Courgette Tart – Scarpaccia

by Lou Robbie

We are always looking for ways to use our gorgeous homegrown glossy green courgettes. This is our take on an Italian dish called Scarpaccia which loosely means ‘bad shoe’ because its as thin as a bad shoe apparently! It does make a very thin courgette tart for sure. The courgettes are very thinly sliced and the juice is extracted with salt but not wasted as it goes into the batter. We love the zero waste here.

Most of the recipes I came across used cornmeal but I used dried panko breadcrumbs in their place and it worked out just fine.

This is a gorgeous recipe to try, let us know if you do.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 6 slices

  • 3 courgette(800g)- very finely sliced
  • 1 red onion – very finely sliced 
  • 1 teaspoon salt 
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • ¼ cup dried panko breadcrumbs or cornmeal – this ingredient is important to give a crisp texture not mushy.
  • 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • Pinch black pepper 

Method:

Step 1: Use a mandoline if you have one to finely slice the courgettes and red onion, 2-3mm thick. Then add the slices to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle in the salt and toss through with your hands to coat in the salt, 2-3 minutes. Put a plate on top and a weight like a couple of tins to help extract all the liquid. Leave this for 2 hours. 

Step 2: Preheat the oven 180ºC and oil a baking tray really well, 9 x 13 inch is what I used.  After this time, use a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel. Add the vegetables and squeeze out the extra liquid. The courgette juice will be used for the batter. To the juice add in the flour, dried panko breadcrumbs, fresh thyme leaves, nutritional yeast and black pepper, whisk well it should look like pancake batter. Then add the vegetables back in and stir to coat.  **If the batter seems very thick add a small dash of water.

Step 3: Pour the mix into the baking tray and use a spoon to smooth out evenly. 

Step 4: Bake for 30-40 minutes until cooked through and golden on top.

Slice and enjoy with a fresh seasonal salad.

Blueberry Crumble Bars

by Lou Robbie

We are spoiled with beautiful organic Irish blueberries in the summer and autumn. They are gorgeous to eat fresh as they are but if you are looking for a recipe to bake try these delicious crumble bars. They do crumble so keep one hand under to catch those crunchy crumbs.

We were paying a friend a visit so make a batch of these to have with tea and a catch up. My kids adore them, they are just sweet enough with lovely pops of jammy berries.

Shop for the wholesome organic ingredients in our shop.

Let us know if you make it, we love to hear from you.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: Makes 12 bars

  • For the crumble base and topping:
  • 120g oats/1 ½ cups 
  • 65g brown sugar /¾ cup
  • 180g plain flour /1 ½ cups
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 90g butter
  • For the filling:
  • 230g/2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 40g granulated sugar 
  • ½ tablespoon cornflour 
  • Juice ½ lemon 

Method:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180ºC and line a 8in tin with parchment paper.

Step 2: Measure the flour, oats, brown sugar and baking powder into a bowl, mix well. Then add the butter and work it into the oats and flour with your fingers until it starts to clump together and feels like wet sand, this will take a few minutes.

Step 3: Tip HALF the mix into the tin. Push down into the tin until its spead out and even, make sure to get into the corners. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. In the meantime mix the blueberries with the granulated sugar, cornflour and lemon juice. 

Step 4: When the base comes out of the oven top with the blueberries and scatter over the other half of the crumble mix.  Put it back in the oven to bake for another 25-35 minutes. 

Leave it to cool for an hour to set and then cut into bars. 

BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Sandwich

by Lou Robbie

The weather hasn’t been the best for BBQ’s this July. But worry not you can still get that bbq hit from these delicious BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Sandwiches!

Jackfruit is a wonder fruit that works perfectly in this recipe. All you need to do is add heaps of flavour to the sauce and your sandwich will taste amazing. We are also enjoying piling in the green leaves from the farm, lovely grated Irish carrots and cucumber slices.

Pick up some good quality BBQ sauce for this recipe. You are going to love this one. Make organic Jackfruit a cupboard staple.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 4

  • 1 onion– diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped 
  • I tin jackfruit – drained 
  • ½ tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 heaped teaspoon cumin
  • 1 heaped teaspoon paprika
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • pinch salt and pepper
  • 100ml water
  • 2 tablespoons good quality BBQ sauce
  • Juice 1/2 lime
  • To serve: leaves, burger buns, mayo, cucumber, grated carrot

Method:

Step 1: Finely dice the onion and garlic. Warm a frying pan on the hob with some oil and cook the onions and garlic, slowly, until they are completely soft. This takes about 10 minutes.

Step 2 : Tip in the cumin, paprika, chilli, salt and pepper and cook for a minute or two. Add the half tin of tomatoes. Cook for a minute and then add the drained jack fruit along with the water. Stir and leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Step 3: Use the back of the wooden spoon to squish the jack fruit piece. Stir in the bbq sauce and lime juice. Check the seasoning and serve on the burger bun with mayo, leaves, cucumber and carrot.

Enjoy.

Chocolate Nut Slice- No Bake

by Lou Robbie

Summer snacking has become a new event in our house. But rather than picking up the individual plastic wrapped treats from the shops we are making the effort to make our own. The results are very tasty!

We did a bit of a cupboard raid for these and added some peanut butter and pecans. You can add any chopped nuts you fancy to the chocolate topping. Raisins would work here too!

Save this recipe to try. And please let us know if you do, we love to hear from you. As usual, find all the organic ingredients you need in the shop- most are in plastic free packaging.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 8 big slices

  • 2 cup oats
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 4 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 2-4 tablespoons water (depending on how dry the mix is)
  • 150g dark chocolate
  • 1 heaped tablespoon coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons pecans, chopped (or what every nuts you fancy)

Method:

Step 1: Line a small tray or lunch box with parchment paper 15cm x 20cm approx.

Step 2: Add the oats, cocoa powder, peanut butter and honey to a blender. Blend until combined. Check the consistency of the mix, if its dry add a small spoon of water and blend again. And add more water if it’s still dry. Then mix should stick together when it’s ready, test a piece with your fingers.

Step 3: Tip the mix onto the tray and smooth it into the corners using a second piece of parchment paper.

Step 4: Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave or in a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. When melted add in the chopped pecans. Pour this over the base. Then put it in the fridge to set completely, at least 1 hour.

Slice into bars. Enjoy

Blueberry Nice Cream – 3 Ingredients

by Lou Robbie

Purple, creamy, simple, quick and tasty! We have been stocking and selling Organic Irish Blueberries they are selling really well this season. This recipe is a nod to our friends at Banner Berries (Co. Clare), keep up the great work.

Blueberries are packed with antioxidants that are great for our bodies and skin. Blended with bananas this makes a delicious healthy treat and a super substitute for regular ice cream.

Check out our organic blueberries and add them to the cart along with your fair trade bananas and give this a whiz.

Enjoy,

Lou 🙂

PS- We made this in a Ninja nutri blender – any smoothie blender will do.

Ingredients – 1 big serving

1 cup organic blueberries, frozen

1 big or 2 small organic bananas, frozen

dash of milk – (dairy or non dairy)

Method:

Step 1: Peel, break up and freeze the fresh bananas and blueberries for 4 hours.

Step 2: Once frozen add the banana pieces and blueberries to the blender cup.

Step 3: Pour in a dash of milk, not too much and blend until smooth and creamy.

Step 4: Scoop and serve straight away. Enjoy.

Courgette & Cheddar Fritters w/ tzatziki

by Lou Robbie

Courgettes are part of the squash family that originate in North America. But did you know these tasty dark green beauties were only grown and developed in the second part of the 1900’s in Italy! And now they have adapted to Irish soil and grown happily in our fields.

Home grown courgettes taste delicious with cheddar cheese. These fritters take just minutes to prepare and minutes to cook. We made garlicky tzatziki sauce to serve with them. Eat them warm from the pan.

Drop a couple of Irish courgettes and cucumbers in your basket for this one.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: mades 8

For the fritters:

  • 1 small Irish courgette 250g approx
  • 1-2 tablespoons self raising flour, add more if the mix is very wet
  • 50g grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 egg
  • salt and pepper

For the tzatziki:

  • 1 cup plain yoghurt
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 3 inch piece of cucumber
  • zest 1/4 lemon
  • salt and pepper

Method:

Step 1: Coarsely grate the courgette and put it in a bowl. Add in the grated cheese, flour, salt and pepper. Give it a mix, whisk the egg and add that too.

Step 2: To make the tzatziki. Coarsely grate the cucumber put it in a sieve and squeeze out the extra liquid. Use this cucumber liquid for smoothies and juices. Add the grated cucumber to the yoghurt along with the finely grated garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper, mix.

Step 3: Warm a non stick frying pan, medium heat, on the hob. Drizzle some oil to coat. Add a tablespoon of the courgette mix, fit 3-4 on the pan. Cook for a few minutes, flip and cook for another few minutes until golden brown. Lift them off onto kitchen paper, repeat with the next batch.

Serve warm with the tzatziki. Enjoy.

Creamy Courgette Orzo Pasta- ONE POT

by Lou Robbie

Our beautiful Irish courgettes are in season, they are plentiful, glorious and glossy green! And we will be eating them in every way possible over the next couple of months! This time we are going creamy and cheesy. Just one pot is required to make this comforting bowl of goodness.

We love all sorts of pasta in our house and orzo is a particular favourite. We always have the “Is it rice?” conversation, I’m guessing most families do! Its always great to add variety to mealtimes and especially if you have curious kids in the house!

Do you fancy making this tasty one pot meal? Let us know in the comments we love to hear from you.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 2 big portions

  • 1 small leek sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 250g orzo pasta
  • 1 pint veg stock 
  • 1 Irish courgette – 300g approx- coarsely grated
  • 100ml cream
  • Parmesan grated 
  • Salt and pepper to taste 

Method:

  • Step 1: Finely slice the leeks and garlic.
  • Step 2: Warm a pot on a medium heat, add a tablespoon of cooking oil, add with the leeks, garlic, a small pinch of salt and pepper and stir. Cook gently to soften.
  • Step 3: Next pour in the orzo and veg stock and simmer to cook for 10 minutes, stir occasionally to stop the pasta sticking on the bottom of the pot.
  • Step 4: Add the cream to the pot then coarsely grate the courgette, and add this too. Simmer for a further few minutes, then stir in a handful of parmesan cheese.
  • If the sauce looks too thin, turn up the heat for a couple of minutes and let the sauce bubble, but stir it so it doesn’t stick. Add some more salt and pepper if needed.
  • Serve with extra grated parmesan.

Easy Spelt Bread

by Lou Robbie

This is such an easy spelt soda bread. And that makes it easier, is if you buy Dunany Organic Spelt flour their recipe is on the back of the packet. I’ve followed their recipe here and modified it slightly, it makes 2 delicious loaves.

Spelt bread is a great choice it’s more digestible than most wheat breads and it can help improve the immune system, lower blood sugar, and reduce bad cholesterol levels. This is a fantastic Irish product from the east coast that makes beautiful home baked bread. We love ours with real butter, jam and a mug of tea.

How do you like yours? Let us know in the comments, we love to hear from you.

This recipe calls for buttermilk. I don’t buy it, I make my own sour milk with milk and vinegar see the recipe below.

Lou 🙂

Recipe credit goes to The Workmans @dunanyflour – thank you for making it so easy to use your fantastic flour.

Ingredients: makes 2 loaves

Method:

Step 1: Preheat the oven 200ºC and line 2 loaf tins with non-stick paper liners or grease really well to prevent sticking.

Step 2: Measure the spelt flour, salt and brown sugar into a mixing bowl. Sieve in the bread soda. Mix well, I like to use a whisk.

Step 3: Measure the buttermilk into a jug along with the water. Crack in the egg and mix well with a fork.

Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Divide between each loaf tin, smooth to make even. Sprinkle with mixed seeds.

Step 5: Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 180ºC and bake for a further 30 minutes until fully baked.

*To make your own buttermilk, simple mix the milk and vinegar together, it sours the milk immediately, and continue from step 2.

Cherry Tomato Pasta (Galway Grown toms)

by Lou Robbie

It is July and there are ripe red cherry tomatoes being harvested on the farm, they are then packed and delivered across the country to your doorstep. My kids and I saw them growing first hand, in the tunnels, at the farm walk last Saturday and it truly made me appreciate how special they really are.

A simple dish like this really celebrates the cherry tomato. This recipe was shared by an Italian Nonna (granny) she said using the best ingredients is what matters most. I think she’s right. Like her I added some bicarbonate of soda to the sauce this balances the acidity in the tomatoes and really elavates the sweetness. Try it and tell us what you think!

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: Serves 2

Method:

  • Step 1: Rinse the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Finely slice the garlic cloves.
  • Step 2: Warm a wide pan on a medium heat. Add a good glug of oil to the pan along with the sliced garlic, cook for a minute.
  • Step 3: Pour in the cherry tomatoes cook for a few minutes. Then add the bicarbonate of soda, chilli flakes, sugar and salt. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the tomatoes start to soften.
  • Step 4: Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salty water. Then add straight to the cooked tomatoes, stir to coat, add the fresh basil leaves and serve up. Bellissimo!

Date Caramel – 4 Ingredients

by Lou Robbie

This is our ‘guilt free’ caramel sauce. It’s refined sugar free, dairy free, nut free, gluten free, vegan and so creamy … a lovely treat!

Our organic dates are just amazing, they are full of fibre and antioxidants. They are great for your gut and bone health, a natural sweetener and are so easy to store and cook with. I’m never without them. Having a jar of this date caramel in the fridge is just the best when you want a spoon of natural sweetness added to your overnight oats, creamy porridge, yoghurt, toast/ oat crackers, chocolate milkshake, smoothies or banana nice cream. Try it you and you won’t be disappointed.

We have big and small packets of organic dates as well as medjool dates available in the shop all in compostable packaging.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients – makes 1 jar

Method:

Step 1: Put the dates in a bowl, cover with boiling water to help them soften for 10 minutes. Then stain and discard the water.

Step 2: Add the dates to a blender along with the non dairy milk, vanilla and sea salt. Blend until really smooth. I use a smoothie blender for this, it works a treat.

Step 3: Taste the sauce and add more salt if you wish. Scoop the sauce into a clean jar and store in the fridge for 1 week.

Serving suggestions: Add a spoon to your morning oats, eat on crackers or toast with banana, drizzle over pancakes and waffles or with vanilla ice cream….enjoy!