Organic Blueberry Scones

by Lou Robbie

November is a great time to pull out traditional baking recipes. Homemade scones are delicious baked fresh and with the addition of organic fruit they are taken to the next level. Mix antioxidant rich organic blueberries gently into the dough, when baked they become oozy and almost self jamming in the scone.

Scones are one of those bakes that are made to be shared over steamy cups of tea. We hope you find a friend to share these with some time soon.

Lou x

PS – add a grating of orange or lemon zest to the dough if you fancy.

Ingredients: Makes 8

  • 400g self raising flour (or plain flour with 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder mixed)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 400g self raising flour (or plain flour with 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder mixed)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 100g butter at room temperature
  • 2 eggs 
  • 170ml (do not add all the liquid at once, you may not need it)
  • 125g fresh blueberries
  • 1 egg beaten to glaze

Method:

Step 1: Preheat the oven 180ºC fan. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Measure the flour and sugar into a mixing bowl, stir. Add the butter and rub it into the flour with our fingertips until it resembles sand. Stir in the blueberries.

Step 2: Crack the eggs into a measuring jug and pour in the milk. Whisk well.
Pour enough of the milk and egg liquid into the flour and stir with a fork until the dough starts to come together, you may not need all the liquid. Flour your hands lightly and work the dough into a round shape, being careful not to burst the blueberries. Turn it out onto the baking tray, and gently push down.

Step 3: Using a large knife dipped in flour, cut the dough round in half, then quarters and then eights. Pull the scones apart and spread them out on the baking tray. Tip: dipping the knife in flour will stop the dough from sticking.
Brush with the beaten egg.

Step 4: Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.

Celeriac, Apple & Spinach Soup

by Lou Robbie

This soup really celebrates the crops that are being harvested at this time of the year. Knobbly celeriac, earthy potatoes from the farm, crisp Irish apples and lovely iron rich spinach. Theres great comfort in a big bowl of flavourful nourishing soup.

This is sure to boost your immune system and keep winter bugs at bay.

Enjoy,

Lou

PS. Save it for your Christmas day soup course

Ingredients: 6 servings

  • 1.5 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1 small celeriac, peeled, diced
  • 2 potatoes, peeled, diced
  • 2 apples, peeled, diced
  • 2 onion, peeled diced
  • 2 sticks celery, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 – 1.2 litre vegetable stock – add more if needed
  • 50g baby spinach
  • salt and pepper
  • Serve with crumbled feta, seaweed flakes, extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Step 1: Warm a wide pot on the hob and add the oil, onions and celery. Sweat down for 5-10 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for a further minute add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Then add in the celeriac, apple, potatoes, stock and stir. Simmer on the hob for 30 minutes until all the vegetable are soft.

Step 2: Next add the baby spinach and blend the soup to your desired consistency.

To serve crumble on some feta, sprinkle seaweed flakes and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Fudgy Beetroot Brownie

by Lou Robbie

Cooked beetroot is so versatile, delicious panfried with garlic or roasted with onions and a dash of balsamic vinegar. It is really good in sweet bakes and a firm favourite in my house is beetroot chocolate brownies!! This is a wonderful treat, chocolate and beetroot work so well together. Its a great way to celebrate our homegrown IRISH beetroots. Our beetroot season is coming to an end, but you’ll continue to get Irish beetroot from grower Philip Dreaper.

Make these bitter sweet beauties soon.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 9 squares

Method:

Tip: Steam, boil or roast raw beetroot with the skin on until cooked through. Peel and cool.

Step 1: Preheat the oven 170ºC. Line a 9in square baking tin with parchment paper.

Step 2: Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave or in a bowl over a pot of simmering water.

Step 3: Whisk in the sugar and eggs until thick and smooth. An electric hand mixer works best or a hand whisk wil do too.

Step 4: Sieve in the plain flour and cacao powder and whisk again to combine. Grate the cooked beetroot straight into the bowl, stir into the chocolate mix. Then pour into the baking tin. Bake for 22-25 minutes. The brownie should be slightly gooey in the middle. Leave to set and cool then slice and serve. Vanilla ice cream is aways a good paring!

Vegan Ragu w/ cauliflower, walnuts and mushrooms

by Lou Robbie

Deep, rich, nutty and full of flavour this vegan ragu ticks all the boxes! Half the vegetables are roasted and toasted and the other half is sautéed, until soft and sweet in a sauce. When it comes together it makes the perfect combination. My top tip is to add a few spoons of the pasta water to the ragu to make it silky enough to cling to the pasta.

Top with your favourite (vegan) hard cheese.

Divine,

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: serves 6

  • 1 small cauliflower (or half a big head)
  • 120g walnuts
  • 300g mushrooms
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 2 pieces celery, finely diced
  • 1 small leek, finely chopped (optional)
  • 5 tablespoon tomato puree
  • 1 tablespoon miso (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoons chopped thyme & sage or dried herbs
  • 60ml balsamic vinegar
  • 500ml veg stock or water
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • To serve cooked tagliatelle and vegan hard cheese

Method:

Step 1: Preheat the oven 200ºC, line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Chop the cauliflower into small florets, half the mushrooms. Blitz the cauliflower in a food processor first tip onto a baking tray, next add the mushrooms and then the walnuts. Pour all three onto a large baking tray, season with salt and drizzle with oil. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until toasted, checking every 10 minutes.

Step 2: Warm a wide frying pan on a medium heat, add the oil, finely diced onion, celery and leek if using. Sauté for 5-10 minutes until soft. Add the tomato puree, miso paste, paprika, chopped herbs, stir to coat and cook for a minute or two season with salt and pepper. Pour in the balsamic vinegar and deglaze the pan. Add the ragu veg mix and stir, then pour in the veg stock or water. If the mix seems dry add a bit more water. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Step 3: Cook the pasta as per packet- keep the pasta water. If the sauce is a bit dry still add a couple of spoons of pasta water to loosen then toss through the pasta and serve with you favourite finely grated hard cheese.

Homemade Organic Pickled Beetroot

by Lou Robbie

BEETROOT a powerhouse of nutrients it is so good for us. It aids muscle growth and repair, is rich in folate (B9 vitamin) and has antioxidant properties that fight free radicles in our bodies, just to name a few. A superfood indeed.

If you order some in your veg box a nice way to make them last is to pickle them. You can use them after one day, they will keep in a jar in the fridge for 1 month. Tuck in and add your homemade organic pickled beetroot to sandwiches, salads, have with a veggie curry or eat from the jar if you fancy, we wont judge you 🙂

Please let us know if you try making this, we love to hear from you.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 1 big jar or 2 small

Method:

Step 1: Steam or boil the beetroot, keep the top and tails on. Depending on the size it will take 30-60 minutes. Pearse with a small sharp knife to check if they are done. Put the beets in a bowl and cover with cold water, rub the skins off with your fingers.

Step 2: Cut the beets into small wedges and put them in a sterilised jar. In a small pot heat the vinegar, brown sugar, mustard seeds, chilli flakes and bay leaves in a small pot until the sugar dissolves. Take off the heat an cool completely. Pour over the beetroot and seal the jar. (If the liquid doesn’t fully cover the beetroot top up with cold water)

These will keep for a month in the fridge.

Comfort Food- Lentil Pie with Celeriac Mash

by Lou Robbie

The clocks have gone back, the nights are drawing in and the air is crisp and cold, its time to amp up the comfort food. Warm spicy lentils topped with buttery celeriac and potato mash, just what you need to comfort the soul. Celeriac isn’t always an obvious root veg choice, you wont always find it in the supermarket, but we proudly grow it and it tastes delicious served this way. Plus it is great for you too, high in vitamin C and K!

What’s more this dish cooks in under 1 hour, will feed a crowd, it freezes and reheats really well.

Pop a celeriac in your online basket soon.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: serves 6

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 medium onion- finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic- finely chopped
  • 2 small sweet potato (380g approx)- diced
  • 200g red lentils, washed and drained
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g)
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 heaped teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
  • 1 heaped teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoon chopped sage
  • 500ml hot veg stock (or stock cube with water)
  • 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce (vegan)

For the mash:

  • 1 small celeriac 450g
  • 4 potatoes – 450g
  • 50g milk – of choice
  • 75g butter – of choice
  • salt & pepper

Method:

Step 1: Being with the mash. Peel and dice the celeriac and potato and steam until tender. Then mash with butter, milk, salt and pepper.

Step 2: While the celeriac and potatoes steam start the lentils. Warm a wide pot on a medium heat, add the onions and cook slowly to soften, 5-10 minutes, add the garlic, chilli, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper and cook for a further few minutes to toast the spices. Next add the diced sweet potato, stir to coat in the spices. Then add the thyme leaves, chopped sage, red lentils, chopped tomatoes and hot stock. Simmer on a low heat for about 30-40 minutes until the sweet potato is cooked through, stir occasionally to stop the lentils catching on the bottom of the pot. . Taste and stir in the worcestershire sauce. Keep the lentils in the same pot or transfer to a wide baking dish 25cm x 25cm approx.

Step 3: Turn on the grill. Top the cooked lentils with mash and use a fork to make a nice design. Grill the pie until the top is golden and crispy, then serve.

Bairín breac – Barmbrack

by Lou Robbie

Barmbrack is a traditional Irish bread eaten at Halloween. Celts would celebrate Samhain, the beginning of winter with this fortune telling tea brack. A ring, a coin, a piece of cloth and a small stick were baked in the bread and would tell the fortune of those who found them. The ring is the most common symbol still today, it means marriage for the lucky finder!

We are proud to farm in the fields of our ancestors and celebrate their Samhain traditions. We would encourage you to make your own barmbarck this Halloween and talk about all who baked this delicious bread over hot coals.

Oíche Shamhna shona duit.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: serves 8

  • 225g plain flour
  • 2 tsp of baking powder
  • 375g packet of fruit mix (raisins/current/sultanas/candied peel)
  • 300ml hot tea (2 teabags)
  • 125g light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp of mixed spice
  • A ring to go in the cake batter – wrap it in parchment paper
  • Sugar syrup: 1 tablespoon icing sugar with 1 tablespoon boiling water- optional

Method:

Step 1: Place the fruit mix in a bowl and pour over the hot tea, discard the teabags. Allow to soak up the liquid overnight. The next day strain the fruit, but keep the liquid.

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 170ºC, and grease and line 8inc round cake tin. Put the brown sugar in a mixing bowl with the egg, whisk well, add the liquid from the fruit and whisk again. Sift in the flour, baking powder and mixed spice. Gently fold in to make a smooth batter. Then stir through the fruit mix until everything is thoroughly combined.

Step 3: Spoon the wet dough into the lined tin, poke a hole and add in the ring, smooth the top and place in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for 50 minutes – 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before removing from the loaf tin and placing on a wire rack. Serve in slices spread as it is or with some butter.

Optional: To make the sugar syrup, mix 1 tablespoon icing sugar with 2 teaspoons boiling water until smooth, then brush over the cooled barmbrack to give a nice glaze.

Delicious Turnip Gratin w/ Maple Cream & Walnut Crust

by Lou Robbie

Turnips or swedes are a superb reliable Irish winter root vegetable and they grow happily here on the farm.  They are sweet and slightly peppery, crisp when raw and buttery when cooked. They are often overlooked but given a bit of thought and attention turnip can be totally delicious.

This dish is closely based on a recipe by Denis Cotter, chef and owner of the well known Cork restaurant Cafe Paradiso. Cotter has added sweetness with the slow cooked leeks, maple syrup, toasty notes from the walnuts and breadcrumbs and lots of flavour from the herbs. We couldn’t wait to dive into this delicious gratin and neither will you!

Enjoy,

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 6 portions

  • 1 large swede/turnip – 550g approx
  • 2 leeks, halved lengthways and well washed
  • 30g butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
  • 100ml dry white wine or vegetable stock with a dash of cider vinegar
  • 250ml double cream
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup

For the crust: 

  • 8 fresh sage leaves, chopped
  • 1 tbsp chopped chives
  • 50g white bread
  • 50g walnuts
  • 30g butter

Method:

Step 1: Preheat the oven 170ºc fan. Butter an oven dish, approx 9inc x 6inc.

Step 2: Wash and peel the turnip and chop into quarters. Slice the quarters thinly 5mm with a mandolin or sharp knife. Heat a pot of salted water until simmering, add all the sliced turnip and cook for 10 – 15 minutes until soft. Strain and set to one side.

Step 3: Meanwhile, chop the leeks in to 2 cm slices. Melt the butter on a pan and sauté the leeks and chopped garlic until soft then stir through the thyme leaves, wine or stock with vinegar, cream, salt and pepper. Simmer for a further few minutes.

Step 4: To the buttered dish, add a layer of turnip, a layer of creamy leeks and repeat 3 times. Push down and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Step 5: To make the crust, blend the bread first, then add the walnuts, sage, chives, salt and pepper blend again, finally add the butter blend again. Scatter the herby breadcrumb on top and bake for a further 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then serve.

This would work as a main dish with some greens and mushy pulses or as a side dish too.

Apple & Spice Oat Cookies- Halloween edition

by Lou Robbie

This is a lovely bake to try with the kids over the Halloween break. Its a one bowl recipe where they can use their hands to mix the ingredients and shape the cookies. We’ve added juicy organic Irish apple and spice to make a delicious tasting cookie. White chocolate and googly eyeballs are optional, but big glasses of milk are a must!

Baking with kids is a great opportunity to talk about the food we eat. I like to tell my young kids where and how food is grown. We talk about sugar cane and how flour comes from wheat, we talk about bees playing their part to pollinate the plants etc. Apples are grown around the world and in orchards in Ireland too.

Happy baking-BOO!

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 12

  • 200g oats 
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon or autumn spice mix **see below
  • 4 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 eggs, whisked
  • 60g butter at room temperature
  • 1 organic IRISH apple, grated – I leave the skin on

To decorate:

  • 80g white chocolate – melted – optional
  • googly eyes – optional

Method:

**To make your own autumn spice click here

Step 1: Preheat the oven 170ºC fan. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.

Step 2: Measure the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon or spice mix, baking powder into a mixing bowl, stir to mix.

Step 3: Next add the butter, eggs, honey, and grate the apple straight into the bowl, skin and all. With clean hands give it a good mix – get the kids to do this part!! Shape into a round in the bowl.

Step 4: Scoop or spoon 12 cookie dough balls onto the baking trays. Push down to flatten and keep in a circle if you can. Bake for 25 mins until golden brown.

Step 5: Drizzle with melted chocolate and add eyeballs if its Halloween.

Roast Pumpkin, Kale & Feta Salad w/ Roast Garlic Dressing

by Lou Robbie

You can have your Pumpkin and Eat it!! Pumpkins are not just for decoration around Halloween they are sweet, earthy and delicious to eat. The skin is edible too, just wash them well and slice into thin wedges. You can make this salad with butternut squash too if you wish, it will be equally delicious.

Salads are not exclusive to the warmer months. We like to serve the pumpkin and roast red onions warm from the oven with shredded kale and crumbled feta. Pomegranate is recommended for colour and pops of sweet and sourness.

Organic ingredients are “Better for you and Better for our Planet”.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: serves 4

  • 1 small pumpkin, chopped deseeded, sliced into wedges
  • 1 medium red onion, sliced into wedges
  • pinch salt/pepper/paprika

For the dressing

  • 1 bulb of garlic – roasted until soft
  • 1 tablespoon light tahini
  • 100ml neutral oil
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • salt and pepper

To finish

  • 1/2 pomegranate, deseeded
  • 100g kale, washed, stripped off the stalk & very finely chopped
  • 180g feta- sheep’s cheese feta used here
  • 1/2 tin chickpeas – drained (200g)
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds

Method:

Step 1: Preheat the oven 180ºC. Prepare the garlic bulb, chop off the top of the bulb to expose the cloves. Put the pumpkin wedges, red onion wedges and garlic bulb on a baking tray. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and a bit of paprika drizzle with oil, rub the veg to coat in the oil and seasoning. Roast veggies for 30 minutes. the garlic may take 10 minutes longer.

Step 2: Add the finely chopped kale to a mixing bowl, drizzle with a small amount of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and massage with your hands to tenderise.

Step 3: To make the dressing add the soft roasted garlic to a small blender along with the tahini, oil, cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust if needed.

Step 4: Build the salad. Add the kale to a big serving plate, top with the chickpeas, layer on the roast pumpkin, red onion, break over the feta. Roll the pomegranate to loosen the seeds, with a wooden spoon to dislodge the seeds and scatter over the salad. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and top with the roast garlic dressing.