr Jerusalem Artichokes (about what you have in this week’s bag)

800ml Stock (Chicken or veg)

60ml Double Cream

1 large Portobella Mushroom or 4-5 small Chestnut ones to garnish

Roughly chop your Onion and begin to sweat in the Butter while you finely chop the Celery. Throw in the chopped Celery and after about 5 minutes add the 2 cloves Garlic roughly chopped. Continue to saute over a lowish heat until everything has softened but not changed colour (this should take about 10 minutes) while you get on with preparing the Jerusalem Artichokes. Peel and slice the Jerusalem Artichokes, dropping them into water with a squirt of Lemon as you go. When the Onion, Celery and Garlic have fully softened throw in the Artichokes along with the stock. Season with Salt and Pepper, bring to the boil then simmer for about 25 minutes until the Jerusalem Artichokes are completely tender. While the soup is cooking wipe and thinly slice your mushroom(s), heat some Olive Oil on a pan and fry until golden brown and almost crispy then set aside. When the soup is cooked, turn off the heat and blend until completely smooth. Add in the cream, check the seasoning adding a little more Salt if necessary and serve topped with the Mushrooms.

Chestnut Mushrooms

 

We have lovely Brown/Chestnut Mushrooms in all our selections this week. Like all Mushrooms they are packed with all kinds of good stuff like B vitamins which are great for counteracting stress and fatigue, Vitamin D which helps keep your hair, skin and nails healthy and strong, vegetable Proteins and minerals like Potassium, Copper, Selenium and Phosphorus. Recent studies also show that Mushrooms have Probiotic properties i.e they help the body strengthen itself and fight off illness. Chestnut Mushrooms are tastier than the white button variety but can be prepared in the same ways. Perhaps the best (and certainly the simplest) way to prepare them is to wipe (never immerse them in water as they suck it up and make everything soggy so use a damp cloth to clean them) slice and pan-fry them for a couple of minutes and eat them straightup with plenty of fresh bread to mop up the juices. Or alternatively, these pan-fried Mushrooms can be added to a folded Omelette with your favourite Cheese for a quick supper. They are also great in all kinds of stews and casseroles where their meatiness adds a lovely depth of flavour. They can be eaten raw and like most things conserve more goodness this way. Try them sliced in salads with a Balsamic dressing and if you really want to show them off, try slicing and marinating them in Olive Oil and Balsamic overnight before adding them to a salad of green leaves and Goat’s Cheese. While Mushrooms are fantastic with little more than some Garlic and Olive Oil, their flavour is set off perfectly by lots of things like Cream, Crème Fraiche, Cheeses like Parmesan and Gruyere, Herbs like Chives, Oregano, Tarragon and Parsley, Onions, Eggs, Butternut Squash (also in this week’s bag), Tomatoes, Nuts and Wine (both red and white). Basically, there are tons of options and here are 2 of my
favourites…………

Chestnut mushrooms

Spanish style Mushrooms with Garlic and Parsley

You’ll need:

180gr Chestnut Mushrooms (about what you have in your bag this week)

Olive Oil

2 Cloves Garlic

2 Tablespoons Parsley

Salt and Pepper

Clean and slice your mushrooms. Sauté in olive oil for a few minutes until most of the liquid given off by the mushroom has evaporated. Add a mixture of 2 garlic cloves and 2 Tablespoons Parsley finely chopped (or, better still, pounded together in a mortar with a pestle). Add this mixture along with some Salt and freshly ground Pepper to the Mushrooms. Turn up the heat for a moment then add a dash of white wine or sherry. Let the alcohol evaporate, mix everything together and remove from heat. Serve hot or cold with some fresh crusty bread or some toasted yesterday’s bread.

Mushroom and Porcini Risotto (for 2)

Porcini are dried Ceps, an extremely flavoursome mushroom used a lot on the continent. You can buy them in little packets from Italian Delis and other good Delis but I’ve yet to see them in supermarkets. For this recipe you will need half a packet (about 12gr./ 1/2 ounce) and they will need to be soaked in 2 cups luke warm water for at least 30 minutes before you start. Then, drain and finely chop the Porcini setting aside the soaking liquid.

You’ll need:

1/2 packet/12gr Porcini

1 Medium Onion Butter

180gr Chestnut Mushrooms (about what you have in your bag this week)

1 cup Arborio Rice (available in good Delis and Italian shops)

1-2 cups Vegetable Stock (as usual I use Marigold)

Salt and Pepper

100gr grated Parmesan

Begin by sautéing the chopped Onion in a generous knob of Butter. While the Onion is cooking wipe and slice your Mushrooms and when the Onion is translucent and starting to turn golden add the Mushrooms and continue cooking until they turn golden brown. Add 1 cup of Arborio Rice and sauté for a minute or two to coat each grain with Butter. Then, start adding your liquid (Have about 1 1/2 cups of Vegetable stock mixed with the 2 cups of Porcini liquid simmering ready for this stage) a ladle at a time allowing the rice to absorb the cooking liquid each time before you add more. After 10 minutes add the Porcini then continue adding the stock as before. When cooked (the rice should be cooked but al dente) turn off the heat, add some Pepper, half the Parmesan and knob of Butter. Stir well then taste and correct seasoning. Allow to sit covered (a teatowel will do if your pan doesn’t have a lid) then serve with the rest of the Parmesan on the table.

Market Watch

Lots of you seem to be making Marmalade this year so we’ll be getting more Seville Oranges next week. We also have grapefruit if you want to try adding them in too. I know I promised to post recipes for marmalade on the blog (I have 2 from the best preservers I know) but baba is teething and I just haven’t had a moment. I’ll do it this weekend – I promise!!!!

Hope you enjoy these recipes,

Have a great weekend,

Sarah

Green Cabbage and Blood Oranges

Bacon and Cabbage is one of the first things you think of when Irish cooking is mentioned but most of us aren’t exactly nostalgic about it mainly because the cooking technique so beloved of mammies of old ie. boiling everything for at least 3 days doesn’t really do a whole lot for most (or rather any) variety. But the combination of Bacon with Cabbage or greens really does work. Try asian style pork belly and stir-fried pak choy if you need convincing.  My first recipe is much less timeconsuming but completely moreish. It’s a gratin with bacon and cabbage  topped with Cheddar Cheese and toasted til golden. It’s very fast and a cinch to make and the perfect comfort food if no valentines cards come through the letterbox tomorrow….

 

Bacon and Cabbage Gratin

 

You’ll need:

 

Olive Oil 

1 Onion

6 Streaky Rashers

1 Head Green Cabbage

100gr Cheddar Cheese

Some breadcrumbs if you have them

 

Roughly chop your Onion and begin to saute over a lowish heat in some Olive Oil. Chop the rashers into little bits and add to the Onion as it starts to turns translucent. While the Onion and Rashers are cooking roughly shred the Cabbage. To do this I’d cut it in half and work from there. Rinse the shredded cabbage and then add it to the pan just before the Bacon starts to turn crispy. Continue cooking  over a lowish heat until the Cabbage has completely wilted and softened (this will take about 15 minutes). Transfer to a gratin dish and grate the Cheese over the top and sprinkle on some breadcrumbs. Toast until golden and serve immediately.

 

It’s Blood Orange season at the moment and as well making great juice they are great in a simple salad (try adding a little shredded Mint for xtra colour and flavour if you have it) which is amazing with pretty much any chocolate dessert. If you find you get through a lot we can deliver a box along with your regular delivery. They come in 6.5k boxes which cost 17E. Just give Mary a shout if you’re interested.

 

 

 

Fennel and Mango

We’ve still got some Seabass from the summer in our freezer so Fennel is definitely on the menu in our house this weekend. A simple salad of shavings dressed in the nicest Olive Oil you have and Lemon juice is probably the simplest way to go but if I have the time (15 minutes actually but for some reason that seems a lot at the moment) I’ll be baking it with Lemon juice and Thyme and serving this with a simple Cous Cous salad with, say, toasted Pinenuts, Chickpeas and lots of Parsley although I imagine that as usual Paul and Dan will be shouting out for creamy mash. We’ll see……

Braised Fennel with Lemon and Thyme

You’ll need:

500gr Fennel (about what you have in your bag this week)

Butter

Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon Sugar

5/6 sprigs of Thyme or 1 Teaspoon Dried

Juice of half a Lemon

Trim (ie remove the herby bits) and quarter or slice (about 1cm thick will do) the Fennel. Place on a baking tray with all the other ingredients. Cover and bake at a medium heat (about 180 degrees) for about 20 minutes. Uncover, give the ingredients a “stir”, turn up the heat to 200 degrees and cook for a further 25 minutes or until the Fennel is tender and a slightly caramelized.

The Mediterranean selections all have Mangoes this week. They’ll take a few days to fully ripen (your fruit bowl is the best place) and then will be amazing eaten with Vanilla Ice-cream or dipped in dark Chocolate. Enjoy!

Chilli, Potatoes,Green Cabbage and Lambs Lettuce

Hi everyone,
 
This week all our selections have Chillies which can be used to add interest to almost any dish. They’ll keep in your fridge for at least a week or you can hang them up and let them dry out then keep them in a jar for future use. Drop one into a bottle of Olive Oil and you have (after a few weeks that is) a Chilli Oil that can be used to spice up anything and even makes the simplest of Pasta meals (Sauté a couple of cloves of Garlic and toss with Pasta, Chilli Oil, a little chopped Parsley if you have it and freshly grated Parmesan and voila – dinner in under ten minutes).
When preparing Chillies be very careful never to touch your face (especially your eyes) or any sensitive areas as they really do burn. Either wash your hands carefully afterwards or wear rubber gloves when preparing. In terms of heat, it’s the seeds you have to watch as they have up to 80% of the heat so if you can’t stand it simply cut them out and use the less fiery red flesh. If  you really aren’t sure, try a tiny bit on your tongue to get an idea and if adding them to a sauce or stew throw in a little, leave to infuse for a few minutes then add more if you want – it’s like Salt you can always add more but it’s very hard to counteract too much. Chillies usually get hotter as time goes by so you’ll probably want to use less if you still have some left in a week or so or are using dried ones.
If you’re worried about Chillies causing indigestion, don’t be because it’s a myth and the opposite, is in fact, true. Chillies are beneficial to digestion and soothing for the stomach. Furthermore, since ancient times they have been used to treat all kinds of ailments from arthritis to the common cold and can even bring pain relief due to the release of endorphins in the brain they produce. Another thing to note is that just one contains a full day’s supply of beta carotene and nearly twice the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C and that because they produce heat they speed up the metabolism meaning that you digest food better and (possibly!) burn calories faster.
As those of you who read my recipes regularly have probably noticed, I use Chillies a lot, adding them to nearly all pasta dishes (except maybe the creamy ones). stirfries, roast vegetables, salsas and even deserts sometimes -they have a natural affinity with Chocolate and since discovering this I always add a square or two of the dark stuff to my Black Bean Chilli.
The recipes this week are easy to prepare and are great served as part of a selection of stuff like Olives, Hummous, Spanish Potato Omelette, Salad and Cheeses if you’re having people over for an relaxed sitting-around kind of evening over the next few weeks……….
 
Chilli Potatoes (for 4)

You’ll need :

1k Potatoes

1 Chilli

Olive Oil

Sour Cream (optional)

Peel and chop the Potatoes into large bit-size pieces 1 Potatoes. Bring to the boil in a pot of salted water and cook until just underdone (i.e. with a bit of bite left). Drain and set aside. Finely slice the Chilli. Heat about 4 to 5 tablespoons of Olive Oil in a pan, add the Chilli then the Potatoes and toss over a medium heat until the Potatoes are a lovely golden brown. Season with Salt and Pepper and serve immediately on a warm dish with a dollop of sour cream on top.
 
Baked Feta with Chilli and Oregano

 

 

A slab of Feta (about 200gr)

Oregano

1/2 Chilli
Drizzle the Feta with Olive Oil and sprinkle with a generous pinch of Oregano. Deseed and finely slice the Chilli and place in a line along the centre of the cheese. Wrap in tinfoil leaving the overlapping parts on the top so you can unwrap it later on and leave the cheese sitting on the foil when serving. Bake in a medium oven for about 8 to 10 minutes then serve immediately with crusty bread and some roasted tomatoes or salsa.

Stir-fried Cabbage with Garlic and Chilli

You’ll need:

1 head of Cabbage

1/2 Head Garlic

1 Chilli

Olive Oil

Sesame Seeds

Finely shred the Cabbage then set aside. Mince the Garlic and Chilli and begin to toss over a medium heat in a generous dash of Olive Oil. After a minute or two add the Cabbage and continue tossing until the Cabbage has wilted and softened. Toast the Sesame seeds on a dry pan over a medium heat until they start popping but be careful not to burn them. Top the Cabbage with the seeds and serve. A drizzle of Toasted Sesame Seed Oil on this is always lovely if you have it…

In case you were wondering………..

The salad leaves in your bag this week are Lambs Lettuce which are gorgeous with this week’s Avocado.
 
Hope you enjoy these recipes,
Have a great weekend,
Sarah

Beetroot and Lamb’s Lettuce

My recipe today is for a salad with this week’s  Beetroot. Beetroot is one of those varieties that a lot of people shy away from because it takes a while to cook but it’s worth remembering that it’s not cooking you have to stand over, you simply throw them in a pot or a roasting dish, leave them to their own devices and when you come back there’re done! So it’s not hard and adding things like Balsamic Vinegar and Honey will make them really special and of course there’s that beautiful colour……..
I think the best way to do them is to roast them after they’ve been boiled so the whole thing doesn’t take too long. This way they take about an hour and after that can be eaten stright up or used to make all kinds of wonderful salads with things like Cous Cous, Walnuts, Rocket leaves, Green Beans, Cheeses, Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds, Oranges, Bacon.. The following recipe combines them with this week’s Lamb’s Lettuce and is perfect for a Saturday lunch….

Honey and Balsamic Roasted Beetroot Salad with Walnuts.Lamb’s Lettuce and Feta Cheese

You’ll need:

600gr Beetroot (what you have in your bag this week)

Balsamic Vinegar

Honey

60gr Lamb’s Lettuce

A handful of Walnuts

Olive Oil

Red Wine Vinegar

120gr Feta Cheese
Get started on the Beetroot first – scrub the bulbs and bring to the boil in plenty of water and cook until almost tender (about 30 minutes).
When the Beetroot is ready, drain it and allow to cool down before peeling the heads and cutting into segments (each head will give you 4-6 depending on size) Toss in a roasting pan with Olive Oil, a generous dash of Balsamic Vinegar and a drizzle of Honey. Place in a hot oven (gas mark 6) and roast for about 30 minutes. While the Beetroot is roasting, wash and dry the Lamb’s Lettuce  and roughly chop the Walnuts. Combine the Beetroot and Walnuts place on top of the Lamb’s Lettuce and dress the lot in 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil (some Walnut Oil would also be fab)and 2 of Red Wine Vinegar. Season with Salt and Pepper. Finally, top  with  crumbled Feta Cheese and a drizzle of your best Olive Oil.

Hope you enjoy this recipe,
Have a great weekend,
Sarah

Swedes and Baby Spinach

Hi everyone,

This week sees a rare appearance by a variety dreaded by most people signing up to an organic delivery scheme – The Swede (or Turnip as many people call them).  Bad, bad memories of overcooked soggy orange puree served in times past (and still in urban Sunday carveries in times present) make it difficult to approach this variety with anything other than dread.
Well, fear not, my first recipe this week this week is going to change your feelings about this humble variety forever. It has been a recent revelation and definitely puts Swede on the cooking map for me. It turns out that Swede goes really really well with Onions and Bacon and by frying up smallish slices with plenty of these until everything is crispy you have a dish that works a treat with roasts but can also stand alone with the addition of some Goat’s Cheese. Vegetarians can leave out the Bacon and add more Onions………

Refried Swede with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

You’ll need:

1 Swede

2 Medium Onions

Butter

Olive Olive

5 streaky rashers
Begin by peeling your Swede – it’s probably best to half and even quarter it before you attempt this. Then slice it into pieces about 2-3cm square. Bring to the boil,  simmer until tender then drain and set aside. While the Swede is cooking chop the  Onions and start to sauté in about a tablespoon of Butter and a dash of Olive Oil (this stops the Butter burning) over a gentle heat until they start to darken and caramelize (about 15 minutes). Add the Rashers finely chopped and continue cooking for a few minutes before adding the Swede. Keep cooking adding a little more Butter if necessary until everything starts to change colour and crisp up. Season with Salt and Pepper and serve.
As I said you can serve this dish as is but if want to use it as a main I suggest topping it with rounds of Goat’s Cheese and placing the lot under the grill until golden.

Another approach is of course the gratin, always welcome at this time of the year…….

Swede and Potato Gratin with Goat’s Cheese.

You’ll need:

500gr Potato

500gr Swede

Butter

125gr. Goat’s Cheese

1 Medium Onion

150ml Double Cream

150ml Milk

Nutmeg

Peel and finely slice the Potato and Swede (Celeriac can be substituted for either ingredient or a mix of the three works very well). Crumble the Goat’s Cheese and finely slice the Onion. In a buttered gratin dish (about 25cm ox 25cm) layer the Potato and Swede, Onions and Goat’s Cheese finishing with a layer of Swede and Potato and Goat’s Cheese. Pour over the Double Cream and Milk seasoned with Salt, Pepper and a pinch of freshly grated Nutmeg. Cover and bake in a medium oven (gas mark 5) for 30 minutes then uncover and bake for a further 30 minutes or until the top is bubbling and golden brown. Eat with a simple green salad.

For greens try Baby Spinach. You can use it in all kinds of salads (Walnuts and Goat’s Cheese are fab with it) or you can lightly steam it and have it with poached eggs tomorrow morning – yum!!

Green Cabbage and Blood Oranges

Hi everyone,

Spring has sprung! ……. or at least it’s trying, last night’s freezing temperatures did make me wonder. I made soup with this week’s Cabbage and it was perfect. This recipe has beans which makes it almost like a stew so it’s almost a meal in itself…..

green cabbage

Tuscan style Vegetable and Bean Soup

You’ll need:

1 head Cabbage

4 Carrots

4 Spuds 2 Cloves Garlic

2 Medium Onions

1 Dried Chilli

1 Tin of chopped Tomatoes

1 Tin White Beans (Fagioli)

Start by chopping the Onions and begin sautéing over a low-medium heat with a generous glug of Olive Oil until they start to change colour stirring occasionally to stop things burning. This should take about 15 minutes enough time for you to prepare the other veg. Wash and roughly shred the Cabbage. Scrub the carrots and cut into 1 cm half rounds. Peel the spuds and chop into bitesize pieces. Finally, chop the garlic and chilli and if the onions are done add to the pot, stir for a minute before adding the rest of the veg including the tomatoes (but not the Beans) along with a teaspoon of Maldon Salt. Stir well then cover the pot and leave for about 15 minutes over a lowish heat then add 2 litres of weak vegetable stock (as usual I’d use Marigold and halve the quantity indicated on the packet so it’s not too strong). Bring to the boil then lower the heat, cover and cook for another hour. After an hour add the beans, stir well and continue to cook uncovered for a further 10-15 minutes. To serve (and this is what really makes it) take a piece of stale Bread (ideally Ciabatta or sourdough), toast it then rub the toast with a halved clove of garlic. Place the garlic toast at the bottom of your serving bowl and add the soup. Top with a drizzle of your finest Olive Oil and some freshly grated Parmesan (if you like – this is optional and some would say not necessary).

Keep the faith that summer really will come this year by having a Blood Orange salad for pud. Peel a couple of oranges removing the pith as you go then finely slice them and scatter with some mint leaves. Do this ahead of time and all the flavours will mingle. A serving of vanilla or chocolate (Butlers do the best I’ve had) ice-cream would be lovely too…..

Hope you enjoy the recipes,

Have a great weekend,

Sarah

Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Hi everyone,

This week we have one of my most favourite things in the world – Purple Sprouting Broccoli (in all the bags)  so if you’re planning on entertaining at home this week get ready to impress!

Purple Sprouting Broccoli is a rarer variety of the more typical kind and it’s very special. As well as being lovely to look at (makes a lovely centre piece for any dinner table) it’s deliciously tender and like all Broccoliand is a superfood to boot.

You can eat almost all of it including the stalks only discarding the bigger, tougher leaves. Like all special varieties simplicity is often the best way to go. Steam it and serve dressed in Sea Salt and your finest Olive Oil or some melted Butter or, if you want to go all out, a Hollandaise sauce.

Last night I tried it two ways – one very simple – steamed then pan-fried with bread crumbs and another more complicated with Cous Cous, Goat’s Cheese and a sundried Tomato Pesto. Both were delicious. There’s about 300gr in your bag and each recipe needs about 150gr so you can try them both. Be sure and cook it very soon though as it’s at its best now……….

Pan-fried Purple Sprouting Broccoli with Bread Crumbs - perfect for picking at while you drink a glass of wine and contemplate your next course…

You’ll need:

150gr Purple Sprouting Brccoli

Olive Oil

Butter

2 Tablespoons Breadcrumbs

Wash the Broccoli and break it up into pieces you can eat without having to attack it later with a knife and fork. Steam for about 3 minutes until tender but not soft and mushy -you want some bite in it. Heat about 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil and a knob of Butter in a pan then throw in 2 scant tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Allow the breadcrumbs to turn a pale golden brown but be careful they don’t come anywhere near burning then throw in the Broccoli. Toss for about 2 minutes then serve immediately with a little Sea Salt.

Pan-fried Purple Sprouting Broccoli with Cous Cous*, Goat’s Cheese and Sundried Tomato Pesto.

You’ll need:

The Pesto (This quantity will give you more than you need but it’s really impossible to make less unless you have a tiny blender and you’ll be glad you have the extra as it’s great in pasta and sambos)

8 sundried Tomatoes preserved in Oil,

2 Tablespoons Pinenuts,

1 crushed clove of Garlic,

a pinch of Sea Salt,

4 Tablespoons of Water and blast in your blender until smooth.

2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

The Rest

150gr Purple Sprouting Broccoli

1 cup Cous Cous

1 small Onion

Olive Oil

2 Rounds of Goats Cheese

Start by making the pesto – place all the ingredients except the Parmesan in a blend and and blast until smooth. Stir in the Parmesan then taste and correct the seasoning if necessary then set aside.

Prepare the Purple Sprouting Broccoli for cooking as described above leaving the stalks a little bigger than before and set aside.

To prepare the Cous Cous toast 1 cup over a medium heat on a dry frying pan until the grains turn golden. Then, add 1 cup of hot water, stirring well to ensure all the grains cook for about a minute. Then, turn off the heat and continue stirring until all the water has evaporated and the Cous Cous is cooked through. To this add half an Onion finely chopped and keep stirring to allow the Onion to warm through. Season with Salt, Pepper and a dash of your nicest Olive Oil then cover and set aside.

To put the dish together divide the Cous Cous between 2 small oven-proof dishes then top with the pesto (about 2-3 Tablespoons per dish should be loads. Top with a round of Goat’s Cheese about 1mm thick. Steam the Broccoli as described above and when it is done place the Cous Cous and Goat’s Cheese under the grill and toast until golden. While the Cheese is toasting heat a dash of Olive Oil on the pan and toss the Broccoli over a medium heat for a minute or two. Just before you take it off turn up the heat slightly and add a dash of Balsamic vinegar. Toss quickly then remove from the heat. Season with the tiniest pinch of Salt before serving on top of the Cous Cous alongside the Goat’s Cheese. Garnish with a few toasted Pinenuts if you’re feeling that way inclined but don’t worry if you’re not.

* Originally I wanted to make this dish with a base of Polenta slice but I didn’t have any. If you do it works very well too.

Have a great and hopefully sunny week,

Sarah

Reply

Forward

Spinach

Hi everyone,

This week our bags have lovely Spinach which is a great fast food. After a thorough wash (it can be very gritty), you destem the leaves then pack them in a pot and steam them in the water left clinging to the leaves. Cooking will take about 2-3 minutes then you can serve it straight up with a knob of Butter or a drizzle of Olive Oil. For a really delicious sidedish sauté a few chopped cloves of Garlic in Butter then throw on the Spinach, mix everything together well and serve. For a maincourse add some cream and Parmesan and you’ve got a very quick pasta sauce. This week’s recipe is a pasta dish but without the cream as I’m sure that we’d all like to hit the beach at some stage this year…………..

spinach

Pasta with Spinach, Garlic and Black Olives (for 3-4 people)

You’ll need:

250-300gr Spinach (about what you have in your bag this week)
5 Cloves Garlic
Butter
Olive oil
Handful of stoned Black Olives roughly chopped
Pasta (whatever you like)
Parmesan Cheese

First of all stick on the kettle for the pasta (this dish is fast) Wash and destem your spinach then roughly shred it. Stem the leaves as described above then wring out any water with your hands as soon as it cools down.
While the Spinach is cooling stick on the pasta.
Chop the Garlic then gently sauté it in a large knob of Butter and some Olive Oil. When the Garlic has softened (don’t let it change colour as it’ll start to burn very quickly after that) add the Spinach and toss well to make sure it all gets coated in Butter and Garlic. When the pasta is cooked drain it and mix into the pasta adding some more Butter and Olive Oil aswell as a couple of tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan and the Olives.
Season with Salt and Pepper and serve immediately.

Spinach is, of course, fab in all kinds of salads and sambos.Try it with sundried Tomatoes, toasted Pinenuts and Goat’s Cheese or with Walnuts and Feta. Dress with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar and serve with a simple Omelette or some fish.

Hope you enjoy these recipes,
Have a great week,
Sarah

Cauliflower

Hi everyone,

This week all the selections have Cauliflower a variety which, in this country anyway, most people don’t rate, probably due to our traditional cooking technique (many long hours of boiling and the possible addition of cheese “sauce”) which renders it mushy and flavourless.
Nutritionwise, it is definitely worth including in a healthy diet as it is high in fibre, follate (helps the blood work more efficiently and is essential for tissue growth) and Vitamin C – just 3 Florets give you 67% of your daily Vitamin C requirements (but remember that the Vitamin C content is lowered by cooking so a light steaming is the recommended is the best way to retain nutrients).
The trick with Cauliflower is to cook it until just tender. A whole cauliflower should take no more than 8-10 minutes, while florets take between 6-8 minutes (but start checking with a skewer after 6) . After that, one of the simplest and nicest ways to eat it is with some Olive Oil, Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper. You can top this with some grated Parmesan and finish it off under the grill but if cooked properly, Cauliflower really doesn’t need anything else. Romanesco is just a green form of cauliflower and works well in these recipes.
If you want to complicate things (but not too much) the following recipes are pretty quick.

Fast Cauliflower Cheese
Instead of faffing around with Béchamel try a mix of Mascarpone and Cheese.

You’ll need:
1 Cauliflower
200gr Mascarpone
120gr Mature Cheddar or Gruyere
1 Teaspoon wholegrain mustard
2 Tablespoons Breadcrumbs

Break up your cauliflower into even(ish) sized florets and cook until just tender.
Gently heat the Mascarpone in a saucepan. Grate your cheese and add it then heat gently until just melted. Season with salt and plenty of freshly ground Black Pepper and add the Wholegrain Mustard.
Drain Cauliflower and put into an ovenproof dish. Pour the Cheese sauce over the top and sprinkle with the Breadcrumbs. Grill until golden.

Want to try something a bit different?

Cauliflower, Tomato and Caper Gratin with a Parmesan Crust

1/2 Onion
Olive Oil
1 Tin chopped Tomatoes
1 Cauliflower
2 Tablespoons Capers
Grated Parmesan

Start with the sauce by slicing the Onion finely and sautéing in about 2 tablespoons Olive Oil. When the onion has softened (about 10 minutes) add the tin chopped Tomatoes along with a generous pinch Salt and 1 teaspoon Sugar to kill any bitterness in the Tomatoes. Cook at a medium heat until tomato has reduced to a thick paste (about 20 minutes) and then check sauce for bitterness adding more sugar if needed.
While the sauce is cooking prepare the Cauliflower – This time instead of breaking the Cauliflower into florets cut it in four and then slice it into pieces about 1/2 cm thick. As before, cook until just tender (this should take about 4-5 minutes as pieces aren’t as thick) and drain.
To finish, combine the Cauliflower, Tomato sauce and the Capers (soak these in a glass of water to remove some of the salt while cooking the sauce then drain before adding). Top with grated Parmesan and grill until golden.

Hope you enjoy these recipes,
Have a great long weekend,
Sarah

courgette recipes and red cabbage curry !!

Hi all

I am on hols !!
You wont miss me because I have a treat for you. Margaret who is a fab cook but in a completely different style will be doing the recipes for me. Enjoy something a bit different and new..

Sarah

From Margaret … some organic recipes

Courgettes
I love courgettes, they are so versatile eaten small, large or medium. I plan to grow again this year so I get the lovely flowers to stuff and deep fry. I also like marrow that dreaded and maligned veg. Courgettes are a great base and take strong flavours well. I eat courgette sliced lengthways to about 1/4 cm thick and then griddled with a little oil on a hot grill pan. Then marinate in chopped garlic and lemon juice for a few hours (and if I have in the garden lots of chopped parsley). This is good as a sandwich filling maybe with goats cheese, as part of a pizza topping or a veggie tart or as a side dish with other salads. It keeps in the fridge for a few days.

I like to fry courgettes in olive oil with some garlic on the pan and have as a side dish with maybe grilled chicken. This time of the year they can also be added to a risotto with whatever other greens you have around; young nettles if you have time to forage.

For a healthy option slice lengthways to 1/2 cm thick or in halves if courgettes are small and use instead of pasta in lasagne. Surprisingly nice and tasty…

Or chocolate courgette cake.. always moist. Here is a link to Riverford organic http://www.riverford.co.uk/recipes/recipe.php?recipeid=414&catid=8. My 5 and 2 year old nephews love making cakes chocolate if possible so this or chocolate beetroot brownies are favourites. The great thing is these cakes cant really go wrong as they dont rise too much. You can add some healthy spelt flour instead of the white if you want.

For a light supper or a lunchbox try Courgette Fritters.
For 2-3 people
Ingredients
2 medium courgettes grated and then squeezed in a clean tea towel
1 egg beaten (or use 2 tbsp chickpea flour and water)
1 tbsp plain flour or potato flour
1 teaspoon cumin seed or cumin and caraway mixed (lightly toasted on dry frying pan)
black pepper
chopped red chile (optional)
oil

Method
Heat oven to 150 -175
Put the grated courgette into a bowl and season with pepper.
Mix in all other ingredients.
Roll into small balls with your fingertips. Or make into patties if easier.
Heat oil in a wok at about 3 inches depth.
Carefully brown fritters on all sides then remove and dry on kitchen paper.
Put on a roasting tray in the oven for 15 minutes.

The fritters can be eaten hot of cold with a sour cream or greek yoghurt dip.

Sour Cream dip
To sour cream or greek yoghurt add a squeeze of lemon and chopped coriander or parsley or chives or dill…. Whatever beckons. I like to grow herbs in the garden as they can add that needed bit of flavour. I had these first with a Munich friend of Indian descent made to take to the beer garden for a picnic!! Happy memories

Eat with some green salad for a light supper !!

To vary fritters
Add grated carrot or spinach and eat straight out of the oven with an Indian style tomato sauce.

Red Cabbage

I like red cabbage best slow braised with apples in the oven. Sarah already has a recipe on the blog for this. It is great with pork or duck or game. As with any cabbage red is also good shredded stir fried and wilted with
sesame oil, vinegar and rice wine/sake and soy or possibly try cider vinegar, mirin and pomegranate molasses.
Another classic is a hearty borchst with red cabbage, tomatoes and beetroot topped with sour cream.

For an alternative try a simple Indian style curry with Red Cabbage. The spices help to make the cabbage more digestible !!

red chillies

Indian style curry with Red Cabbage
Ingredients

1 tsp mustard seed (optional)
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves or garlic finely chopped
1cm piece of ginger finely chopped
1 chile finely chopped (if you dont like too spicy go for half a chile and put some in a bowl on the table for other people to add)
2 tomatoes finely chopped (I find canned better for this)
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 red cabbage shredded
a cup of sliced courgette or whatever other veg you have to hand like shredded carrot or beetroot
optional some cooked aduki beans
oil
salt
half can coconut milk or about 1/4 block of coconut
fresh chopped coriander or curry leaves
1 tbsp of garam masala
optional 1 tsp poppy seed 25g cashews ground together in food processor

Method
Heat oil in deep pan and pop the mustard seed. Then add the onion and fry gently in some oil till softened. Add ginger and garlic and chile.
(a good trick here if busy is chop onion earlier in day with garlic add some oil and maybe some stock and roast in a low oven for 40 minutes then puree)
Then add tomatoes and fry gently.
Add sugar and sprinkling of salt.
Add the veg and stir and cook for a few minutes stirring and put lid on and cook for 15-20 minutes adding some water to nearly cover veg if needed.
Then add the coconut milk or shredded block coconut with little water .
Stir in the masala and the ground seed and nuts if using.
If you have a lime or lemon handy a squeeze is always good just before serving.
Serve with plain rice and some chutney.

Enjoy Margaret

Carrots and mushrooms

From Margaret …some Carrot recipes

Carrots go well with cumin and orange and thyme. They are good cut into batons then put in tinfoil and oven roasted with cumin and butter and orange juice (or white wine or stock). They need about forty minutes in a moderate oven. Serve as a side dish.

Another nice idea is carrot, cumin and orange soup. At this time of the year I like to grow lovage and add some but thyme is also good.
An Indian style salad with popped mustard seed, grated carrot, chile, oil and raisins is always welcome. If watching the carbs substitute fine strips of carrot or courgette for pasta or noodles.

I roasted some carrots with onions blitzed them and made a risotto. This recipe would be good with any root veg (roasted parsnip with rosemary) or with roasted peppers (and a basil maybe) or butternut squash(and thyme) or aubergine (add plenty of lemon and cumin). If you are having a busy week roast the veg in advance at the weekend when you have the oven on anyway. Puree while still hot and use for risotto or as a side dish or a souffle or in a veg tart.

carrots

Carrots

roast carrot risotto
400g of carrot peeled and sliced thinly
1 onion peeled and roughly chopped
50 ml olive oil
1.2-1,5 l veg stock
150g butter
2 cloved garlic peeled and finely sliced
400g risotto rice (I prefer carnoroli)
1 bay leaf
4 tsp fresh thyme leaves(or dried)
2 tsp fresh tarragon leaves (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
finely grated rind and juice of two lemons (optional)
parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 200. Put carrots onion and olive oil in roasting dish and roast till golden – about 25 minutes. Finely chop or blitz in food processor. In a heavy pot saute onion and garlic in butter stirring gently till softened. Add rice turn up heat and fry for a minute stirring well. Add herbs and season, then carrots, lemon zest and juice and mix well. Then start adding stock bit by bit as normal for risotto and cook until the rice is done.
Serve with parmesan. If you are a forager like me add some wild leek/garlic to garnish (you will spot in the parks and in gardens now a white star shaped bluebell type taste …unmistakable)

Serve with salad

This is adapted from a Peter Gordon recipe for arancini

Arancini is leftover risotto made into balls dipped in breadcrumb and egg and fried . Personally I would never make a risotto from scratch for arancini but if you have the patience… Make extra and use leftovers….

This week coming my risotto will be with wild garlic, nettles and courgettes… yum and very healthy. Nettle tops are full of vitamins and minerals and make a good tonic. Get those gloves out and get picking !! Once the leaves are boiled the sting is gone. Puree and put thro’ risotto.

For a light supper or a lunchbox try carrot fritters.

For 2-3 people
3 medium carrots grated and then squeezed in a clean tea towel
1 egg beaten(or use 2 tbsp chickpea flour and water)
1 tbsp plain flour or potato flour
teaspoon cumin seed or cumin and caraway mixed (lightly toasted on dry frying pan)
black pepper
chopped red chile (optional)
oil
Heat oven to 150
Put the finely grated carrrot into a bowl and season with pepper, Mix in all other ingredients. Roll into small balls with your fingertips. Or make into patties if easier.

Heat oil in a wok at about 3 inches depth. Carefully brown fritters on all sides then remove and dry on kitchen paper. Put on a roasting tray in the oven for 15 minutes.

Then make a sauce to have with them with either sour cream or greek yoghurt a squeeze of lemon and chopped coriander or parsley or dill…. Whatever beckons. They can be varied with added grated courgette or shredded spinach or pakchoi and eaten straight out of the oven with an indian style tomato sauce.

In your bag this week is also chestnut mushroom which would be good sauted and then on a pizza or veg tart with some goats cheese. Mushroom are also good cooked and mixed through a salad with greens and pine nuts…Or mushroom on toast with butter and grated parsley and a rasher.. or mushroom stroganoff.

Another option is to wilt some pak choi in a little oil then cook lightly with rice vinegar, sake and fish sauce (or oyster sauce) adding the mushrooms and a little water.

Broad Beans and Fennel

Hi everyone,

Maybe it’s just me but it suddenly feels like summer might be making an appearance soon and this week’s bag has definitely put me in the mood – lovely tender Wicklow Spinach which I’ll be wilting then tossing in sauteed Garlic, Fennel which is a great addition to any salad especially if you can shave it thinly and of course the Broad Beans.
While they might require a bit of faffing around at the beginning – you have to pop them out of their pods, boil them in unsalted water til tender then pop them out of their skins. The first step is to pour a glass of wine and sit down, it’ll only take a few minutes and I always find it relaxing. You’ll probably be a bit alarmed to find that the end result is a small bowl of green beans that don’t really look like they’ll amount to much but don’t worry the way forward is with pasta (although they are delicious mashed up with some Olive Oil and sea Salt.) Try this very simple recipe which takes no more than 15 minutes to put together and will definitely bring a bit of overdue summer into your kitchen…..

broad beans

Pasta with Broad Beans, Garlic and Parmesan
You’ll need:
350gr Broad Beans (about what you have in this week’s bag)
1 Medium Onion
6 Cloves Garlic
Olive Oil
Pasta
Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

First of all chop your Onion and begin to cook it over a lowish heat in plenty of Olive Oil. You want it sweet and melt in the mounth so be careful not to cook it too fast. To prepare the Beans get them out of their pods and then either steam or cook them in boiling unsalted (salt will toughen them up so you add it after cooking) water until tender. This will take about 3-4 minutes. While the Beans are cooking, put the kettle on for the pasta and chop the Garlic. When the Beans are done let them cool a little then ease them out of their skins and set aside. At this stage your Onion should be done so you can add a dash of Olive Oil and throw in the Garlic.It’s also time to put on the pasta (told you this was fast) When the Garlic has softened and turned translucent add the Beans and toss until they’ve warmed through then add Salt (Maldon, as always, would be my preference). If the pasta’s ready, drain it and toss it with the Beans to the pan adding another glug of Olive Oil. Toss well so the garlicy Oil coats all the pasta. Add some Parmesan Cheese and serve.

Variations: a handful of roughly chopped Walnuts thrown in at the end works well and a couple of finely chopped sundried Tomatoes are also good in this dish

This week’s Spinach is a great basis for a warm salad with the Beans tossed in Chorizo another fast dish that will take about 15 minutes to put together…..

Warm Spinach Salad with Broad Beans and Chorizo

You’ll need:
350gr Broad Beans
A piece of Chorizo the length of your thumb (or someone else’s if that doesn’t seem like enough)
125gr. Spinach (about half of what’s in this week’s bag)
Sherry Vinegar (Red Wine would also be just fine)

Prepare the Beans as before. Roughly chop the Chorizo to bean size pieces and gently warm on the pan to allow all that spicy aromatic oil to ooze out (this is your dressing) Wash the Spinach getting rid of any tough stalks then dry and set aside in a bowl. When you’re ready to go toss the Beans with the Chorizo. Add this to the Spinach leaves, toss adding a dash of Sherry or Red Wine Vinegar. Serve immediately with nice bread (that new bakery in Rathmines has some nice ones)

This week’s Fennel makes great soup that’s lighter than the ones we’ve been eating through the winter. I made one last night and garnished it with Orange rind and toasted sunflower seeds ..

fennel

Fennel Soup garnished with Orange-scented Sunflower Seeds
You’ll need:
1 Onion
Olive Oil
2 Bulbs Fennel or about 500gr (what you have in this week’s bag)
1 large Potato
Vegetable Stock
1 Orange
1 heaped Tablespoon Sunflower Seeds

Chop your Onion and begin sauteeing in a generous dash of Olive Oil while you prepare the Fennel. To do this, remove the green leafy bits and then roughly chop discarding the hard centre. Throw this in the pot, stir well and cook for a few minutes while you peel and chop the Potato. Add this to the pot along with a generous pinch of Salt. Cover the lot in Vegetable stock and simmer uncovered until all the veg is tender which should take about 20-30 minutes. Allow the soup to cool down a little then blitz until smooth with a handblender. To make things extra special you can add a little Cream but the soup works fine without it.
To serve, toast the Sunflower seeds on a dry pan until they start to change colour. Grate a little Orange rind (don’t go too crazy with this, it looks fab but will take over flavourwise if you add too much). Ladle the soup into bowls, top with the Sunflower seeds and a sprinkling of Orange rind then finish with a few drops of Orange juice.

Market watchThere’s still some of that lovely Rhubarb about.If you’d like a bunch with your delivery next week just let me know. It’s 2.20E a bunch.

Have a fantastic long weekend,

Sarah
ps.Hope you all enjoyed Margaret’s recipes over the last few weeks. She really is an inspiration and always seems to have a completely different take on things to me so I thought it would make a nice change.

In praise of salad….

Seems like a bit of an unlikely one given that it’s pelting it down outside but we’re in Lettuce season and this week’s bags have a lovely head that travelled, ooh, all of 45 minutes from Kilpedder in Wicklow to us here in Harold’s Cross. Now that’s what I call local. Superfresh, at it’s natural best it’s definitely time for salad.

Salad... lovely lettuce

Salad in our house is a pretty regular thing right through the year. Sometimes, simple and green with a very basic vinaigrette (3 parts your best Olive Oil to 1 part Red Wine Vinegar) it ends any meal perfectly and while I’m not keen on serving salad with a main course I do love to add it to the plate before the last bite’s gone as it’s perfect for mopping up the juices of what came before. We tend to eat mainly veggies so oftentimes I throw in other stuff to add bulk but also variety and interest. Things like Walnuts, Pecans, Hazelnuts and of course all kinds of Seeds, chopped Scallions, Avocado, a sprinkling of Feta or Goat’s Cheese are regular additions.
Sometimes salad is the meal especially when time is tight. Griddle or fry up some of this week’s courgettes or roast Carrot batons and serve on top of green leaves then sprinkle with Parmesan shavings and maybe some toasted Pinenuts. Fry up some Pancetta or streaky Bacon and throw on with some croutons and Parmesan. If you’re really famished fried spuds are great, as is a poached eggs and some Asparagus spears. In the middle of summer a Greek salad with Tomatoes at their peak, salty Feta, Olives and Cucumber makes a lovely lunch. Beans are plentiful at this time of year and always work well. Keep it simple with your default vinaigrette, and some new Potaoes or Nicoise it up with a boiled egg and Anchovies. I like Beans with a spicy tomato relish got by cooking onions in Olive Oil for ages til they almost melt, then Garlic then a tin of chopped Tomatoes and Chili. It’s not ready until it has turned a deep red and reduced by two thirds so I always make 2 tins worth. Cook your beans then sit them on top of some barely dressed leaves and top with relish and eat with good bread. Yum! Fried Mushrooms and Goat’s Cheese is lovely and a little dollop of Black or Red currant jam in with your vinaigrette adds something new although generally I don’t much care for dried fruit in salads except for maybe Apricots. Sultanas for me, work well in Cous Cous salads which I love love love. Add some Middle Eastern flavour with Onion fried with Cumin Seeds then some roasted root vegetables which are almost finished now til later on in the year but there’s still the Carrots. In this dish Peppers work well fried up with the Onions or you can also roast them (I do this on the stovetop over a naked gas flame then bag them for a few minutes so the blistered skin lifts off more easily).
One final thing lettuce with a scant dressing of Lemon juice is the perfect foil for fried fish. Fresh tender Calamari with a little lemon juice, salt and pepper rarely taste better when served on a bed of Lettuce….

There’s Rainbow Chard (it looks like Spinach but has gorgeous red and yellow stems) in a lot of our bags this week though as we only got a limited amount so some of you have regular baby Chard or Pak Choy. The Rainbow variety is supertender with no bitterness. Wilt it and dress with Olive Oil and Lemon juice. Don’t worry if you didn’t get any this week. We’ll definitely be reordering in the upcoming weeks.

Our larger bags have pink radishes (they look like carrots) which are for salads and add a lovely peppery flavour.

Have a great weekend,
Sarah

French Beans

Hi everyone,

This week all our selections have French Beans and as with all beans, simplicity is the way forward. A knob of Butter or a drizzle of your nicest Olive Oil is one of the nicest way to enjoy them though they are also fantastic with Almonds, Bacon, Potatoes, Garlic, Basil, Parmesan, Tomatoes and Walnuts.

To prepare them, top and tail (i.e.chop off both ends of the bean) and soak in some cold water for 10 minutes (or rinse if you’re in a hurry) Drain and drop into plenty of fast-boiling salted water and cook for about 3-5 minutes. When ready (i.e al dente) drain and serve. Obviously they work very well as an accompaniment to lots of other dishes but if you would like to give them a starring role at your dinner table this weekend try the following very simple Pasta dish………..

Spaghetti with Tomato, Chilli and French Beans (for 2)

You’ll need:
2-3 Cloves of Garlic
1 Fresh Chilli (or some dried)
Olive Oil
1 Tin chopped Tomatoes
Salt
Sugar
100gr Green Beans
Spaghetti
Parmesan Cheese

Slice the Garlic and chop the Chilli. Heat some Olive Oil in a pan then add the Garlic. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the Garlic starts to soften (but don’t let it go brown) then add the Chilli. Toss for a moment then throw in the Tomatoes. Add a generous pinch of Salt and Sugar then leave to cook over a medium heat for about 20 minutes. While the Tomatoes are cooking top and tail the Beans. Drop into boiling salted water and cook until very tender (that way they’ll be like the spaghetti and twirl around your fork) then add them to the sauce. Boil and drain the pasta then mix with the sauce. Season then add a dash of Olive Oil and some freshly grated Parmesan

As I mentioned last week, French Beans also make a lovely salad. The following one tastes better if left for a little while so all the lovely flavours have a chance to mingle.

A salad with French Beans, Red Onion, Walnuts and Tallegio Cheese

You’ll need
300gr Green Beans
A handful Walnuts
1/2 Red Onion
Red Wine or Sherry Vinegar
Olive Oil
100gr Tallegio Cheese but Parmesan or Feta would also work fine

Top and tail all your Beans and cook in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse for a few minutes under the cold tap to stop them cooking further and going too soft. Drain and mix with a generous handful of roughly chopped Walnuts. Thinly slice half a medium sized Red Onion and add to the Beans and Walnuts. Dress all this with Red Wine or Sherry Vinegar and Olive Oil (about 1:3 should do it but taste to check). Season with Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper, mix and set aside. Add about 100gr. thinly sliced Tallegio (Parmesan or Feta would also work fine) just before serving and eat with crusty bread.

Hope you enjoy these recipes,

Have a great weekend.

Sarah

Lettuce, Scallions and Carrots

I’m on my own this week. Paul is out west fishing (so I better be writing about the amazing Wild Trout I ate all weekend next week or there’ll be trouble!). It’s been hectic, 2 small kids mean that most of the day consists of nonstop laundering, wiping, sweeping …(I could go on). There’s barely any time to eat never mind cook but somehow we’ve been doing alright.  Dan and I even made a mango and coconut cake the other day (not quite right yet so I won’t share).

Last night I fancied something a bit more grown up than the stuff I’ve been eating all week so I treated myself to a Vietnamese style rare beef salad – properly rare slices of Steak tossed in a flavour-drenched concoction of Garlic pounded with Peppercorns, Lime Juice and Nam Pla (the Vietnamese fish sauce) tossed in Greens, Scallions and Coriander. It’s a dish that’s pretty easy to put together and tastes a little different every time I make it. I like it fiery with lots of Chili but you can tone it down by taking out the seeds.If you don’t have Lime juice, lemon will do. No Fish sauce? Soy will do fine. This week’s Pak Choy could easily replace the Lettuce, just wilt it first. It’s a movable feast and a very addictive one…………

Vietnamese style Rare Chilli Beef salad (for 1)

You’ll need:

2 Cloves Garlic
5 Peppercorns
Juice of 1/2 Lime
Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce (nam pla) or Soy Sauce
1/2 Red Chili
1 Steak
1/2 Head of Lettuce
2-3 Scallions
A generous bunch Coriander

Begin with the sauce. Using a morter and pestle, pound the Garlic and Peppercorns until smooth(ish). Add in the Lime juice,  Fish Sauce and a pinch of Sugar. Mix and set aside.

Heat a little oil in a pan. When it’s almost smoking hot add the steak. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes adding a little Sugar to the crust on each side after the first 2 minutes. While the Steak is cooking wash and tear your lettuce. Chop the Scallions and add them to the Lettuce  along with some roughly chopped Coriander. When the Steak is cooked, remove from the pan and slice. Reheat the pan and thrown in the Chill, toss and then add the sauce and any meat juices left after slicing the steak.  Stir well to get all the juices clinging to the pan then throw in the Steak. Toss then place on  the leaves. Top with some Scallions and Coriander and eat with a cold beer. Fantastic!!

My other recipe this week is for Ana our lovely Spanish babysitter who is, sadly, returning to Madrid this week. I made this soup for her to have for lunch with the kids the first day she came and she loved. So, Ana ( te vamos a hecher de menos muchissimo!) this one’s for you (and for anyone else who has about 10 minutes to make lunch at 8.20 in the morning).

Carrot and Cumin Soup

You’ll need:

1 Medium Onion

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

Olive Oil

5 Medium Carrots

1 large Potato

600ml vegetable stock

Chop the Onion. Heat some Olive Oil in a pot and toss in the Onion and cook over a medium heat unless you’ve loads of time in which case slowly over a low heat will always work fine. As the Onions cook peel and chop the Carrots and Potato. When the Onions have softened and begun to darken add the Cumin seeds and toss well to make sure they all get coated in oil. Add the other vegetables and continue cooking for a few minutes then add the stock. Allow things to come to the boil over a medium heat. Then turn  back down again and simmer for about 20 minutes or until  the veg is cooked.  Blast with your handblender til smooth (always a bit of a jolt first thing in the morning!). Serve straight up or top with a little yogurt.

This week our Mediterranean selections have the first of this year’s Cherries. Hurray! So good you don’t need a recipe. That’s the point with Cherries. But as weeks go on I’m sure I’ll be thinking of ways to gild the lily so I’ll keep you posted. Next week I’d better be writing about wild Trout or there’ll be trouble!

Hope you enjoy these recipes,

Have a great weekend,

Sarah

Cima di rapa

Last night I cooked this week’s Cima di Rapa (It’s those green leaves that you are probably wondering about!!!). Also known as Turnip Tops and Broccoli Rabe, it’s a wild variety of turnip used a lot in Italian and Chinese cooking with lots of leaves and small loose florets. As you can imagine, it’s fragile so you need to eat it asap and there are lots of reasons to do this – it’s full of Vitamins C, A and B2, Phosphorous and has lots of compounds that are thought to be cancer preventing. It can be eaten in salads but as it has a tendency to be a little bitter I’d suggest a sweeter dressing (try adding a little honey to the vinaigrette). A lot of people find that wilting it first is the way to go but be careful not to overdo it or you’ll end up with a soggy mess. Last  night I steamed it and this worked well as I was able to control how done it got. The stalks are edible but you might want to remove the tougher ends as they’ll take longer to cook and are, well, tougher.

cima di rapa and some broad beans

The Italians love Cima di Rapa especially in the south where they eat it with Orecchiette (Baby’s Ears Pasta) Garlic  and Chilli. Really you can’t fail with those flavours. If you want to try it it would go something like this…

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe

You’ll need:

400gr Cima di Rape (about what you have in this week’s bag)

3 Cloves Garlic

1 Red Chilli minced (remove some or all of the seeds if you’re worried it will be too hot)

Olive Oil

Grated Pecorino Cheese or Parmesan

300gr Orecchiette

Put the kettle on for the Pasta then pick over the Broccoli, removing any of the tougher stems. Wash it and tear the leaves with your hands then gently steam for about 3 minutes until the leaves have wilted but are not soggy. Stick on the Pasta then mince the Garlic and gently saute in the generous glug of Olive Oil. Add in the Chilli and when the Garlic and Chilli have both softened and started cooking you can add the Cima di Rapa. Toss everything together to ensure that it all gets coated in oil adding a little more oil as you see fit.

When the Pasta is ready, drain and mix with the Cima di Rapa and a generous handful of Cheese. Serve on warm plates with a little more Cheese.

Variation:

A couple of minced Anchovies wouldn’t go astray here. and A small handful  of Breadcrumbs are really nice and add a lovely crunchiness to the dish.

If you want a side or something to pick at over wine before dinner try this ( The procedure is almost the same as the pasta dish)

Cima di Rapa with toasted Breadcrumbs, Garlic and Chilli

You’ll need:

400gr Cima di Rapa (about what you have in this week’s bag)

3 Cloves Garlic

1 Red Chilli minced (remove some or all of the seeds if you’re worried it will be too hot)

A handful of Breadcrumbs

Olive Oil

Pick over the Broccoli, removing any of the tougher stems. Wash it then tear the leaves with your hands then gently steam for about 3 minutes until the leaves have wilted but are not soggy.  Mince the Garlic and gently saute in the generous glug of Olive Oil. Add in the Chilli and then the breadcrumbs and toss until the Breadcrumbs are toasted.when the Garlic and Chilli have both softened and started cooking you can add the Cima di Rapa. Toss everything together to ensure that everything is coated in oil adding a little more oil as you see fit.

Hope you have a great weekend (the weather forecast is very good I’m told!)

Sarah

Summer, Celery, Salads, barbies

Summer is truly here and Sarah is missing this glorious weather and is gone to Spain.  So I am cooking  this week  but… who wants to cook in the heat. The best time to be out these hot mornings is seven or so (if you have big dogs to walk and a veg patch to tend). Yesterday I picked elderflowers; now soaking with lemons for the annual batch of cordial/champagne. The smell permeates the whole house along with the roses and sweet rocket.  Summer is truly here… If you have a few minutes make some cordial you wont regret the time !! Happy memories of eating elderflower fritters in German markets thickly dusted with icing sugar.

After the carnage inflicted on my cucumber plants by one little friendly looking slug (a whole row gone) I put on the stiff upper lip and remembered a happy weekend outside,  eating,  bbqing, visiting friends… I want to spend as much time outside and as little inside as possible.  So either I am eating salad at home or bringing to a friends…

Celery is just in from Wicklow so lets not turn up our noses at old fashioned pleasures and have some Waldorf salad.

Wicklow celery and apples

Waldorf  salad as invented in the Waldorf Astoria in New York end of 1800’s

3 medium chopped apples (no need to peel)

5-6 celery sticks stringed and chopped

mayonnaise

l00 g walnuts lightly toasted on the pan

half lemon squeezed (optional)

Mix together ..
Serve mezze style with devilled eggs and potato salad and maybe some green salad.

Devilled eggs

eggs (number to taste)

1/2 scallion per egg

paprika

anchovies (optional)

Hardboil some eggs and cut in half lengthways. Scoop out the yolk, mash with mayonnaise, pepper, salt and paprika. put back into egg halves.  Mix in chopped scallions. Optionally top with an anchovy. If you have any parsley a sprig or two is nice here for garnish.

Potato Salad

Boil and peel 5 potatoes.  Slice into chunks. mix with chopped spring onion mayonnaise and whole grain mustard, pepper and salt.

And last but not least have some green salad with a dressing made of olive oil, juice of lemon,mustard, pinch of salt,tsp honey and tsp whole grain mustard

And get back outside to eat with friends with a steak or if veggie some grilled courgettes and maybe peppers…

Green beans and summer

Green beans this week. I am going to share with you two of my very favourite and very different recipes, one for those cooler days we are promised and one for the warmer days that are set to leave us this weekend, My problem/blessing  is I love early summer so I like to get up early and start things.  I then have an unending list to finish.  Right now the elderflower and rose petal champagne is sitting in a bowl waiting to be strained and bottled.  I have bedding plants to get into pots.  My tomato plants need to be uncovered for the day in my veg plot.  My dogs have to be walked .. Where is there time to cook?  It has to be quick and easy and tasty.  Last night I got time to eat dinner at nine at night.  A friend I met gave me some lamb kebabs they had spare (have to get recipe they were delish.. nuts coriander and green chile).  I ate them with roasted courgette and pepper in the garden at 930 with a neighbour who happened to call by.

Sichuan style salt and pepper green beans with tofu

I had this dish up in the Sichuan restaurant in Sandyford as a starter (when they were doing the lunch special) I love to cook Sichuan and this is my re- creation of it. Fuschia Dunlop has some great books on Chinese cooking good for Veggie and non veggies. This recipe is based on what I ate using her book as guidance on the dip etc

For two as a main or 4 as a starter

Salt and pepper dip

1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper or sichuan peppercorns

1 tbsp sea salt

On frying pan toast lightly tbsp of sea salt and tbsp of either black peppercorns or sichuan pepper corns (get in chinese shop) or a mix of two.  Take off the heat the minute you see smoke.  If you burn throw away and start again as the pepper turns bitter. When cooled grind together in spice mill or mortar.

Take handful of green beans (about half you got this week) top and tail.  Make a light batter (see below),
Optionally take 100 g firm tofu and slice into cubes about 1cm  square

Green beans and roses

Batter

2 eggs

100 g of potato flour (available in chinese shop) or 50 g normal flour and some sparkling water

Whisk together to make a custardy batter ( in a large bowl to let in air)

Heat ground nut  oil indeep wok till smoking.  Dip beans and bits of tofu into batter and drop into the wok. The batter will puff up.  Cook for 3-4 minutes in batches. Lift out with slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.  Sprinkle dip over or let people dip with chopsticks.  Amazing….

Green and Broad beans with salt and pepper dip

In the garden we find the very odd asparagus spear. I cooked with this a few asparagus spears  (broken into one inch pieces) and some broad beans (which I kind of clustered together) .  Both were delicious and we had it as a starter (with as a main course an Indian curry takeout on Saturday night).  In fact I liked it do much we had it for a light lunch again Sunday with a neighbout who called in with also some sliced celery filled with blue cheese battered and cooked.  Everyone loved together with a plate of salad…

A simple salad

Salad Nicoise (my version)

For one

1 small tuna steak (Good canned will do fine but I like to eat fresh and agonise over is it ethical to do so.  I am from the West coast and have seen fish vanish over the last 20 years)

2 anchovies(chopped or pounded together with mustard. (if you dont like put dash of yorkshire relish in dressing and fool yourself that anchovies are not the flavouring in loads of sauces!!)
1/2 head of lettuce or something green that is a bit sharper (I grow my own chicory) optional
boiled and peeled potatoes 2-3 depending on taste (I use new when they are in but old are fine)
olives 4-5 black
hard boiled egg 1

cooked green beans (handful consisting of 10-15)

Juice of half a lemon

pepper and salt
optionally add some grilled courgette or pepper or ripe tomato
olive oil
mustard

Mix all the ingredients together in large salad bowl and dress with a simple dressing of olive oil mustard lemon juice and salt and pepper and pinch sugar. Eat alone enjoying you don’t have so share…You can have it all…

Eat with a glass of elderflower fizz sitting outside and enoy the summer

Fresh Garlic

This week the Garlic in your bag is the Fresh or Wet kind. It’s the same as the other stuff but it hasn’t been dried and as a result should be kept in the fridge and used within the week. More subtle and delicate than the regular kind, you can use lots more of it when cooking and it can be used raw in salads along with the stem which adds lovely colour.  It’s amazing roasted and served on bread. Just top and tail the head and drizzle with Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper then roast for about 40 minutes in a medium oven. If you’ve nothing in the fridge before we deliver next week saute as much as you like  in plenty of Olive Oil and a little Chili and you’ve got a pasta sauce that even a child (train ‘em young!) could make. This Garlic reminded me that it’s been ages since I’d made Aioli (the Catalan version of Garlic Mayo) so I made some last night which we ate with some chips and veggie kebabs. When I learnt how to make Aioli years ago in Barcelona everyone had something to say about it  – don’t use eggs at all, add a little piece of bread dipped in vinegar at the beginning, add the oil drop by drop etc etc. The best way was shown to me one day after I had tried to make it at least 3 times unsuccessfully and it was getting very dangerously close to lunchtime. You use a whole egg as opposed to just the yolk and a blender and it is pretty foolproof…

Aioli

1 Egg at room temperature

2 Cloves Garlic

Salt

200ml/roughly 1/2 Pint light Olive Oil – don’t use extra or even virgin Olive Oil as it gives a very strong flavour. If all you have is virgin Olive mix it with a vegetable Oil

I use a handheld blender and I find that things are easier to manage if your receptacle isn’t too much wider than the blender. If you don’t have something that’s made to go with the blender try using a pint glass.

Chop up the Garlic and drop it into the glass along with an Egg, a pinch of Salt and a glug of oil. Put in the blender  turn it on and very gently move it up and down (I’m taking about an inch) until  the egg and oil have emulsified (you’ll see a thick creamy paste almost like whipped cream). Continue adding the Oil moving the blender a bit more to ensure the oil gets incorporated properly) until you have a thick emulsion then set aside (in the fridge as there’s raw egg).

Serve as I did with chips, baked Potatoes or roast veggies.

wet garlic and mango chutney

I’ve been making Bhajis a lot recently which are vegetable fritters from India. They can be made with pretty much anything so last night I tried them with this week’s fresh Garlic and some green Chili. They are very quick to make but you’ll need to get some Gram Flour in as they really do work best with it. Any of the Eastern shops around will have this as will a decent health food shop. We usually eat them with Mango Chutney but some plain yogurt is lovely too..

Fresh Garlic Bhajis with Green Chilli and Coriander

You’ll need

1 Head of Fresh Garlic very finely sliced

1 Green Chili deseeded and finely chopped

75gr Gram Flour

2 Tablespoon Chopped fresh Coriander Leaves

1/2 Teaspoon ground Coriander

1/2 Teaspoon Onion Seeds

A pinch of Salt

60 ml Sparkling Water or Beer (the bubbles add lightness)

Groundnut Oil for frying

Sieve the Flour, Salt and Coriander Powder. Add the Garlic, Onion Seeds and Chilli. Stir in the Beer or water and make a smooth batter.

garlic bhaji

Heat the Oil in a pan then drop tablespoonfuls of the Batter into the pan and fry each side until golden (about 2 mins). When they’re done drain on  some kitchen paper then eat immediately with some Chutney and/or yogurt.

bhaji and chutney

Hope you enjoy these recipes,

Have a great weekend,

Sarah

Frittata with Courgettes, Onions and Tomatoes

Hi everyone,

It’s starting to look like summer and all those wintery bakey kind of things that seemed to hit the spot a couple of months/weeks ago are the last thing you want to eat. It’s time for lighter food and Frittata is one of those great summer dishes. Frittata is an Italian dish and is basically an open-faced omelette. Unlike other omelettes, it is not folded and it’s texture is firm and set (but never dry) rather then creamy or runny. Another difference is that it is cooked slowly over a low heat. In terms of fillings, it’s like the rest of Italian cuisine i.e. it tends to have only a few (sometimes just one or two) but very well-chosen ingredients as opposed to the fifteen you tend to get when ordering a vegetable/vegetarian omelette in many Irish restaurants.

Frittatas are served hot, warm or at room temperature. I think hot tends to kill some of the flavour and serving them from (or even putting them in) the fridge does something horrible to them so I’d favour warm or room temperature myself. They can be eaten alone or as part of a selection of antipasto style dishes and they make a great sandwich.

The basic technique for cooking a Frittata is the same for all the types below and is as follows: Beat 6 Organic (in a dish like this you can really taste the difference between organic and non) Eggs adding Salt and freshly ground Pepper to taste. One thing though – never crack and beat eggs until you are ready to use them – if they sit around premixed before you start cooking something very strange happens to their flavour and texture. Melt Butter or Olive Oil on a 10 inch non-stick pan. When it heats up and in the case of butter, begins to foam pour in the egg mixture and turn the heat down low. When the Eggs have set and thickened and only the surface is runny you can either a) put it under a preheated grill taking it out when the top of the frittata has set (but not browned) or b) place a large plate or board on top of the pan and turn the pan over onto it, then slide the frittata back onto the pan (the top uncooked side will now be on the bottom) and cook for a few more minutes. This technique, also used for the Spanish style potato omelette, sounds trickier than it actually is and has the added advantage of impressing dinner guests no end. A whole other technique, which also works well, is to pour your egg mixture into a buttered baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes in a preheated oven or until the frittata is no longer runny.

Frittata with Courgettes

You’ll need:

1 small Onion (sliced very thinly)

Olive Oil 350-400gr.

Courgettes (about what you have in this week’s bag)

6 Organic Eggs 2 Tablespoons grated Pamesan Cheese

Torn Basil Leaves (if you have them)

Courgette and egg

Sauté the Onion in a dash of Olive Oil with a pinch of Salt until it softens and begins to brown. Wash the Courgette(s) and slice into 3mm discs. Add to the Onions with a pinch of Salt and cook until golden brown. Take the vegetables off the heat, drain them and allow to cool slightly. Make the Frittata as described above adding the vegetables and 2 Tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan along with some torn Basil leaves if you have them to the egg mixture first.

chopped Zucchini

Variation: Instead of adding the Parmesan you could top off your Frittata with discs of Goat’s cheese and brown under the grill at the end. If you cook the Frittata in the oven the Goat’s cheese can go on at the beginning

Frittata with Onions

You’ll need:

2 medium sized Onions (finely sliced)

Olive Oil

6 Organic Eggs

2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese grated

Slowly sauté the Onions in about 3 Tablespoon Olive Oil and some Salt in a covered pan. When the Onions soften, uncover the pan and cook until they turn a rich golden brown. Drain and allow to cool slightly then add them to the eggs with a couple of tablespoons Parmesan (or do the Goat’s Cheese thing described above) then proceed as described above.

Frittata with Tomatoes, Feta cheese and basil

tomato and zucchini frittata

You’ll need:

2 medium sized tomatoes

6 Organic Eggs

125gr. crumbled Feta (or Goat’s Cheese)

10 torn Basil leaves.

Chop the Tomato and add to the beaten eggs along with the Feta and Basil leaves. Proceed as above.

The above are some of the more classic fillings (at least the first two are). If you want to try others, Asparagus and Artichokes make amazing Frittata fillers. Green Beans are also a classic. After that it’s really up to you. The only thing I’d caution against are Mushrooms, which, while they taste great, tend to turn the Frittata a rather disturbing murky brown colour so I’d leave them for a French style omelette. On a heavier note, the Italians also make Frittata with leftover Spaghetti (!!!). This has always struck me as a comedy type dish so having never tried it, I can’t vouch for it (If anyone decides to go for laughs of disbelief at their dinnertable I’d be very interested to know how you get on). For three eggs you need 220gr. Spaghetti (sauced with anything except clams or shellfish which would dry out. If you don’t have any leftover pasta you can make some and toss it in Butter, Parmesan and Chopped Parsley, then leave to cool a little before continuing), and 2 Tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan.

Our Fruit and Mediterranean selections all have Apricots this week which are probably good to go this weekend – Enjoy!

Hope you enjoy these recipes,

Have a great weekend,

Sarah ***********************************************************************************************************************************************

Cucumber and Cherry Vine Tomatoes

It really is summer!!!! If you’re barbecuing this weekend you might fancy throwing on some Haloumi cheese which goes really well with this week’s Cucumber. Haloumi is a hard sheep’s milk cheese from Cyprus which is eaten cooked which makes it great in veggies kebabs (try it with this week’s Courgettes, Mushrooms and Onions) but if you fancy a very simple appetizer  my salad recipe this week couldn’t be simpler…

Cucumber and Haloumi Salad

You’ll need:

1 Block of Haloumi which I think is about 200gr. You can get this in some supermarkets but if you live near any eastern shops it tends to be way cheaper there.

1 Cucumber

Olive Oil

Red Wine Vinegar.

Cut the Haloumi into bitesize pieces and set aside. Slice the cucumber then dress it with oil and vinegar (you won’t need salt as the cheese has loads). Cook the Haloumi on the barbeque or a dry pan until golden (2 mins on each side should be fine). Eat immediately as the cheese tends to go hard quite quickly.

Another great way to approach Cucumber is Tzatziki a Greek appetiser which I often serve with with fish, lamb  or baked potatoes.

Tzatziki

You’ll need:

1 Cucumber

3 Cloves Garlic

150gr Plain or Greek Yogurt

2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Cucumber is full of Water and for this recipe you need it as dry as possible. So, first of all  grate it and leave it in a colander for at least half an hour. Then put it in the centre of a teatowel, join the cloth’s corners together and wring out the rest of the liquid. Given how nutritrious cucumbers are, this always seems such a waste so I often squeeze the juice into a glass and knock it back instead of letting it go down the drain. After all the squeezing you should be left with a ball of cucumber a bit bigger than a golf ball. Mix this with the other ingredients, chill for at least an hour and serve with salads, baked potatoes, lamb or fish.

Variations: The Greeks add Olive Oil but I reckon it doesn’t need it but if you wanted to 2 tablespoons would be about right for this quantity. Dill or Mint are also often added and both work well. Up to you..

Our Mediterranean selections have Cherry Vine Tomatoes which are great roasted. It’s such an easy thing to do and everyone loves them.

Roasted Cherry Vine Tomatoes

500-600gr Cherry Vine Tomatoes

Olive Oil

Oregano

Salt

Sugar

Chilli (optional)

Rinse the Tomatoes. I do this carefully as they look nice left on the vine. Place them in an oven dish and drizzle a little Oil over them then add a pinch of Salt, about a teaspoon of Sugar, a little Chilli and a sprinkling of  Oregano. Place in a low oven (Gas 3 or 4) and leave for about 5-6 hours (yes really!! so it’s good to do them in bulk). Serve warm or at room temperature with pretty much anything or whizz them with the blender to make a very tasty pasta sauce.

Hope you have a lovely (very very sunny!!) weekend,

Sarah

Fresh Garlic and Flat Beans

I’m really enjoying the new season “wet” Garlic at  the moment. As the flavour is lighter and more delicate than the  type we normally get, I tend to use more of it which isn’t a bad thing given how good for you it is. Cited by many as a “superfood”, Garlic helps prevent stroke and heart disease by thinning the blood, it acts as an antiseptic, has amazing healing properties  and it reduces fats and cholesterol in the blood. Garlic breath is the worry of course but chewing on some parsley will combat this.

If you’re not barbequeing this evening you’ll probably be trying to get out of the house as quickly as you can to enjoy this glorious weather. My first recipe is perfect for that, a pasta dish that is ready in the time it takes to boil the pasta (woohoo!)…

Pasta with Fresh Garlic and Olives (for 2)

You’ll need:

Pasta – whatever you like

Olive Oil

6-8 Cloves of Garlic

A handful of Black Olives

Some finely chopped Parsley if you have it

Parmesan Cheese

Put on the kettle then peel and chop the Garlic. Heat a generous dash of Olive Oil and begin to very gently saute the Garlic over a low heat. Stick on the pasta and roughly chop the Olives. Allow the Garlic to reach the point of just starting to change colour then turn off the heat (this shouldn’t take any more than 3 or 4 minutes). When the pasta is ready, drain it and add it to the pan along with the Olives and Parsley. Mix well adding a little more Olive Oil, Salt, plenty of freshly ground Black Pepper and some Parmesan. Serve immediately with more Parmesan.

Variation: This week’s Flat Beans work really well in this dish. Cut them into pieces about an inch long, then either boil or steam them then add to the Garlic along with the Olives and Parsley. A question we frequently get asked is can you freeze flat beans.  Yes you can but better to cook them in a sauce (tomato) or a dish (put them in a curry or casserole) then freeze them. Flat/Runner beans do not freeze well just blanched they tend to be a bit soggy.

Courgette Flowers

This week we have a  special treat – Courgette Flowers. As you can imagine they’re big in Italy where they like them stuffed with Ricotta or Mozzarella then coated in a light Tempura style batter and deep-fried til golden. In Mexico they use them to stuff quesadillas and to make soup. You have 2 in your bag this week so soup is going to be out of the question but not to worry, the classic Italian style (stuffed and deep fried) is hard to beat.  This way they gently steam inside the batter and lose none of their delicate flavour. The batter you make to coat them should be as light as possible. I use self-raising flower and sparkling water which introduces lots of air but a beer batter works well too.

Courgette flowers

The flowers come attached to small super-tender Courgettes and I generally leave these attached to the flower although you can detach them and cook them separately or add then chopped finely to the stuffing.  This recipe will work with any summer squash flowers or also with pumpkin flowers.

The trick with stuffing them is not to overdo it or the Cheese will leak out. I reckon about 1/6 ball of Mozzarella is about right and to that you can add

• half a sun-dried tomato
• half  an Anchovy (minced)
• some Mexican Jalepenos – this is something I tried for the first time during the week and it’s really good

Another filling to try is soft Goat’s Cheese (about a teaspoon) and a drizzle of Honey over the finished dish just before serving really makes it.

Tempura of Stuffed Courgette Flowers

For the basic recipe you’ll need:

1 cup Self-raising flower

Sparkling water

Pinch of Salt

Courgette Flowers

Vegetable Oil

Wipe the flowers with a dry cloth and carefully open out the petals. Stuff with whatever you fancy from the ideas above (if you have any more please share!!)

Close up the petals to seal in the filling. Make the batter by mixing the flour with the Sparkling Water. Start by adding a cup then mix adding more water as necessary until you have a batter as thick as Buttermilk. Heat the oil in a pan to about 160 degrees. Before you start frying drop a tiny bit of batter into the pan and if it turns golden brown in about a minute you’re ready to go. Any faster and you should turn down the heat a little or the flowers will burn on the outside before the courgette has cooked. So, when the oil is ready coat each flower carefully and gently put them into the pan and fry until golden. This will take about 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve immediately with a squeeze of Lemon and some Salt and Pepper.

These babies are really really fragile so whatever you decide to do, do it ASAP – this evening or for lunch tomorrow to get them at their best – You won’t regret it!

Apricots, Rocket, Cherry Tomatoes and Spinach

This week our bananas came in too ripe (I’m now perfecting a new banana cake recipe as a result) so we opted for Apricots. Soft fruit is such a treat that in our house they just tend to gradually disappear from the bowl on the kitchen table over the course of a post dinner sitting around. Yum! If they find time to linger in the fruit bowl you could think about gently poaching them with a little vanilla sugar, or baking them as I did last night. Cooking them this way intensifies the flavour and they start to caramelize around the edges so it’s a different kind of treat. Have with Cream, Ice-cream or Mascarpone. Add a slice of toasted panetone and you’ve got a pretty fancy desert….

Baked Apricots with Kirsch  (for 2)

You’ll need:

4 ripe Apricots

3  Tablespoons Sugar

2 Tablespoons Water

2 Tablespoons Kirsch

First of all cut the Apricots in half and remove the stone. Place skin-side down on a little baking dish. Add the water to the dish then sprinkle the sugar over the top of the Apricots then dribble  the Kirsch on top of the Sugar. Bake in a hottish oven (Gas mark 6) for about 25 minutes. Serve warm or cold with some Greek Yogurt or Cream.

This second recipe is almost as simple ..

Baked Apricots with an Almond Crust (For 2)

You’ll need:

4 ripe Apricots

2 Tablespoons  soft Brown Sugar

1 1/2 Tablespoons Butter

2   Tablespoons Almonds

Begin as before by cutting each Apricot in half and removing the stone. Melt the Butter and combine with the Sugar and Almonds. Put this paste on top of each Apricot half and bake for 20 minutes at Gas mark 6. Serve with Yogurt, Ice-Cream or Cream

This week’s Rocket(arugula) comes from Wicklow and is the tastiest I’ve had in ages, no  bitterness at all. To show it off make the simplest of salads by combining it with this week’s Cherry Tomatoes (also from Wicklow – local, seasonal eating really pays off at this time of year!). Add some soft Cheese and dress with your nicest Olive Oil and some Balsamic. Fantastic!

Our Spinach (also from Wicklow but from a different farm) is perfect for just wilting on the pan and serving with a little Butter or Olive Oil or you can make a salad with it (Feta and Black Olives always work for me)

Hope you enjoy these recipes

Have a fantastic (and hopefully dry weekend)

Sarah

New Summer Lettuce Mint Baby Onions and Broad Beans

The summer is well and truly in and the new potatoes are starting to come in.

Wicklow summer produce

In your bags this week is mint the real summer flavour.  Aside from adding it to a dressed Pimms one could make a mojito

The key with many herbs is never chop too finely as it makes them bitter so for a mojito you muddle

Mojito (for one)

Take 6-8 mint leaves

1-2 tbsp castor or cane sugar (I use golden cane if possible)

1/2 lime chopped (if not organic unwaxed scrub first)

measure/2 rum (light not dark unless you have golden)

100 ml sparkling water

mint to garnish

Put the mint and sugar lime  into a cocktail shaker or bowl preferable metal and ‘muddle ‘it with the end of a rolling skin or wooden spoon, Put into a long tall glass add rum ice and sparkling water

Drink looking at rain

More Mint ideas

If you have new potatoes when cooking them boil them with some mint in the water and serve with mint and butter (and nothing else as far as I am concerned)

I noticed the Scallions this week were kind of large more like pearl onions or baby onions and its summer and we want summery so lets become very French and have

Braised lettuce with baby onions and mint (and optionally broad beans) (for 2)

Chop tops and bottoms from 4 onions and halve. Saute gently in butter for a few minutes then rip up lettuce (half a lettuce) and add to buttery mix and cook slowly. Put the lid on the pot and add little chicken stock.(or veg or I used shiro miso as had no chicken which was just delicious)  Here the French would classically add baby peas. As the only way to eat peas is  to grow them or eat them frozen shell and blanch your broad beans  and add (or some frozen peas). Simmer til tender . Season. Serve with some chopped mint and more butter…

Very good with fish or chicken

When the lettuce is plentiful in the summer in the garden we always made delicious

Lettuce soup (for 3-4)

Saute an onion in butter.  Add ripped uphead of lettuce and saute for a few minutes. Add 100 ml of chicken stock and cook for ten minutes. Puree roughly and add  250 ml of cream and season. Claim to everyone that as it is green it is really healthy. (or if you have to make with milk)

My other favourite with baby onions is :

Sweet and sour onions served warm or cold (for 2)

My brother makes this and claims it is Basque. Our Basque readers may correct it on this one but it is another dish redolent of summer

Chop tops and bottoms from onions no need to peel and leave whole (allow 2 per person). If they were real pearl onions I would use 4 per person

Bring to boil in 2 tbsp red wine vinegar with added 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp tomato puree. Simmer til onions are tender and liquid has vanished.(ten minutes of so) . Then toss onions round a bit to get as much of sticky residue on pan as possible. Serve warm. Great as a side dish for a barbie goes great with pork.

You can optionally brown the onions first in some olive oil.  I find it works either way

I followed the braised lettuce and broadbeans with some roasted figs cooked with honey liquer (donated by some Lithuanians and usually imbibed hot when I have a cold) cinnamon  and butter.  This would be just as nice if not nicer as a starter with goats cheese on stop. I was just away last weekend and non stop eating so cannot realise justify except that I could not let them go to waste… so you all missed out on the figs.. This week its red and white currants and blueberries.  Hope am not drowning in summer pudding or forccd to get out my German cake books to make kuche with johanisbeeren.

Borlotti Beans, New Potatoes, Rocket and Tomatoes

The big thing about our service is that you don’t really know what you’re getting week to week so quite often we end up cooking out of our comfort zone. This week we have gorgeous pink and white speckled Borlotti Beans for the first time ever. My reason for avoiding them until now was that I didn’t really know what to do with them but this week I thought I’d give them a go and the result was fab.

Borlotti beans

Like the Broad Beans we’ve had over the summer months they need shelling but only once – you don’t need to get them out of their skin once cooked.  The other big difference is that they take a lot longer to cook than other beans. Giorgio Locattelli reckons that they’re done when the skin as well as the actual bean is soft and this takes about 40 minutes so be careful to check that they really are cooked before you take them off.

Once cooked, they are great in soups, stews and salads (try them with this week’s Rocket and Tomatoes dressed in Olive Oil and Balsamic). Giorgio has a beautiful recipe with prawns which definitely looks like it’s worth a try if you have his book. The other way they are often served in Italy is with a tomato sauce along with herbs like Sage or Rosemary. This is the route I took and it was one of the nicest things I’ve eaten in a while. We ate them with a trout, this week’s New Potatoes and a warm salad of Courgettes and new Onions. It was all lovely but the Beans were definitely crying out for lamb and I’m looking forward to this for tonight!!

Borlotti Beans with Garlic, Tomatoes and Rosemary

You’ll need:

380gr Borlotti Beans

1 Head Garlic

1 Tablespoon  dried Rosemary minced

4 Tomatoes

Olive Oil

Put the shelled beans in a pot and cover them with about an inch of cold water. Bring them to the boil then reduce the heat slightly and continue cooking til done. Once the beans are cooking get on with everything else. Plunge the Tomatoes into boiling water, leave for a minute or 2 then peel and chop them. Peel the Garlic and slice each clove finely. Heat a generous amount of Olive Oil (1/2 cup)  and then throw in the Garlic. Saute gently for a minute or 2 before adding in the Rosemary (or Sage if you prefer). When the Garlic has softened (but not changed colour) add the Tomatoes and a pinch of Salt. Stir over a medium heat for about 10 minutes before adding the Beans. Cook for another few minutes the serve hot, warm or cold (it makes a lovely salad). Enjoy!!

This week’s New Potatoes are the Sharpes Express variety (apparently very difficult to grow but well worth it as so many of you have been commenting on them) and they are best steamed. Start with the biggest ones then add in the smaller guys over time so they’re done at the same time. Try them in a salad with this week’s Rocket(Arugula)  and Avocado and some smoked Cheese  with a Sherry Vinegar dressing if you have it. On the subject of vinegars -I recently got a Pomegranate one which we’ve been enjoying a lot recently. The Courgettes and Onions we had with the fish the other night were cooked on the pan in Olive Oil and then I added a splash just before taking them off the pan which cooked down and sweetened and the end result was lovely.

Hope you enjoy the recipes,

Have a great weekend,

Sarah

Aubergine Parmesan.. yum

Summer Staples

This week our bags have three of summer’s great staples -  Courgettes, Tomatoes and Aubergines. In the past it’s always been difficult to source these things locally for any length of time but now, thanks to our partnership with Marc Michel who is based about 45 minutes away in Kilmacanogue we have a constant supply that will run into the late Autumn. Marc himself is a wonderful chef as anyone lucky to have eaten in his farm cafe Organic Life will tell you and I think that’s why everything is so good (this week’s gorgeous Heirloom Tomatoes are just stunning and better than lots we’ve had over the years from places like France and Italy). While the veg is local this week’s recipes is not. It’s for for Eggplant Parmesan and it has to be one of my all time favourite dishes.

If you’ve never had it, Eggplant Parmesan consists of layers of fried Aubergine (Eggplant) , rich Tomato sauce, Mozzarella, Parmesan and Basil Leaves baked in the oven and then ideally served with good crusty bread. The Aubergine in your bag will give you enough for 2 people but if you fall in love with the dish (and you will!!!) we can always supply you with bigger quantities another time – just let us know if you want extra the next time you’re making the dish……………

As you may know, Aubergines can be prone to bitterness and should be “purged” before cooking a process that involves cutting them into slices about 1/4 inch thick, sprinkling them with salt to draw out the bitter juices. The best way to do this is to line a colander with the slices and lightly sprinkle them with fine Salt then layer with more slices and salt again until you’ve used up all the Aubergines. You then leave them for at least 45 minutes with a dish under the colander to collect all the drippings (the bitterness) that come out. Afterwards, pat each slice with a clean teatowel or some kitchen paper and you’re ready to go. If all this sounds like way too much faffing and you’re beginning to write this dish off – don’t!!! Just give yourself lots of time and open a nice red to enjoy as you work….

Eggplant Parmesan (for 2)

450gr Aubergine (about what you have in this week’s bag)

1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes

Olive Oil

Salt

Sugar

Plain Flour

1 Ball Mozzarella

3-4 Tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Bunch fresh Basil

Slice and salt the Aubergine as I’ve just described then get started on the rest. In a pan cook down the Tomatoes with a generous dash of Olive Oil, a pinch of Salt and a teaspoon Sugar. They are ready when the oil begins to separate from the Tomato sauce.

When the Aubergines are ready for cooking heat about 1 1/2 inches of Olive. Dredge the Aubergine slices in flour and batch fry them all until golden. Only coat the Aubergines just before frying or they’ll go soggy . Slice the Mozzarella into thinnish slices and prepare about 3 tablepoons grated Parmesan Cheese.

Preheat the oven to 200 degress (Gas mark 5). To put the dish together take a mediumsized oven dish and smear the bottom with Tomato sauce (this will stop the Aubergines sticking). Begin with a layer of Aubergines then spread some of the Tomato sauce on top followed by a scattering of Mozzarella slices and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Finally add about 6-8 torn Basil leaves. Repeat this procedure until you’ve used up all the ingredients ending with a layer of Aubergines. Top with grated Parmesan then place in the oven (middle shelf) and bake for 35 minutes.

This dish is very rich so you can only eat a small amount ( you’ll want to eat more but you can’t – believe me – I’ve tried!) Leftovers will keep for a few days but in our house this dish never lasts that long – Enjoy!!

Butternut and Mirabelles

Hi there,

This week we have the start of Autumn varieties – Butternut Squash and New Parsnips. Seems unfair given we haven’t really had a summer but I suppose there’s always September (we Irish never give up the faith). This week’s recipe is a salad with Butternut Squash and Rocket. If you haven’t had it before, Butternut can be boiled, steamed or roasted (there are several recipes already on the blog including a really amazing soup).  When you roast Butternut it caramelises on the outside adding great flavour. Then I added some toasted Pine nuts and a little Goat’s Cheese. Perfect for a Saturday lunch…….

Roasted Butternut Salad with Rocket(Arugula)  and Goat’s Cheese

You’ll need:

300gr peeled Butternut cut into bite sized Cubes

60 gr Rocket (about what you have in this week’s bag) or any other salad leaves

A handful of Pine nuts

150gr Chevre Goat’s Cheese

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Begin by preparing the Butternut. I find the best way is to quarter it remove the seeds and stringy bits and then chop it up.Put the Butternut on a roasting tray and with your hands smear about 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil on them then roast in a hottish oven (Gas mark 6 or 200 degrees) for about 30- 40 minutes or until the pieces are soft and starting to caramelize.

You can toast the Pine nuts in the oven (on a separate tray) so stick them in and toast until they’ve started to change colour (should take about 10 minutes but check on them after 5). When the Butternut is ready let it cool down a bit them toss it with the Rocket and Pine nuts. Dress the lot with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. Eat with nice bread or a Cous Cous salad (try Cous Cous, Chopped Dates, some Sultanas and some toasted Cumin Seeds dressed in Olive Oil and Lemon Juice)

The tiny plums in your bag this week are Mirabelles and they’re only around for a couple of weeks every year. Completely delicious, they should be eaten asap and there’s no need to add anything – Yum!!!!

Have a great weekend,

Sarah

Blueberries

Hi everyone,

This week our Mediterranean and Fruit selections have Blueberries which, as you probably know, are one of the “superfoods”  because they are full of antioxidants. You can throw them on your muesli or porridge, add them to a fruit salad or just eat them straight up but I reckon they really come into their own when you cook them. Whenever we have friends staying Blueberry pancakes are our standard breakfast (they freeze really well so when I see them at a good price I tend to throw a few punnets in the freezer for such occasions). My nearly five year old Dan loves making them so it keeps him occupied while all the adults wander round the kitchen figuring out whether it’s coffee or Panadol that’s needed first (it’s a great morning after brunch).

If you already make pancakes you’ll know that they are pretty easy to throw together and that once you’ve done a few times you can make a batch without weighing anything. The one thing I’ve learnt since I started making them is that separating the egg and whisking the white until  stiff then folding it in at the end really makes a difference and gives you lovely fluffy light pancakes you might have had in the states. We generally eat them with Butter and Maple Syrup and sometimes a slice of thin crispy Bacon or a grilled Banana (slice it from top to bottom down the middle first).

Blueberry Pancakes

You’ll need:

200gr Self-raising Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

A pinch of Salt

300ml Milk

1 Egg

175gr Blueberries (about 2/3 of what you have in your bag)

1 Tablespoon Butter (melted)

Vegetable Oil

Sieve the Flour, Baking Powder and Salt into a bowl. Separate the Egg and mix the yolk with the Milk and melted Butter. Add this mixture to the Flour and mix well. Whisk the Egg white until it’s stiff then fold it into the Flour and Milk. Finally, fold in the Blueberries. To cook the pancakes (do this as soon as you have the mixing done or the air that you’ve introduced with the Egg white will start to disappear) heat a little oil on the pan over a medium heat. Add a ladle of pancake mix  and cook for about 2-3 minutes before turning. I normally fit about 3 on one of my bigger pans and if I feel really industrious I do the lot on 2 pans in one go. You should get about 6 pancakes from this mix.

Have a great weekend (don’t forget that the Festival of World Culture is on in Dun Laoghaire)

Sarah

New Potatoes, Lettuce and Reine Claude Plums

Hi there,

We’ve  been enjoying New Potatoes over the summer (they are the Sharpes Express variety if you’re wondering) and as I’m sure you know, they need very little (a knob of Butter or a drizzle of Olive Oil) to make them shine . You can jazz things up by adding chopped herbs (Parsley, Mint or Coriander always work really well) or try parboiling them then roasting them in a little Olive Oil (with Rosemary if you have it) and of course there’s salads. Add a very simple Vinaigrette or a creamy dressing  with Yogurt, Mayo or Creme Fraiche and some chopped herbs for a simple one or throw in Beans, Nuts, Cheese and Salad leaves and you’ve got lunch.

I have also discovered that these potatoes make great chips. To cut down on frying time I’ve been  parboiling them in their skins first. Then I let them cool down a bit and chop them into chunks and fry them (in vegetable oil) first at a lowish heat so they are almost poaching rather than frying then after about 10 minutes I turn the heat off completely, let them sit for a minute then turn up the heat (medium -high)and fry them until golden. Last night I added a sliced Onion about 5 minutes into the second frying which was nice and crispy by the time the spuds were done. I improvised a quick Aioli with Hellmans and crushed Garlic for dips and served them on a bed of this week’s Lettuce dressed in a little Red Wine Vinegar. Needless to say we licked the plate clean.

As it’s turned a bit nippy I also made a gratin with them during the week with  Garlic, Saffron and Cream a dish that goes really well with Fish or roast Meat. If you haven’t had it before, Saffron comes from the stigmas of the saffron crocus and is sold in very small quantities (it takes thousands of crocus’ to produce the smallest amount so it’s pricier than other spices). The tiny Orange-red strands are infused in a little warm water before use,  then added to the dish to give it’s characteristic bright yellow colour and unusual flavour (hard to describe – some say it’s kind of musty but don’t let that put you off!). In the Mediterranean it’s used with rice, chicken and shellfish dishes (ever wondered why Spanish Paella is the colour it is?) while in the west of England, where it was once extensively cultivated, it has traditionally been added to breads and cakes. You can track it down in any good deli if you don’t have any and it’s something to buy if you’re ever on holiday in Morocco (we can dream!!)

A Gratin with New Potatoes, Garlic, Saffron and Cream

You’ll need:

1 kilo New Potatoes (about what you have in your bag this week)

1/2 Teaspoon Saffron Strands

2-3 Cloves Garlic

150ml Cream

Salt and Pepper

Scrub the Spuds and partially cook them by boiling them for about 8-10 minutes. While the Potatoes are cooking, infuse the Saffron in half a cup of warm water for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Crush the Garlic and put in a pot along with the Cream. Add the Saffron liquid and slowly allow the Cream to thicken over a low heat stirring occasionally until it begins to stick to the side of the pot. When the Potatoes are done, roughly chop them (unless you have baby ones in which case you can leave them intact) and place  in a dish about 2 inches deep. Season the Cream with Salt (be generous as the Cream makes things sweet) and Pepper then pour over the spuds. Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for about 30 minutes until a lovely Saffron crust has formed.

And for dessert……..

The Plums in your bag this week are the lovely Reine Claude variety. Wash them and put them on the table after dinner for an easy dessert healthy enough to wash away any guilt about eating Cream for dinner!

Have a great weekend,

Sarah

Damsons, Rocket, Cherry Tomatoes and Green Beans

We might be enjoying a bit of sun at the moment but there’s no denying that summer (well what we had of it) is drawing to a close. We still have lots of summer produce – gorgeous Tomatoes, Courgettes, Grapes and Aubergines but the early autumn stuff is making it’s way into the bags – Butternut a few weeks ago, today there’s  lovely new Leeks and Damsons or Quetsche Plums to give them their full title. If you haven’t had them before, Damsons are plums that are generally used for cooking because they aren’t as sweet as the  plums we normally eat.

This week’s recipe is for a crumble with almonds. If you’re not a baker don’t worry, crumble-making doesn’t really count as baking as it’s just so easy. You literally crumble the flour, butter and sugar with your fingertips until you have something resembling large breadcrumbs. Even if you end up with something different it’ll still taste fine just as long as some attempt has been made to mix the ingredients. My son Dan (4) does all the crumbling in our house except of course when I have him polishing grapes for Home Organics (just kidding!!!). If you’re avoiding puds Damsons are a perfect stewing fruit. Rinse and put in a pot with 2-3 Tablespoons Sugar. Turn on the heat and give the pot an occasional shake to help the Damsons burst and release all their lovely juices. As you’ll see, these Damson are yellow on the inside but the  skin colours everything  that gorgeous plummy red after they’ve been the pot a few minutes.

halved damsons

Cook for about 10 minutes making sure all the plums break up so you can get at the stones afterwards. Allow to cool down a bit before you remove the stones and  you’ve got a compote which makes a  perfect breakfast with Greek Yogurt. This week’s crumble won’t take more than 15 minutes to  put together so if you do fancy dessert it’s an easy one and really tasty to boot….

Damson and Almond Crumble

You’ll need:

450 gr Plums (about what you have in this week’s bag)

3 Tablespoons of Sugar

100gr Flour

40gr Ground Almonds

75gr Butter

60gr Sugar

Prepare the fruit as I’ve described above and while it’s cooking get on with the crumble (or rope in a small child to do so). Put all the ingredients in a bowl and crumble (!!) This should take about 5 minutes (small children will take anything from 2 minutes to an hour and a half). Remove all the stones from the fruit and put into a baking dish and top with the crumble mix. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the crumble topping is golden brown and hopefully some of the ruby juices from below have bubbled up and speckled the topping. Eat with Cream, Ice-cream or Yogurt.

damson crumble

One other thing to do with Damsons is Damson Gin. Far easier than baking but there is a bit of waiting involved. Most recipes will tell you to prick the plums, add sugar then throw in the booze but Margaret (no doubt reliably)  informed me yesterday that the stones in Plums contain cyanide so should never be left after the fruit has been cooked or opened. So, rinse and halve about 450gr plums (what you have in this week’s bag) then add 150gr Sugar and 75cl Gin. Put the lot in a sterilized wide-necked bottle. Close the lid and shake well and continue to shake every day until the sugar has dissolved. Keep for at least 6 weeks and then it’s cocktail time!

This week’s Green Beans need very little done to them. A light steaming then toss them in Butter or Olive Oil with a little Maldon Salt. A step further is to crush or finely chop a couple of cloves of Garlic, saute gently on the pan then add the precooked Beans just before the Garlic is done. Toss for a minute or 2 more and you’ve got a very tasty side. Lot’s of Black Pepper is great with this too.

In case you’re wondering..

This week’s salad leaves are Rocket a beautiful peppery leaf that is great in salads and sambos. Have it with this week’s Cherry Tomatoes and some Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar for a very quick and tasty salad.

Have a great weekend,

Sarah

Red Peppers, Round Courgettes, Charlotte Potatoes and Figs

This week we have a Red Pepper in all our bags. Always very popular, Peppers are just so versatile. Raw they can be chopped into any salad or sambo and they are a great dipper for lunchtime humus. They have lots of natural sugars which really come to the fore when they are cooked slowly.Treat them like Onions and you won’t regret it – lots of time over a low heat will give you Peppers that melt in the mouth and are amazing  in all kinds of salads and of course pasta. Try dicing one up and frying it slowly with an Onion in plenty of Olive Oil until it becomes completely soft and almost mushy. Throw in a few cloves of Garlic towards the end (earlier and it’ll burn) then serve with pasta and plenty of grated Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese. A little Chilli will always taste good in this kind of dish as will some Black Olives and finely chopped Parsley.

If you don’t want to fry, roasting your Pepper will give you the same kind of texture and a little more flavour to boot. Simply stick it in the oven (Gas mark 6) for about 25 minutes or until the skin has completely wrinkled. After it comes out of the oven the trick is to put it in a plastic bag where the steam produced will help lift the skin off the flesh. Allow the Pepper to cool down in the bag then take it out, carefully cut it in half and remove the seeds inside, peel off the skin then either slice or dice it up. The environment will not thank you for turning on the oven to roast one Pepper so I usually roast mine on the cooker top over a gas flame. To do this, simply sit the Pepper on top of the burner and allow the skin to completely char on one side before moving it around to char the other side. When the whole thing is completely black (about 15-20 minutes) remove it and do the plastic bag thing as I’ve described. Getting the skin off will be messier but the payback is that the flesh takes on a gorgeous smokey flavour.

Peppers cooked this way are good enough to eat on their own with a dressing of Oil and Vinegar (a little crushed garlic will give it bite if you fancy something like that) but it is really  superb with Cous Cous and this recipe keeps really well so if you’ve any leftovers it’s perfect for lunch the next day…

Cous cous and roasted red pepper salad

Toasted Cous Cous salad with Roasted Red Peppers, Feta, Toasted Pine nuts and Rocket

You’ll need:

1 Cup Cous Cous

1 Roasted Red Pepper (see above)

150gr Feta

2 Handfuls Rocket or 1 of Flatleaf Parsley or basil  if you prefer

3 Tablespoons Pine Nuts

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Prepare the Cous Cous by toasting it on a dry frying pan over a medium heat. When  it starts to turn golden brown turn down the heat and add a cup and a bit of hot water. Stir furiously until the Cous Cous grains have absorbed all the water and doubled in size, add a generous glug of Olive Oil then turn off the heat. While the Cous Cous cools down, toast the Pine Nuts on a dry pan until golden,  dice the Red Pepper then mix both through the Cous Cous along with the Rocket or Parsley. Crumble the Feta and throw it in then dress the lot with Balsamic, Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper to taste.

This week you have  a Round Courgette in your bag. The idea was to give you 2 equal-sized specimens which you could stuff (I know, a bit seventies but  in a good way!!) and wow your friends and family with. But alas, with organics things don’t always pan out as planned (dammit!). Left to their own devices, vegetables  grow at different rates to (wildly) different sizes so most of you have one Courgette that should be big enough to share for a lunch if you put it with salad and bread. Shirley Conran famously said that life was too short to stuff a mushroom and I’m sure she would have felt the same about a Courgette. If you agree, chop it up and treat it as you would any other courgette (that’ll teach it not to grow to our exact requirements!). Last night I kept it pretty simple and used this week’s Cous Cous salad minus the Rocket as a stuffing. To liven things up I added a little Cumin Seed but that was it and there was enough salad left over for lunch today.

Stuffed Courgette with Cous Cous, Roasted Red Pepper, Pine nuts and Feta.

You’ll need:

Some of the Cous Cous salad from above without the Rocket as it doesn’t cook well but with some chopped flatleaf Parsley if you have it. The quantity will depend on how big you Courgette is – sorry!!

A round Courgette

1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds

Prepare the Cous Cous filling as described above leaving out the Rocket and adding some chopped Parsley if you have it. Cut the top off the Courgette to make a “lid”  (about an inch from the top should do it). To hollow out the Courgette  cut round the inside about 1/2 inch from the skin then scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Chop this up then cook over a medium heat in Olive Oil along with the Cumin Seeds until the Courgette has reduced to about a quarter of what it was. Add enough Cous Cous mix to fill the Courgette, stick the lid on and bake for about 40 minutes. Serve hot or warm with a salad.

Our mediterranean and fruit selections have Figs this week which, as you probably know, are a real end of summer treat. Eat them straight up or get all fancy and make the classic Parma Ham, Goat’s (or fresh) cheese salad on a bed of this week’s Rocket. Drizzle the lot with honey and a little Olive Oil. If you’re making the roast Courgette recipe stick the Figs in the oven for 2 0r 3 minutes to really bring up their flavour before you put the salad together. Yum!!!

Finally, this week’s spuds are the Charlotte variety brought to us by Denis and Duncan Healy. I opted for them because they were just so fresh this week having only been dug out of the ground on Wednesday. We’ll go back to the Sharpe’s Express variety we’ve been enjoying over the past while (thanks for all the lovely comments about them by the way) next week.

Enjoy the recipes,

Have a great weekend,

Sarah