Cherry Crumble

by Nessa Robins

Normally associated as an autumnal dessert, when the typical fruit of choice, the apple, is in peak season, a crumble is one pudding I find well placed year-round as any seasonal fruit makes for a delicious pairing to the crumbly top. 

I received some gorgeous plump Irish organic cherries in my veg box this week, which spurred me on to produce this delicious dessert. Cherries make for the perfect base in this recipe, but are very much interchangeable with whatever soft fruit you may have to hand. 

Cherries are packed with nutrients and antioxidants, and even though cooking any fruit can impact their nutrient content, the cherries still retain a lot of their goodness. Spelt flour, oats, and almonds also add an extra nutrient boost to this dessert, while creating a delicious crunch to the finished dish. 

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Cherry Crumble

Ingredients

Crumble

Base

  • 400g cherries, stones removed
  • 1tbsp cornflour
  • 1tsp vanilla extract

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/Gas 6.
  2.  To prepare the crumble, place the flour in a bowl with the oats, almonds, and sugar. Add the butter and rub it into the mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. 
  3. Place the cherries in a large ovenproof dish. Add the cornflour and vanilla. Stir to combine.
  4. Sprinkle over the crumble mixture and place the dish on a baking tray. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 25-30 minutes, until the crumble topping is golden brown. Serve with ice cream, softly whipped cream or custard.

Rainbow Chard & Red Onion Frittata

by Nessa Robins

This frittata is bursting with flavour and rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Chard is such a versatile vegetable and can be used in place of spinach in many dishes. It’s packed with nutrients including vitamin A and C, while being an excellent source of vitamin K. When a calcium-rich food, such as cheese or milk, is paired with a vitamin D-rich food, such as eggs, the absorption of that calcium is made a little easier for the body. Vitamin D is well promoted as the vitamin to help with the absorption of calcium, but vitamin K plays a crucial role in optimising calcium use in the body, making chard a great addition to this tasty calcium-rich dish. This easy-to-make frittata is packed with nutrients to help boost ones bone health, and serves well for lunch with a big green salad.

Enjoy!

Nessa x  

Rainbow Chard & Red Onion Frittata

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 small red onions, finely sliced
  • Small bunch rainbow chard, roughly chopped
  • 75g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 6 eggs
  • 120ml milk
  • 75g cheddar cheese, grated

To serve

  • Chives, chopped

Method

  1. To a large frying pan, over a medium heat, add the oil. Once hot, add the red onion. Cook on low for about 10 minutes, until soft and slightly coloured. Add the chard and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring regularly. 
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs with the milk. Season with a little salt and pepper. Pour into the pan, covering the vegetables. Add an even layer of the grated cheese.
  3. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until almost set, then place under the grill for a couple of minutes until bubbling. 
  4. Garnish with some chopped chives and chive flowers, if you have them to hand, and serve with a green salad. 

Cheese & Tomato Toastie with a Nutty Green Salad 

by Nessa Robins

When you have good quality, fresh ingredients to hand, a recipe never needs to be overly complicated. A simple toastie with a plain green salad is instantly elevated by the quality of ingredients used. To start with, real bread, fresh and thickly cut. A good-quality Irish cheese, and while we wait for Irish tomatoes to return into season, some flavoursome sun-dried tomatoes can be used in their place. Plus a drizzle of a nice extra virgin olive oil is all that is needed for this sandwich to taste delicious. Irish, organic lettuce benefits from the quality of soil it is grown in, and this shines through in its flavour. A simple dressing with the addition of some nuts for extra flavour and a little crunch serves perfectly alongside the toastie.

When preparing a green salad in advance after washing the lettuce leaves it’s important to fully dry them. The best way to do this is with a salad spinner. Then add the dried leaves to a large salad bowl and cover with a damp tea towel or kitchen paper, and refrigerate until ready to use. To avoid the salad becoming soggy, only add a small amount of the dressing and toss through the leaves just before serving. 

Enjoy!

Nessa x


Cheese & Tomato Toastie with a Nutty Green Salad 

Ingredients

 
For the toastie

For the salad

For the dressing

Method

  1. Wash the salad leaves and dry well using a salad spinner. If the leaves are large, tear into smaller pieces. Add the dried leaves to a large bowl and cover with a damp tea towel or kitchen paper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. 
  3. Drizzle one side of each slice of bread with a little olive oil. Take one slice, olive oil side down, and layer on the cheese and tomato, and top with the other slice of bread, olive oil side up. 
  4. Place the pan over a medium heat on a hob and add the toastie. Press down gently using a clean saucepan lid. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side. Once the toastie is golden and crisp, and the cheese has melted, take from the pan, and cut in half.
  5. Enjoy straight away alongside the green salad, drizzled with the nutty dressing.

Chive and Cheese Potato Bites

by Nessa Robins

There are several dishes which can be created or elevated with leftover mashed potato; from a salad to a comforting pie-topper, there are so many possibilities for this humble staple. If you’re faced with a bowlful of leftover mash, I would however highly recommend you transform it into these delicious chive and cheese potato bites. They only take minutes to prepare and can be served as a dinner accompaniment or simply enjoyed as a snack. Any hard cheese of choice can be used, dairy or plant-based, but ensure it’s very finely grated, allowing it to incorporate well with the potato. Chives are back in season, and I love to add them wherever a little onion scent is required in a dish, but finely sliced scallions can also be used in their place. I like to mirror the flavours in the bites with a garlic and chive dip, but any dip of choice can be enjoyed alongside these crispy bites. 

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Chive and Cheese Potato Bites

Ingredients

  • 500g leftover mashed potato
  • 90g plain flour
  • 25g hard cheese, finely grated
  • 2tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped

To serve

  • Sea salt
  • Fresh chives
  • Chunk of hard cheese
  • Dip of choice

Method

Add the mashed potato to a large bowl with the flour, finely grated cheese and chopped chives. Stir well to combine. Take a spoonful of the mixture and roll it into a ball. Continue until all the mixture has been used, making about 20 potato bites. Place on a plate and into the fridge to set for a couple of hours.

When ready to cook, place a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add a thin layer of cooking oil, sunflower or olive, and once hot, fry the potato bites for about 5 minutes on each side, turning occasionally while frying. 

Transfer to a paper lined plate, then to a serving plate. Sprinkle with a little sea salt, a grating of hard cheese and some finely chopped chives. Enjoy immediately. 

Chemical carrots, that doesn’t sound right or does it?

by Kenneth Keavey

Why do we have to call our carrots “organic carrots”, whilst carrots grown with chemicals get to be called “carrots”. We have two organic certification inspections every year to prove that we are doing what we say we are doing.

We must pay for the privilege to demonstrate we are doing the right thing. When you think about it, it doesn’t seem right. And yet as aside it is the world we live in. If you do not know your food producer, then to be sure that your food is chemical free, organic certification is the only way to get food you can trust.

But why is it that chemical usage on our food is the norm and we need to demonstrate we are different because we don’t use chemicals?

I want to call our carrots, just carrots. It changes the narrative, it makes you stop and think, we are farming without chemicals and yet we must prove that we are not using chemicals.How would our mindset change, if when we picked up a pack of carrots in a supermarket they were labelled “chemical carrots”. Well, I would hazard a guess that fewer packs of these carrots would be picked up and more organic carrots would.

Fresh produce did not used to be differentiated, there was just carrots. But the organic label was coined to give people a choice to opt for not consuming toxic chemicals with their food. This only really became an issue as the prevalence of synthetic chemicals in our food chain grew. I am taking here about the generation of pesticides that were developed from the 1960s on and created a whole new multibillion dollar industry built on agrichemical control of our food. Modern synthetic fungicides, pesticides and herbicides are in and on our food, some are systemic in nature, others damage the soil, biodiversity and of course our health.

Although recently things have improved in the conventional world of food production and IPM (integrated pest management) is being used. But chemicals are still the easiest solution, they are less work, and they are still used intensively both here in Ireland and abroad. In 2015, the last date there is reliable data for pesticide use in Ireland by crop, 660 Ha of carrots were grown and they received, 2,856 kilogrammes of pesticides, that is 1.73kg per acre, that is quite a lot of chemicals.

Common chemicals that are used in conventional carrot production are shown below and so if we were to list the chemicals on the produce label, it might look something like this:

Chemical Carrots (may contain/grown with: Lambda-cyhalothrin, Linuron, Metribuzin, Azoxystrobin, Difenoconazole, Pendimethalin, Prothioconazole, Boscalid, Pyraclostrobin, Tebuconazole)

Or you can choose organic carrots which would state:

Carrots (may contain: carrots)

I know which one I would choose.

As always thanks for your support. Kenneth

PS check out the little video I made out in our field of kale flowers that are buzzing with bees and insects, it is a haven for biodiversity, it is amazing and beautiful and reminds us that we may be doing something right. This is one of the reasons we do not use chemicals on our food and farm.

Colcannon with a Wild Garlic Butter

by Nessa Robins

In the past, potatoes were always an integral part of dinners in Ireland, and by the mid-18th century colcannon emerged as a staple meal. They mixed potatoes with garden greens, such as kale or cabbage, with the intention to produce a meal hearty enough to keep a working man full for the rest of the day. Colcannon is still a well-loved dish in Ireland, though it is now normally served as a side. 

I’m using Irish-grown potatoes and cabbage from my vegetable box in this recipe, and I’m topping the colcannon with a wild garlic butter, but finely chopped scallions can be used in the wild garlic’s place. As wild garlic is only available for a few weeks each year, I normally make a batch of this butter and store it in the freezer to enjoy over the coming months. It pairs perfectly with the creamy mashed potato but works equally well with roasted vegetables.

With a host of wholesome, nutritious ingredients, this colcannon has the makings of the most delicious Irish dish to enjoy this St. Patrick’s Day.

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Colcannon with a Wild Garlic Butter

Ingredients

  • 1kg potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 250g sweetheart cabbage, finely sliced
  • 100ml milk
  • 50g butter
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the butter

  • 100g butter, softened
  • 20g wild garlic leaves
  • ½ tsp sea salt

Method

Stir though the steamed cabbage and divide between 4 plates, making a well in the centre of each mound of colcannon. Add a slice of the wild garlic/scallion butter to the well and serve. Enjoy!

Place the peeled and diced potatoes into a metal steamer, with simmering water beneath, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until cooked through. 

While the potatoes are cooking, steam the cabbage for about five minutes until a little tender. 

To make the wild garlic butter, wash and fully dry the wild garlic leaves – a salad spinner is best for this. Then, finely chop the wild garlic. Add to a bowl with the softened butter and sea salt. Combine well using a wooden spoon. Transfer the butter to a square of greaseproof paper, before wrapping tightly and popping in the fridge until needed. 

When the potatoes and cabbage are ready, add the milk and butter to a large saucepan with a little salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Place over a medium heat and once it begins to simmer, turn off the heat below and add the potatoes. 

Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until smooth and creamy. 

Wholemeal Pancakes with Caramelised Banana Recipe

by Nessa Robins

Pancakes are so versatile, working equally well as a sweet or savoury treat. I’m using Irish wholemeal flour in this recipe, which is fine in texture, allowing it to combine perfectly to create light and fluffy pancakes. The extra fibre in the wholemeal is also great for our gut, while helping to keep us feeling fuller for longer. This is one of my favourite pancake toppings, and if you’re a banana fan, I know you’re going to love it too. 

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Wholemeal Pancakes with Caramelised Banana 

Ingredients

Topping

To serve

  • Good quality vanilla yogurt
  • Caramel sauce, maple syrup or honey

Method

Add the flour to a large bowl. Sieve in the baking powder and whisk gently to combine.

Add the egg to the bowl and combine with the flour before gradually adding the milk, whisking well in between each addition.

Place a pan over a medium heat. Add a little oil and once hot add a ladle to the pan, once bubbling, flip and cook on the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter. This quantity should make about 8 small pancakes. 

To caramelise the banana, add the butter to a pan, once foaming, add the banana slices and fry on each side for about a minute, until golden. Drizzle over the honey. Allow to sizzle for a few seconds before taking from the heat.

To serve, top the pancakes with the caramelised banana, add a good dollop of yogurt and a drizzle of caramel sauce, maple, or honey. Enjoy straightaway!

Oat Bread

by Nessa Robins

Ultra-processed foods are everywhere, and it can sometimes be hard to believe a basic staple, such as the bread we use for our lunchtime sandwich, can be included in this list. Over the past week there has been an international celebration of real bread through Real Bread Week – a campaign which promotes the importance of real, additive-free bread. 

I love bread-making. I find it to be therapeutic but also making my own bread allows me to know exactly what I’m feeding my family. Traditional soda bread is my go-to but when I’m looking for a more substantial, nutrient-rich loaf, this oat bread would be top of my list. This oat bread is packed with protein-rich ingredients to give you a good energy boost first thing in the morning or enjoy it alongside a salad as a nutritious lunch. It’s simply oats, a good quality full fat Greek yogurt, milk, sunflower seeds, salt, and bread soda to help it rise, and a little honey to sweeten. It’s easy to assemble and bakes in just over 60 minutes. I’d love you to give it a try.

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Oat Bread

Ingredients

400g porridge oats

2tbsp sunflower seeds, plus extra for topping

1tsp bread soda, sieved 

½ tsp salt

400g Greek yogurt

50ml milk

1tbsp honey

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C /Gas Mark 6. Lightly grease a loaf tin with some butter.

2. Place the oats into a food processor and blitz for a few moments, until fine and they have a similar appearance to flour. 

3. Add the blitzed oats to a large bowl with the seeds, bread soda and salt. Stir to combine.

4. Make a well in the centre and add in the yogurt, milk, and honey. Using one hand, keep stirring the ingredients until a ball of dough has formed. 

5. When it comes together, place into the greased loaf tin. Top with a scattering of sunflower seeds and flatten slightly to ensure the loaf is even and the seeds are sticking to the dough. 

6. Place in the preheated oven for 50 minutes. After this time, carefully remove the loaf from the tin. Place the loaf directly onto the oven rack and continue to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, after which the base of the loaf will sound hallow when tapped. 

7. Leave to cool on a wire rack before cutting into slices. 

Veggie Meatballs & Spaghetti 

by Nessa Robins

These veggie meatballs are rich in plant-based protein and full of flavour. They can be prepared in advance and refrigerated, ready to cook later in the day, turning them into a convenient dinner to enjoy with family or friends. I like to serve them with a smooth tomato sauce and spaghetti, before topping with some microgreens or basil leaves and a good grating of cheese – which can be dairy or plant based. A simple seasonal salad makes for the perfect accompaniment. I packed mine with Irish kale, microgreens, and carrots, along with a few nuts and slices of juicy blood oranges. 

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Veggie Meatballs & Spaghetti 

Ingredients

Serves 4

Veggie meatballs

  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 25g butter, dairy or plant based
  • 250g mushrooms, sliced
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 sprig of thyme, leaves only
  • 1 tin lentils, drained
  • 100g oats
  • ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 1tsp olive oil

Tomato sauce

To serve

  • Chunk of hard cheese, dairy or plant based 
  • Microgreens or basil leaves
  • Seasonal salad 

Method

Add the olive oil to a small saucepan over a low heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring regularly, for about ten minutes, until the onion is soft but not coloured. Take from the heat and leave to one side. 

Add the butter to a large pan, over a medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, season with a few grinds of black pepper. Turn up the heat and fry, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes.  Once the mushrooms are cooked, stir in the garlic and thyme, and continue to cook for about 1 minute, stirring continuously. Take from the heat and leave to cool. 

Once the onions and mushrooms are completely cooled, add them to a high-powered processor along with the lentils, oats, and chilli flakes. Blitz until it turns into a paste-like mixture. 

Scoop out a tablespoonful of mixture at a time, shape into a ball and place on a greaseproof paper-lined baking tray, the mixture should make about 16. Brush each one with a little olive oil. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 25–30 minutes until crisp and slightly browned.

To make the tomato sauce, add the olive oil to a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion, reduce the heat to low and sauté for 5-10 minutes until soft and slightly coloured. Stir in the garlic. Add the tomatoes, mixed herbs, sugar, and season well with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes. Blitz until smooth.

Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the pack. Once cooked, add to the sauce, and gently stir though the cooked veggie meatballs. Top with microgreens or basil leaves and a grating of cheese. Enjoy!

Chocolate Orange Energy Balls 

by Nessa Robins

Oranges are currently in season, making it a particularly good time to add them to your Green Earth Organics box. They are especially rich in vitamin C, which support our immune system, aids in the adsorption of iron and helps to find inflammation in the body. They are also a great source of fibre and folate. 

The zest of an orange holds incredible flavour and makes a great addition to sweet treats. Our oranges are organic and unwaxed, making the zest especially beneficial for using in recipes, but still give the oranges a wash before zesting. Orange zest can be placed in a freezer proof container and popped in the freezer for up to three months, so the next time you’re treating yourself to an orange, remove the zest first before peeling.

These chocolate orange energy balls make for a delicious, sweet treat to enjoy anytime of the day. They are packed with wholesome ingredients. If you prefer you can omit the chocolate topping, they will still be full of flavour. 

Enjoy!

Nessa x

Chocolate Orange Energy Balls 

Ingredients

Makes 24

Topping

  • 100g chocolate, of choice, melted
  • Zest ½ orange

Method

Leave to set and store in the fridge until ready to serve. They will keep well in the fridge in a sealed container for at least 5 days.

Add the oats and almonds to a high-powered blender and blitz until fine.

Add the dates, milk, peanut butter, cacao, and orange zest. Blitz for about 30 seconds, until fully combined.

Taking a little scoop of the dough, roll into a ball and place on a greaseproof paper-lined tray. Repeat with the remaining mixture, making about 24 balls. 

Drizzle over the melted chocolate. Top with some orange zest.