Sweet Irish parsnips are plentiful in October. They are a wonderful root vegetable with a distinctive flavour that fills the house when its cooking.
My mother would always serve them mashed with carrots with our Sunday dinner. I don’t remember having them any other way as a child! Now I like to roast, steam or slow cook them to intensify the flavour. Here we’ve swapped the common potato for parsnip in a really tasty rosti. Made even more flavoursome with the punchy apple aioli on the side, you wont regret trying this one.
Lou 🙂
Ingredients: Makes 12 small rosti and a pot of aioli
For the rosti
450g parsnips, peeled and coarsely grated 1 medium white onion, peeled and coarsely grated 1 egg 6 tbsp plain flour pinch salt and pepper
For the apple aioli 2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely grated 1 tbsp cider vinegar 180ml mild olive oil. salt and pepper
Method:
Step 1: Grate the parsnips and onion and put them in a bowl, squeeze out any excess liquid, and season with salt and pepper. Crack in the egg and spoon in the flour. Mix well with your hands.
Step 2: Make the aioli. Cook the apple in a small pot with a splash of water until soft for 5-10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Then add to a small blender along with the grated garlic, cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Blend again and very slowly pour the oil in to emulsify the sauce. Taste it and adjust if needed.
Step 3: Cook the roti. Warm a non stick frying pan on a medium heat, add some oil to coat the pan. Spoon on 3-4 parsnip mounds and gently push down to flatten. cook for a few minutes on either side until golden. Repeat. Fry in a small bit of butter and then serve alongside the delicious aioli.
Autumn squash soup with lots of roast garlic and warming spices. This is a hug in a bowl and we’ve even added a cheese toastie for extra comfort. You can easily swap the butternut squash for Kuri (pumpkin) squash to make an equally delicious bowl of soup.
Roasting the veg first is key to getting in those extra sweet and caramelised notes and we’ve made the prep part easy by just chopping everything in half and loading it on to the roasting tin. We’ve added some lovely sweet Irish carrots, cherry tomatoes from our tunnels and the best of Irish organic onions.
Step 1: Prepare the veg: Chop the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Wash and chop the carrots in half, slice the top off the bulb of garlic, peel and half the onions. Wash the tomatoes. Put all the veg on a baking tray.
Step 2: Sprinkle with paprika, cumin, salt and drizzle in oil. Roast in the oven for 40 -50 minutes, test everything is cooked by piercing with a sharp knife.
Step 3: Put all the cooked veg into a powerful blender along with hot stock. Blend and then add to a pot with the coconut milk, gently heat through on the hob and serve.
First, I want to show you something: Darragh Wynne from the charity Goal Ireland was here a few weeks back and invited me to talk for a video, if you want to learn a little bit more about and see some cool drone footage of our farm (and even catch a glimpse of George and Florence check this video out.
George and Florence are happy pigs, they couldn’t actually have a better life, I really don’t think they could. Not only do they get to roam around nearly 2 acres of old and newly established forests, they have a dry straw lined shed to sleep in and probably best of all they get fed waste organic veg once a day. They are as happy as two pigs in muck could be.
But they fit into this story very well, as they are the last step in our grandly termed food waste reduction strategy, we don’t have a formal document or anything like that, but we do have a belief system around food waste.
So here is a crazy fact, one third of all food produced on the planet is wasted. The area required to produce that food is 16 million km2, which is roughly an area the same size as Russia, which is a very big place.
We all know we need to take urgent steps to reduce our impact on the planet, no surprise there, and as we pass yet another mind boggling climate record with September being the warmest month ever by a long way, that action is critical.
So wouldn’t it be an amazing if we could cut the land used for agriculture by 16 million square kilometers and instead grow forestry? Of course, it would.
But where is all this wasted food coming from? Well, that is where I will tell you the second part of my story, last week we took a delivery of carrots, we weren’t very pleased with these carrots, they were Irish, they were organic, but they were massive, and I mean they were big but we got our heads together and figured out how we could prevent them ending up in the bin.
So, we set about trying to use them to sell them, to make sure we wasted as little as possible. There is one thing I can absolutely guarantee had these carrots landed at the door of a supermarket they would have been rejected, sent back, or wasted.
Herein lies one of our bugbears, supermarkets insisting without remorse on unforgiving specifications and when produce does not meet them refusing to sell it or accept it. We have been there many moons ago, once upon a time having supplied supermarkets. In the growing season we have had this year, produce may come out maybe a little smaller or bigger or twisted or forked and that in our view is the beauty of nature. We wont grade out twisted parsnips, or forked carrots.
Of course, there is still the possibility that produce will not meet our quality requirements, and this is where we do have a very well-defined system and we put a fair amount of effort into it to make it work.
Maciek our quality manager has done amazing work creating his “Rescue boxes” each week these boxes are filled with “Class II” produce. If we can’t use the produce in the rescue boxes our team get it, and if it is unusable it ends up in one of two places, actually one of three places!
It either A. Goes to one of our three compost bays, or B. go to George’s belly or C. goes to Florence’s belly!
(Interesting fact: We have to make two separate piles of food when feeding the pigs because Florence always bullies George and tries to keep all the food for herself!)
So that is the end of the story for this week, just know you are supporting a little business that manages in our own way to keep the food waste mountain from growing at least on our watch and continues to step by small step help build a better food system.
You are making it possible, thank you.
Kenneth
PS Darragh Wynne from the charity Goal Ireland was here a few weeks back and invited me to talk for a video, if you want to learn a little bit more about and see some cool drone footage of our farm (and even catch a glimpse of George and Florence check this video out.
Blushing beautiful beetroot so vibrant and sweet. They are a nutritional powerhouse, good for your heart and blood and gut. We’ve increased the nutrient value by adding some wholesome ingredients to make these delicious dosas. Eat them as they are, add a sandwich filling with roast veggies or eat along side a spiced dahl. My kids called them pink wraps and thats a good description too.
I love to steam all my beets and then use them in various ways like roasting with balmasic vinegar for a salad, slicing to eat in a sandwich, grated to add to chocolate muffins etc.
How do you like to cook with beetroot?
Lou 🙂
PS – it may not be an authentic dosa recipe but it is really tasty all the same.
Step 1: To a powerful blender add all the ingredients apart from the water. Blend the ingredients and add the water a little at a time to make a batter. The consistency of the batter is really important it should be pourable like crepe batter.
Step 2: Heat a frying pan on a medium heat. Drizzle with oil and carefully wipe with kitchen paper to coat the pan.
Step 3: Add a ladle of the batter to the pan, use the back of the ladle to thin out the batter and form a round shape. Cook on a low heat for a few minutes then use a spatula to carefully flip over and cook for a further minute. Repeat.
We are huge fans of easy homemade snacks and it doesn’t get easier than this! Just 3 ingredients plus sea salt if you have it! Make it with 100% organic ingredients and it can be vegan too if you like! It takes just 5 minutes to make and a wee while to set. This has been a viral sensation recently and we can see why. It really ticks all the boxes with toffee notes from the dates, creamy peanut butter and glorious chocolate to finish.
We feel its best stored in the freezer, just chop off a chunk as needed. Find all of the best organic ingredients needed in our groceries.
Enjoy this one, as always let us know if you try it.
Step 1: Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Open the dates and lay flat on the parchment paper, make a rectangle shape with them. Lay another piece of parchment paper on top and push down with a rolling pin or glass to flatten.
Step 2: Spread the peanut butter all over the dates. Use a pallet knife if you have one.
Step 3: Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water or in the microwave. Pour over the peanut butter and smooth over with a pallet knife. Sprinkle with sea salt if you like.
Step 4: Put the tray in the freezer to set for at least 1 hour. Chop the bark into pieces of shards. Store the pieces in a box in the fridge or freezer for 1 week.
Homemade pickles are lovely to make. This is a great one if your a beginner. It doesn’t make a massive amount just enough to get you started on your pickling journey. Pickles are sweet and sour and go great with sharp cheese or deep rich tomato sauces or slow cooked bean stews. It adds a pop of zing and excitement!
Pickling is a great way to preserve vegetables for the winter, this pickle will keep for up to 1 month in the fridge. It’s also a nice gift for a friend.
Step 1: Using a peeler, peel lengthways to make ribbons with the courgette and the carrots. When you get to the point where the vegetable is tricky to peel you can stop and use these bits for soup. Put all the courgette and carrot ribbons into a sterilised jar.
Step 2: Make the pickle liquid. Add the vinegar, sugar, turmeric, mustard seeds, bay leaf to a small pot. Warm on the hob until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool. Once cool pour into the jar. If the liquid does not cover the vegetables add some water. Seal the jar and store in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.
Warm baked oats on an autumn morning are a real treat. We’ve added chocolate for extra indulgence and they are just lovely with baked bananas and sticky dates.
Porridge oats are a great start to the day, they are a great source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. We love to add chopped dates to add fibre and natural sweetness.
My kids just love these baked oat pot and top them with yoghurt for an extra serving of protein.
Step 1: Preheat the oven. Put 3 ceramic pots on a baking tray. Or use a lined and greased loaf tin.
Step 2: To a blender add the oats, cocoa powder, dates, 1 banana, milk, egg, baking powder. Blend until smooth.
Step 3: Add a spoon of the mix to each pot, then top with half the chopped chocolate. Spoon the rest on top and sprinkle the remaining chocolate and a slice of banana to each pot. Bake for 20 minutes.
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.
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.
We love baking with sweet organic Irish eating apples. And this simple tart is just fabulous and easy and incredibly tasty and it will feed a crowd just add cream or ice cream. Ready rolled puff pastry is very handy to use and gives a crispy base that goes so well with the almond frangipane layer with thinly sliced apples on top.
This tart gives a thin layer of frangipane if you like lots, then double the ingredients below.
We’d love to hear from you, will you try it? Let us know in the comments below.
Lou
Ingredients: makes 15 slices
1 sheet of fresh ready rolled puff pastry, 375g approx
Step 1: Preheat the oven 180ºC. Then start by making the frangipane. Beat the soft butter with the caster sugar, then beat in the egg. Use an electric hand mixer if you have one or a wooden spoon will do. Then fold in the ground almonds, plain flour and vanilla extract. Put the bowl in the fridge to chill.
Step 2: Meanwhile, peel, core and finely slice the apples into a half moon shape.
Step 3: Unroll the pastry and lay it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Lightly score a 1.5 cm frame around the pastry. The spread the frangipane mix evenly inside the frame. Lay the apple pieces in lines on top. Brush with the melted butter and scatter the brown sugar on top.
Step 4: Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and golden. Cool then dust with icing sugar and serve.
This is a super economical dish that is nutritious, tasty and so easy to make. A great tip, I learned from a great chef, is to cook the lentils in a separate pot, strain and add them to the cooked curried sauce. This way the lentils cook quickly and evenly. More details in the recipe below.
We’d love you to try our easy basic dahl recipe and roast up some seasonal veg to add to it. You could add roasted carrots, parsnips, celeriac, beetroot, chard, spinach basically anything you fancy. We’ve used gorgeous iron rich broccoli and kale fresh from our farm.
Step 1: Begin by cooking the lentils. Add them to a pot, rinse with cold water a few times to remove and dirt, discard the water. Then cover with fresh water add the turmeric and salt. Bring to a simmer on the hob and cook for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are completely soft. Stir a few times while they cook. Then strain and set aside.
Step 2: While the lentils cook start the sauce. Add the oil to a wide pot along with the onions, garlic and ginger, cook on low for 5-10 minutes until the onions are soft, put a lid on if you have one. Then tip in the spices, the curry powder, garam masala, chilli flakes, salt, bay leaf and brown sugar. Stir to coat and toast for a few minutes.
Step 3: Pour in the tinned tomatoes, add some water to the tin and swirl it into the pot and let the sauce cook on low for 10 minutes. Then add the cooked lentils stir and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Step 4: While the sauce cooks make chop the broccoli and roast it in the oven at 170ºc for 15 minutes or air fry 170ºc for 15 minutes. Finely chop the kale.
Step 5: When the dahl is cooked taste it, add more salt and pepper if needed. Stir in the roasted broccoli and chopped kale.
