Black Olive & Sundried Tomato Pâté

by Liz Child

This flavour bomb is perfect with crackers and pickles. We love to serve it on a large grazing board of dips, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, pickles, olives, nuts and crackers for our new years eve gathering. Guests can take what they like and everything here goes with a glass or two of wine. Grazing boards are fuss free and low on the effort and washing up front, leaving you plenty of time to enjoy the party. This vegetarian pâté always gets lots of recipe requests, so here it is! Happy 2023 everyone!

Liz x

Ingredients

  • 1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 15 sundried tomato halves (the softened type, found in a jar in oil)
  • black olives, stones removed (fill around 1/2 of the chickpea tin, that’s about the right amount)
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 tbsp capers

Method

  1. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. It is really that simple. Spoon out into a jar or small bowl and enjoy!
  2. Keep in the fridge and use within 3 days. Otherwise it freezes well, but when you defrost it, blend it again with a handful of chickpeas before serving to fix the texture.

Festive Chocolate Puddles

by Liz Child

Make your favourite bar of chocolate that bit more special by melting it into puddles and adding festive toppings. We love adding green pistachios and red pomegranate seeds to ours for fresh bursts of flavour and Christmassy colour. But be aware that if you are using fresh pomegranate seeds, these chocolates will need to be stored in the fridge and eaten within 3 days, so only make as much as you’ll need. These are a great (minimal effort but maximum wow factor) treat to bring to a Christmas gathering to be enjoyed with a glass of mulled wine.

Did you know that most chocolate has quite problematic origins? Cocoa production is rife with child and slave labour, as well as environmental issues with land clearing and overuse of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Organic, ethically sourced chocolate is of course more expensive, but I think we can all agree that it is totally worth spending a few more cents to help make the world a fairer place. Playing with your chocolate like this and adding nuts, seeds, fruit etc can also make it go further. Check out our chocolate selection here.

Liz x

Ingredients

  • Your favourite chocolate
  • pomegranate seeds (or use freeze-dried fruit for longer lasting puddles)
  • desiccated coconut
  • sea salt flakes
  • pistachio nuts, chopped
  • or any toppings you prefer

Method

  1. Line a tray with a sheet of baking parchment and make space in your fridge or in a cool, dry place in your house. Prepare your chosen toppings.
  2. Gently melt the chocolate. The best method is in a glass bowl over a simmering pot of water.
  3. Spoon the chocolate out onto the parchment and use the back of the spoon to create little puddles.
  4. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle over the toppings. Set in a cool place until solid then enjoy! If you are using fresh pomegranate seeds, store the chocolates in a container in the fridge and eat within 3 days. Dried fruit and nuts will last a lot longer.

Crushed, Roasted Potatoes & Sprouts

by Liz Child

Looking for some fantastic festive nibbles for your next seasonal soirée? These smashed and roasted potatoes and sprouts are incredible! Taking the time to squash, dress and roast your boiled/steamed veg is really worth it. This process creates gorgeous craggy edges which turn into crispy deliciousness in the oven! Perfect with a nutty romesco dipping sauce or any dip you fancy. Enjoy!

Liz x

Ingredients

For the potatoes and sprouts:

  • 1 kg potatoes, steamed/boiled until fork-tender
  • 500g brussels sprouts, steamed/boiled until tender
  • 5 tbsp oil (I used golden rapeseed oil)
  • the zest of an orange
  • 4 crushed cloves of garlic
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp fine salt

For the romesco dipping sauce:

  • 100g almonds, roasted
  • 2 roasted and skinned red peppers (from a jar is perfect)
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1 small garlic clove, peeled
  • 1 tbsp vinegar (apple cider, red wine or sherry vinegars all work well here)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C and prepare the vegetables. (Boil or steam the potatoes and sprouts until they are fork soft, roast the almonds in the oven for 5 minutes, roast the peppers or use pre-roasted from a jar, prepare the dressing ingredients…)
  2. Spread the sprouts and potatoes onto a large, lined baking tray and squash them gently with the base of a glass.
  3. Mix the dressing ingredients and drizzle/brush over it all over the squished vegetables. Then place the tray in the oven to bake until golden and crispy (around 30 minutes).
  4. Meanwhile blend the romesco dipping sauce ingredients together until smooth. Serve the crisped up vegetables on a large platter with the sauce in a ramekin – fab festive finger food! Any left over sauce makes a great pasta or pizza sauce or can be frozen to use another time.

A Halloween Party Table

by Liz Child

Here are some fiendishly fun and easy ideas for your Halloween table. There is a 100% guarantee that there will be a LOT of sweets being guzzled at the weekend, so this table is a fun way to balance out all that sugar. Delight and disgust your guests with this grisly spread of ‘finger food’. See what I did there?

Liz x

Freaky Fruit

Use sunflower and pumpkin seeds, nut butter and celery sticks to make some freaky fruit platters. We stock a wide variety of organic fruit all year round and have organic seeds in compostable bags to add to your order here.

This is so fun to make with the kids:
– Peel clementines and poke little slivers of celery through the centre to make ‘pumpkins’.
– Use pumpkin seeds to make the faces on banana ghosts.
– Make apple monsters. Cut apples into quarters and remove the core. Then carefully cut a wedge out for the mouth. Fill with nut or seed butter, sunflower or pumpkin seed teeth and eyes and return a bit of the apple for the tongues. To stop the apples turning brown, rub the cut sides with a wedge of lemon.
– The kiwi Frankenstein’s monsters are so cute. Carefully peel off the bottom 2/3rds of the kiwi leaving a head of ‘hair’. Poke thin celery sticks into the sides for bolts and use pumpkin seeds to make the face.

Green Skeleton Man

Use fresh green veggies and guacamole to make this spooky skeleton snack platter. Our organic celery crop is huge this year. Get them discounted while they’re in season now here.

Finger Rolls

Veggie sausages cut with nails and knuckle marks with ketchup in a roll? Finger lickin’ fun! We have a few different veggie sausages to choose from here and a really nice organic ketchup in a glass bottle.

Pumpkin Puke (Hummus)

Is it even a party if there is no hummus? Whip up this simple pumpkin version to go with your obligatory Jack’O Lantern. It’s delicious scooped up with the green man skeleton or tortilla crisps! We have organic chickpeas, tahini, olive oil and more in the grocery section of the shop.

Ingredients

  • 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained (reserve the aquafaba for another recipe)
  • 250g roasted pumpkin (use a kuri or butternut squash for extra flavour, or use up the flesh from a carved pumpkin)
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • the juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin (optional)
  • 1 heaped tsp of salt
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 ice cubes

Method

  1. Place all the ingredients except the olive oil and ice cubes into a food processor and blend until pretty smooth.
  2. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed with more salt or lemon juice.
  3. Then add the ice cubes and olive oil and blend again until silky smooth. The ice cubes are a secret ingredient which really helps lighten and whip the hummus into a gorgeous texture.
  4. Keep the hummus in a container in the fridge until you are ready to serve. It should last for 3 days maximum.

Pizza Fingers

Pizza dough stuffed with cheese and tomato purée, baked with an almond and dipped in a simple tomato sauce? This is perfect finger food if you can get past the squeamish feeling that you are eating trolls toes! We stock tomato purée, flour, yeast, cheeses, almonds and more in our grocery section.

Here’s how to make 16 pizza fingers:

Dough

  • 500g spelt flour
  • 7g quick yeast
  • 10g salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 325ml warm water

Filling

  • 16 sticks of cheese
  • tomato puree
  • 16 almonds
  1. Mix the ingredients above into a sticky dough then knead on a clean work surface until smooth. You may need to add an extra dusting of flour if your dough is too sticky to handle.
  2. Form into a ball and cover with a clean, damp tea towel. Leave to rise until doubled in size – depending on the temperature in your kitchen, this should take around 1 hour.
  3. Divide into 16 even balls. Turn the oven on to 200C. Find a large baking tray and line it with baking parchment.
  4. Stretch each ball of dough into a rectangle. Smear a 1/4 tsp of tomato purée along the middle then add a cheese stick. Fold the dough around the cheese and pinch to seal. Roll the parcel into a finger and pop it seal-side-down onto a lined baking tray. Repeat with all the balls of dough.
  5. Then dip the almonds into tomato purée and stick them on the ends of the doughy fingers. Use a butter knife to make knuckle marks.
  6. Then pop the tray into the hot oven for 20 minutes or until the fingers are golden brown and cooked through. Serve with a simple tomato dipping sauce (recipe below).

Sauce

  • 1 onion, peeled and diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Italian style herbs (I use a bay leaf, a few fennel seeds and a pinch of dried oregano)
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
  • salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the onion in the oil until soft and starting to take on some colour. Add the garlic and herbs and stir until very fragrant. Then add the tin of tomatoes and season well. Simmer until the sauce is rich and delicious. At least 10 minutes but the longer the better. Alternatively use pesto as the dipping sauce or a jar of ready made pasta or pizza sauce. We stock a few option in the shop which can be added to your veg order.

Trick AND Treat Brownies

Didn’t get to go trick or treating this year? Here’s a spooky brownie recipe that is both a treat AND a trick!

Trick AND Treat Brownies

by Liz Child

These deliciously dark, squidgy brownies are an absolute treat (and shhh! contain a few tricks too). Make these for the little monsters in your life and trick them into eating beetroot, sunflower seeds and black beans. Hahahahahaaaaaaa! *evil laugh*

This tricky treat is packed full of plant protein and fibre. It is gluten, nut, dairy and egg free, but most definitely not flavour free! So it’s perfect for everyone to enjoy at your Halloween party. These are seriously good, let us know if you make them. All the ingredients can be added to your next order. Did you know we have compostable bags of nuts, seeds, oats etc in the grocery section of our shop? We deliver to every address in Ireland. Happy Halloween!

Liz x

Ingredients

  • 100g sunflower or pumpkin seeds
  • 100g porridge oats (gluten free if needed)
  • 100g sugar (or your choice of sweetener)
  • 100ml oat milk (or any dairy free milk)
  • 1 tin of black beans (including the liquid)
  • 5 tbsp oil or butter
  • 6 tbsp cacao powder
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • a pinch of salt
  • 250g cooked beetroot
  • 250g melted dark chocolate

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 180C and line a baking dish (I used a 20x28cm one) with baking parchment.
  2. In a food processor, blend the sunflower seeds and oats into flour.
  3. Then add the rest of the ingredients except the melted chocolate. Blend until smooth.
  4. Mix in the melted chocolate then pour the batter into the dish. Even it out, getting into the corners, then bake for 40 minutes or until cracked on top and still a little wobbly.
  5. Allow the brownie to completely cool in the dish. Then remove onto a chopping board to decorate and slice as you like.

Party Food

by Liz Child

We are celebrating 15 years of business this week and we’d love you to celebrate with us! To say thank you for all your support we are offering a whopping 15% discount code to anyone who wants one until the 6th of June 2021. Just fill out this form to receive your code. (Please pass the form link on to your friends and family too. We’d be honoured to have them onboard this sustainable food journey.)

There’s never been a better time to treat yourself! Add some bottles of organic wine or chocolates to your order, some cheese and crackers, some pantry ingredients to make a cake… Here are a few recipes to inspire you if you are planning a party too! Just click on the titles to be taken to the recipe blog.

Liz x

Grazing Boards

Create a snack feast for the eyes as well as the tummies with a grazing board. Perfect to feed a crowd with drinks.

Devilled ‘Eggs’

These vegan devilled eggs are a bit of retro fun with a twist. Lightly pickled mushrooms filled with a delicious chickpea purée. Canapés anyone?

Easy Peasy Pizza Party

Make your party-planning life easier with our organic pizza bases (we sell a gluten free one too), jars of ready made tomato sauce, pesto, cheese, olives, capers and more. Perfect pizza every time!

Show-Stopping Salads

Create vibrant, fresh salads with our range of incredible, organic ingredients. The Jay & Joy range of vegan cheeses are just brilliant paired with juicy fruits and crunchy fresh leaves. Add some salty olives and fresh herbs and red onions and you’re in heaven.

Let Them Eat Cake

What’s a party without cake? There are loads to choose from on our recipe blog here. But these are my top 3 to bring out at a party!

Beetroot Chocolate Brownie

Raw Millionaire Shortbread

Classic Chocolate Celebration Cake

Grazing Board

by Liz Child

If we were having a New Year’s Eve party this year (sob!) we would make a grazing table, which is a bigger version of the board above on a clean, covered table, for our guests – filled with lots of delicious dips, plant based cheeses, crackers, pickles, ferments, chutneys, breads, olives, fruit, nuts, crisps and raw vegetables. It’s fun putting together a gorgeous, generous spread. It looks so abundant and it’s always a good idea to have substantial snacks like this at a party with drinks. Anyway, to console ourselves we will put together a mini version like the photo above for just us and the kids at home. The kids love it, they can take what they like and it feels a bit special. Glass of wine and some board games? That’s our New Year’s Eve plans sorted! What are you up to for NYE? Share your foodie plans with our friendly community over on our Facebook group.

No recipe of course, but I recommend you start with the pots and jars of dips, olives, vegetable sticks etc then add the larger items like bunches of grapes and other fruit, then add stacks of crackers and slices or chunks of cheese. Get everything tucked in snugly and fill any gaps with salad leaves or nuts. Add little pops of colour and flavour with pomegranate seeds.

As well as a selection of crackers, homemade tofeta and fermented cashew cheese I’ve got a board full of goodness from Green Earth Organics brilliant fruit, veg and grocery sections including: