Beautiful calming lavender, the scent is so distinctive, even the bees can’t resist it. I have a huge lavender bush in my small front garden. It has grown so much in the last 3 years. I just love how natural it is and how much the bees adore it. This is my first time baking with its pretty purple buds and it won’t be my last.
These shortbread biscuits are delicious, yes they taste floral but thats the point. If you are not swayed by the lavender just use the zest of a full lemon or orange in its place.
We hope you try them, they are the perfect tea time sweet treat. Browse our baking aisle for the organic dry ingredients.
Lou 🙂
Ingredients: Makes 18
175g soft vegan butter
2 tbsp fresh, unsprayed, finely chopped lavender flowers (pick them off the stems to measure)
Step 1: Line an 8in x 8in baking tin with parchment paper.
Step 2: Beat the butter and lavender together first to get the best flavour from the lavender. Beat in the sugar then mix in the flour to form a dough ball.
Step 3: Gently press the dough into the prepared tin, use an extra square of parchment paper to smooth out the dough with your hands, get it right into the corners. Remove the extra parchment paper and discard.
Step 4: Use a butter knife to mark the dough into 18 biscuits, cutting right to the bottom of the tin, see the photos. Prick with a fork and sprinkle with brown sugar. Put the tin in the fridge to firm up for 1 hour.
Step 5: Preheat the oven 170ºC. Bake the shortbread for 20-25 minutes until pale brown.
Let them cool completely then cut again along the lines to separate and enjoy with big mugs of tea.
“We live in a remarkable world. Planet Earth is full of diverse wonders that nourish us in many ways. It is the place where we live out our lives, work, eat, love, play; in short, it is the place we call home. And it is our only home.”
The food we eat and how it is produced can improve our health, increase biodiversity and reduce carbon emissions. However, the food industry today and vested interests would have us thread an increasingly well-worn path to ill health, environmental damage, increased carbon emissions and pollution of our planet and bodies.
These are some of the thoughts of Dr Sean Ownes, a member of Irish Doctors for the Environment and the chair of “The Climate and Health Alliance” who earlier this year launched a new and ground-breaking report examining in detail the connection between our food health and the health of our planet, he was kind enough to provide his thoughts below:
There is currently a syndemic of unhealthy poor diets and related chronic disease paired with climate change and critical biodiversity loss. The problems with the Irish healthcare system can be summed up in one word: capacity. The problems with Ireland’s food system might also be summed up in one word: sustainability.
This report is unique it is the first time that multiple healthcare institutions, such as UCD, RCSI, ICGP, RCPI, the Irish Heart Foundation and many more have all arrived at a consensus that the current Irish diet is causing great harm to people and planet, while also recognising planetary boundaries and the need to live within them.
Our shared food environment has completely changed in a single generation secondary to unfettered market forces and weak public health policies. The standard Irish diet now exceeds planetary boundaries by over 200%. This report highlights how our dietary habits of today are taking food off the plates of the next generation, while also undermining our planet’s fragile and rapidly declining ecosystems.
The food system touches all of us, be it consumers, primary food producers who work the land, those in retail or healthcare professionals who work at the distal end of the system i.e., chronic disease, and as a multi-level system it requires multi-level action. There has been a lack of joined up thinking to date, as well as a lack of any urgency commensurate with the threat of the climate crisis. Given that our AgriFood strategy is an export growth model, while there is now more awareness and urgency, it is unlikely that Ireland will make the necessary changes to meet our emissions obligations.
The report seeks to highlight how sustainable diets are critical for not only our climate targets, but also a viable healthcare system going forward. Adding plants to your plate isn’t just a favour to the planet, it is a heath gain for your heart, your gut and your future self. It isn’t about the usual tired debate of vegan vs farmer, rather it is about rethinking our own diet as a health pension, and everyday there are many opportunities to pay in. As pensions go, there can’t be one of better value. The report wants our policy makers to know that we can’t ask people to swim upstream and chose to eat healthy foods when they are too expensive, inaccessible, competing with cheaper junk foods and more. We urge them to engage with healthcare professionals, especially dietitian’s, but also marketing experts, public health experts, policy experts and look towards other jurisdictions that have implemented meaningful changes with Just transition at their heart. The report also asks that all farmers be given the support they need to make a transition to meet our emissions targets.
The greatest challenge will be making forward progress free from the undue influence of vested interests and powerful lobby groups. We need to see this transition as a generational opportunity for not only health and a viable healthcare system, but also for the Irish economy and for rural Ireland now and in the future. Healthy and sustainable diets don’t need to be invented; we only need the policies to make choosing them the best option.
The report is a well-researched detailed document, and you can check it out here. Thanks Sean to you and your colleagues for the great work and for trail blazing the link between diet health and planet.
Kenneth
Link to report : https://climateandhealthalliance.wordpress.com/resources/
We are always looking for ways to use our gorgeous homegrown glossy green courgettes. This is our take on an Italian dish called Scarpaccia which loosely means ‘bad shoe’ because its as thin as a bad shoe apparently! It does make a very thin courgette tart for sure. The courgettes are very thinly sliced and the juice is extracted with salt but not wasted as it goes into the batter. We love the zero waste here.
Most of the recipes I came across used cornmeal but I used dried panko breadcrumbs in their place and it worked out just fine.
This is a gorgeous recipe to try, let us know if you do.
Step 1: Use a mandoline if you have one to finely slice the courgettes and red onion, 2-3mm thick. Then add the slices to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle in the salt and toss through with your hands to coat in the salt, 2-3 minutes. Put a plate on top and a weight like a couple of tins to help extract all the liquid. Leave this for 2 hours.
Step 2: Preheat the oven 180ºC and oil a baking tray really well, 9 x 13 inch is what I used. After this time, use a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel. Add the vegetables and squeeze out the extra liquid. The courgette juice will be used for the batter. To the juice add in the flour, dried panko breadcrumbs, fresh thyme leaves, nutritional yeast and black pepper, whisk well it should look like pancake batter. Then add the vegetables back in and stir to coat. **If the batter seems very thick add a small dash of water.
Step 3: Pour the mix into the baking tray and use a spoon to smooth out evenly.
Step 4: Bake for 30-40 minutes until cooked through and golden on top.
We are spoiled with beautiful organic Irish blueberries in the summer and autumn. They are gorgeous to eat fresh as they are but if you are looking for a recipe to bake try these delicious crumble bars. They do crumble so keep one hand under to catch those crunchy crumbs.
We were paying a friend a visit so make a batch of these to have with tea and a catch up. My kids adore them, they are just sweet enough with lovely pops of jammy berries.
Shop for the wholesome organic ingredients in our shop.
Let us know if you make it, we love to hear from you.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180ºC and line a 8in tin with parchment paper.
Step 2: Measure the flour, oats, brown sugar and baking powder into a bowl, mix well. Then add the butter and work it into the oats and flour with your fingers until it starts to clump together and feels like wet sand, this will take a few minutes.
Step 3: Tip HALF the mix into the tin. Push down into the tin until its spead out and even, make sure to get into the corners. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. In the meantime mix the blueberries with the granulated sugar, cornflour and lemon juice.
Step 4: When the base comes out of the oven top with the blueberries and scatter over the other half of the crumble mix. Put it back in the oven to bake for another 25-35 minutes.
Leave it to cool for an hour to set and then cut into bars.
What is growing in the fields of Ireland? We produce lots of meat and dairy products and grain to feed this industry, but what about our vegetables?
Only 1% of farms in Ireland now grow vegetables. We have been focused on just this issue for the past 18 years. If anything, July onwards represent the months of Irish plenty on vegetable farms, but where are our vegetables growers? More and more Irish vegetable producers are going out of business due to the loss leading practices of supermarkets, and in the long run this will not be good for you or I. There is no such thing as cheap food, there is always a price to be paid somewhere. Carrots for 49c may mean that more Irish farmers go out of business, they can’t run a farm for these returns. This year farmers were closing their doors for good, shutting down their vegetable operations, those skills are lost for ever and are not easy to replace. A food model based on the cheapest food possible is not sustainable, either the environment pays a price or the people producing the food do, or the end consumer (you and I) do, it is as straightforward as that. Cooking from scratch can prove so much cheaper than buying overly processed packaged goods, plus you know what is in your meals and you will generally get better quality ingredients. There are so many options right now especially for vegetables, these are the months of Irish seasonal plenty. On our farm alone and many of the organic farmers that supply us there is a fantastic array of Irish seasonal stars. We have started harvesting our own onions, amazing tomatoes, we are getting fantastic cucumbers from Joe Kelly in Mayo and the best spinach and chard from Padraig Fahy in Ballinasloe. We are harvesting lettuce, and salad, and kale, and broccoli, there is courgettes a plenty and the best Irish organic mushrooms from McArdles mushrooms right here in Ireland. Our gorgeous early IRISH potatoes taste amazing (just boil them gently!) Or how about Ralph Haslam’s fresh organic milk, yogurt, and cheese from Offaly, you may know it as Mossfield organic farm. David Butlers organic eggs are delivered fresh in each week. All amazing Irish producers. We truly have so much Irish organic produce and now is certainly the time to support it. The bonus of course, is fresh, organic, Irish food on your plate that is better for you and crucially you are supporting truly Irish businesses. Here’s to an amazing Irish July and August. Kenneth
The weather hasn’t been the best for BBQ’s this July. But worry not you can still get that bbq hit from these delicious BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Sandwiches!
Jackfruit is a wonder fruit that works perfectly in this recipe. All you need to do is add heaps of flavour to the sauce and your sandwich will taste amazing. We are also enjoying piling in the green leaves from the farm, lovely grated Irish carrots and cucumber slices.
Pick up some good quality BBQ sauce for this recipe. You are going to love this one. Make organic Jackfruit a cupboard staple.
To serve: leaves, burger buns, mayo, cucumber, grated carrot
Method:
Step 1: Finely dice the onion and garlic. Warm a frying pan on the hob with some oil and cook the onions and garlic, slowly, until they are completely soft. This takes about 10 minutes.
Step 2 : Tip in the cumin, paprika, chilli, salt and pepper and cook for a minute or two. Add the half tin of tomatoes. Cook for a minute and then add the drained jack fruit along with the water. Stir and leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Step 3: Use the back of the wooden spoon to squish the jack fruit piece. Stir in the bbq sauce and lime juice. Check the seasoning and serve on the burger bun with mayo, leaves, cucumber and carrot.
Summer snacking has become a new event in our house. But rather than picking up the individual plastic wrapped treats from the shops we are making the effort to make our own. The results are very tasty!
We did a bit of a cupboard raid for these and added some peanut butter and pecans. You can add any chopped nuts you fancy to the chocolate topping. Raisins would work here too!
Save this recipe to try. And please let us know if you do, we love to hear from you. As usual, find all the organic ingredients you need in the shop- most are in plastic free packaging.
2 tablespoons pecans, chopped (or what every nuts you fancy)
Method:
Step 1: Line a small tray or lunch box with parchment paper 15cm x 20cm approx.
Step 2: Add the oats, cocoa powder, peanut butter and honey to a blender. Blend until combined. Check the consistency of the mix, if its dry add a small spoon of water and blend again. And add more water if it’s still dry. Then mix should stick together when it’s ready, test a piece with your fingers.
Step 3: Tip the mix onto the tray and smooth it into the corners using a second piece of parchment paper.
Step 4: Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave or in a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. When melted add in the chopped pecans. Pour this over the base. Then put it in the fridge to set completely, at least 1 hour.
Purple, creamy, simple, quick and tasty! We have been stocking and selling Organic Irish Blueberries they are selling really well this season. This recipe is a nod to our friends at Banner Berries (Co. Clare), keep up the great work.
Blueberries are packed with antioxidants that are great for our bodies and skin. Blended with bananas this makes a delicious healthy treat and a super substitute for regular ice cream.
Check out our organic blueberries and add them to the cart along with your fair trade bananas and give this a whiz.
Enjoy,
Lou 🙂
PS- We made this in a Ninja nutri blender – any smoothie blender will do.
Courgettes are part of the squash family that originate in North America. But did you know these tasty dark green beauties were only grown and developed in the second part of the 1900’s in Italy! And now they have adapted to Irish soil and grown happily in our fields.
Home grown courgettes taste delicious with cheddar cheese. These fritters take just minutes to prepare and minutes to cook. We made garlicky tzatziki sauce to serve with them. Eat them warm from the pan.
Drop a couple of Irish courgettes and cucumbers in your basket for this one.
Step 1: Coarsely grate the courgette and put it in a bowl. Add in the grated cheese, flour, salt and pepper. Give it a mix, whisk the egg and add that too.
Step 2: To make the tzatziki. Coarsely grate the cucumber put it in a sieve and squeeze out the extra liquid. Use this cucumber liquid for smoothies and juices. Add the grated cucumber to the yoghurt along with the finely grated garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper, mix.
Step 3: Warm a non stick frying pan, medium heat, on the hob. Drizzle some oil to coat. Add a tablespoon of the courgette mix, fit 3-4 on the pan. Cook for a few minutes, flip and cook for another few minutes until golden brown. Lift them off onto kitchen paper, repeat with the next batch.
On recent days it has been pleasant and invigorating to walk the farm and experience the soft warm rain on our faces. An unusual experience for the west coast of Ireland if the truth be told, cold biting wind and stinging rain being the more customary Irish weather! The warm weather has been gratefully accepted and unlike many places we are happy to receive the rain at least now, at this point in the year, when many in other parts of the world are suffering from drought.
The rain has made sticky muck out of the dusty dry soil, The land is now slippery, and sticky and you must move with care, lifting and carrying heavy crates is a more fraught affair. Nevertheless, there is an enlivening feeling in the warm rain and without it there would be no growth.
The rain and heat have brought on growth at an astounding place. We have observed unimaginable crop and weed growth in the space of a week, and we are now presented with the unenviable fact that there is a lot of hand weeding to do.
Many would say that weeds have their place, and they do, but it would be naive on a commercial organic farm to take this laissez-faire approach to weeds, we would have no harvest. Weeds compete for light, nutrients, and oxygen, they harbour little creatures (and especially slugs) that will eat the crops and they can restrict airflow leading to increased disease.
Not all weeds are “bad”, weeds provide a haven for good creatures, for wildlife, birds eat their seeds and hide in their shade. It is when they get out of control that you have a problem.
Weed control is one of the key distinctions between organic and conventional farming. Conventional farmers are not faced with this relentless pressure to weed. Their weed control comes out of a white plastic bottle, sprayed onto the crops and the ground to kill the unwanted plants.
In conventional farming, the farmer sprays, he starts with roundup to “clean” the land then may apply pre and post crop emergence chemicals/herbicides. Crops can be sprayed several times in their lifespan. All these chemicals can reside in the food that is ultimately produced. The impact on of these chemicals on biodiversity is large and destructive. There are no chemicals used on our farm nor will there ever be, but despite our best efforts we now face days of hand weeding.
So we walk the farm feel the rain on our faces, touch the warm courgettes on the plants, examine the healthy and vibrant lettuces (Of which we have too many) taste the first baby carrots, pull the best beetroot we have ever grown on the farm and all in all, although there is still plenty of work to be done we are grateful for the beautiful and healthy bounty of the land. The food feels clean and healthy and powerful, and just to hold it whilst standing in the rain feels like you are increasing your life energy.
We are harvesting this produce every day, from tomatoes to beetroot, we are picking and bringing it straight to our pack house to be packed into your boxes. We hope that you at home are feeling a little bit of that energy we are feeling and are enjoying your positive contribution to you and your families health and know that you are making a meaningful positive commitment to the planet.
