Incredible Nut Roast – Parsnip, Mushroom & Blue Cheese

by Lou Robbie

This is a wonderful nut roast bursting with flavour. This is a recipe I came across in the Guardian newspaper many years ago and I’ve made it many times since. It’s a great one to make ahead of the big day. After cooking it will keep in the fridge for 3 days. Cut slices when its cold fry on a frying pan to sear and then heat through in the oven.

Someone recently said a nut roast is like a posh stuffing and I guess it really is. This one is a celebration of some of the gorgeous organic vegetables available at this time of year, cabbage, mushrooms and earthy parsnips with kicks of sweet and sour cranberry and salty Cashel blue from Co. Tipperary.

We really hope you try it.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 2 large parsnips, peeled and diced
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Oil, to grease
  • 1 savoy cabbage, 6-8 outer leaves only
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 150g chestnut mushrooms, finely diced
  • 150g toasted hazelnuts, chopped
  • 40g butter, reg or vegan
  • 40g dried cranberries
  • 100g breadcrumbs
  • 1 small bunch fresh sage, leaves picked and finely chopped
  • 100g Cashel Blue Organic Bio (or vegan-friendly cheese of your choice), optional
  • ½ tsp mixed spice
  • 1 egg, or 1 flax egg (to make 1 flax egg mix 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water, leave for 15 minutes then use like an egg)

Method:

Step 1: Boil or steam the parsnips and mash them when they are soft, set aside to cool.

Step 2: The cabbage leaves will line the loaf tin. Prepare the leaves by cutting off the stems and blanch them in boiling water, remove from the pot and run under cold water. Dry thoroughly. Oil a loaf tin, line with tin foil, oil the foil, then line the tin with the cabbage leaves, leaving no gaps.

Step 3: Meanwhile, sauté the onion in the butter until soft, then add the mushrooms, a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until they become dry. Stir in the chopped hazelnuts, cranberries, breadcrumbs, chopped sage and mixed spice. Stir in the cooled mashed parsnips, the beaten egg and break in the blue cheese if using. Season and then carefully fold the mixture together but keep the lumps of cheese intact. To check the seasoning fry off a small piece and taste, adjust if needed.

Step 4: Spoon the filling into the lined loaf tin, push down with a fork. Cover with the cabbage leaves, and finish with tin foil.

Step 5: Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. leave to set in the loaf tin for 20 minutes then slice. Or cool completely in the loaf tin, store in the fridge overnight and slice the next day. If serving the next day fry on a pan and warm through in a hot oven. Serve with Christmas veg and gravy.

You really need to read this one…

by Kenneth Keavey

GMOs in our food, no thanks. 

“Just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should”.

We all have a right to know how our food is grown, what is in and on it, and more fundamentally whether the genetics of the plants and food we are eating have been messed with in a lab.

The idea of modifying food for the betterment of society is a good one and in principle it seems straight forward.  But the promised results from genetically modified crops have not been realised, such as crops resistant to drought or pests.

The long-term impact of eating genetically modified plants is not well understood, nor is the impact on the environment. But setting that aside, it is the greed and the desire to patent and control our food system that tells us all we need to know to make the right decision when it comes to GMOs. In my view the right decision is to keep genetically modified crops out of our food system.

It is clear that the driving force for genetically modifying our food is driven by the desire of a handful of giant agri-corporations to control our food chain.  Manipulation of the genetic makeup of crops allows these corporation to patent “their” crops and hence own a piece of our food system whilst making billions of dollars in the process. (as has already happened around the world with “Roundup Ready Soya”)

To think that we can replicate the careful complex modification of plants, through thousands of years of evolution by nature, in a lab, in the space of months, by splicing pieces of foreign DNA or modifying the plants own DNA is ambitious and/or insanely arrogant.

Apart from conferring increased resistance to a toxic weedkiller, the promised benefits have not yet been demonstrated and there are large safety concerns about releasing untested genetically modified crops into nature.

The release of these plants into nature then becomes an uncontrolled experiment and one that may be difficult to roll back if the outcome is not as we would like.

Up to this point genetic engineering has in the main, been used to confer herbicide resistance to a few key commodity crops, hence allowing larger amounts of Roundup to be applied, adding to the toxic load in our food and on our planet.

There is no argument that can justify owning the rights to our food system, end of story.

There are currently strict EU rules on the authorisation and labelling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). They allow farmers, food producers and consumers to choose and to opt for GMO-free food.

However, the European Commission wants to scrap this legislation and allow a new generation of GMOs, to enter our food system, without any labelling or safety checks. Essentially, they will be treating these “New genomic technique” modified crops the same as conventional crops.

I for one like to know what is in and on my food, I like to know its origin and I want to know that the food I am eating has not been genetically modified, if you are of a similar opinion then please sign this petition to help the EU politicians to take the right decision in this case and continue the ban of GMOs in our foodchain.

Thank you for supporting a sustainable food system.

Kenneth

PS It’s been a busy week, and we are ramping up for a manic packing and delivery week, next week. Thank you to all who have placed an order, and if you still have not there is plenty of time.

Please get your orders in over the weekend, but you will have up to your normal delivery deadline to get you orders in, if you are unsure of when that is you can click here to find out.

ALL DELIVERY DAYS AND DEADLINES REMAIN THE SAME FOR THE WEEK AHEAD! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT, IT KEEPS US IN OUR JOBS AND KEEPS OUR FARM AND OTHER IRISH ORGANIC FARM’S FUTURE SAFE.

PLACE YOUR CHRISTMAS ORDER NOW FOR DELIVERY NEXT WEEK

MAKE YOUR CHRISTMAS MEAL A SEASONAL LOCAL ORGANIC ONE! 

The Dirty Dozen and a special Christmas nudge…

by Kenneth Keavey

We like our veg dirty, we harvest them fresh from the ground and we leave the dirt on.

This dirt, good clean dirt we think is amazing, it is a natural preservative, none of those artificial waxes or fungicides required here. But there is other dirt hidden in/on conventional food that we don’t think is that amazing.

The dirty dozen is a list which is compiled both in the  UK and the US each year based on measured chemical residues in and on conventional crops. It is a resource to allow us as consumers to make informed decisions about foods to potentially avoid or buy organically if possible.

It is a no brainer that removing synthetic pesticides and herbicides from our diet can only be a positive. 

There are certain crops that seem to make the list each year, you may be surprised to learn that apples regularly feature on the list. In 2020 according to the PAN (pesticide action network report) 67% of samples had pesticide residue and one sample had 13 different types of residues!)  This is I guess a little disturbing as apples are one of the most consumed fruits in the world.

Right here in Ireland based on a report by the dept of ag in 2014 (the most recent data I could get), the chemical Captan, which is a fungicide and classified as a probable human carcinogen was applied to 252 Hectares of land, and over 1.2 tonnes of the stuff was sprayed on apple trees.

For the life of me I can’t understand how kale makes it onto this list (in the US).  Kale of all the crops is hardy and tough and at least in our experience on our organic farm performs amazingly well. In fact, if we leave our brassica crops uncovered (we cover our crops with netting to prevent birds eating them) then the pigeons will eat everything else before they have a go at the kale!

Maybe it’s the healthy organic matter rich soil, maybe it’s the lack of forced nitrogen nutrition that pushes growth of crops on and can cause them to be soft and disease prone, maybe we are just lucky. Whatever it is we are grateful and happy that we have amazing crops that rarely suffer from pest or disease affliction. 

Spinach another relatively hardy green features regularly in the UK and the US list.  

When all is said and done, the production of food is hard, and the pressure to produce food at rock bottom prices, controlled and forced on farmers by the supermarkets will always lead to compromises, such as intensification and the use of chemicals.

It is a pity that the supermarkets are so concerned with how our food looks, rather than with how it is produced and what goodness is on the inside. Take a look at just how shiny some of the conventional apples are next time you are in a supermarket; many are coated in a shellac and/or carnauba wax to prevent them drying out or rotting.

We are lucky that we have a fantastic supply of organic apples from Richard Galvin, from Waterford, grown right here in Ireland without the use of chemicals, again proving the point that indeed it can be done, the apples are amazing, fresh with no coatings and no chemicals!

Thank you for supporting a food system without chemicals.

Kenneth

PS We are in full Christmas mode now.  Please get your order in next week to guarantee delivery the week after.

We are excited for all the lovely Irish produce that is jammed into our Christmas boxes, such as Battlemount organic farm potatoes (Kildare), Philip Dreaper’s organic carrots and Beetroot (Offaly), Beechlawn organic farm’s brussel sprouts, red cabbage and savoy cabbage (Galway), Mcardles amazing chestnut and portobello, mushrooms (Antrim), Leeks, parsnips, Celeriac, swede and Kale (right here on our own farm); apples from Richard Galvin (Waterford) and finally our very own handmade organic Cranberry sauce (with fresh organic cranberries) made by Rachel in Dunmore! PLACE YOUR CHRISTMAS ORDER NOW

 The Christmas is meal is the ultimate seasonal meal and we have definitely got you covered on this one, so please get your orders in soon!

Vegan- Balsamic & Maple Roast Brussel Sprouts

by Lou Robbie

How do you eat yours? This might be the tastiest sprout dish I’ve ever had! The combination of flavours is just perfect, in fact I could eat a whole bowl..and I never liked sprouts as a child! This is delicious as a solo dish or serve with your Christmas main or as a starter with crumbled feta cheese and sourdough.

We have the nicest Irish brussel sprouts for you this Christmas, make sure to try them this way you wont be disappointed.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 1 pack Brussel sprouts -350g
  • oil to drizzle
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Method:

  • Step 1: Preheat the oven 180ºC and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  • Step 2: Prepare the sprouts, cut off the end and take away the outer leaves. Then cut in half.
  • Step 3: Put the brussel sprout halves on the tray, drizzle with oil and salt and give them a rub with your hands to coat.
  • Step 4: Roast for 10-15 minutes. Then add chopped walnuts, the balsamic, maple syrup, stir to coat and put the tray back in the oven for a further 10 minutes.
  • Step 5: Add the dried cranberries and serve warm.

Vegan Wellington – Christmas Centrepiece

by Lou Robbie

Every Christmas dinner needs a centrepiece and this is a delicious one. Organic butternut squash with mushrooms, herbs and nuts tastes delicious wrapped in crispy puff pastry with all the usual side vegetables.

You can make this ahead of time and keep it wrapped on a tray in the fridge for 3 days. If you fancy making your own gravy check out our recipe Groovy Gravy.

Save the recipe to try this Christmas.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients

  • 2 pack of ready rolled puff pastry – most are vegan (375g per pack)
  • 1 butternut squash – 500g approx, peeled and diced
  • 1 pack chestnut mushrooms, 250g, diced
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 small leek , cleaned and finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon sage, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 cup chopped nuts – walnuts/hazelnuts/almonds/cashews/pecans
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 80g breadcrumbs

Method:

Step 1: Preheat the oven 180ºC, line 2 trays with parchment paper. Take the puff pastry out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Put the diced squash on one tray, drizzle with oil, salt and pepper and roast until soft, 30-40 minutes.

Step 2: Warm a frying pan on a medium heat, add a tablespoon of oil and the chopped onion, cook to soften for 5-10 minutes. Next add the garlic, leeks, some salt and pepper cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook them fully for 15 minutes. Once cooked add in the sage, parsley, chopped nuts, soy sauce, maple syrup, stir to coat.

Step 3: When the squash is cooked add it to the pot with the cooked mushroom and mash with a fork or potato masher. Pour in the breadcrumbs and stir well. Set aside to cool.

Step 4: Unroll both packets of pastry lay one on the second baking tray. Spoon the squash and mushroom filling into the middle of the pastry and make a long sausage shape mound. Mould it with your hands so its compact. Lay the second piece of pastry on top. Cut away the extra pastry (use it for something else) seal the edges with a fork, score a diamond shape on the top. Brush with milk or egg-wash.

Step 5: Bake in the oven 180ºC for 1 hour 20, until golden brown and cooked through.

Fennel and Cumin Hasselback Carrots

by Lou Robbie

The old reliable carrot is an annual hero on the vegetable charts! You’ll find it in soups and stews in the colder months but is given a jazz up in this tasty recipe.

Hasselback originated in a restaurant in Sweden where a potato was sliced multiple times but kept intact then seasoned, oiled and roasted. We’ve added some spice to our Irish organic carrot version and slowly roasted them and they are sweet and soft and flavoursome.

Serve as a starter with crumbled cheese and nuts or on the side with your veggie main course.

Enjoy,

Lou

Ingredients:

  • 5 medium carrots
  • 2 tsp ground cumin,
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds, gently crushed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
  • 50g feta or goats cheese, crumbled
  • a handful of chopped walnuts

Method

  • Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Peel the carrots and cut into 10cm lengths. Carefully cut small widthways slits into each carrot length, stopping three-quarters of the way down. Continue along the length of the carrot to achieve a hasselback effect. Tip: if you have chop sticks put them on either side of the carrot to help prevent cutting through.
  • Step 2: Put the fennel in a pestle and mortar if you have one and gently crush. Add the ground cumin, honey, oil, salt and stir. Pour the spiced mix over the carrots and coat each piece. Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for30-40 minutes, until cooked through and golden.
  • Step 3: Serve warm with crumbled feta and chopped walnuts.

Chocolate & Courgette Loaf Cake

by Lou Robbie

Baking with vegetables fills us with joy. Courgette is a great vegetable to bake with and paired with chocolate it works very well. My kids ate big slices and didn’t notice the green vegetable….I said nothing just incase.

We added cane sugar that is a healthier option over refined white sugar, or you could add coconut sugar too if you like. Our courgette season has come to an end but you can still get the best courgettes from our organic grower in Spain.

This is a delicious chocolatey moist cake we hope you try it.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients:

For the cake

  • 170 g self raising flour
  • 120g cane sugar – sugar or coconut sugar
  • ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 35 g cocoa powder
  • 200 g courgette grated, one large courgette
  • 100 g dark chocolate chopped
  • 3 eggs large
  • 100 ml vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 40 g natural yoghurt

For decoration (optional)

  • 35 g chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

Method:

  • Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 180C and grease and line a loaf tin. I use a liner.
  • Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the self raising flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa powder and sugar until well combined
  • Step 3: Grate the courgette into the bowl along with the dark chocolate chips, stir everything together
  • Step 4: In another bowl or large jug, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and yoghurt. Pour the egg mixture into the bowl of flour/courgette etc and stir everything together until well combined.
  • Step 5: Pour the mixture into the loaf tin, top with chocolate chips and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool fully
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in a cool place and eat within 3 days

Wow, a lime not suitable for vegans, how can that be…?

by Kenneth Keavey

I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry when I discovered earlier this year, that one major supermarket is now, at least, at times, highlighting the chemicals on or in some of its citrus fruit.

I guess it is not a laughing matter, the issue of chemicals in our food chain is serious, it is important as it has a knock-on effect for our health and biodiversity.

It is my belief that agriculture can be a force for good in our world, an endeavour that can produce safe wholesome food whilst enhancing our locality and planet. But that will require a change of mindset and policy when it comes to the fair pricing of food.

All the things that are good about agriculture are slowly being sucked dry by the loss leading of fresh produce by supermarkets and the race for intensification and the lowest possible price. Like any business if there is not enough money in the pot you cannot invest for the future, you cannot survive, it is no different for farmers, getting a fair price for our crops is not too much to ask, and if we don’t then how can we invest back into the land.

Anyway, I digress, back to the case at hand, chemicals on our food. The last few weeks we have been talking here about the test for the 870 chemicals on our kale that came back clean (This test was part of our organic certification spot check) and how maybe conventional foods should be labelled with what they include, rather than the organic farmer having to prove that his/her food is clean and good.

I wonder though as this large supermarket chain has marked the inclusion of chemical products in two of its citrus fruit did it forget about all the other fruit and veg it sells? I can only assume that they too have offending chemicals present.

One of the products on sale, a conventional lime, is labelled “not suitable for vegans!” (Without, the exclamation mark obviously, I just added that in for effect) the offending lime in question contained a mixture or some of the following…… wait for it…

Imazalil/Thiabendazole/Pyrimethanil/Orthophenylphenol & wax E914, E904, E914

Another product and one that is in season right now: ‘Naturally Sweet Leafy Clementines’ Contained: E904, E914 and Imazalil.

(Incidentally E904 is shellac. Shellac is a resin secreted by female lac bugs, and this is what makes the limes non vegan. You may also be interested to know that imazalil and thiabendazole are two hormone-disrupting fungicides, one of which is also a likely carcinogen.)

Do your own research, check it out. Having mulled this over for some time I think it is a good thing that this information is displayed.  Do you think it should also be printed on the pack in the supermarket aisle? Then you and I could make an informed decision or at the very least we would know what we are getting for our money.

Of course, these chemicals are labelled as safe once used below the MRL (the maximum residue limit). These limits are set to protect you and I from ingesting too much of these chemicals. However, as I have spoken about in the past the setting of these limits can be questionable and, in some cases, seems to have been set in relation to the level of application required rather than in relation to whether the product is safe. I refer to the research on the increased MRLs for glyphosate that have been increased 300-fold between 1993 and 2015 in the US. Is it safer now to eat 300 times the dose? I think probably not. 

I will finish on this note: farmers are doing the best they can, we all are, we are working to survive in a system that is fundamentally flawed, but for all its issues, it is the system we have, and it provides our food, we cannot do without it, not when there are so many of us on this planet. But there is no question that step by step we must and can introduce more positive ways of producing food and we can support this transition by deciding with who and on what we spend our money.

Thanks as always for your support.

Kenneth

Caramelised Red Onion Chutney (4 ingredients)

by Lou Robbie

Beautiful red onions high in antioxidants, great for your heart and liver. This recipe couldn’t be easier, just 4 ingredients and its so versatile. Serve it with cheese, put on a pizza, have it with savoury pastries it gives lovely sweet and sour notes to your food.

We’re coming up to Christmas and it would also make a lovely gift. Jar it up and put a nice ribbon on it, it makes a really thoughtful edible gift.

We enjoyed it this week with our Amazing Leek and Bean Rolls! Yum.

Put some red onions in your basket this week.

Lou :

Ingredients:

Method:

Step 1: Chop off the top and root and peel the red onions. They need to be finely sliced so use a food processor with a fine blade or do it by hand with a sharp knife.

Step 2: Put the sliced onions into a wide pot along with the sugar. Stir together and put the lid on the pot and cook on a low heat for about 20 minutes until the onions are completely soft and the sugar has dissolved. Check it half way through.

Step 3: Pour in the wine and the vinegar and cook with the lid off on low for a further 20-30 minutes. When the onions are ready the liquid will have evaporated and the onions will be sweet and soft.

Cool completely then transfer to a clean jar. This will keep in the fridge for 1 month.

Amazing Leek & Bean Rolls

by Lou Robbie

Breakfast, lunch or dinner!! These leek and bean rolls are delicious any time of the day and would make amazing party food too! Leeks are one of my favourite vegetables cooked slowly they become so soft and sweet. The kidney beans bring the protein and bind really well with the spiced leeks. We’ve added flaked almonds for crunch and subtle flavour.

If you want to go full vegan brush with milk of your choice.

Let us know if you try them.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 8 rolls

  • I pack of ready rolled puff pastry(375g) – most are suitable for vegans
  • 1 tbsp oil
    2 small leeks, cleaned and diced finely
  • 3 gloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp soya sauce
    2 tbsp chopped herby (thyme/rosemary) or dried herbs
  • 1 tin kidney beans rinsed and drained
    100g flaked almonds
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 egg whisked or milk of choice to glaze
  • 1-2 tablespoons sesame seeds to decorate

Method:

Step 1: Preheat the oven 180ºC. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Leave the puff pastry out of fridge to come to room temperature. Clean the leeks by splitting in two and rinsing out any dirt, dry with clean cloth then finely dice them.

Step 2: Start by warming a frying pan on a medium heat, add the oil and chopped leeks. Cook for five or so minutes to soften. Add the chopped garlic and cook for a few minutes. Spoon in the tomato puree, maple syrup, soy sauce, cumin, paprika and chopped herbs or dried herbs. Stir to coat the leeks and cook for a further few minutes. Set aside to cool for a minute or two.

Step 3: To a food processor add the spiced leeks, drained kidney beans and flaked almonds. Blend to combine but keep the mix a bit chunky for texture. Taste the mix add salt or pepper if needed.

Step 4: Unroll the pastry, divide in 2 lengthways giving 2 even strips. Spoon the bean mix down the middle of the pastry in a sausage shape. Brush one side of the pastry strip with egg or milk. Gently fold the pastry over, use a fork to seal it. Cut the strip into 4 and put them on the baking tray. Brush with egg or milk, sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Repeat with the other strip of pastry.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until nice and golden brown.