Delicious Christmas Mulled Wine

by Lou Robbie

Warm mulled wine is a great way to kick start Christmas. We have gorgeous Organic/Vegan wines that are perfect to warm and add some Christmas spice. You can make this ahead of time and reheat it when your guests arrive.

Cinnamon, orange, star anise, bay and cloves make for the most delicious mulled wine, a perfect drink for Christmas Eve.

Wishing you and yours a very peaceful Christmas.

Sláinte,

Lou x

Ingredients:

  • 750ml bottle organic red wine
  • 1 large cinnamon stick, or 2 small ones
  • 1 star anise
  • 8 cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 ring of fresh cut orange
  • 2 strips lemon zest, pared using a vegetable peeler
  • 4 tbsp brown sugar- 60g

Method:

Step 1: Cut the orange and stud with the cloves.

Step 2: Add the sugar, bay, star anise, cinnamon stick, studded orange, lemon zest and wine to a wide pot. Warm gently for 10 minutes, do not boil or all the alcohol will evaporate. Taste it is it sweet enough, if not add a bit more sugar. Then turn off the heat to infuse for 30 minutes.

Step 3: Serve warm in heat prof glasses.

Enjoy 🙂

Christmas Crumble w/ Apple & Cranberry

by Lou Robbie

It’s so lovely to combine Christmas flavours at this time of year. Cranberries are delicious served with savoury food but equally delicious bakes in a sweet pudding. The tart crimson fruit works really well with our delicious sweet organic Irish apples.

This crumble can be made and stored for 3 days in the fridge ready to bake on the big day. It also makes a gorgeous dish to take to a festive dinner party.

Enjoy the festive flavours,

Lou x

Ingredients: serves 6

For the crumble

  • 100g plain flour
  • 40g rolled oats
  • 40g sugar
  • ½ tsp mixed spice
  • 100g butter, cut into cubes (vegan butter will work too)

Method:

Step 1: Preheat the oven 190ºC and use a square or round deep dish 22cm approx.

Step 2: Pour the peeled and chopped apples into the dish along with the fresh cranberries, mixed spice, cinnamon and sugar, mix with a wooden spoon.

Step 3: In a separate mixing bowl measure in the plain flour, oats, sugar and mixed spice, stir to combine. Add the cubed butter and work into the dry ingredients with your fingers. When it looks coarse and crumbly its ready.

Step 4: Sprinkle the crumble topping over the apple mix. Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Serve with ice cream, custard or fresh cream

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

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.

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.

Autumn Plum Crumble Cake

by Lou Robbie

A delicious way to bake with ripe sweet plums. But please make this with Irish apples too, it would work perfectly! The smell of warm autumn spices in the house is very inviting. My granny would make huge trays of apple and cinnamon crumble for special family occasions and serve them up with stewed plums and jugs of custard, I can still remember the smell from her busy kitchen.

There is real comfort in the food we eat and share. And when the nights draw in its the kitchen table that pulls us together. Its good to remember the hands that sowed the seeds, that watered the soil, picked and harvested the fruit and the hands that made the food.

Good food will always be remembered.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients:

  • For the crumble topping
    50g plain flour
    40g soft butter
    30g sugar
    20g flaked almonds
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • For the sponge
  • 180g butter, room temp
  • 180g sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 50g sour cream
  • 180g self raising flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp mixed spice
  • 75g ground almonds
  • 4 ripe organic plums – sliced (250g approx)

Method:

  • Preheat the oven 160ºC fan. Line an 8inch cake tin (with loose bottom preferably) and grease with butter.
  • Step 1: Make the crumble topping. Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter to a small bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers until it resembles sand, mix through the flaked almonds, set aside.
  • Step 2: For the sponge. Put the sugar and butter in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth, use an electric mixer or regular whisk. Next beat in the eggs one at a time then stir in the sour cream. Sieve in the flour along with the mixed spice and cinnamon. Fold in the ground almonds.
  • Step 3: Transfer the sponge mix into the cake tin. Top with an even layer of most of the plum slices, keep a few back. Then sprinkle the crumble mix evenly over the plums. Top with the remaining plum slices.
  • Step 4: Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Until a skewer comes out clean.
  • Cool on a wire rack, serve with warm custard.

Spiced Veggie Fritters- GF/no egg

by Lou Robbie

We love these fritters! In fact I made them twice at the Farm Walk and I was asked for the full recipe so here it is. This is especially for Kenneths mother Maureen, who I promised I would share this, so she can make them at home herself.

This September we are making a conscious decision to eat more Irish produce, the carrots and courgettes are from the farm. While the other ingredients are from further afield we are happy knowing that these came from Irish soil. And I tell my kids that when we eat these fritters. Oh and my daughter had these in her lunchbox for school and loved them.

Let us know if you try them.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 18

Method:

  • Step 1: Using a machine or box grater, grate the courgette, carrot, sweet potato and red onion, mix well.
  • Step 2: In a separate bowl add the chickpea flour, curry powder, chilli flakes, salt and pepper, mix well.
  • Step 3: Pour the seasoned chickpea flour all over the grated veggies and using you hands mix really well, this will take a few minutes. Really give it a good squeeze and work it almost like a dough. The liquid from the veg will help to form a batter with the flour.
  • Step 4: Warm a frying pan on a medium heat, add tablespoon of oil. Shape the mix into small patties fry for a couple of minutes, flip and fry again until cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack and repeat.

Smashed “New Season” Potatoes w/ Quick Kale Pesto

by Lou Robbie

Crispy, crunchy and so moorish!!

Smashed potatoes were a huge viral hit recently and we were just dying to try it out with our delicious new potatoes. Needless to say they did not disappoint, they turned out so wonderfully golden and crispy right round the jagged edges. They are amazing to eat as they are but we thought we’d whip up a quick pesto to celebrate our spuds even more!

Grab the kale in your veg box for this tasty pesto. Blend it and taste it and add extra salt and lemon juice if needed.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: Serves 2

For the potatoes:

  • 1 kg new season potatoes, washed (this works best with small waxy potatoes)
  • oil, salt and pepper

Kale pesto:

  • 100g kale, 2 cups – finely chopped
  • 15g basil ½ cup, finely chopped
  • 50g chopped cashews 
  • juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime
  • pinch salt and pepper
  • 200ml olive oil, more if needed
  • 50 ml water

Method:

  • Step 1: Wash the potatoes but no need to peel them. Steam or boil them for roughly 30 minutes, until they are cooked through. Let them cool for 15 minutes.
  • Step 2: Preheat the oven 200ºC, line a large baking tray with parchment paper (or 2 smaller trays) Once cooled place one potato on the baking tray, use a shape knife to mark an X on top. Then use a glass with a wide flat bottom and push down on the potato to smash it. Carefully lift the glass off. Repeat with the other potatoes.
  • Step 3: Drizzle with oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until golden and crisp around the edges.
  • Step 4: In the meantime add all the pesto ingredients to a powerful blender. Blend until combined, if it’s very thick add more oil. Taste and add more salt if needed.
  • Step 5: Dip the smashed potatoes in the pesto, enjoy!!

Chocolate & Coconut Milk – 3 ways

by Lou Robbie

This is a wonderful recipe. It can be dairy free, vegan, gf and its so simple and delicious. You can enjoy it in 3 different ways, hot to drink, cold to eat or whipped to decorate a cake or cupcake.

My kids love hot chocolate so we had our first batch warm with marshmallows and sweet waffle soldiers for dipping. The second batch was made into a set mousse and some was whipped and used as a delicious icing for our chocolate cupcakes.

We have some fabulous organic products that make this recipe extra special such as Amaizin Coconut Milk and Happy Chocolate, check them out in the shop.

Which way will be your favourite? Let us know in the comments.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 2 hot chocolates or 2 small mousses or frosting for 4 buns

Method:

Step 1: Open the tin of coconut milk and scoop out the thick creamy part put it in a small pot, use the liquid for smoothies and to thin out the hot chocolate.

Step 2: Chop the chocolate and add it to the pot too along with the maple syrup. Gently heat on the lowest setting until the mix is melted and silky smooth. Sprinkle in the sea salt and stir. 

Step 3: Decide how you want to serve it: Hot/Chilled/Frosting

For the hot chocolate, if its a bit thick thin with the coconut liquid, whisk well and pour into mugs and serve straight away.

For the mousse let the mix cool and pour into glasses or mugs. Cool completely and chill in the fridge for at 2 hours. Serve with fresh seasonal berries.

For the frosting, let the mix cool and set just like the mousse. Then whip it with an electric beater to loosen and smooth onto a cake or cupcake. If it is hard to spread, dip a pallet knife in boiling water, dry it off and smooth on the frosting.

Simple Grilled Red Pepper & Feta Dressing w/ Chopped Salad

by Lou Robbie

This a great recipe when you have odds and ends to use up. I did a raid on the salad drawer this morning. I had peppers, a cucumber from my friend’s garden, cherry tomatoes from the Green Earth Organics poly tunnel, baby leaves, all so fresh and delicious all that was needed was a quick dressing.

Jars of organic grilled peppers are so handy for a quick addition to any dish. They are soft and sweet and stored in sunflower oil. Simply whizzed up with a feta and a few spices they make a perfect dressing or dip if you make it thicker by adding more feta.

Add your favourite toasted nuts or seeds for some extra goodness.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes a jar of dressing, salad serves 2

  • For the dressing: 
  • 100g feta, add more if you like a thicker dressing
  • 1 jar of red peppers grilled in sunflower oil (190g)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
  • Juice ¼ lemon 
  • ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • For the chopped salad:
  • 6 chopped cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 3 inches cucumber, diced 
  • ½ yellow pepper chopped 
  • 1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 handful lettuce leaves, washed
  • ½ cup pecans, toasted 

Method:

Step 1: Make the dressing, to a powerful blender, add the jar of red peppers, feta, honey, lemon juice, chilli flakes and paprika. Blend until smooth. We used a Ninja smoothie blender. 

Step 2: Wash and chop the tomatoes, cucumber, and yellow pepper. Toast the pecans in the oven or air fryer at 170ºC for about minutes. 

Step 3: Build the salad, add the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, lettuce leaves and black beans to a large plate or bowl. Drizzle over the dressing, toss to coat and scatter the pecans on top. 

You can serve the dressing on the side if you prefer.