Wild garlic & Spinach Pesto – VG

by Lou Robbie

Wild garlic grows in damp woodland and can be found from late February through to April. If you come across it you’ll know because of its mild garlicy smell. It looks like thick grass and grows in bunches. Its best picked young before it flowers so the flavour is mild and not too intense. It makes a wonderful pesto blended with spinach and toasted nuts or seeds.

We’ve made this a vegan version omitting cheese but use a hard cheese instead of nutritional yeast if you wish.

Find all the ingredients in our groceries.

Lou x

Ingredients: makes one small jar

  • 50 g wild garlic leaves (washed well in water with a dash of vinegar, then dried)
  • 50g baby spinach
  • 70 g / ½ cup sunflower seeds (or almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, hemp seeds, or pumpkin seeds)
  • 1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice
  • 4 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional) or hard cheese
  • 120ml approx olive oil (more if needed)
  • salt and black pepper, to taste

Method:

Step 1: Begin by toasting the nuts or seeds- place in an over or air fryer @170ºC and roast until they smell toasty and start to brown slightly. Set aside to cool.

Step 2: Roughly chop the spinach and wild garlic. Add the seeds to a the blender and blend to crush. Then add the wild garlic, spinach, lemon zest and juice, nutritional yeast, olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend to make a paste- keep it as coarse or chunky as you wish. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. add more oil if its too thick, but just add a drizzle at a time.

Pour the pesto into a jar, top with a thin layer of oil – this will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Add to your favourite pasta, mix into butter to make wild garlic butter for toast. Serve with your roast veggies. Stir into mash potato.

Enjoy x

Quick Kale Pesto

by Liz Child

Pesto is such a staple in our house now. How did we live without it when we were kids? It is the most delicious condiment, not just for tossing through pasta for an easy mid-week meal (although of course that’s how it normally gets used up here), my daughter is obsessed with smearing a thick layer of pesto on toast for breakfast. Use it to stuff mushrooms, stir through boiled new potatoes or freshly steamed greens, add to sandwiches, dunk your chips in it… how else do you use pesto? We would love to hear your suggestions in the comments below.

I love that it’s a hit with the kids. It is beyond satisfying, watching them gleefully gobble up so many healthy ingredients. Nuts or seeds, raw herbs or other leafy greens like this kale version, olive oil, lemon juice, raw garlic… all super good! Home made pesto is the best-o. You’ve got to give it a try. For ease, use a food processor.

Liz x

Ingredients (fills an old jam jar)

  • 100g kale (or use a mix of kale and basil or any herbs or greens you like eg nettles, spinach, fennel fronds, parsley, dill…)
  • 100g pumpkin seeds (or any nut or seed you prefer)
  • the juice of half a lemon (or a couple of tbsp of good vinegar)
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • a big pinch of salt
  • 100ml olive oil

Method

  1. Place all the ingredients into a food processor but only half the olive oil.
  2. Pulse until roughly combined then blend whilst drizzling in the other 50ml of olive oil until you achieve a beautiful pesto consistency – not too smooth.
  3. Scoop out into a clean jar and refrigerate. Use within the week.

Tomato Risotto & Basil Pesto

by Liz Child

When we have a glut of tomatoes, this is one of our family favourite, summer suppers. The kids especially love this risotto and I love giving them a generous spoon of pesto. It’s so full of goodness – healthy fats and protein from the seeds and olive oil, antioxidants and vitamins from the fresh greens. Make your own pesto (follow one of our recipes here) or buy a handy jar (here). Tomato and basil is an unbeatable flavour combination. Did you know we sell organic risotto rice in compostable bags?

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 2 small or 1 large white onion, finely diced
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 6 large tomatoes or a bag of cherry tomatoes, roughly diced
  • 6 sundried tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 mug of risotto rice
  • 1 large glass of white wine
  • 2-3 mugs of vegetable stock/bouillon
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • pesto to serve
  • fresh basil leaves to serve

Method

  1. In a large, heavy bottomed pot, sauté the onion with the olive oil until soft and golden. Over a medium heat, this should take around 8-10 minutes.
  2. Now add the garlic, tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté and cook down for another 5 minutes.
  3. Add the mug of rice and the glass of white wine. Stir until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
  4. Then add a ladle of the stock, stir and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Keep repeating this step until the rice is cooked through. Taste a grain every now and then and stop adding stock when you are happy with the consistency. Adjust the seasoning as needed at the end too with some extra salt, pepper or maybe a squeeze of lemon?
  5. Serve in bowls and top each bowl with a generous spoon of pesto and some fresh basil leaves. Enjoy as it is or with a simple salad

Beetroot & Tofu-Ricotta Ravioli

by Liz Child

Wouldn’t this pretty pasta be perfect for Mother’s Day? It takes a little more effort than our usual recipes but the ingredients are few, simple and affordable (using our ingredients at the time of writing this blog, this cost €5.64 to make 30 pieces).

Liz x

Ingredients (makes around 30)


~ pasta
• 300g fine flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 150ml water
• parsley leaves

~ beetroot tofu-ricotta
• 200g extra firm tofu
• 1 small cooked beetroot
• 1 clove of garlic
• the juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 tbsp olive oil

~ 1/2 jar of pesto to serve

Method

  1. Mix the pasta ingredients (except the parsley) into a shaggy, quite dry dough then knead it very well into a firm, smooth dough. This should take around 10 minutes of kneading. If your dough is too dry, wet your hands occasionally whilst kneading to incorporate just a little extra water. Rest the ball of dough in a bowl covered tightly with a damp tea towel.
  2. Blend all the beetroot ricotta ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed with more salt or lemon.
  3. Roll your pasta dough out on a lightly floured surface. Once you have a large oval/rectangle, arrange some parsley leaves on one half and fold the pasta over. Now roll again into a very long strip, just over double the width of the size you want your ravioli. Get it as thin as you can – you should be able to read a paper through it.
  4. Space teaspoons of the pink ricotta along one side, wet the other side to help it stick, then carefully fold the pasta over the ricotta blobs and use your fingers to seal around each one. Use a knife or pasta wheel to cut the ravioli and save any off-cuts, they are just as delicious!
  5. Drop the fresh ravioli and off-cuts into boiling water, cook until soft but still with bite (around 3 minutes or so – test an off-cut) then scoop out with a slotted spoon, dress with pesto and serve!

Squash & Spinach Lasagne

by Liz Child

Lasagne is always a good idea for dinner. I always make two while I’m making one, it’s not much extra work and then there’s one in the freezer for a rainy day. This version is an autumn/winter favourite. Layers of roasted squash and garlic, spinach and pumpkin seed pesto, pasta sheets and plant based béchamel. Delicious!

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 6)

Squash Layer:

  • 1 kg squash, cubed
  • 1 bulb of garlic, minus 1 clove
  • 6 sage leaves
  • olive oil, salt and pepper

Spinach & Pumpkin Seed Pesto Layer:

  • 400g spinach, wilted
  • 150g pumpkin seeds, toasted
  • 1 clove of garlic, saved from the bulb above
  • the juice of half a lemon
  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 10g nutritional yeast
  • salt and pepper

Plant Based Béchamel Layer:

  • 150g plain flour (gluten free works too)
  • 20g nutritional yeast
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 litre oat milk (get a gluten free one if you are avoiding gluten)
  • salt and pepper

Other Ingredients:

  • 250g lasagne sheets (we stock regular and gluten free)
  • extra sage leaves to decorate

Method

  1. Turn the oven on to 200C and cut a kg of winter squash (like kuri or butternut) into cubes, tumble them into a large baking tray. Peel a whole bulb of garlic and add the cloves to the dish, but put one aside for the pesto.
  2. Toss the squash and garlic with 6 torn sage leaves and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper then pop the dish in the oven to bake until soft. Meanwhile prepare the pesto and béchamel.
  3. Put the spinach in a colander and pour over hot water to wilt the leaves. Squeeze the water out of the wilted spinach and put the bright, green lump in a food processor. Add the pumpkin seeds, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Blend into a rough sauce, taste and season with salt and pepper. Blend again briefly to bring the pesto together. Then make the béchamel.
  4. In a cold pot, whisk the flour, nutritional yeast, mustard, nutmeg, olive oil and oat milk together. Then put the pot on a medium heat and whisk and cook until the sauce thickens and can coat the back of a spoon. Season well with salt and pepper then put to one side and check on the roasting squash and garlic.
  5. When the squash and garlic is cooked though, mash it roughly, leaving some texture. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then it is time to assemble the lasagne.
  6. In a deep baking dish, add a 1/2 cm layer of the squash purée. Add a layer of pasta sheets, then a couple of ladles of the béchamel. Spread two or three heaped tbsp of spinach pesto over the béchamel, don’t worry if it mixes in. Then repeat until you’ve used all the ingredients. Squash, pasta, béchamel, pesto… Ensure you finish up with a thick layer of béchamel.
  7. Decorate the top of the lasagne with some fresh sage leaves then pop it into the oven to bake until bubbling. After about 20-30 minutes, the pasta should be cooked through and the top should be golden. Test with a small sharp knife. Then cut and serve with a side salad or steamed greens.

Aubergine Involtini

by Liz Child

Involtini in Italian means ‘rolls’ and this aubergine version is one of my all time favourite dishes. I am obsessed with aubergine, perhaps it’s because I used to hate it as a child and now I’m making up for lost time? But whenever aubergine season hits, this recipe is at the top of my list. I also make this with courgettes in place of the aubergines sometimes, especially when there’s a lot of them to use up. Griddled courgette strips are so tasty so give that version a try too.

The filling can be whatever you want it to be. I usually go for something simple like a mixture of cheese (vegan feta or cashew cheese are my favs) and pesto. But roasted and crushed squash with toasted pine nuts or hazelnuts is also really good! Perfect for that summer-autumn crossover. Let us know in the comments what fillings worked well for you?

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

  • 2 aubergines
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 jars of Napoli tomato sauce (or make your own tomato sauce by sautéing a diced onion and 4 cloves of garlic with a little olive oil until soft, then add 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste and some torn basil leaves and simmer for 15 minutes or so)
  • 130g jar of pesto
  • 200-300g cheese of your choice (feta works really well here – I use my tofu feta recipe found at the end of this blog post, otherwise we stock a variety of plant based cheeses and organic feta)
  • pasta or fresh bread to serve

Method

  1. Find a medium sized, deep roasting dish and turn your oven to 200C to warm up while you prepare the dish.
  2. If you’re not using our tasty, ready made tomato sauce, make a simple batch yourself using two 400g tins of chopped tomatoes. I sautéed a diced onion with a couple of tbsp of olive oil and 4 cloves of garlic until soft and just starting to colour. Then tipped in the two tins of tomatoes (swirled out the remaining tomatoey juices from the tins with a little water and added that to the pot too) and seasoned with salt and pepper. Then simmered the sauce with some torn basil leaves for around 10-15 minutes until it was rich and delicious.
  3. Keep the sauce warm while you prepare the aubergines and filling.
  4. Slice the tops off the aubergine as close to the stalk as possible, then peel or slice off any still-attached leafy bits. Carefully cut the aubergines into around 4mm thick, long strips.
  5. Pour the olive oil into a small bowl or glass and season it with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Then brush the aubergine slices with the seasoned olive oil and grill them in batches in a griddle pan, or under a hot grill in the oven. Turn halfway through. They should be soft and beautifully charred but still manageable. As they cook, lay them out on a large chopping board or clean worksurface ready for stuffing and rolling.
  6. Meanwhile make your filling. I mashed about 300g of feta with a jar of pesto.
  7. Pour the warm tomato sauce into your baking dish and start assembling the involtini.
  8. Place a tablespoon of filling at the end of a griddled aubergine slice. Then roll it up and tuck the roll, seam side down, into the tomato sauce.
  9. Repeat until all the rolls are stuffed. Then place the dish in the oven and bake for around 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbling.
  10. Serve with freshly boiled pasta or some crusty bread and enjoy!

Creamy Tagliatelle with Leeks, Greens & Peas

by Liz Child

This pasta dish has fresh spring/summer vibes. It’s one of our favourites and a great way to use up all the gorgeous greens coming out of the farm at the moment. We stock a large range of organic pastas, I like tagliatelle for this one, but of course any pasta shape will work well.

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 4-5)

  • 500g tagliatelle
  • 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 leeks, sliced and rinsed
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast (or sub with grated/crumbled cheese of your choice)
  • a splash of white wine
  • oat milk – enough to cook out the flour and make a creamy sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 200g spinach
  • frozen or freshly shelled peas to taste
  • 3 tbsp pesto – optional (I used my kale and pumpkin seed pesto)

Method

  1. Get a large pot of salted water on to boil, then get on with the sauce.
  2. Sauté the leeks and garlic in the butter and oil until soft.
  3. Add the mustard, flour and nutritional yeast and stir the pan.
  4. Then add the white wine and a splash of oat milk. Stir quickly to avoid any bigger lumps.
  5. Keep adding splashes of oat milk and stirring until you have a thick, creamy sauce.
  6. Get the pasta into the boiling water. Tagliatelle only takes about 8 minutes or so.
  7. Then chop the spinach and add to the sauce. Stir and wilt. Then season with salt and plenty of black pepper.
  8. Add the peas to the sauce just before the pasta needs draining.
  9. Then drain the pasta and stir it into the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Stir through some green pesto for extra flavour and serve!

Scramble, Kale Pesto & Miso Mushroom Toast

by Liz Child

Weekends are for brunching and here is one of our favourites. The combination of fresh, vibrant green pesto, soft, wobbly scrambled tofu and juicy, umami mushrooms is just perfect!

You can make your own pesto very easily if you have a food processor or blender – I used my kale and pumpkin seed pesto that I’m making on repeat this time – or you can of course use a ready made one for ease. We sell a few organic jars of pesto in the grocery section of our shop. The scramble is simply a gently sautéed pack of organic silken tofu seasoned with salt, pepper and some chopped sun-dried tomatoes. And those gorgeous, meaty mushrooms are marinated with our new packs of umami paste then grilled.

What’s your favourite brunch? Are you a sweet or savoury person? Let us know in the comments.

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 4)

Method

  1. Cut bread and pop it in the toaster ready to go. Heat up a griddle pan (or fire up the grill in your oven).
  2. Slice the mushrooms in half and mix them with the umami paste and a drizzle of olive oil in a bowl. Then push them onto skewers and place them in a hot griddle pan (or on a tray under your grill) to cook whilst you get on with the scramble.
  3. Heat up a knob of butter (or tbsp of olive oil) in a medium-high heated frying pan. Open your pack of silken tofu, drain off any excess liquid and then pop it in the pan. Break it up gently with a wooden spoon or a spatular.
  4. Season the scrambling tofu with salt and pepper and then add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Keep the scramble moving and cook it for 5 minutes or so until it’s warmed through, but don’t break it up too much. It’s nice when there are still some larger pieces.
  5. Meanwhile turn the mushrooms in the grill to cook the other side and then toast the bread.
  6. Spread the toast with a thick layer of pesto, then divide the scramble and mushrooms between the plates.
  7. Enjoy whilst hot!

Kale & Pumpkin Seed Pesto

by Liz Child

The new season kale coming out of our fields and tunnels is so stunning! We are adding it to all our meals. Don’t forget to add some to your next order! Here’s a quick and easy kale pesto recipe which is so handy, not just for pesto pasta, but for sandwiches and wraps, to spread on toast and top with scrambled egg/tofu, to toss through freshly boiled new potatoes… My recipe is dairy and nut free to make it allergen friendly (I use pumpkin seeds which are incredibly nutritious and ours come in compostable bags), but as always, tweak it to your liking with different nuts/seeds and cheese. And do share how you love to eat your pesto in the comments below.

Liz x

Ingredients (makes a jar like the one pictured above)

  • 100g kale – rinsed
  • 100g pumpkin seeds – toasted
  • 1 clove of garlic – peeled
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1/2 a lemon – zest and juice
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 100ml extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for a thin layer on top at the end)

Method

  1. Put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor.
  2. Pulse until the ingredients come together into a rough, textured sauce.
  3. Taste for seasoning and add more olive oil, lemon juice or salt as desired.
  4. Spoon into a clean jar and top with a layer of olive oil to keep it fresher for longer.
  5. Keep in the fridge and use within a week, or freeze for longer storage.

Basil & Hemp Heart Pesto

by Liz Child

Everyone loves pesto! It’s so fragrant, fresh and delicious. I always make sure I have a few jars in the cupboard (we sell these organic ones) for those days when we need a meal in a hurry. Pesto pasta has got to be the best ‘fast-fakeaway’ right? And it’s not just for pasta! Pesto is brilliant in a sandwich or wrap, it’s also gorgeous tossed through steamed greens, boiled new potatoes or as a dressing for a hearty bean or lentil salad. Swirl a spoon through some mayo or hummus for the best dip ever!

But, I also love making my own pesto! It’s so easy to do and you can adapt the ingredients to whatever you have on hand. It’s also a brilliant way to avoid food waste as it makes fresh herbs last longer. Don’t chuck those herb stalks either! They are just as delicious as the leaves and blend up into perfect pesto!

Liz x

Ingredients (makes about a 250g jar of pesto)

  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 bunch of basil – stalks and all – sub with other fresh herbs or even spinach/kale/rocket…
  • 3 tbsp or so of nutritional yeast (or use any cheese you like)
  • the juice of 1/2 a lemon or more to taste (or use a tbsp of my preserved lemon puree recipe here for extra low-food-waste points)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • extra virgin olive oil – enough to blend the ingredients into a loose sauce
  • 8 tbsp or so of hemp hearts (alternatively use any nuts or seeds you have)

Method

  1. Add the ingredients to a blender or food processor and pulse into a loose sauce.
  2. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed with more salt, nutritional yeast, lemon, olive oil etc.
  3. Store in a clean jar in the fridge and use within two weeks.
  4. To make it last longer, top with a little layer of olive oil. You can also freeze the pesto in portions if you won’t use it in the next two weeks.