Christmas supplies from Home Organics

Hey,

If you’re living in Dublin and need veggies for Christmas day we’ll be doing our special Christmas delivery on Christmas Eve. The options are listed below and the deadline for orders is Friday 18th. Email me:  sarah@homeorganics.ie  or give us a buzz on 01 4060034

All the best,

Sarah

PS: in case you’re wondering, we don’t sell turkeys!!!

Christmas with Home Organics 2009

Vegetable Bag (19.50E)

1.5k Potatoes

800gr Carrots

300gr Onion

1 Head Garlic

600gr Parsnips

500gr Broccoli

400gr Brussel Sprouts

1 small bunch mixed herbs (Parsley, Thyme and Rosemary)

1 Head Celery

1 Head Lettuce

Fruit and Vegetable Christmas Bag (22E)

1.5k Potatoes

800gr Carrots

300gr Onion

1 Head Garlic

600gr Parsnips

500gr Broccoli

400gr Brussel Sprouts

1 Head Lettuce

600gr Apples

1 Lemon

600gr Bananas

500gr Mandarins

Large Fruit and Vegetable Christmas Bag (32E)

2k Potatoes

800gr Carrots

300gr Onion

1 Head Garlic

800gr Parsnips

800gr Broccoli

400gr Brussel Sprouts

1 small bunch mixed herbs (Parsley, Thyme and Rosemary)

1 Head Celery

1 Head Lettuce

800gr Apples

1 Lemon

600gr Bananas

500gr Mandarins

500gr Pears

Mediterranean Christmas Bag (27E)

1.5k Potatoes

800gr Carrots

300gr Onion

1 Head Garlic

600gr Parsnips

500gr Broccoli

400gr Brussel Sprouts

1 Red Pepper

400gr Cherry Vine Tomatoes

1 Head Lettuce

600gr Apples

1 Lemon

600gr Bananas

500gr Mandarins

Large Mediterranean Christmas Bag (37E)

2k Potatoes

800gr Carrots

300gr Onion

1 Head Garlic

800gr Parsnips

800gr Broccoli

400gr Brussel Sprouts

1 Red Pepper

400gr Cherry Vine Tomatoes

400gr Courgettes

1 Head Lettuce

800gr Apples

1 Lemon

600gr Bananas

500gr Mandarins

500gr Pears

Extras you might need…………..

Veggies

5k Potatoes                                                    11E

1k Carrots                                                       2.20E

1 head Garlic                                                  .70E

1k Onions                                                        2.50E

1k Broccoli                                                      5.50E

1k Parsnips                                                     4.00E

1k Courgettes                                               4.50E

1 Red Pepper                                                1.20E

1k Vine Tomatoes                                       6.00E

1k Cherry Vine Tomatoes                         8.00E

Green Cabbage                                            2.00E

Red Cabbage                                                 2.20E

1 head Celery                                                2.25E

Herbs Parsley                                                2.10E

Herbs Rosemary                                          2.10E

Herbs Thyme                                                 2.10E

Mixed Herbs                                                  2.10E

Fruit

1k Apples                                                        3.50E

1k Oranges                                                     3.00E

Box Oranges (6.5k)                                     15.00E

1k Bananas                                                     3.50E

Lemon (1)                                                       .50E

1k Lemon                                                        3.00E

1k Pears                                                           4.00E

1k Mandarins                                                5.00E

1 Pineapple                                                    3.50E

1k Kiwi                                                              4.00E

Eggs

Freerange organic (6)                                2.50E

Olive Oil

Trampolini Extra Virgin Organic Olive Oil    7.50E

Anything else?

Just let me know and if I can track it down for you I will………………….

Good luck with those preparations!

Sarah

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-fried 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 freezes 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 beginning 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 spicy 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 Teaspoon 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!

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!!

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